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What are to become of your reference books...
BLUEJAYWAY
Posts: 8,046 ✭✭✭✭✭
...when you pass away? I know many times it has been discussed here what will be the dispersion of your coinage,but what of the books? Gifting to ANA library,local clubs, local library?
Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
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A local coin deal here died without a plan for his books. A family member took over the coin shop, but didn't have an appreciation for the reference book collection. I bought them all at his estate sale for 50cents/softback and $1.00/hardback.
I think I may have a living estate sale some day and see how that goes.
Probably the ole circular file.
I have less than a dozen reference books. I'm not anywhere near ready to kick the bucket but, when I'm gone; I'll leave them to my younger family members. If they don't appreciate them, then I don't care about the monetary value, as they've paid for themselves many times over, in all of the hundreds of times I've referred to them over the years. I've gotten more than my pleasure out of them for what little I paid. Heck, I'd give them away, if I thought some YN could use them or be inspired by them or if it could help him or her to be a better collector and to build a great set.
“I may not believe in myself but I believe in what I’m doing” ~Jimmy Page~
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947)
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
That would be a shame.
Publication will cease.
If no one wants mine, I guess it's cheaper than buying a bag of Kingsford !!!
I gift books to others all the time. Finding the right appreciative person is fun. I am about to gift 2 dozen cookbooks to a chef in a school district so she can put them in the school library. Now I'm terms of numismatic reference books, I loves me some coin books. I just picked up a 64 Charleton Canada catalogue at a thrift shop for 3.99. Peace Roy
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I had not considered my coin library. Well, I am sure the books will find their way into a yard sale...that way, if there are other collectors in the area, they will find a good home. Cheers, RickO
My heirs will probably throw them away and I really don't think I'll care at that point!
Son gets them along with the coins.
WS
will see about the library
The late Fred Lake used to conduct actions to the less than super high priced reference books. Now that he is gone, no one has taken his place.
If am deceased could care less
I haven't considered this topic, but it's an interesting one. Since I'm a teacher, the same thought extends to all of my books. What becomes of my reference books on teaching, literary works by Poe, Hemingway, Chaucer and many others? Fortunately, my young sons are forming a deep love for reading, and we regularly have family reading time, and they ask questions when they see me reading my coin books. They each have a red book and are working on coin folders for Jefferson Nickels and Franklin Halves. If they don't want my books one day, then I suppose I will have to teach them the value of a dollar and tell them to sell or donate them.
Libraries don't really want most book donations any more - and they've never accepted "gifted" books -- they're too smart.
Donate to a local non-profit coin club, or ANA for their auctions or to Good Will for the tax deduction.
I'm pretty sure my heirs are going to be so excited when they find my coin books that they will fight over who gets to read all the books cover to cover while taking copious notes.
Now, back in the real world, I'm pretty sure my coin books will wind up at Goodwill. My heirs are kind of lazy so I doubt they will go to the trouble of selling them, even if I leave them detail instructions.
I never really gave this topic much thought, but bequeathing the books to the ANA or a coin club for disposition makes a lot of sense, they could either use them or give or sell them to someone who would.
The ANA raises several thousands each year on their Summer Seminar book sales (I want to say $9000 in the sale the week I was there), so they'll probably go there.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars
It depends on the library and the books. I know some libraries that still want technical, engineering books, but I'm not sure about numismatics.
There isn't much interest in esoteric hobby books. I will end up sorting through my library--some items will go to the ANA (summer seminar book sales) and the better material will be shipped to a numismatic literature dealer, likely Kolbe and Fanning.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
With some good glue maybe you could fashion a coffin out of them .
Give to friends, donate to library, sell from table at show for $1
I think mine will probably go in that grey bin in the garage. Recycling.
The few I have will either go to a used book store or the recycling bin. I’m hoping my son will end up appreciating numismatics as he grows up. If so, hopefully he’ll enjoy them.
TurtleCat Gold Dollars
Great question and not to make this more problematic, there are those books that are rare and should be identified as such within the list of holdings that a collector owns. In all fairness there are collectors of numismatic books, catalogs and other publications that contain information of interest to numismatists.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Sell them on the BST.
I’ve been thinking of listing books on eBay. That’s how I got them...
Cremation requires fuel.
This is an old thread but is still a good topic.
Do not consider donating any specialized numismatic books to your local library. They don't want them and will just put them into their local "friends" sale where they will be picked off for a dollar each by some local book dealer on the "friends" preview night sale.
Do not offer them to a used book shop. They will give you next to nothing for them and then list them online for big bucks.
What books are you still using? Keep those and put the others into a numismatic book auction. (I assume that they still have some of those, don't they?)
Don't die with your book collection. Heirs outside of the hobby will have no idea what to do with it.
In the old days you could have consigned them to Fred Lake when he was alive. Now it’s probably better to think about a specialist dealer, like Charles Davis. A local library might well deep six them without knowing that some out of print books are collectors’ items in their own right.
Orville Grady used to handle cheaper items too, but he retired a few years ago. By my count, there are only 3 numismatic literature dealers left: Kolbe and Fanning, Charles Davis, and Bryce Brown. The only U.S. firm regularly conducting numismatic literature auctions nowadays is Kolbe and Fanning. Options for selling off one's numismatic library are much more limited than 10-15 years ago.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Some ones book case.
Best idea was to donate to ANA summer seminar auction.
I have many coin books to get rid of.
No one else wants them.
many being offered on eBay for $10
can donate to library for their auction or some have used book stores where they sell them cheap.
Years ago I was moving far away and knew I wouldn't be buying coins anymore. So I sold my coin library and gave away boxes of auction catalogs and Numismatist and other stuff. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Lots of stuff online now.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.
Interesting idea that I had not considered. I believe I might go ahead and sell mine on ebay and buy back some coins that I had to sell last year. Thanks for the idea BJ.
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I do not care. I will not be in any shape to use them and they will most likely be out of date.
Back in the early 1990's, before eBay, I had a very expensive and hard to find set of books on Roman Imperial Coins that I wanted to donate to my local library. They were in pristine condition. They took a look at them and declined to take them. I eventually donated them to another library where they reluctantly took them. I wish I still had them. They would probably sell for well over thousand dollars today.
Nah... Use them for a bonfire--go out in style, like a Viking! (Well, more like a Viking nerd.)
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
When Heritage comes to pick up my collection for my estate sale (hopefully, many years away), they will take care of the library for my heirs. They'll have over five floor-to-ceiling bookcases to go through. The good ones (limited edition hardbounds bought through Kolbe, etc sales) will go through Heritage. The more common modern catalogs will be sent off to local numismatic organizations for giveaways, YN raffles, etc. That way, my family doesn't have to deal with playing freight handlers and they'll get a decent Prices Realized out of the good stuff.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
Sounds amazing. Congrats on what sounds like an amazing collection and display.
I would love to see a pic.
And sadly libraries are mostly now in a continuous process of downsizing, selling books, etc.
I doubt that they all would be out of date-because even "out of date" numismatic books still provide much needed info.
There is a Salvation Army Sore nearby that moves a lot of surprisingly cool stuff. Their Books go for 10 cents each. Hardly anyone bothers to look at the Books.
Is it any wonder why Borders bit the dust. Barnes and Noble isn't exactly doing much better.
For cheaper items, less than $30 or so, I think it's easier just to donate them to a local coin club. Shipping them to the ANA for a summer auction could take a lot of time as far as packing is concerned.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Books used from numismatic giants like Eric Newman and Steve Tanenbaum were all auctioned off. Some are still being auctioned off. I have Steve Tanenbaum's copy of Russ Rulau's mammoth token reference. It is inscribed to him on the cover page by Mr. Rulau, which is just really cool. Gets my imagination going of Steve turning those pages and looking things up (even though his knowledge was boundless)
For us commoners? Our books run the serious risk of going into a dumpster if we're not careful.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I guess I'm one of the dinosaurs. I still like to read a bound book and magazines Not an EBook,Audio book. Still like to do the crossword puzzles in the newspapers.
Trash can. Live for today. Let tomorrow take care of itself.
Will be donated to the local coin club.