What Will Happen to Your Music Collection and Equipment When You.......


Not to sound morbid, but being a realist...what do you plan on doing with your collection and equipment before leaving this planet? (if you have a chance!) I have no heirs, and I have been collecting vinyl since I was 13 or so (am now 61) and buying CDs. I know I will continue to seek out and buy. As we all know...a collection is very personal and literally represents a lifetime of searching, finding, enjoying and just plain fun! It is part of a lifestyle that includes many, many concerts since I was 15. How do you even go about placing a value on a music collection? True, the real value is the enjoyment of it, and I guess monetary value is secondary. I like my equipment, but it is nowhere near and dear to my heart as the music. I guess one could sell the collection to a used store, and let it be recycled once again to music lovers, or you could ebay it, or pass it on to other family members or friends. I would just like the joy I have received from it to be experienced by others as it is just a wonderful thing. Just curious as to what others thought about this....thanks!
moofoo
Agree completely, and have been thinking about this very subject myself lately. The thought of my very personal music collection being broken up and disseminated to various and multiple strangers is very disturbing to me, and I don't how to prepare for that eventuality. Hope somebody has a good suggestion!
Good question . Unexpected and expected deaths must leave spouses and family members scratching their heads as what to do with the hifi . We are talking assets worth thousands , tens of thousands . Would your spouse or family no where to liquidate ? Come to think of it what would they most likely end up doing with it ? Best to talk to your loved ones now !
Well - you told her every component was $500 or less - so that's what she'll sell each for and think she made a killer deal - which will make her happy - which probably means more than anything else. You can't take it with you guys
At 60+ this thought was part of my motivation to transition to computer audio for CD archiving and sale. The long run goal is to digitize the vinyl.
I'm hoping that when I get the bad news I'll have time to sell my gear.  I'm resigned to the fact that my music collection will probably be scattered or, if streaming catches on, hauled off to the dump.  I do still have hope that the children of a friend or relative will catch the music collecting bug big time.
Since I have 2 systems, I will leave one to my son and one to my daughter.  They can go through my music collection and keep what they want and sell or give away the rest.  My wife has zero interest in my systems or the music.

I am taking mine with me, don't know what to expect when I get to where I'm going so am not taking any chances. Who knows they might have Wayne Newton on constant repeat.

If I'm fortunate enough to know ahead of time, I'll wait as long as I can and then contact someone who'd actually appreciate my system and just give it to them. My CD collection would go to the local library.

If I go all-of-a-sudden, my sister and brother in law can figure it out.

All the best,
Nonoise
Oh, just the thought of someone messing with my system and my music collection (even after I'm dead) makes me want to die...
I actually faced the possibility a few years ago. Fortunately, I've been blessed with good health since then.
A friend and audiophile agreed to sell-off my equipment. He knows the value and conduits for selling. 
The albums are more difficult. Through the years I've acquired some valuable LPs, either by purpose or accident. I avoided the painful task of sifting through 1000s of LPs and identifying those that realistically hold significant value.  I still haven't done that. I'm really not sure how to disperse them - some, to family, others auction as a whole?.... 


moofoo -

start talking w/ like-minded individuals that will oversee your wares and collection.  If that is not your thing, leave your music collection w/ a local library or college radio station.  Happy Listening!
I only hope I can instill to my daughter the value of them, otherwise, it will be lost.
@tooblue If you're taking it with you, you probably need to get a good voltage converter and multiple plug types!  If they have Wayne Newton on constant repeat then you'll probably want something that converts heat to electricity as well. :)
I hope to do what my mother-in-law did for me (if I live long enough). She's well into her 80's and gave me some vintage albums ... Sarah Vaughn, Ray Charles, Gilberto, Nancy Wilson, and even a really nice Tony Bennett, among many others. They were fairly well preserved and I went through and cleaned them up, so it made a nice addition to my collection. My wife says it's the that music reminds her of Sundays growing up.

I've tried to introduce my grandson to jazz (he's 11 and plays the sax). Started with the piano at 5, and I swear he did some stuff that sounded like Monk! Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration; but I really hope he develops a genuine appreciation. It would be great if everything passed to him. Otherwise, who knows.
This is what wills are meant to address. The 20K or so of gear is bequest to my kids in two equal shares and as for the music itself....

death don't have no mercy 
The problem with giving your music to a library is that discs only remain in playable condition for a few trips out and back. I couldn’t rest in peace knowing that my music collection was being pulled out of the player or off the turntable and thrown on the floor (car or home). People have no respect for property that isn’t theirs.
Once I buy the farm couldn't care less what happens to my gear and music. Most likely scenario is my kids will sell off everything and divide the $. If they do hope they throw a decent party afterwards on my dime.