It may seem sad, but strangely enough this is one of the most frequent questions the Society receives. Sometimes it results from a member who has collected for a long time and amassed a large collection, but then died. Their relatives then approach the BSS and seek our advice on what to do.

The general advice is to ascertain how much the collection may be worth. The trade journals contain dealers who can value collections and perhaps undertake to purchase and dispose of them for the family. But prudence says obtain a few valuations first before opting to take this route.

Additionally, there are auction houses who can take collections and then sell them for you but of course, whatever the value realised, they will charge a percentage commission for acting on your behalf.

Finally, some members in the past have donated their collections to the Society, in which case we make them available to other members. Sometimes this is done through a first-come-first served basis, but more likely through an internal auction process. Whatever route taken, this is an issue that perhaps thought should be given to.