I’m not all that old yet, and I don’t have a whole lot. But I don’t have kids, and I go back and forth on who to leave things to in my will. I have close friends who could use a little money from things like the sale of my house, if I still own it by then. But a have a few valuable vintage musical instruments that I’m on the fence about. If I knew a young person who was a great player and would cherish them as I have, that would be great, but I don’t know any obvious candidate right now that I could name in my will. Plus it’s kind of a lot of responsibility – I’d really hate to leave them to such a person and they turn around and sell them to the highest bidder, and maybe wrestle with a lot of guilt over that.
Part of me says that’s silly and I could have them auctioned off and donate the proceeds to charity. But I don’t know. I’m not materialistic at all but these instruments have a spiritual value to me and I really want them to go to someone who will continue to treat them that way.
What would you do?
Comments
Is there a music school or arts center in your community? Maybe they can identify the perfect new owner when the time comes.
Who gets your stuff when you die? Who cares? You’re dead!
My mother was a musician. She also obviously had children. Neither one of us played violin. She sold hers (they were professional quality and insanely valuable).
You can reverse mortgage your house and enjoy your own damn money – or stay out of a nursing home.
If you have any decent jewelry, you can sell it. If it’s mass-produced mall jewelry store stuff, you can still sell it for its metal content (if it’s gold or platinum).
Sounds as if you’re on the verge of an exhaustive search to find a budding progeny. I might suggest finding a chat group or contact a college music program professor. Or perhaps check out some live local music. Maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Donate it back to my alma mater college.
A school that does good things — a performing arts school, or the like.
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation might be a possibility. They provide instruments to school kids. They might be able to auction your vintage instruments and use the money to provide several kids an instrument.
Just a thought.
I have a niece and two nephews, and charities I care a lot about
You will to who ever you want anyone you’re particularly close to. Or even charities
What sort of instruments?
Old time and bluegrass communities might know of young people who need fiddles, banjos, mandos, etc.
For band or or orchestral instruments, you could contact a local university music program.
My nephew can figure that out.
I just finalized my will not that long ago. My beneficiaries are my best friend and then to a children’s hospital I grew up in.
I know that things will be taken care of and it will be money well spent.
That will change when I have kids, of course, and I already have a plan in place on who will oversee the funds and be trustee.
I have a somewhat similar dilemma. I live in Central America alone. I’m divorced with 2 children and two grandchildren. They live in the US. I have built a substantial personal worth here. It’s apparent none of my children want to live here. I am 73. I have 25 or so employees some of which have been very loyal and with me for 20 years or so. I would love to make sure all of them are taken care of when I move onto pastures greener. What I struggle with is how to do this equitably.
Reputable animal shelters and rescues is my plan.
I’m not old but my youngest sibling is getting all my money.
One can’t take stuff with you when we die. That is why I stopped being sentimental about things. And I am now a minimalist! Do you have any cousins, nephews or nieces? If so I would name them in the will. If not then consider leaving your house to a charity especially one that helps those in need. Friends don’t usually stick around forever so naming them may not be ideal. You could live another 25 years or longer.
We’re childless. All of our goods go to each other, then our siblings and their children. If they don’t want it, they can sell it or donate it. We’re dead, what do we care?
Nieces and nephews, charities. Its best to clear your house of as much as you can before you pass. ( my mother in law has started clearing the house decorating and doing repairs) she’s fighting fit btw an we don’t expect to loose her for quite some time. Do a very detailed will too so there is no room for trouble. Plan an pay for your funeral an cremation too. ( my mum has done this) then go on as many adventure while you can!!
I have a pair of KEF 104/2 speakers that are willed to my good friend, who is a hardcore audiophile. But he’s 4 years older than I am (and I’m 75), so they will probably end up in the hands of some Philistine who will do something vile with them. sigh
Were it me, I’d donate it to Public Radio (NPR) and your local PBS station, since a certain ultra right-wing someone is threatening their demise.
Did my will a couple of years ago, updated in December/January.
This is what I want done: liquidate everything.
Divide up the proceeds among the 5 nephews. If they are no longer alive and do not have children, the entire estate passes to two organizations I support. If they are still alive, then a smaller percentage goes to the two organizations.
Nobody needs to fight over my JCP flatware, Corelle dishes, or drinking glasses from Kohl’s and Crate&Barrel. Get rid of it.
I am in the process of “Swedish Death cleaning” – purging all the extraneous crap in my house. I’ve condensed holiday decor to a single tote, with the exception of Christmas. I’m not religious, I just like sparkly shiny objects at the darkest time of year. So those decorations stay, because they’re up for a month. Everything else pared way down.
Pared down my other household decor items as well, plus physical media (movies, CDs, books – although I am keeping a number of hardcover books. All of Tolkien, some other classics I want copies of). Working on reducing extra household goods.
Purged clothing & jewelry and personal hobby stuff. Goal is to have a much more manageable volume of stuff than the mess my grandparents and mother left.
And for Pete’s sake, list financial account information. Not only mortgage & utilities, but credit cards, investments, life insurance policies.
I’m thinking about what to do about the 800 billion accounts I have everywhere. Good chance that many will be defunct by the time I die, but many others will still be around.
Let anything you care about to charity.
I don’t care what happens to any of my stuff after I’m dead, but I don’t want to burden others either, but I think they can deal with it.
At the moment, everything in my will goes to my brother, who lives with me, and his will says the same about me. After that, it goes to charities and our nieces.
Out of the box idea. How about donating to your favorite musical artist. Maybe not someone so huge that they’d never even hear about it. But there are plenty of artists that have mid-sized followings that would accept the instruments. Even if they didn’t use them, you could ask that they give them to a musician that could really use them and I expect they’d honor that.
Animal rescues for sure
Who ever the hell you want to. And that’s the way it is even if you have kids.
Go to a few local concerts that would feature the instruments that you own. Introduce yourself to the performers. Chat.
In Houston you could pass along your instruments to the public school High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – HSPVA – and they will be used with respect, love and care. There may be a similar school in your local school district.
Nieces, nephews and charities.