"I was contacted by..." Topic

two sisters who are having to liquidate their parents estate including using their words:

"a master bedroom and walk-in closet full of painted figures, buildings and terrain"..

The photos they sent me included what appear to be well painted 25mm? 28mm? ancients, 6mm buildings, towns and terrain.

From what they told me there are several thousand or more figures alone.

Since I don't buy and resell estate lots, I told them I would see if I could find a reputable company to inventory and purchase the entire lot.

So, I am open to suggestions and referrals.

BTW, the figures are located in New Mexico..

Dave
Stone Mountain Miniatures, Inc.
WargamingMiniatures.com

Noble Knight might be into that.

Expect to see more and more of this. Collections of a lifetime being sold off as we pass. I would hope someone would start a business to liquidate our toys.

I have been contacted from time to time by family members trying to sell what they have inherited. They often have unrealistic expectations as to what the inheritance is worth.

Distances involved for driving and shipping costs for mailing tend to make pick up or mailing impractical when purchasing large collections, assuming the product is properly wrapped.

I would refer her to the local HMGS chapter. The sisters can have an open house one weekend and take offers. With the current economy, we are not in a good second hand figure market.

If I was local and buying to resell, I might be at 25 cents a figure.

Does GAJO still buy used collections? I know that Hinds Figures buys collections in the UK, but not sure if they buy from overseas sources.

Gajo does not buy collections anymore.

Guys, I say it again: if you don't want your little buddies tossed in a dumpster, take action now. Have names and phone numbers where your heirs can't help but find them. My list is paper-clipped to the funeral instructions.

Wise advice Robert P.

There's this company. I've not used them.

Mindtaker Miniatures
mindtaker.org

Have they considered Ebay?

Assuming they want to go through the work of photographing, cataloging, and posting, they probably can't even describe what they are selling.

link

Contact the toy soldier insurance people, they must deal with this often enough.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

link

Contact toy soldier museums, there are several around the country.

mwtoysoldier.com

The people who run long standing toy soldier shows may have a referral. Or take them to a local show and sell them.

toysoldierhq.com

Kent Sprecher has been in the toy soldier business for 50? years and probably knows someone who can help.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

I would not be too upset if my collection didn't get as much as I think it is worth. I'd just rather it went to someone and not end up in the skip (dumpster).

JohnG

I told my son, who is not at all interested in toy soldiers, to sell everything for 3 bucks a pound. Painted, unpainted, books, paint dice, whatever. Put it on the scale and be done with it. I gave a bunch of different phone numbers of people who know everybody.
I got the idea when I was in the hobby industry. A comic store owner would by comics by the pound! Simple. Then at a later date, he would sort thru them and price accordingly. Ingenious!

"They often have unrealistic expectations as to what the inheritance is worth." I wonder why ?😉

I think the primary problem is heirs not knowing where to go or who to talk to--made worse by shipping costs in the larger scales.

From my own downsizing, if you can find a eBay dealer who knows what he's doing, you can mail him 15mm and under and hope to see money back. At 25mm, the postage eats the profits. You have to sell the stuff yourself--effectively impossible for heirs who don't know what they've got--or you have to find a buyer close enough to drive to.

The problem is that we have a country with very few wargamers per square mile, many no longer have a group, and most of them have castings of 25mm and up. JohnG, if you got hit by a car tomorrow, would your heirs know who to call?