After you are gone, your cameras....

<p>No one will want my junk anyway, so enjoy it while I still have a tan...</p>

<p>When I was a young teenager my grandmother remarked that the souvenirs in her china cabinet reminded her of things she did during her life and places she had been. She said that she knew that after she was gone no one would appreciate these things the way she did but while she was still living she cherished them. She died a few years later at the age of 76. My grandfather kept most of her things together and died fourteen years later at the age of 91. My youger brother now has that china cabinet in his house and I donlt really know what became of most of what my grandmother kept in it. I didn't think about this again until 1995. In that year a close family friend died. He left thousands of books. My father looked through many of them and found notes which our friend had made for sermons. When his wife moved she couldn't take even a fraction of the books with her. My other brother bought a few hundred volumes, I have three or four books and the rest were donated. There is a reference on our friend's tombstone to his love of books. I enjoy using and collecting and the many cameras and lenses and accessories I have. I hope to be able to enjoy them or many more years. It isn't likely that anyone else will care as much about them as I do after I'm gone. If my wife or son survive me I hope they will keep one or two pieces and do with the rest as they see fit. </p>

<p>I think about this a lot, being 72. I have well over 100 cameras but I never seem to get around to cataloging them. They include 7 Leicas in ex+ to LN- condition. Many Nikons, a LN Retina IIIC (big C) and many others. My wife will be well taken care of in any case, but I have advised her to contact an authority I know and trust, and give him a 10-15% commission. I would want my children to have first crack, gratis, but all of them consider photography to be digital.<br>

What I don't want is for my Leica M6 classic in LN condition to go for $5 in a garage sale.</p>

<p>Kerry -- I'll give you $10 for it right now... :D</p>

<p>A question in the same vein above - what about your photos? Donate to friends? Have heirs toss them in trash? Donate to local library?</p>

<p>I'll sell off my stuff as my vision and passion fades. My sons have little interest in ancient photographic devices. I don't want then burdened with sentimentality. The fact is, few people care. I don't take what I do, or what I've done, seriously.</p>

I'm not burdened with religious belief, but I'll join in with having one or two of my cameras put in my pyramid with me. Plus a few rolls of film; better make that two different speeds, and a tank and some Rodinal. Once you start on this though, where do you stop? I want my bicycle and walking boots too, and my laptop, and a kettle, tea and coffee pots, beer, whiskey, bread and cheese, ...</br></br>

A <i>few</i> of my cameras might interest a <a href="http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/Collections/Donation_Policy.asp">museum</a>. I don't think any of my relatives would want them.

<p>Sentimentality aside, if any of my cameras are worth serious money, I wouldn't want my kids to be cheated out of anything. I'd either tell them myself sometime or leave a note in a safe deposit box, or in a camera case that says something like: "<em>Check value of Leicas before selling, I paid over 1K each, some close to 2K</em>" That should prevent someone from offering them $10 for "your ancient film cameras." Maybe by then film cameras WILL be worth $10, who knows? But today's digitals will probably be worthless anyway.</p>

<p>look at like this, that 10 year old digital camera you paid $3000.00+ for probably will not be working due to some circuit board no longer made. So it will be almost worthless. The "L" series lenses will have been loaned to grandson who beat & banged around & swapped for a Quantry lens. You will have long sold your Hasselblads & Leicas to purchase your digital camera.</p>

<p>For photographic equipment I'll place some written instructions in with my trust documents. I'm much more concerned with other things though- like what happens to my photographs. After the photographs, the order of priority goes to making sure that Bob Dylan and Miles Davis are played at whatever activity is held in my honor. My niece who can't stand Bob Dylan will just have to live with it. ;) </p>

<blockquote>

<p>Once I'm dead, I could care less what happens to my cameras. I'll be dead.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I agree. Except that I <em>couldn't</em> care less.</p>

<p>My wife might include them in a yard sale but is more likely to drop them off at the thrift shop. There are several hundred - at least. If you're looking for bargains you'll have to watch for my obituary.........</p>

<p>Despite certain recent trends (probably stimulated by SP and others here), the great advantage of collecting old East German cameras is that one is virtually certain that in 10 or 20 years, gods willing, they will be worth just as little as they are today.</p><div></div>

<p>I've not responded to this thread because I wanted to think about it. The bald face truth is I don't care what happens to my cameras. For sure they will be sold or given away since they have far more life in their glass and steel bodies than my mere mortal shell. Of more importance to me is the disposition of my images. What is to become of them? Dinasoaurs left footprints in the mud. My photographs are my footprints. Besides a suit of clothes and a few trinkets, they may be all that remains of the real me. This is an important consideration and something I must ponder. Of course, in the end, all things must pass. Thinking about this makes me evermore grateful for every passing moment I have still have left.</p>

<p >My wife and two children love photography. Some of my vintage cameras have already disappeared on permanent loan. My daughter living in Alaska has enough great images to publish a book. My son just did a tourist trip thing to Italy only taking a light meter and a Minolta Autocord. My wife’s wild flower photo collection surpasses anything I have ever accomplished. I can pass away knowing that at least for the next generation my cameras and photos will be well appreciated. Regards, TD</p>