At what age do you stop. (1 Viewer)

[Snowbird]

Having been a collector of all things quality for most of my life I have decided to start to break up some of my collectables. The reason for this is that am getting no younger and maybe the cash will come in useful. I have collected S,T, Dupont and Dunhill lighters for years, but as am the only smoker in the family they are not going to be appreciated by my heirs who am sure will either throw them in the bin or at the back of a drawer somewhere. So I am in the process of itemising these wonderful relics of a bygone era ready for sale. At what age if any do others stop collecting, and if so do you hang on to your collections until the end or convert them back to cash.
Am still undecided on what to do with my watches, especially my pocket watches, as no one has the stomach to show them off only me.

 

[Cat53]

My MIL was a collector of all sorts of crap. Her husband died back in Feb and she had to leave her home as not able to look after herself. So she's taken a few bits with her more than half of which are now sitting in my piano room. Her very wise words to me, as I hauled another box of collectables into her room to sort, were.....'let this be a lesson to you, don't start collecting anything!' I am trying, but people keep dying and leaving us their crap to sort out. So glad you are ahead of the game.

 

[Welsh girl]

I stopped collecting when we went full time, selling a lot of stuff dirt cheap at bootsales, have to stop myself buying lots of stuff now.
not a lot of room or payload I'm afraid and as you say,when you pop your clogs will your kids apreciate them as you did.

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[scotjimland]

Good question.. one I have asked myself..

My Singers sewing machine collection is worth quite a bit, but have already started selling them.. better going to another collector than sent to the skip.. two have been earmarked by my daughter and my son would also like a treadle machine for is new house..

Only one will be kept.. the workhorse that is used almost daily..

As for your pocket watch collection Dave, .. if selling any please let me know.. would love one to wear and also hand down to my son..

Also have a small collection of Zippo's .. probably just flog them..

 

[big map]

Like @Cat53 mil, My nan collected crap too, when my grandad died she decided to move from a big five bed house to a two bedroom flat, the whole family turned out to sort the stuff, but whenever someone wanted to get rid of something she was insisting she needed it, it was valuable, it would come in useful, etc etc, in the end my dad told me to take her away and they cracked on and sorted and packed the good stuff and burnt the rest. It was amazing how much stuff she could pack into that flat, but God rest her soul, for the rest of her life she whenever she couldn't find something she insisted it had been burnt in the clear out.

 

[Tootles]

my pocket watches, as no one has the stomach to show them off only me.

I have a few Waltham's and a couple of fusee British models. Just love winding them up with their little keys now and again.

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[Cat53]

Yeah, that's the trouble. Took all her shoes over to her to sort. She put what she didn't want into a big bag and told me to give them to a charity shop. I did. Now she wants a pair of beige sandals, she knows she has them somewhere! ....... Yeah, in a chatity shop in Grantham!

 

[scotjimland]

We sometimes go to the local auction house and often see collections under the hammer.. boxes of all sorts, family heirlooms, picture albums , dishes, tea sets, and lots of personal stuff just all chucked in cardboard box and flogged to the highest bidder..

it's quite sad really.. someones life in a box and it's up for sale..


makes you think

 

[buttons]

Friend of mine is an obsessive collector. He collects houses cars paintings furniture, absolutely anything. He is now 70 and still buying anything that will turn a profit but never sells any of it. Three houses many cars and he still buys paintings in bulk. He doesn't have any kids so what could the attraction possibly be in collecting I have no idea.

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[big map]

My nan had a collection of Poole pottery which I inherited, then other family members started adding to it at Christmas, birthdays, when they saw it at car boots, in charity shops, auctions. I had to stop them buying it we were running out of space. One day I will get it valued and sell it, but not yet, I would feel disloyal to my nan. Omg I'm turning into a hoarder like my nan.

 

[jockaneezer]

Old neighbour of mine has a house full of crap and two or three lock up garages around town the same. He had been an electronics boffin and had worked on early commercial ship's radar then to cut down on travelling abroad, he started working in tv as a broadcast technician. If ever he saw a Phillips Video 2000 VCR, he would buy it, must have had 15 or 20 of them piled up in his living room, "Best recording format out there" he was forever telling me. His wife couldn't take any more, so when next door's house came up for sale, she bought it and moved in to get away from his crap.

 

[rangi]

Got a friend called "Marshell"
Some one gave her an picture of an Owl on a plate

She's now got about 30 of the bloody things Brass, Pictures, Plates, Feathered, name it, she's got one!

She does a big moan every birthday, Xmas, "Why does everyone give me Owls?"

It was pointed out to her, by her brother, the fella that gave her the first Owl

Marshell- - - - Marsh- Owl

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[Tootles]

If anyone collects really rare Zippos, drop me a PM. I have a Singapore limited edition one in its case, never had petrol in it.

 

[mid4did]

I have a few Waltham's and a couple of fusee British models. Just love winding them up with their little keys now and again.

Same here.for some reason a few years back I got the collection bug of silver pocket watches 19th century-ish.Got lots of spares and tools etc and stripped and cleaned a few even a fusee.What a great feeling to get one ticking again after all those years.The workmanship that went into making the old watches has to be seen to be believed.
Sorely tempted to ask @Snowbird for a list but I know They'll be in a drawer with the rest and only appreciated by me.

 

[mid4did]

I also collect cans of guiness,get given some every time I fix someones laptop.Also at christmas and birthdays.
I have absolutely no problem storing them.

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[Tootles]

Same here.for some reason a few years back I got the collection bug of silver pocket watches 19th century-ish.Got lots of spares and tools etc and stripped and cleaned a few even a fusee.What a great feeling to get one ticking again after all those years.The workmanship that went into making the old watches has to be seen to be believed.
Sorely tempted to ask @Snowbird for a list but I know They'll be in a drawer with the rest and only appreciated by me.

I have a fusee made for the Royal Geographical Society, and issued to the 1907 Antarctic Expedition. Fusee was used as it isn't affected my changes in temperature, as conventional sprung watches are.

 

[tofo]

Son and DIL bought a deralict house in 2014
Owned and lived in the vendor

He wasn't a hoarder in the usual way
Every time he went out he bought something

Didn't matter what it was every room was full of new stuff
He said by the time you move in it will be empty

They went back a couple of times and slow progress was being made
Well very little really ,!!?

Any way on moving day son &DIL turned up to pick up keys
To find the fella still in place and thinking he could stay for a few weeks more as they weren't moving in straight away

Any way a 12 yard skip was called (for paid for by estate agent
The fella went into a hotel )which emptied house by 40%
The rest went into the garage which was being pulled down
He had 30 days to clear it or a skip was coming

It went 29 days later son has had the storage people contacting
Them for the fellas new address ( he ended up in a hostel )
With a few collectors looking for him.

 

[Puddleduck]

We are in the process of a huge de-clutter which will take around two years - so another year to go.

A lot of stuff belonged to relatives who died and it is hard to get rid of but the stuff is their memories and not ours. So the rule is that if it's not in use, not going to be used in the near future and has no memories for us it goes out. When a room is "done" it looks so much better and I haven't missed anything we have re-homed elsewhere.

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[GJH]

I've collected various things over the years. Every so often decide to get rid of something and either sell on eBay or give to charity.

 

[Tootles]

I've collected various things over the years. Every so often decide to get rid of something and either sell on eBay or give to charity.

Your selling your favorite concubine sheep then.......

 

[GJH]

Your selling your favorite concubine sheep then.......

Now that you've met my price, yes

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[Tootles]

Now that you've met my price, yes

 

[Snowbird]

I have never been a hoarder as such. I did at one time collect Doulton figures and had a full service of Paragon, Tree of Kashmir, including everything they ever made in that design. I did get rid of that after a burglary some years ago. I also had quite a collection of Belleek china at one time and had no problem when the time came to get rid of it all. The lighters and watches are a different story though, am finding it increasingly difficult to bring myself to get rid of them. OK, the watches will not hurt as they could be handed down. One of my grandsons already has a half hunter and guard that he wears on special occasions, but the lighters are something rare and to my mind beautiful. They have a feel of quality and balance that cannot be matched in today's world. The distinctive ping of a Dupont lighter has never been reproduced. The Chinese guy that repairs and services my lighters would love me to sell him the whole collection, but how on earth do you put a value on things you have collected for 40 years or more, and worse still have long since forgotten how much was paid for them.

 

[Terry]

Hi Dave search ebay then make up a figure you will accept
terry

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[rangi]

I collect Die cast Model cars. Started off collecting MB38s a Ford Model A Van. When I started there were only twenty, So how come I have 300 or so ???
Somewhere along the way I decided to go for Steam Driven, then!, thought Commercials, I really like the look of the 60's Sportscars, TAXIS from all over the world, F/Lifts, Earthmovers &construction,
'ERE!! I used to drive them in the Forces, Model T Tankers.

Then "me Lady" rebelled!

But! When left alone in a Market, even for a few seconds if I see something interesting

It's all by chance really not dedicated collecting as such

Was in Chesterfield Market in 89 saw a pristine Matchbox F/Lift, paid 50p
Went to a flea market in Sydney Aus. in 92, rummaging thro a box of junk, found a pristine Box for a M/Box F/lift, 50 Cents. Put the two together. have now got a M/Box F/lift worth £75.

Chance ! just chance

 

[Snowbird]

Hi Dave search ebay then make up a figure you will accept
terry

There are so many fake Duponts on ebay Terry, you would be hard pressed to find a true value. A modern, new, plated Dupont will be priced at anything upwards of £400. How do you value something solid and 40 years old. I would hate to think that these lighters will go to the melting pot, the same as all those beautiful silver and gold cigarette cases went that wouldn't hold a Superking or roll up. The problem is that the scrap value of these things make them almost worthless for the job they were designed to do. Another thing, you dont need a cigarette lighter to light an ecig.

 

[Terry]

OK Dave you just put a min value of at least £400 up work from there Try advertising one on ebay giving all details you remember with a £400 starting price and see what it does --someone out there will know how much it is worth to them -maybe another collector We sold about 250 bits of Swarovski crystal animals /trains etc about 10 ish yrs ago -got around 8 k for the lot but sold individually -I remember selling a train that I paid around £200 for and it sold for £280 but the guy would not let me post it,came all the way from London to collect it -told me he would have gone up to £1250 for it -they don't make them any more and he did not want it to get lost in the post-I was happy I did not have to clean the bloody things any more That knackered pressies up as we always bought each other a bit of crystal for B/Days /anniversaries etc
Often thought of buying just the one off's they do every year and then remember cleaning them
terry

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[Badknee]

Just spent the past two days clearing our house so youngest son can move in. Luckily were able to keep our bedroom in the deal in case of illness etc so we are block stacking it with "must keeps" and charity shop/tipping the rest. It's very hard and we haven't been looking forward to it but hey ho the open road beckons

 

[Snowbird]

Well, have made a start. Taken some photos of 3 of the most valuable and I think most collectable. I am not going to weigh them as that only encourages the scrap trade. The gold and black one is a very rare S,T, Dupont Laque de Chine in 18k solid gold. Boxed with original papers.
The silver one is another S, T, Dupont in silver, ligne 2. Boxed with papers.
The 3rd a Dunhill made in Switzerland in 18k. Not mint, but a nice Rollagas lighter. I will be hawking them round the net tomorrow. Wish me luck.

 

[vwalan]

must be worth 50p each . if your coming down to padstow this year i could spend a quid .

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