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 Wednesday, October 21, 2009
From the Editor: The collector’s quandary
Posted by Antique Trader Staff
There are several methods to liquidate a collection, ranging from an
auction to an estate sale to selling to another collector. One method
that’s come up recently in two high-profile cases involves the role of
museums.
K*B Toys
co-founder Donald Kaufman and his wife, Sally, who assembled what will
forever be known as the largest collection of automotive toys, considered a museum but decided collectors would take care of the items as their cherished objects.
So, too, did Dennis and Terri LaMothe consider a few museums to house
their landmark mesh handbag and vintage couture collection.
When the Orlando couple interviewed a few museums, nonewould guarantee
the collection would not be sold in the future if the museum ran out of
space.
Both instances are examples of the quandary collectors may find
themselves as they try to liquidate their collections. For both the
Kaufmans and the LaMothes, the natural obligation they felt to preserve
the history and years of research they invested in their collection made a museum a logical choice.
Museums are indeed the backbone of a country’s heritage and play an
active role in the current hobby and research. Imagine how shallow and
poor America would be without the Smithsonian Institution. What would
the scholarship of American folk art be without the work of Winterthur
or New York’s American Folk Art Museum? But museums can also be subject
to politically charged boards, poor collection-care standards and vulnerable to economic downturns that decimate endowments.
Personally, I have always viewed collectors as a type of historical
militia, a force comprised of ordinary people who share knowledge and
preserve precious objects. Collectors are constantly engaging in new
research and sharing this information in new ways.
As collectors from all levels now take stock to downsize, they face a
world of decisions. These decisions are deeply personal — there is not
a single solution that fits everyone.
What do you think? What role should America’s museums play as a growing number of collectors dispense with their collections?
Post a reply here on the blog, HERE on the Antique Trader message boards, or send a reply to eric.bradley@fwmedia.com.
Eric Bradley
Editor
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009 3:21:56 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00) 
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