Lots of stuff in wife's name

[Isgrimnur]

[Pyperkub]

Make sure you read MHS's post up above about jewelry. This part stands out:

You'd be lucky to get 1/20th of what you paid for the average piece you buy in a mall.

Keep that in mind when looking at what it would cost to buy new and setting your price.

On the other hand, if you donate, you can deduct the full cost, if tax deductions can be of use. WMMV

[Blackhawk]

Make sure you read MHS's post up above about jewelry. This part stands out:

You'd be lucky to get 1/20th of what you paid for the average piece you buy in a mall.

Keep that in mind when looking at what it would cost to buy new and setting your price.

On the other hand, if you donate, you can deduct the full cost, if tax deductions can be of use. WMMV

That's a good point, but if he's on disability, the chances are good that he has zero taxable income. I personally haven't paid had to file a return since 2007.

[Daehawk]

No taxes other than property and sales tax in stores.

[Drazzil]

[Cylus Maxii]

Daehawk - you have my sympathies. this has got to be really hard to process solo. FWIW - my dad passed in October and my siblings and I have been processing his estate stuff. Its a sentimental and depressing and taxing workload. But at least I have siblings and we are working together on it.

Like you, a large portion of personal stuff is jewelry. Any sentimental family heirloom jewelry was directly gifted to descendants over the last decade before my mom passed in 2019; but there is more. My dad spent about 35 years as a state veterinarian and epidemiologist. He did a lot of animal testing and was on Native reservations a lot. So, he took up collecting Hopi, Navaho and Zuni jewelry; buying directly with native artisans. Even though my mother wore some of the squash-blossom, fetish and heishi pieces on formal occasions, this was always an investment more than a collection. They had been secured in a large safe deposit for a few decades. All are very well documented with photographs and descriptions, appraisals, history and even some certifications of makers marks. He stopped collecting them about 35-40 years ago. So the pieces range from maybe 40 to 100+ years in age. We are having similar struggles finding out the best way to sell them and get them into the hands of real collectors and maybe even museums.

[Anonymous Bosch]

He did a lot of animal testing and was on Native reservations a lot. So, he took up collecting Hopi, Navaho and Zuni jewelry; buying directly with native artisans. Even though my mother wore some of the squash-blossom, fetish and heishi pieces on formal occasions, this was always an investment more than a collection.

Tread carefully if the collection includes one of these:

[Cylus Maxii]

Bwahaha!

[Drazzil]

So I just did the very thing I was recommending today. I came out significantly ahead.