To keep or to sell?

[cmotta]

I recently sold a Polaroid Pathfinder Land Camera 110a for $80 on Apug. The camera was in excellent shape, it belonged to my grandfather, who I incidentally had never met, he died well before I was born. I am the only one of my siblings who has interest in photography, so I acquired the camera by default. For me the $80 is much more valuable than a camera that is unusable without some type of conversion, where even when converted is not consistent with the type of photographic work I am doing right now. If I wish to shoot with a land camera in the future, I'll track down a converted model and buy it. It won't be my grandfather's, but for now from a nostalgic stand point I could consider the $80 a gift from my late grandfather. I have old negatives that were made by family members, along with old pictures, to me those are the memories that I would fight to safeguard.
On the other hand my Mother, still living, has given me her old FM Nikon 35 with an F series 50 1.4, and an Md-12. Really cool old nikon 35, works fine, decent shape. I could sell it, but it's worth more to me than the $100/200 I might get for it. And not so much because it's her camera, and I see her in it, well kind of, but more because I can still use it. I'm not sure that I would keep it, if it didn't have utility for me. And if I did hold onto it for sentimental value, it would be most relevant because of my passion for picture making. I don't imagine that I would keep old brushes and an easel, maybe I would, but I'm not a painter and so the painting tools simply wouldn't hold the same value for me. I'm not a camera collector, more interested in making pictures. Photographs/negatives on the other hand, that's a different story, those I feel are cultural artifacts and worth preserving.

[Sirius Glass]

I inherited my father's Mamiya C-330. It had not been used for ten years and needed a CLA. He loved the camera. I never liked the camera, but I used it for 10 to 20 rolls of film in two months. I just did not like the camera so I sold it with all the lenses, prism and paraminder to Samys who would sell it to someone who would love it and use it. I used the money to buy a Hasselblad. Everyone wins.

Steve

[snegron]

But the big question to be asked, is what have you done (or not done) with non-family photographs accumulated over the ages? It is conceivable that a family might have as many as three or four generations of family snapshot albums. It's also conceivable that their might be three or four generations of photographers that made more than family snapshots. What's been done with those photographs.

I think we share an interest in camera gear passed down from generation to generation, but what about the photographs made with those cameras?

Hope this isn't too much of a thread hi-jack.

This is a project I have been attempting to start for some time now. I have several boxes of albums and loose pictures that belonged to my grandmother. I have been meaning to scan them all and correct the faded colors on some of them before they are lost completely. My scanner broke last year and I have been looking into getting another one.

I also found my old high school yearbook with all the black and white negatives I shot when I was yearbook photographer (a tad bit over 26 years ago)! Many of these images were never printed. Interesting thing is that I checked my old high school's homepage and it has photographs of every year except for the year I graduated! I tried contacting the person in charge of the website to inform her that I had dozens of negatives that showed students in every day life from that year and would donate them to her for free, but she never bothered to reply. I do plan on scanning them (as well as my old family pics) as soon as I buy a new scanner.

I hope that the images I scan will bring back memories to friends and family members and give a glimpse to my kids of what life was like when dad was a kid!

[2F/2F]

When my dad died, I inherited everything. I am STILL sorting through it.

Some of what he left was a treasure trove of musical instruments. The gems include a 1927 Martin 00-28K2 guitar (of which there were five produced per year for a relatively short period), a '68 SG (which is not particularly valuable except in the sense that it is a fine, fine instrument with perhaps the fastest neck I have ever played, and was one of his only guitars for most of his life, so has sentimental value), a '68 ES-330, a Fender Esquire, and various other excellent and/or sentimental instruments. These I will always keep. However, I am not a professional guitar player. My main instrument is the bass. I don't need 30 guitars and 10 amps. So, over the years, I have gradually stripped down the pile of musical instruments and converted them in to photography equipment, which I will actually use. I don't feel bad about doing this at all. It is practical for me. It reduces clutter and the number of unused items in my life. I will keep what is really important to me, but it is important not to have too many emotional ties to things, in my opinion.

[Ektagraphic]

I have my dad's AE-1 which I will always treasure but if he had my grandfathers camera to hand down I would be downright thrilled.

[MattKing]

I use knowledge I learned from my father every time I photograph. I still talk with him about photography.

I still have and use a couple of darkroom items that I got from him, and I finally finished that bottle of Photoflo he gave me (:)). I also have the old 616 folder he gave me when he first taught me about darkroom work (contact prints you know).

However, I don't think my father would really care if I used the equipment he used after he was gone, as long as I continue to retain and use the love and enthusiasm for photography that he has passed on to me.

Oh, he would care if I stopped using Kodak film :).

Matt

[Steve Smith]

I don't need 30 guitars and 10 amps.

You're right. I would trim it down to just 24 or 25 essential instruments!

If you're not using that ES 330 you could send it to me!


Steve.

[goamules]

I've seen a lot of family squabbles at estate breakup time. Is it because they think some items are monetarily valuable? Or is it because they value the sentimental aspect? Either way, it seems selfish and isn't fun to watch. I've inherited a few valuable items, and I've sold a couple to get something I really want and will use. My dad would understand. I don't think it's expected that you keep everything you ever inherit. But if there is a prime artifact, items that my father was "known for", I would keep them.

I have many lenses, I don't expect my family to hang onto them when I'm gone. Sell them and use the money if they like...

[Sirius Glass]

I have many lenses, I don't expect my family to hang onto them when I'm gone. Sell them and use the money if they like...

I am planning on taking them with me.

Steve

[darinwc]

My parents have collections of things they think are valuable. But if they pass, i will probably sell most of it and keep only a few things that remind me of them.

Regarding online ads, most instruction books about ebay sales recommend including the reason you are selling the item. So I imagine people just make up things instead of "im selling this to make a profit from some poor unknowing sucker who could get it cheaper somewhere else".

[funkpilz]

Never ever ever. I will sell anything and everything, but never a present or hand-me-down.

[snegron]

An interesting thing happened today. I was speaking to my 8 year old daughter about the recent passing of an uncle of mine when the conversation turned toward the workings of inheritance. I explained to her how sometimes things are passed down to family members when someone dies and I used my photography equipment as an example.

I asked her who would want my cameras when I'm gone, and she said she would. I asked her why would she want the cameras knowing that she doesn't like photography, and she replied without hesitation " I would like the cameras because I know you liked them, and I would never sell them because they will always remind me of you."

Needless to say I was blown away by her response! Funny thing is that I have never discussed this subject with her, and she has no way of reading this post! :)

[Rick A]

There are some things that I sell, but not any items that represent family heritage. My youngest(daughter) is very concerned that anything that was passed to us remain in our family, and has declared herself as curator of our little museum. At eleven, she has documented most of our hand-me-downs, and makes sure they are kept up. She has already claimed ALL my tools, cameras, and fly fishing gear as her own. None of her older siblings care to dispute this, so its up to me to pass things to whom I decide now to avoid conflict. Maybe I shouldn't have babied her so much? Anyway, I know my gear will stay in the family.
Rick

[Paul Jenkin]

I've made specific provision in my will to allow my wife to dispose of my camera equipment (or keep it) however she sees fit. If she needs the money and the gear has any value, I won't need it anymore, so why would I care? Neither she nor I are particularly materialistic, so unless something has a continuing purpose, it can be dispensed with.

[dpurdy]

I inherited a Minolta system that my Dad used for years and promptly swapped it for a Nikon at a swap meet. I inherited some money when my mom died and bought a Rollei FX in her honor. A camera I would never have afforded with my survival money. I think that sentimental value inevitably gets weighed against monetary value if a person needs money. Sentimental value is a luxury that not everyone can afford.
Dennis