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Author
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Topic: Who would you will your film collection to?
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Tom Spielman
Master Film Handler
Posts: 339
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Registered: Apr 2016
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posted October 12, 2016 07:15 AM
My wife was an only child and her mother died young without a will. Her father's story is a little more complex. Anyway, her mother had a lot of possessions. Having an only one child, she probably felt there was little need for a will.
So while still grieving my wife had to figure out what to do with all her mother's things. Even if she would have wanted to, she couldn't have possibly kept everything. She asked aunts and uncles if they wanted certain items, but many were in other parts of the country and wasn't practical to distribute very much. Some guidance from her mom, at least as far as knowing what was important to her would have helped.
As a result, since before we were even middle aged, my wife and I have had a will, though it probably needs to be updated. Most of her mother's possessions were given away, sold, or discarded, some of which my wife now wishes she would have found a way to keep. She was overwhelmed at the time.
Given that your film collections have been growing over years and maybe decades in some cases, have you considered what you want to happen to them once you're gone? I'm not expecting you to name individual benefactors, just curious if you've given it some thought.
Would it go to individuals, some sort of film society, or have you figured out a way to bring them with you into the next life? ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Dominique De Bast
Film God
Posts: 4486
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jun 2013
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posted October 12, 2016 07:51 AM
Things vary from one country to another and, if I'm not mistaking, in the USA like in many other places in the world you are free to give after your death what you have to anyone you choose. It is different in Belgium. First, if you have children, you must give them a part of your belongings. If you don't, your will is not valid. The rule is that if you have one child, you must let him 50 %, if you have, two children, you must give them each 33%, if there are three, they receive 25% each and so on. If you're married with a contract, there is also a part for your wife (I will not detail all the Belgian legislation, here :-) Then, the government takes a pourcentage of what people inherit. So between parents and children it is around 7 %, between uncle and nephew, it is around 30% but if you want to give someting to someone who has no familly link with you, the government will be the winner as he will get 80 %. As I'm not married, have no children and not even a nephew, I am not optimistic about what my collection will become after me...
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Dominique
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Tom Spielman
Master Film Handler
Posts: 339
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Registered: Apr 2016
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posted October 12, 2016 12:02 PM
Interesting Dominique. I wonder how that works in practice. Let's say you wanted to give one of your less valuable films to a friend who you know enjoyed it. Suppose it's worth roughly 20.000 €. Your friend would then owe 8.000 € to the Belgian/local government, correct? Is it an honor system or is there some formal way that these things are tracked?
I don't collect films but without really intending to, I've found that I now have small collection of Super 8 and 35mm film cameras. There are three 8mm/Super 8 cameras and 4 SLRs. In all cases but two, the original owners are dead. In fact two of them came from Ebay and were described as part of someone's estate. Makes me wonder about the photos and film that were taken with them.
Anyway, I have the warranty card with the original owner's name with one Super 8 camera. Another sat in the box 50 years and was never opened, along with 3 others.
Aside from my father's 8mm camera, I have no sentimental attachment to any of them (yet) and plan on giving at least one away very soon. I might sell another if I can fix it, otherwise I'll give that one away too. If I were to die next year though, that would leave 5 cameras that I doubt my wife, kids, extended family or any friends would have any interest in. They are almost not worth the trouble of selling and in that sense they are more burden than gift. You never know what your kids might valuable though. I have a few things in my attic that are from my parents' house that they probably never imagined anyone would keep.
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