Pipe Collection Succession Planning

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bootlegpipes

Can't Leave
Oct 21, 2024
459
726
My mother threw away eight sets of my granddad's golf clubs when he passed, and he was a semi-pro golfer. And, she gave away his golf cart. Making money off of the dead or cashing in on their belongings just isn't a part of the way my family does things. When my dad passed I was left with his land, and I already had inherited land, so I just gave it to other family members who needed it. We aren't a greedy bunch.
I've seen way more families turn into evil greed monsters that would not let go of a single inch till real estate held up in courts just collapsed with neglect.

My family can have whatever they want, and have instructions to just do away with whatever's left. The more we give away, the more that comes back to us in times of need. Faith in the good father is more powerful than trying to nickel and dime your way through this land.
YMMV
I don’t think good, thoughtful, and edifying responses are allowed on forums. Please do not do this again.
 

Sig

Lifer
Jul 18, 2023
2,062
11,684
54
Western NY
This is essentially the same dilemma I've run into with my antique firearms.
I definitely think there's just as many deluded collectors who think their collection is worth a Bill Gate's fortune as their are ones who think they're worthless... the truth, as with most things, is usually somewhere in between.
And with most collectibles, the value can be highly subjective based upon small variations in the piece as well as the amount of enthusiasm/delusion of the person you find to make a deal with.

I'm still relatively young at 32.. so while I hope/pray that one day I'll have children who are interested in my hobbies and happy to make my collections their own.. in the meantime my solution is to just make a simple hand written list with each item enumerated and a rough, conservative value estimate of each.

Along with simply explaining to the people in my life who'd be responsible (parents right now, perhaps my significant other one day if things keep going well) The idea that "These things are probably more valuable than you realize, so do not just sell them in a single lot to the first guy you can find with a few hundred/thousand bucks in hand"

But I definitely think the way to view most collectibles is as "a fun way to spend time while also leaving behind a nice bonus for family" rather than as a literal "nest egg"
This is one of my collections the wife will be burning. But HA, the jokes on her, guns don't burn!!
Kidding aside, this is the reason my wife got her carry permit years ago. We live in NYS..... :(
I won't get into it, but if you don't have a handgun on YOUR permit, you need to turn in the firearm immediately. So now all my handguns are co-registered with my wife and I.
Don't get me wrong, she likes guns and carries when necessary, but she's a two gun person.....I am not.
I don't even care to guess how much my collection is worth, but she will have fun selling most of them. :)
 

Sig

Lifer
Jul 18, 2023
2,062
11,684
54
Western NY
My mother threw away eight sets of my granddad's golf clubs when he passed, and he was a semi-pro golfer. And, she gave away his golf cart. Making money off of the dead or cashing in on their belongings just isn't a part of the way my family does things. When my dad passed I was left with his land, and I already had inherited land, so I just gave it to other family members who needed it. We aren't a greedy bunch.
I've seen way more families turn into evil greed monsters that would not let go of a single inch till real estate held up in courts just collapsed with neglect.

My family can have whatever they want, and have instructions to just do away with whatever's left. The more we give away, the more that comes back to us in times of need. Faith in the good father is more powerful than trying to nickel and dime your way through this land.
YMMV
Our family is the same way.
After my grandpa passed 23 years ago, his land was to be divided between my mom&dad, brother, sister and me. Well, apparently I drew the short straw and it's all in my name.
This 600 acres has been in our family for 180 years. We use the 160 acre farm I live on, the other 440 acres is forest and meadows. In 2020 my wife and I moved into a cabin on the property so my niece could live in the main 5 bedroom farmhouse. She has 6 kids and her husband left her in 2020, while she was pregnant.
The farmhouse is a bit big for the wife and I. My dad, brother and sister have no interest in the land and selling wasn't an option. My niece has 4 boys, 2 girls and my brother has 2 boys, this land will be theirs if they want it.
 

cosmicfolklore

Moderator
Staff member
Aug 9, 2013
36,457
89,231
Between the Heart of Alabama and Hot Springs NC
Our family is the same way.
After my grandpa passed 23 years ago, his land was to be divided between my mom&dad, brother, sister and me. Well, apparently I drew the short straw and it's all in my name.
This 600 acres has been in our family for 180 years. We use the 160 acre farm I live on, the other 440 acres is forest and meadows. In 2020 my wife and I moved into a cabin on the property so my niece could live in the main 5 bedroom farmhouse. She has 6 kids and her husband left her in 2020, while she was pregnant.
The farmhouse is a bit big for the wife and I. My dad, brother and sister have no interest in the land and selling wasn't an option. My niece has 4 boys, 2 girls and my brother has 2 boys, this land will be theirs if they want it.
I farmed my grandfather's land for over 20 years, and I just got tired of it. There is just not enough money in it to keep me breaking my back on it. So, a couple of years ago, I developed it into a neighborhood. All but one of my kids didn't want any part of farming, and the one daughter that wanted to, I allowed her to cut a corner out of it to make her a little hobby farm. But, there was no way she was going to be able to handle it all herself.

I should have done that 20 years ago. We made 100x's more money than if we had kept farming it for another 100 years.
 

Sig

Lifer
Jul 18, 2023
2,062
11,684
54
Western NY
I farmed my grandfather's land for over 20 years, and I just got tired of it. There is just not enough money in it to keep me breaking my back on it. So, a couple of years ago, I developed it into a neighborhood. All but one of my kids didn't want any part of farming, and the one daughter that wanted to, I allowed her to cut a corner out of it to make her a little hobby farm. But, there was no way she was going to be able to handle it all herself.

I should have done that 20 years ago. We made 100x's more money than if we had kept farming it for another 100 years.
Our farm is mostly for growing food for us, but we also breed and sell Irish Dexter cattle and sell their meat and milk. We also have a smokehouse where we smoke meats and a ham house to age hams. We grow all the feed for all our animals. That alone almost pays for itself. Just some labor is all.
I started using the cattle just for us, but they caught on. The best beef on the planet and great milk. :)
 
I've already got a catalogue of pipes and values for my wife's reference. I'm soon to add photos to said catalogue, just to make it easier on the untrained eye. Also have a few going to various family members: a brother, nephew and cousin. My kids and wife have special requests for one a piece and whatever's left, if any, can be sold. Best to plan ahead. The tobacco will go the same route. I know i've got more than i'll ever smoke, so it'll make a few family members an early Christmas. ;)
 

Peterson314

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2019
675
6,165
Atlanta, GA
On this note, I am currently dealing with two estates, and it is overwhelming, emotional, and exhausting. Please get your wills in order and choose an executor who has a clue. There is a lot more to settling an estate than simply reading the will and distributing property.

My will is easy--My wife and I get each other's estate, and after we are both gone, our two kids each get half however they want to split it. But in addition to all the legal documents, you can always leave instructions and breakdowns of high-value items in your collections to help your family go through your stuff. Your pipes and tobaccos will be two piles of the thousands of piles of your crap that someone you love, and maybe your in-laws, will have to deal with.
 

SSGT.

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 7, 2024
553
3,338
Sealy Texas
I have built 4 of these to date (only 2 are full) each one is numbered 1-4 each shelf is lettered A-D each slot 1-14. I have cataloged all my pipes with the location in what cabinet which shelf and slot along with what I paid for the pipe. ex 2, b,6, Peterson 303 $89. When my time comes my wife and kids will have an idea of what's there and what they do with them that's up to them, I had fun chasing them down and collecting them, but bottom line is I'll be dead, so I really don't care how they dispose of them.
Screenshot_14-5-2025_171918_i.etsystatic.com.jpeg
 

Rafrox

Lurker
Aug 8, 2024
12
21
This one's easy for me. My oldest son took up the pipe about a year ago, and it seems like it might stick. Hence, he'll get the pipes & tobacco. As things stand, I suspect my tobacco will be worth way more than my pipes. Hmm, maybe I need to buy more pipes . . .