Getting Old - What To Do With A Stamp Collection?

Are you in a local/area stamp club? Ask around in that venue. Someone might be able to give you a clue.
Does your club do anything to encourage young collectors, as does the Baltimore Philatelic Society at its annual BALPEXes? Maybe start something like that with what you're willing to give away.
Know how you all feel...got 13 kids & grandkids & ZERO are interested in stamps.

At 58, without any kids, just some brothers and nephews, whith which I have a distant realtionship, I'm starting to wonder what will happens with my collections when I'm gone. They have more a historic amd cultural value, than a monetary one.
I'm toying with the possibility of leaving my interesting Estonia Postal History, to the Estonian Postal Museum in Tartu (Estonia). I was there, 6 years ago, and they don't have many modern (1991/99) postal items.
My Barcelona Postal History and Postmark collections, will go to the Barcelona Postal Museum, as well as my philatelic library and cinderella collection.

I'm thinking on what to do with the rest...

I think a lot depends on "how and when"
In the case of an accident or sudden death, then there is a will and one son would inherit. He is not interested in stamps bu is interested in family heritage and I think would want to preserve a collection. But I cannot realistically bind his successors. The problem is that as we become mature stamp collectors, it is not about a single album, it is increasingly about multiple albums, boxes, books, spread sheets etc. It is a room.
I have been in the position of inheriting from my parents and aunt and there is still stuff in the attic and garage after 15 years. I dont think Id be doing my son and his family any favours by forcing a collection onto them. Nor do I want highly personal or personalised collection to be split up or fall into the hands of a dealer. Lets be frank, the only person who would make money is the aucrtioneer.
We cant bind our successors. We cant bind unborn people to tend our graves and while not wishing to be morbid, better to be cremated and have our ashes scatteed to the winds. Likewise....with consultation with my sons....If I knew I was terminally ill, I would arrange a great big bonfire for my stamps, postcards etc. That is my intention.

The only issue that I have with leaving material to museums is that it is removed from the collector-base. This often, actually, makes it less accessible than if it is allowed to remain in private hands.

I will say that for more common, and readily available material, it doesn't really matter - my concern is more for the less common material that collectors compete for at auctions. I, personally, don't want most of that going to museums.

The only large seller on ebay that comes to mind for consignments is Nobel Spirit. I have read quite varying reviews of them so I would do research on them before any engagement.

I don't have nearby relatives to leave any philatelic possessions. Closest relatives are cousins who live 800 miles away, and they're older than me. Fortunately, I'm a long time APS member, which means leaving to APS and/or APRL. I'm also in the same metro area as the Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library. Ultimate destination problem solved. Up to me to make sure stuff is organized as best as possible.

If you donate your collection, can you deduct the value from your taxes? If so, how is that "value" determined...resale value? catalog value? or what? Would you have to pay someone to appraise your collection?

Thanks!

I donated to the American Philatelic Society last year. Check out their "In Kind" donation instructions at this link https://www.stamps.org/Inkind-Gifts

Here is the key statement from their website:

"When the total claimed value of all philatelic related in-kind gifts is $5,000 or less during a tax year, the IRS permits the donor to use their guidelines to determine the valuation. Most donors use catalog value as the basis."

Most collections donated to museums or the APS are consign off to stamp auction firms . The organizations don't want them to fill their storage rooms .

In Ontario, Canada, every museum has a separate mandate that restricts their collection interests. It may not allow acceptance of a stamp collection, or if it is allowed, the museum may not want it.

I offered my extensive mint Canadian collection it to two local museums.

The first museum wanted it due primarily to all of the written research contained on the various postal issues within, more so than the actual stamps. The conservator knew what a normal stamp album looked like, but was surprised that philatelists also did extensive research making a collection an educational tool as well. However, this museum's mandate couldn't acceptance from me unless I was a notable personage in the community, such as a mayor. As a fairly new resident, retired, and not involved deeply in the community, I did not qualify, so the museum could not accept it.

The second museum's mandate would allow acceptance, but declined as it could not provide security to continuously watch over a visitor while she/he perused the 70+ albums. Theft from the collection by visitors asking to see it and the cost of security to prevent theft were the only concerns. I was aware that some library's do lose pages from old volumes as criminal visitors need old paper stock to fake historical documents or steal maps from atlas, etc., for sale to collectors.

Luckily for me, the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation (VGG) in Toronto needed a source of modern Canadian stamps for comparison with items submitted for certification. Since 1957, I've purchased every issue directly from Canada Post. The VGG has agreed to accept my entire collection in exchange for a charitable donation receipt for the full catalogued value, which I update in my own spreadsheets annually with the latest Unitrade catalogue.

It seems like APS could sell the stamps via their StampStore with the proceeds going back into the APS pockets? Seems like a logical additional source of revenue for APS since I'm sure they get a fair number of collections donated to them.

They get more stamps than they could deal with themselves.