SK's - a generation passes on -

[w2lpa]

I'm at the age where many of my generation's Elmers have passed on and have become Silent Keys.
I noticed a few things attending their services:

• At a ham's funeral, hams sign the guest book with their names and their call signs.
• At one, the family put his open log book up with his pictures, I thought that was a nice touch.
• You know you're at the right place as many of the cars of the attendees have ham call sign plates. And antennas.
• There's that ham or two who forgets to turn off their handheld and the local repeater ID squawks through during the service... oops..
• I've seen a few ham calls on their headstones. Some with their call in Morse below it. One of my cheeky Elmers with a wonderful sense of humor had CQ DX in Morse below his call sign...

It's a part of life we'd probably rather skip over, but that's life.

-W2LPA

 

[DeeEx]

All very good points.

I attended a very private liquidation by a fine elderly gentleman because he knew his time on earth was short. The only folks there were members of two local clubs.

I was absolutely disgusted to hear some of the attendees trying to really lowball the poor seller then later discussing how much they will sell the items for on QRZ or eBay— in my opinion if they were going to turn around and sell everything, they should’ve offered the proceeds to the man’s family.

 

[GlobalNorth]

..I was absolutely disgusted to hear some of the attendees trying to really lowball the poor seller then later discussing how much they will sell the items for on QRZ or eBay— in my opinion if they were going to turn around and sell everything, they should’ve offered the proceeds to the man’s family.

Some people are only looking for an opportunity to help enrich themselves and Hams are some of the worst.

 

[w2lpa]

Yes, and all too often, a lot of the older stuff winds up just getting thrown away by the family as they have no idea what's what.
One of the clubs at the local hamfest had a booth and were selling off the non-prime items from member's estates who had passed on, and they donated the proceeds.
Part of a ham's estate planning should be to get a trusted ham friend to help handle that part of their estate. The non ham spouse or their kids usually have zero idea and just need to get everything gone ASAP.

 

[buddrousa]

My wife has no idea what my radio collection, scanner collection or gun collection is worth.
That is why I have a very trusted friend that will take care of the collections for me, both have a spreadsheet copy of each item when I bought it with a picture, serial number, what I paid for it and what the current street price is. All of this is updated weekly along with what you will take for it. It is not very hard to keep this current as I have done for the last 30 years.

 

[Swipesy]

Buddrousa you are sounding more like a retired CPA than a firefighter

 

[buddrousa]

At 68 with no children and a work ethic that I have had for all my life I have been able to buy what I want when I want it I have been able to end up with nice things and several of them. So I have had to make sure that what I have is taken care of properly.
One pistol I have I bought in 1983 for $300 and a street price of $2800 today not what is being ask but what buyers are paying.
The point is if something happened to you how would you feel about someone getting your things for pennies on the dollar, me I care more about my wife than that. She would not know better and sell all of my scanners for $25 each.

 

[Swipesy]

At 68 with no children and a work ethic that I have had for all my life I have been able to buy what I want when I want it I have been able to end up with nice things and several of them. So I have had to make sure that what I have is taken care of properly.
One pistol I have I bought in 1983 for $300 and a street price of $2800 today not what is being ask but what buyers are paying.
The point is if something happened to you how would you feel about someone getting your things for pennies on the dollar, me I care more about my wife than that. She would not know better and sell all of my scanners for $25 each.

LOL. Well at 82 I am a retired CPA and Chief Financial Officer. My wife of 60 years died suddendly Christmas of 2024. So I have two daughters and 5 grandkids. I have a spreadsheet like you so they all can fight over what they want and trash what they don't want. The younger generation does not care about history or the fine furniture, nick naks etc. So when I am gone I am gone and they can't complain.

John

 

[CKnobb]

I was just commenting the other day to one of my ham friends that I used to be the young one in the local club. Now, I am older than those "old guys" in the club were at the time. My dad was a long time ham and passed in 2020. I left everything at the house pretty much untouched. My mom just passed at the end of 2025, so now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with the equipment over there. There is a whole table of Hallicrafters receivers, Eico transmitters, T.O. Keyers etc. Not to mention 20+ paddles and bugs. I haven't been to a hamfest in 45 years, so I have no idea if there is a market for that vintage gear. I'd rather not ship anything if I can avoid it. And, never mind my collection of gear. It's the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night.

I really need to categorize all my belongings buddrousa style, then begin to thin out the herd while I am still of this world (ham gear, firearms, guitars and amps...it's ridiculous).

 

[K3YGX]

I don't and won't care what happens to my stuff when I'm gone, after all I can't take it with me.

 

[CKnobb]

I don't and won't care what happens to my stuff when I'm gone, after all I can't take it with me.

Well, that's somewhat my thought too My main thought though, is for whoever has to figure out what to do with all my stuff (my wife).

 

[APX8000]

My wife has no idea what my radio collection, scanner collection or gun collection is worth.
That is why I have a very trusted friend that will take care of the collections for me, both have a spreadsheet copy of each item when I bought it with a picture, serial number, what I paid for it and what the current street price is. All of this is updated weekly along with what you will take for it. It is not very hard to keep this current as I have done for the last 30 years.

Sounds like me with guns. I actually have a Gun Trust which is very easy to manage with a few family/friends.

 

[mmckenna]

I don't and won't care what happens to my stuff when I'm gone, after all I can't take it with me.

Same here.

Years ago I was asked to sell off old radios for a SK. I was immediately shocked how many hams came out of the woodwork trying to take advantage of that situation. Pretty sad….
That made me realize that I wanted all my radios given away for free to hams that didn't have the means to buy them on their own. Not going to some greedy-a$$ ham looking to get a free/cheap radio he could flip on QRZ. Personally, I'd rather see the radios crushed than someone like that get ahold of them.

But, I've made a point to make sure my family is well provided for in the event of my passing. A few dusty old radios isn't going to change their quality of life. Not everything needs to be about making money.

 

[JDKelley]

Sounds like me with guns. I actually have a Gun Trust which is very easy to manage with a few family/friends.

How's that work?

 

[GlobalNorth]

How's that work?

See here for a brief overview of a specialty trust: Using a Gun Trust to Pass on Firearms

 

[N4DES]

I recently attended a Celebration of Life for a good friend who was cremated and his amateur callsign was on his Urn along with his nickname.

 

[MTS2000des]

Having recently burying a ham and mentor, he got both a public safety last call (career LEO and firefighter) and a ham radio last CQ. RIP Steven N3SJ.

 

[APX8000]

See here for a brief overview of a specialty trust: Using a Gun Trust to Pass on Firearms

Also good for NFA toys....

 

[JDKelley]

See here for a brief overview of a specialty trust: Using a Gun Trust to Pass on Firearms

Thank you, I'll look into that.

I need to save up for when I go out - I'll need at least a half-cord of something that burns well for cooking, probably hickory, about a half a cow-worth of meat, and a half-pallet of booze. Everybody party around the bonfire get good and fed & lit up.

Then, once everybody's good & plastered, and it's good & dark out, my attorney comes out with a box of stun guns and hands them out, one to each. Last man standing gets my stuff!