God, I hate to ask this…


Recent conversations with the oncologist have been replete with phrases like ‘stage 4’,metastasis’ and unappealing statistics applied to survival rates. While my real and financial affairs are well settled I am most perplexed with how to approach this large pile of audio stuff e.g. 3 secondary systems in addition to the primary one, several thousand lp’s, a similar number of CD’s/SACD’s, a closet full of cable etc. I am utterly confident that I am not alone in this. While I am comfortable that my wife will love and care for my dog I am less confident that the Avantgardes will elicit such emotional investment. Although my immediate inclination is to cling desperately to these treasured objects it seems patently unfeeling to expect someone else to deal with all of this. My wife will have enough to do. I could just divest myself of much of it and depend on the collection of headphones that I began to amass during the first illness. I really don’t want to do this. I would also like to pre-bequeath much of it to friends assuming that they wanted it but all of them have been adamant in their refusal to discuss this with me and probably will remain so until the 11th hour. As childlike as it seems, I am emotionally invested in these fruits of a lifelong passion and want them to end up where they will be respected and loved . This seems to be a juncture that we will all come to. I would be grateful to hear the contemplations that all you have had in this, admittedly, sobering matter. 
To all of you, good cheer and good health.

 

williamjohnston

Showing 1 response by mahler123

Sorry to hear about the OP Health Issues.

This topic has been discussed here and it’s time to face reality, which is that most of the world doesn’t value physical media or the boxes that play them.  
  The sensible thing to do is acknowledge that our boxes and petroleum products are not as important as our loved ones, and that the best thing we can do for them is to lighten the burden.  I would offer all the gear at fire sale prices either to second hand stores or the internet.  That would be priority #1.  The software-no one wants it, and if your time and strength are limited I would offload the gear.  Save yourself one headphone system and perhaps the smallest of your systems for your final listening sessions.

  I have had to be the executor in the last 10 years of my parents and in laws.  Even the most organized of them presented a myriad of challenges, as the financial institutions make settling affairs as complicated as possible.  Believe me, you don’t want to burden your heirs with your stuff as well