That's an excellent question, Marc! On the archives listserv run by the
SAA, people often offer "Free to a good home" items, but I'm not sure I've
seen much of that on this listserv (I've only been subscribed for a few
months now). Granted, the shipping for a 19th c plow versus a box of
magazines or books might be a little trickier, but it seems like it would be
a useful way to dispose of those artifacts that your museum just doesn't
need, but another might.
Marcella D. Wiget
Curator of Collections
Reno County Museum/Kansas Underground Salt Museum
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Marc Williams
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 3:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Sample procedures for handling sale of
unaccessioned objects?
You are welcome! So, that begs the question, is there a web site that
allows museums to swap, donate or sell excess collections to one another?
Who knows who is looking for just your 19th C plow(s) and is frustrated in
their lack of success? Have you been in contact with the Genesee Country
Museum? Their goal is to be the premier museum of 19th C country life in
the United States. I haven't been there in person, but their web site
claims to involve re-creation of a lot of rural life activities, and I
imagine plowing fits that category. Good luck!
Marc
American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
4 Rockville Road
Broad Brook, CT 06016
www.conservator.com
860-386-6058
*Collections Preservation Consultation
*Conservation Assessments & Surveys
*Low-Tech Environmental Control
*Moisture Management Solutions
*Collections in Historic Structures
*Conservation Treatment of:
Furniture
Painted Wood
Horse-Drawn Vehicles
Architectural Interiors
Marc A. Williams, President
MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
Former Chief Wooden Object Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
----- Original Message -----
From: "tom edmonds" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:53 PM
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Sample procedures for handling sale of unaccessioned
objects?
> Thanks for your suggestions. Haven't had much luck
> with ebay. Our low value items didn't sell. Auctions
> that do lesser value items are 5 hours away in upstate
> New York. We have over 15 19c. field plows that no one
> local will take. Nearby museums are full. Would a
> ceremonial burial be out of line?
> Tom Edmonds
> Southampton Historical Museum
>
> --- Marc Williams <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > At least throughout New England, and I would imagine
> > throughout most of the
> > country, there are small, usually small-town or
> > rural auction houses that
> > will sell ANYTHING. Usually, these are weekday
> > evening sales and may net
> > only a few dollars, but that is better than unwanted
> > items sitting around
> > taking up valuable space.
> >
> > Another alternative is of course ebay. This is
> > certainly public, and may be
> > a bit more work, but you can specify a reasonable
> > fee for handling in
> > addition to shipping costs, thus recovering some/all
> > of your labor. Larger
> > items can be listed as "local pick-up only" to avoid
> > shipping. If you do
> > not want to do the listing yourselves, there are
> > companies that will handle
> > the whole process for a fee, you just drop off the
> > items. Entire businesses
> > exist doing nothing but selling on ebay, and they
> > are more than happy to
> > include you. It's also a fun thing for someone who
> > is retired to do and
> > willing to donate their time to the museum. It even
> > can be used as a
> > fundraising program, where donors give unwanted
> > items to the museum
> > specifically for sale on ebay. Even cars are an
> > option - I personally have
> > purchased three on ebay!
> >
> > Marc
> >
> > American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
> > 4 Rockville Road
> > Broad Brook, CT 06016
> > www.conservator.com
> > 860-386-6058
> >
> > *Collections Preservation Consultation
> > *Conservation Assessments & Surveys
> > *Low-Tech Environmental Control
> > *Moisture Management Solutions
> > *Collections in Historic Structures
> > *Conservation Treatment of:
> > Furniture
> > Painted Wood
> > Horse-Drawn Vehicles
> > Architectural Interiors
> >
> > Marc A. Williams, President
> > MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum
> > Program
> > Former Chief Wooden Object Conservator,
> > Smithsonian Institution
> > Fellow, American Institute for Conservation
> > (AIC)
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jill Chancey" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 3:03 PM
> > Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Sample procedures for
> > handling sale of unaccessioned
> > objects?
> >
> >
> > > Re: auctioning low-to-mid-value auction items, you
> > may wish to contact
> > > regional auction houses outside of the Big Names &
> > Big Northeastern
> > > Cities, as the decorator market for such items is
> > still strong in the
> > > "provinces." New Orleans, for example, has two
> > local auction houses
> > > which do a strong business in decorator-quality
> > items in addition to
> > > their high-end sales. I would guess there are
> > others in Atlanta,
> > > Chicago, Dallas - anywhere people are paying
> > decorators to do up their
> > > houses.
> > >
> > > To answer the original question, we get approval
> > from our Collections
> > > Committee, which is made up of Board members and
> > several community
> > > (non-Board) members, to sell never-accessioned
> > items, usually through
> > > public auction houses. I believe they report the
> > sale to the Board, but
> > > no Board vote is required. In the event that no
> > auction house wants it,
> > > we offer it to the committee that runs the silent
> > auction for our annual
> > > gala fundraiser. This is the sale venue of last
> > resort, since it is
> > > technically public but you have to be invited to
> > the auction preview or
> > > buy tickets to the museum gala to attend the
> > auction. Stuff that we
> > > can't sell at all has ended up filling space,
> > decoratively, in a
> > > conference room and several rooms that we rent out
> > for private
> > > functions. A few things have gone to the
> > education department for use
> > > in still life drawing.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Jill R. Chancey, PhD
> > > Curator
> > > Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
> > > PO Box 1108
> > > Laurel, MS 39440
> > > www.LRMA.org
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > >
> > >
> >
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