As I understand it, you are ahead of the game with donors if you notify them of any impending public sale. They would be welcome to participate in a competitive bidding process to attempt to acquire the item for their family.  However, I do not think it is advisable to offer to sell only directly to the donor/donor's family.

From your description of the items,  they sound as though they are of minimal value.  If you think they are of marginal value, do not expect to make money on this.

You might advertise a silent public auction where things were set out with bid sheets. Bidders would be required to register before bidding so that you would be sure of having contact information.  You could do this by lots or by individual items. 

At a recent discussion on ethics in the museum field, one of the main points to emerge was the concept of transparency. You want to be above board when you do this, you want to be open, but you don't want to be splashy.  

Another means of disposal would be witnessed destruction.

As for making offers to other museums, I have done this, with the donor's approval, for items that we chose not to put in our collections. They were never accepted by the museum where I worked. We sent the donor's copies of our transmittal letters and requested that the accepting museum send us a copy of their correspondence/deeds with the donor. 

The content of this email does not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).