Recently an issue has been brought to my attention by a group of
     board members who want to raise money to benefit their museums'
     collections by selling deaccessioned objects through the museum shop.
     This is not an area that I would normally have even thought of
     but in order to investigate all angles before I advise the Board I
     would like any input from anyone on the list with regards to:


     -Do any of your museums sell "antiques" (such as china, jewelry,
      furniture or other items) in their shops?

     -If so, how have you acquired such pieces for resale? Are they
      donations, purchases, or what?

     -How do you deal with paperwork; what sort of paperwork do you
      require, etc.

     -What sort of legal issues have cropped up and how have you dealt
      with them?

     -How have your visitors responded?  Do they think that the museum
      is selling off part of its collections?

     -What problems/benefits have you had from this experience?

     -Have your boards adopted official policies about doing or not doing
      this activity?


     Thanks in advance for advising on this sticky subject.

     Karin Johnston
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