Feeling overwhelmed With My Dad's camera gear

[LauraJ23]

Hi all, basically my dad isn't well, hasn't been for a long time, and he has lost the will with everything due to altzheimers. It's got to the point where we are having to get things straight, and he has collected a lot of camera gear over the years.
I'm truly overwhelmed with it. I really want to be able to do the best I can with this gear, especially as there is a lot of memories. If I'm unable to find space, to have in something like a display cabinet, what would my options be?
A private collected maybe?
I really don't want to have to just leave them in bags stashed away.
I'm really not sure what to do as there is so much!
Has anyone else been in this situation?

 

[Barney]

Hi Laura,

Some nice equipment there. I know your Dad is poorly and God bless him, but make sure that you look after yourself!

I would be thinking along the lines of take his favourite camera to his favourite place and blast a couple of rolls through it,

 

[Plain Nev]

Your Dad had a good eye. There are some nice cameras there. Not least of which is the Leica. That is potentially quite valuable. So whatever you do don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

 

[Gold]

Amazing collection and sorry to hear that. I would focus on two things:

1) did any of the cameras/lenses have particular significance to him or you? E.g. did he use one more than the rest, do you have memories about him shooting a particular camera, or was one his first camera?

2) how does it fit with your photography? Do you want to or are you able to use any of the gear?

Then can either sell privately (if you have the time) or go through a reputable dealer.

Does he have a photo library? I imagine with that gear he must have an extensive number of photos - organising and enjoying that should be a priority over the gear imo.

 

[Stephen L]

Would letting Dad handle one or two of his favourites help him at all?

If you did decide to sell, have a word with Ffordes. They take collections such as this, and are very reputable. But I would keep at least one, to help you remember him in his younger days.

 

[realspeed]

Personally if in that situation I would do nothing in the way of removing anything at the moment. Apart from they are not yours anyway at least for now., Having them could trigger some sort of memory if he could still hold them. How do you know if he has not made a will leaving that camera gear to someone anyway. Remember taking something away from a person without consent is THEFT , no matter the health of the owner

 

[lindsay]

@realspeed has a good point about ownership and potential for triggering memories, albeit expressed a bit too strongly. (NB Bazza - I know you mean well but it's a sensitive matter).

 

[realspeed]

Sorry about that didn't mean to sound rude it is just they way I think and post, diplomacy is not my strong point.

Believe me I too have been through very bad times emotionally as well. Both my parents dying within 6 months of each other and my wife having a threatened miscarriage at the same time. Watching my father going from a 16 stone man to a living skeleton is not what i would wish on anyone. Have to admit I did at one time think of is it worth still living.
All my working life I have had to be decisive . even down to quitting a "safe " job with BT to moving to another part of the country and owning a boarding kennels and cattery. If it was not for me being detemined to turn a run down business to a highly profitable one I would not be in the position I am in now.

This is why I post the way I do. not to cause any offence it is just me. I don't see grey areas, everything is either black or white- right or wrong

 

[LeeRatters]

Firstly, sorry to hear about your dad. I spent a bit of time working in that sector and it's isn't nice

But, I would certainly keep some of the 'nicer' gear and use it yourself - whether that is his favourite gear, or what you would prefer to use. I don't think that really matters.

I would also sit with him if possible, find his favourite images, locations, holidays, car/motorbike he owned etc and make a photo book.

Finally, although I expect some of that camera gear is low value & not ultra desirable, don't get mugged off with what it's worth.

 

[woof woof]

Sorry you and your dad are going through this Laura.

You will probably know if Bazza's point is relevant or not, all can say is that my family fell apart over the care of my mam and my sister and niece created hell on earth so if there are any question mark over this make sure you are clear before proceeding.

Regarding the gear. If your father shows any interest in looking at the kit if not using it then I'd say, obviously, keep it. Ditto if anything means something to you. Some of the kit may be valuable but some older more mainstream gear may not be worth a lot and to save hassle maybe anything that isn't earmarked to keep just needs boxing up and sending to the likes of Ffordes. If attempting a private sale some people seem to want to pay less than the cost of postage for used gear and this is where people like Ffordes can come in handy as they'll send you a label and pay the postage.

Good luck going forward and all the best to you and your dad.

 

[Chipper]

I agree with the comments about Fords; they are good people and will do the right thing.

 

[F1.2]

Sorry to hear about you father , I went through hell when my parents departed , That was only the start , 2 sister decided to contest my dad's will
Why ? because they wanted better , All very very disturbing , Re having camera equipment , Most of my 50 + year collection very rarely gets any use , But it gives me great pleasure handling / holding / looking at it , Is your father coherent ? you could ask him what he wants to do. Not many outlets / people would buy blind , so if you can it's best to make lists , Camera body's . Camera lenses etc , Please do not put more strain on yourself , That's the last thing you need at the moment. Best wishes to you.

 

[LauraJ23]

Personally if in that situation I would do nothing in the way of removing anything at the moment. Apart from they are not yours anyway at least for now., Having them could trigger some sort of memory if he could still hold them. How do you know if he has not made a will leaving that camera gear to someone anyway. Remember taking something away from a person without consent is THEFT , no matter the health of the owner

Thank you for your input.
To make this clear, no will has been made, I wish he had and could, but very unlikely he will be able to. there is only myself and my brother and my mum and no one else. This is not taking anything away from anyone, I had them brought to me to check over and see what sate they are and to clean them up if needed. He knows that between my brother and I they would be looked after and if needed we would ensure a good home was found for them. As I stated I really want to keep them as a long term memory and moving them on would be a last resort. They have gone back to my parents house now I know they are ok. There's just so much to think about I just needed a bit of direction to help me think.

 

[LauraJ23]

Sorry about that didn't mean to sound rude it is just they way I think and post, diplomacy is not my strong point.

Believe me I too have been through very bad times emotionally as well. Both my parents dying within 6 months of each other and my wife having a threatened miscarriage at the same time. Watching my father going from a 16 stone man to a living skeleton is not what i would wish on anyone. Have to admit I did at one time think of is it worth still living.
All my working life I have had to be decisive . even down to quitting a "safe " job with BT to moving to another part of the country and owning a boarding kennels and cattery. If it was not for me being detemined to turn a run down business to a highly profitable one I would not be in the position I am in now.

This is why I post the way I do. not to cause any offence it is just me. I don't see grey areas, everything is either black or white- right or wrong

Don't worry about it, and no offence taken at all, I to can be the same! My own health isn't great, I'm wheelchair bound with fnd, and I suffer with cfs, anxiety and ptsd. With things going the way they are, especially all of a sudden finding more issues, its really hard for me to get a bearing on things. I remember a time when I wouldn't have had to post such a question, but alas health takes over and I need other peoples thoughts to get my mind on task.

 

[LauraJ23]

Sorry to hear about you father , I went through hell when my parents departed , That was only the start , 2 sister decided to contest my dad's will
Why ? because they wanted better , All very very disturbing , Re having camera equipment , Most of my 50 + year collection very rarely gets any use , But it gives me great pleasure handling / holding / looking at it , Is your father coherent ? you could ask him what he wants to do. Not many outlets / people would buy blind , so if you can it's best to make lists , Camera body's . Camera lenses etc , Please do not put more strain on yourself , That's the last thing you need at the moment. Best wishes to you.

Thanks for your thoughts Allen, he's very up and down, my mum and brother and my wife have tried speaking to him, but it's always a vacant look with empty eyes. I sadly can't get into there house as I'm stuck in a wheelchair unable to stand or walk, the house dimensions are a nightmare. Slowly working out how to get him out of the house, which he hasn't left for a good year now.

 

[LauraJ23]

I would just like to say thank you to all for replying, its been a great help getting my mind on track. It is all greatly appreciated
Everything appears to be in pretty good condition which is nice to know.
There's a half finished film still inside his Pentax Z1p, so going to get that finished off and sent off to see whats on the film.

 

[Kell]

Sorry to hear that you're going through something like this.

I wouldn't make any rash decisions, but if your dad is still capable of having a rational conversation, what would he like to see happen to them?

There are lots of options, many of which may make more or less sense to you. And also at different times. By which I mean, some people feel the need to cling on to possessions as they hold memories, others like to get rid of them for precisely the same reasons. And those feelings may change month by month.

I can understand why it would feel overwhelming. Even the process of going through them all to get an idea of value is time-consuming and can feel underhand.

You could keep them all and use them.

You could keep them all and display them. Although there's a lot of gear to put into a collection - and it may be that he wouldn't want them sitting there not being used. So it could be that you keep one that reminds you of him - irrespective of value and sell the rest.

You could sell them and simply bank the money.

You could sell them and use the proceeds to get your dream camera (if you don't already own it).

You could sell them and use the money to go on a trip he would have loved.

You could donate them to a charity that gives them to underprivileged kids wanting to try photography.

You could sell them and donate the proceeds to the Alzheimers Society.

Whatever you do will be wrong in some people's eyes, so while it's good to canvas opinions, I'd do what feels right for you when the time is right.

Best wishes.

 

[Delphin]

Sorry to hear your trouble

If you do decide to sell, don't just bank the cash, buy something to remember dad, that could be a special piece of jewellery or some artwork, ect.
Something that will last, will give you a little happiness and help remember dad. Something you can say dad bought me this.