Your dolls after your death...

As part of my digital dolly records, for each doll I have a file that contains screencaps of sales listings showing the doll with basic company/sculpt/year data and the price at which it was purchased, PayPal/CC receipts for payments, and personal photos of the doll. All that's more for insurance purposes, as I don't trust insurance companies to take my word on a doll's value. However, this information could be used by whoever inherits these buggers to resell them. I honestly think everyone should at least keep records on the company, sculpt, and year of the doll in the very least for personal secondhand sales. I can't count the number of times I've seen sales post with the "Made in" spot left blank, which is often followed up with "no noticeable yellowing"... but that is a rant for another day!

 

I have already talked to both my daughter in law and my daughter. Both are or have been in hobby so understand the dolls I have are valuable. After they decide which ones they each want, the others are to be sold asking friends first, then others. Money to be split between them.

As for DOA, unless they are told you have passed away your account would remain open. So if your family wanted to sell them here they most likely could as long as rules for market place were obeyed. So be sure you make them aware of such rules and maybe talk to mods on here first before they go posting threads.

Personally I hope I know of my end so I can take care of all this kind of stuff myself. But I figure at my age I have maybe five years left in hobby before health says I need to cut down.
+++ Its been almost four years since I wrote this. I have developed arthritis in my hands a bit and other joints too. I still love my dolls and have one very special doll I hope my granddaughter will keep when I am gone. The others I am hopeful will find good homes. With new tax law though I may opt to sell others myself and just enjoy my one girl as much as I can. +++

 

That's such a great idea to keep such detailed records. I've been going through cleaning and organizing my life online and offline, so I will have to put this on my to do list!

I unfortunately don't have an official will in place, it is something me and my husband NEED to do. But we have discussed a few just-in-case scenarios. I've made sure he has access to all of my online login info (including here). And he does know the value of these dolls, as he often has helped me during holidays/birthdays to get one - and to which I've told him DoA is probably the safest and easiest way to sell/buy BJDs.

Also I'm really sorry to hear about your brother! I don't think anyone can truly prepare for that. Even my grandparents, they had most of that planned out...and even life insurance...but when we lost my Poppy (grandfather) it still was a very difficult time because not everything was set in place/went quite as planned. I think the best we can do is try to plan/alleviate some of those difficulties for our loved ones and hope for the best.

 

Also wanted to mention that storing these documents - physical or on a back-up drive - along with CoAs in a fire-safe box is also a really good idea!

 

Would you be willing to share that google doc? I have long thought about this and have informed my parents and boyfriend of what my collection is worth and what not to do with them if I have an untimely accident. Some dolls I have elected to leave to a fellow hobbyist and have received their info and have it written down. Now that I am older, I worry about what would happen to them.

 

The marketplace rules wouldn't allow a family member to sell them using your account.
I keep detailed records of all my valuable possessions including reciepts etc for insurance purposes.You could include this sort of info in a will.

 

I am sorry for the loss of your brother.

This is such a great topic! I think thinking about what one must do with their doll collection after any type of life-altering event. What if one falls gravely ill and can't maintain their collection anymore. That and natural disasters?

As for me, I think I will donate my dolls to charity. I don't have family who would want them or want to deal with the hassle of selling the dolls.

Or on my death bed, I will choose a (lucky) friend who can have all the dolls and they can do what they please with them after I'm gone.

 

There’s places like “everything but the house” which are pretty much like an online consignment stores, my family used them to get rid of some stuff after my grandmother had died and everyone in the family had picked out what they wanted.

I didn’t see any bjd there, but it handles estate sales and resin bjds haven’t been around as long as other types of dolls.

 

I am sorry about your brother and I wish your family the best.

Caution: sensitive subject below!
Estate planning: Some of us need a will and an executor. Some of us don't. Regardless, make a list of your valuable items, not just your bjds - precisely so they don't end up in a donation bin. Figure out who might be cleaning out your space and how they will know how much your bjds cost. Remember we can't know what our bjds are worth at the time of our demise, only what we paid for them and when.
People who are settling estates are dealing with their own lives at the same time. Realistically, they will do whatever they can, but I doubt they will dig deep into the bjd world to sell someone's bjds.

 

There's always curses! (I'm kidding, I'm kidding!)

Actually, I hope we're all headed to such a magnificent, blissful eternal existence that we won't care at all about our old life.

 

My family knows how expensive my dolls are - they'd never just throw them away! I'd probably leave them to my niece(s) and nephew(s), provided they're still as interested in them as they're now. And leave detailed info on what they're worth and where to best sell them in case they aren't.

 

There's one doll I would like to keep with me, all the others will be passed to my daughter, she can keep them as memories or sell them if she'd like (I hope she would at least keep my little Gorgis though)!

 

Short answer: I'll be dead, so I won't even know or care what happens.

Long answer: I've told my husband to choose which he wishes to keep, if any, and give the rest to my sister, who is also in the hobby. She knows enough about them, or at least where to find the info, to know about what they're worth. She can choose to keep them, give them away to my hobby friends, or sell them, it's totally up to her and whatever she wants to do with them. I'll be getting cremated, so taking any of them with me won't be happening.

 

I actually recommend making detailed notes on any hobby that others might not be familiar with, not just dolls. It doesn't matter how healthy or safe you try to be, you can still pass unexpectedly. You can't control that, but you do have some control over what happens to your possessions after your death.

While you might not care about your dolls after your death, do keep in mind that there is a reason you see so many Go Fund Me campaigns for funeral expenses. Most families cannot afford a funeral for a death they were not expecting (ex. death due to old age). Knowing how much your possessions are worth and being able to put that money towards funeral expenses will be a tremendous help to friends and family.

Take the time to properly document all things related to the hobby. Your dolls' cost, market value, and extras such as mods, face up artists, imperfections, etc. should be noted. Take photographs! Make a spreadsheet and make a few copies of it, too. It might seem weird or creepy to prepare like this, but the couple of hours you put into this will be an unbelievably huge help to your friends and family should you pass unexpectedly.

My friends and family are familiar with the expenses involved in the hobby, but if that's not the case for you, do consider letting a trusted friend or family member know. Obviously you don't have to be super weird and text them, "Hey, did you know that creepy doll you hate cost $750?" in the middle of the night, but just make them aware so they know that your BJDs aren't just big versions of the porcelain dolls you find at thrift stores.

 

@Shamshir has a very good point. I remember a story of a woman who had a garage sale after her mother passed away. Only after someone scooped up all the figurines priced at a dollar apiece, did the woman figure out she had just let her mother's Hummel collection go for pennies on the dollar.
The kind thing to do for the people handling your estate is to help them out by documenting as much as possible while you're here.

 

Part of my profession is estate planning. So I know I’ve taken a lot of precautions. I also know my family. Will they find the documents? Will they understand what they mean? If my husband survives me in a sudden death incident I know he at least understands they have value. I’ve told him where to look for thier info and I’ve saved thier certificates but I don’t know that he’d ever figure it out. Maybe a physical scrap book would be better, with pictures of the dolls next to the certificates.

On eBay for the last few months there has been a lady listing dolls super cheap, I could tell she has no idea what she’s selling, and one photo looked like a cluttered room of stuff. I guessed she was an estate executor and with her most recent listing I know I’m right- her description says it’s her moms collection.

 

Maybe I'm an extreme weirdo but I've made it clear that Annix stays in the family, to be the receptacle of the diamond that my body will be turned into after death, with explicit instructions that a terrible curse will befall my descendants should they sell the doll or my diamond. And I'm *dead* serious about this. Annix is precious now, I'm just upping the stakes by making him precious in death too. Also, ancestral curses are great for keeping wayward children in line.

 

Wayward children? Threaten to write them out of the will! Mwa, ha, ha!
Actually, if someone tries to remove my bjds for my place, an Indiana Jones-like trap will spring into action!

 

I cannot stress having a will strongly enough. My brother passed in Nov. 2017 very unexpectedly (he literally dropped dead in the street while out walking). I'm it as far as close family goes so despite us not having spoken for at least 10 years, I'm the one to deal with... everything. He meant to have a will drawn up. I found the blank paperwork for it among his private papers. But since there is no will, I need to apply to the courts to be appointed executor. I'm still waiting on paperwork to go before the courts (which will be another 6-8 weeks for that decision) and it's been slightly more than 2 months since he passed.

He owned his home, several vehicles, boats and a truly staggering amount of professional equipment. Because there is no will, all things like power, gas, water, insurance for house and vehicles needs to be covered out of my pocket as his accounts are frozen until an executor (me) is appointed. I'm not legally allowed to do anything with anything of his save getting rid of food, toiletries, clothes and items like family photos. Basically stuff that has no value to anyone except for family or that would do bad/rot. Even if he hadn't chosen me as executor for his estate, things would've been much easier with a will.

With the cost of these dolls, it really only makes sense to have a will drawn up. Heck, just having some documentation for those left behind so they know what sort of items they'll be dealing with would be massively helpful. It shouldn't take a huge amount of time to just catalogue even a good sized collection (I have 46 right now and it took me maybe a few hours to list all my guys with at least rough dollar values).

 

@Iron_Dog Sorry about your brother and your long ordeal over his estate. I agree with you completely about having a will (maybe even a revocable living trust if you own real estate). It's the thoughtful thing to do.

 

I have a will but it hasn't been updated in 30 years, i really should as i had another child in that time period.
The family knows i have a doll collection (not just bjds) but there is zero interest. Apparently my doll cabinet, that only had about 15 of my dolls at most made the house "creepy" to some of my kids' friends. Lol.

I've not detailled what I've paid for any of the dolls, only that they weren't cheap.
They basically know to do some research if it comes to them selling the collection. The price of second hand dolls varies a lot and it's impossible to predict the future market.

With bjds being a fairly recent doll type, no one really knows how they will be holding up in the future. Some plastics from the 1950s and 60s is still fine, while others haven't aged well at all. Some resins might not fare well either.
The abjd community is also rather recent and it's hard to predict it's longevity, and hence the second hand market.

Most of my dolls are in storage (sigh) in their boxes with their paperwork, so most of the information needed is there at the moment.

I should make a list.........

 

My niece gets my dolls as she's the one who got me into the hobby in the first place. If she chooses to keep them, fine, otherwise she can sell them. I won't care at that point.

 

Recently, I paid to update my will because my executor had passed away. This time I named an executor with 2 backups to save on that issue. (I asked first if they were willing to be executors. They have executed other wills, so they know what they're in for.) I also sent a letter to my new executor on what to do if there's nothing left of my place (natural disaster or nuclear strike).
Life is so unpredictable - enjoy today, enjoy your bjds.

 

Should something happen to me my husband would keep my first doll as a memento (he got himself one and the characters are ones we RPed for several years in D&D). A few of my friends would get their pick from the rest and then the others would be sold or given away as he deemed fit.

I do have most of my collection insured... that reminds me I need to get that updated. I had plans of doing so this month, but I got the flu and spent my time off sick and was scared to infect my dolls with my germs, so I did not get around to it.

 

I have thought about this and I am going to cremate my dolls; they will be next to me in an urn in my resting place.

 

I worry a little about that. My family knows that the dolls are fairly valuable. I can leave them a list of what they are with photos and if they're inclined, they can sell them. But, I know it would be a lot of work so, whatever is best for them. I've had to help out after relatives have passed and I know it can be a huge burden to deal with so much extra stuff. I'll be gone so, I doubt I'll care about dolls anymore.

 

If I die prematurely, I get the impression that my mom would keep a lot of my belongings including my dolls. If I die after my mom has passed on however, my dolls will end up in the same place as my body: unclaimed and in a landfill somewhere. Unless some apartment cleaner or city worker or whatever decides to take them for their kids or something. Nothing I can do about it either way and it's not like I'll care once I'm dead.

 

My fiance has a pretty good idea what my dolls are worth so I know he would be able to sell what he didn't want to keep. We've discussed this briefly as a just in case, but we like to travel together and spend the majority of our time together so I think it would smart to make a spreadsheet of the name and rough estimate of their value and send it to my parents just in case something happened to both of us.

 

I've thought a bit about this over the years, too. My bf also collects dolls and knows their value. My parents (or at least my mom) and sister know they're expensive, as well. I would hope my bf would keep the ones he wants and also offer them up to our friends who also collect dolls. Then whichever ones aren't "adopted" by family/friends could be sold or maybe even given to people who want to get into BJDs but can't afford them.
Idk I'm kinda coming up with this on the spot. I don't have any records of how much stuff cost me, because I rarely part with the dolls I buy, and I also don't expect to make back what I paid for. But I also don't expect family/friends to have to put up with the hassle of selling BJDs in this market...

 

If I died, I'd probably hand it over to my family to decide what they do with it. If they needed the funds, they could sell it. Unless they decide to bury it with me.

 

I collect limited edition and original artwork, figures, vinyl records, and now dolls. My husband and my stepsons all know that my collections have value, and we have home insurance riders for replacement. I fully expect them (whoever is still around) to sell my collections for reasonable amounts, assuming I still have any of this junk -- though I hope that they decide to keep some things as a memento of the hobbies I shared with them.

But to be honest -- if they just liquidate the stuff and make other collectors in the distant future happy at getting steals on cool stuff, I won't care because I'll be dead lol

 

I think my parents and my husband might take one each for the memory of how much I loved them, and then sell the rest. I'd be fine with that.

 

For me BJD stuff is easy, my daughter would want it all. As far as my dozens and dozens of PVC anime, she doesn't, as a lot of it is kind of sexy. I have an old friend who got me into it years ago and I tried to kind of "will it to him" some time back. Though he's a physician too, he didn't want to have that "morbid discussion" which kind of surprised me. So that will likely all go in the trash. Expensive and sad. Unless....

In addition to your Will (and living will) including appointment of a trustee and executor, you should have a letter of instruction. This can be as detailed and specific as you want in regard to what happens with this or that. So.... My old friend will get a big package in the mail with all of the anime figures. He can do whatever he wishes with it.

 

Being autistic i can have bond with my dolls like they were alive. So what happen to them after i passed away sometimes keep me awake for a night. Frankly, if i did know this before i started, i would never started the BJD hobby. My first two dolls are a lesbian koppel, i don't want them to be separated. Actually, the whole group is a bush of friends a want them to stay together. The thought they would be split is pure horror for me. It can move me to tears. I am looking for a young BJD lover with military grade honor or Samurai grade honer. Thou shalt not break you promise, even not after death of the person you promised to. That person wil get the whole wild bunch for free, and all their possessions.

 

I'd want my Mum to sell them to have more money to care for the pets I'd leave behind. It's a good idea to make a document stipulating the value.

 

I honestly wouldn't want my family to sell them, but rather keep them around as a reminder of me or something, but if any issue with money were to happen then I'd want my family to sell them.

 

My executor is a brother-in-law who will have to fly across country to settle my estate. He will settle it as fast as he can to get back home. His biggest interest will be the tools in the garage! Whatcha gonna do?

P.S. I'd like to put a shrug emoji here, but none of the little guys even have shoulders!)

 

i'd be okay with my mum selling all accessories, but I'd like her to keep my most beloved dolls (at least two) in one set of clothing and accessories for them. I once asked her if she'd keep my most beloved boy and she said no way, she'd rather keep a girl lol xD

 

Not too long ago, a Chinese doll owner pass away in a car accident, and passed away. Her best friend which is also in the hobby helped her to sell the rest of the dolls that her family decided not to keep on the Chinese social media Weibo. It made a lot of people thinking about it as well. For me, I hope my favorite doll can be buried with me, and the rest of my dolls to be sold.

 

well... none of my family members are that enthusiastic about dolls, so rather than having them rotting away collecting dust, i'd rather if they go to people that would appreciate & take care of them. plus, the money could help my family too.

 

The topic is grim, but vital. If something bad happens to me, then I would like my Rhein to go to a person who really loves dolls.
The cost does not matter anymore. Attitude and interest are primary.

 

My dolls are to go to two of my friends who have always wanted a BJD but could not afford one. Simone to my friend Mike and Zea to my friend Erin. I should probably write that down somewhere my family will find it...

 

I actually talked about this with my bf since he's the one with me when I started in the hobby. I said he can keep whomever he choose and give the rest of my to a close friend of mine who is into the hobby as well. I'm too attached to them to be sold to someone I don't know ;;

 

I'm not sure. I'll probably leave something for someone I trusted really well about my dolls.

 

I've actually thought about this a fair amount. My favorite doll I would want buried with me or my partner, whoever goes last for sure. However, all of my dolls are special, so space permitting I'd like to be buried with them all. We tell stories about them all the time and they are like part of the family. I would hate to have them sold, I want them with us forever, as weird as that sounds. I do have many other types of collectibles, those can be sold for funeral costs, I wouldn't mind. My BJDs are precious.

 

I think I'll ask a trusted friend in the hoby to sell them, so she knows the value. She would give the money to my family for the funeral costs. I love my dolls but I prefer my family x) so I'd like to help them as much as possible even dead. And I think I would let my friend keep one of them. But as I'm 24, I'm not thinking about death yet ^^' If I ask my friend and my family about it right now, it won't please them I think lol !

 

I only have a few bjd right now, but I plan to have many more, and I have off topic dolls/toys that are worth quite a bit as well, and I would leave it all to my little sister who shares a passion for the doll hobby but she doesn't have any of her own. She knows the value of them and I know she'd appreciate them as much as I do. And if there was any she didn't want, I would want them to be sold at a discounted price so my family would have some compensation, but whoever purchased the dolls would get a pleasant surprise. I don't mean to devalue my dolls or anything, but when I'm dead I won't need them and I would like to make my last remnants on Earth be generous.

 

I really just want my dolls to go to someone who will enjoy them, Whether that's my family or anyone else.

 

As someone who has interned in a funeral home, I might be able to answer this. Due to the worth of your collection, this is a rather serious matter. Depending on your age, it might be actually worth the money to go and actually have a will created. Not only does this assure that your collection will be properly handled,i.e. your dad can't just throw them away or give them to a thrift store, but you can give detailed instructions for each doll without any legality being questioned. If you don't want to go through all that trouble, find some nice paper,write out the same instructions, sign it, and store in a safe but easily accessible place that your family will know where it is and how to access it in case of emergencies. This is referred to as "holograph" and should be considered a legally binding will (I can not attest to it's legality in all areas.) Also, make sure that your family is well aware of it's content, and quite possibly other close relations so that if someone were to destroy it, the others can attest to it's prior existence. (or give this holograph to an estate executor or a lawyer for safe keeping.)

 

I don't own any wildly expensive dolls so I guess I never thought about it. I don't think anyone in my family knows how much they're actually worth after all the clothes and wigs are bought and I probably wont tell anyone either. I suspect they will be donated to a second hand store and honestly I prefer that. I like the idea of someone who couldn't afford a bjd coming across one by accident for a super low price. I know teenage me who pinned for 10+ years over bjd would have been beside myself with joy.

 

I've never thought about this-I've only purchased dolls (too many!) in the last couple of months or so. My daughter is the only one in the family who would even want them, and she would. We are going to sit down this week and decide exactly what she wants, and I am going to order one for her. I think she already knows, but it will be fun to discuss it, and finalize her decision. So she would certainly want my dolls, and I can assure you that the rest of the family will gladly hand them over! She would also know the value of the dolls, and be able to decide if she wants to sell all or some of them.

I have been keeping a record of each doll, what I paid for it, what sizes it wears, and any other information I find important or interesting. I am glad this topic came up, because I am going to give her access to my evernote notebook where it is all stored in the event she needs it. Plus, she will be the only one who knows how much I have actually spent on these dolls.

 

I have actually thought about this before. If I die suddenly, All my dolls will be given to my ex boyfriend, who is also a doll collector. I know he will care for them properly, or at least sell them to someone who will.

 

It's a hard topic to think about, but my dolls mean a lot to me; I'd definitely give my parent my most special boy and give the other to my friend in the BJD hobby, who I know wouldn't just sell him, but appreciate him.