+jmazzy Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I'm currently updating my Last Will and Testament. Any suggestions on the best way to bequeath my TI-99/4A and all its companion accessories? Left to chance, the equipment would probably end up in second hand store or an auction. I realize it isn't worth much, but like most of us here, I'd prefer to see it enjoyed by genuine enthusiasts rather than recycled or left in a box somewhere. To that end, I'm aiming to add a provision for gifting my TI equipment to some group or a caretaker. Interested in hearing ideas on who and how. (Incidentally, this post isn't meant to elicit concern: I don't expect to be shuffling off this mortal coil anytime soon. I just found my will while going through my lock box recently and realized the address and other items were out of date so it's being modified now.) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickyDean Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I would say that a caretaker would be the best way. Look for one with a good reputation and with whom you are satisfied to take care of the old girl. If you have a child or relative that seems interested in your hobby, would be the first choice, then if not, some one(s) here on this forum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Put into a trust to protect against any debtors in probate. Give instructions to a trustee, including persons or groups to take possession of the equipment. Talk to an attorney and get it all done right. The end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Do you have a local TI or retro community that gets together in-person? Maybe leaving it to that group so the equipment can be enjoyed during meetings and get-togethers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 you are in chicago, I'd put a directive to donate it all to the chicago tiug 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jmazzy Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 17 hours ago, OLD CS1 said: Put into a trust to protect against any debtors in probate. Give instructions to a trustee, including persons or groups to take possession of the equipment. Talk to an attorney and get it all done right. The end. Sure, a formal trust would legally ensure an outcome, but in my case, there are no debtors or financial shortcomings involved, and I trust my executor to follow the written gifting plan in the will. I'll plan on gifting it to a specific enthusiast who can give it a good home. I can list this with explicit instructions under the 'specific gifts' section of the will. Thanks, everyone. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+llabnip Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 My current plan is to try and gift or sell as much of my classic gear as I can before my time is up. I checked with my heirs and nobody wants any of it... after spending a month tossing two huge dumpsters of crap from my Mom's house (that was probably as valuable to her as my classic stuff is to me), I've come to the realization that if I do nothing with this now it will likely end up in a landfill. So I started to pair down - and discovered something: much of my joy of classic gaming isn't magically held in the physical objects. I don't need a dozen TI-99 units or 19 Atari 2600s (that was my high-water mark)... three is enough (one to use, one as backup and a backup for the backup so I sleep well at night even though it's overkill). Every so often I get some more stuff listed and use that PayPal "mad" money to support the indie and homebrew developers by buying a few game ROMs to play under emulation. At least the ROMs won't have to be laboriously tossed by my family. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Schmitzi Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 Please bury me with all my stuff. 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 11 minutes ago, Schmitzi said: Please bury me with all my stuff. what about my stuff.mp4 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew180 Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 On 2/17/2023 at 9:08 AM, Schmitzi said: Please bury me with all my stuff. You want to be buried in a landfill? 😆 On 2/14/2023 at 3:27 PM, jmazzy said: Left to chance, the equipment would probably end up in second hand store or an auction. Left to chance, it will be tossed (unless you are in Florida, in which case it will at least spend a few days as part of an estate sale), or at a recycler at best. Most people look at tech that is more than a few years old and say "that's junk, throw it out!". Museums just move things from your boxes in the garage to their boxes in a basement, and the items never see the light of day, let alone anyone being able to enjoy using the systems. Seriously though, no one wants our retro stuff. Our kids don't want it, and anyone else our age is, well, our age, and in the same boat of trying to figure out what to do with all their gear. The last one of us alive gets everyone else's stuff? 😁 There are some museums that make systems available for people to use, touch, and enjoy, so maybe find something like that close to you. This seems to be getting more popular, and it is nice to see a lot of smaller museums like this popping up, usually run be a retried enthusiast or such. On 2/15/2023 at 11:50 AM, jmazzy said: I'll plan on gifting it to a specific enthusiast who can give it a good home. Just try not to leave everything to a hoarding collector (or group) who can't resist having yet another retro-system, despite having 10 already. IMO, spreading the gear out to the maximum number of people is the best way to have it preserved and for the gear to continue to work and be cared for. Finding a younger generation to care about these systems for another 30 years is probably the only way any of it will survive beyond the current guard. I'm less worried about my retro stuff if I terminate execution due to old age. By then there won't be anyone left who gives a shit about the systems, and it will literally be trashed in whatever way humans have come up for dealing with our junk by then. I suppose my only main concern is if I seg-fault or core-dump in the next 10 to 20 years while some of you out there are still spry enough to be interested. In that case, all my retro-junk will be unexpectedly left to a few people I know in the community, who will probably get an email from my wife going something like: "uh, Matthew left you all this stuff, you want to come get it already?" Alternatively, retro-computer enthusiasts could turn computing into something like antiques! Then there would be retro-computer malls, just like there are antique malls, and that would be awesome! I can only dream of walking through a retro-computer mall. Somehow we just have to make the systems continue to be useful and relevant, and make it easy for people to know the systems have value. Keeping systems out of the land-fill is the main problem, followed by keeping them out of hoarding holes. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 6 hours ago, matthew180 said: The last one of us alive gets everyone else's stuff? 😁 It's like a nerdy, beepier version of Highlander! 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+InsaneMultitasker Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 In the not-so-near-distant future, it may be ChatGPT and AIs who are bidding on and hoarding our equipment in unseen warehouses. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 7 hours ago, matthew180 said: Finding a younger generation to care about these systems for another 30 years is probably the only way any of it will survive beyond the current guard. This is why I say to get the youngin's involved. Something that car guys know. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+FarmerPotato Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Then there is preserving documentation. @pixelpedant podcasts go a long way. Ftp.wh tech.com will one day turn the lights out--even though it has an amazing lifespan. DVD if anyone still has retro 2000s systems to read them on... Bitsavers... make sure to browse your TI sites through internet archive so it adds the pictures and subpages. I wonder if new documents are important to create. New stuff Manuals in pdf, not just web pages. ideally, if you bequeathed a pile of modified 99/4As then the heir (or estate sale buyer) would find instructions with it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhd Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 27 minutes ago, FarmerPotato said: ideally, if you bequeathed a pile of modified 99/4As then the heir (or estate sale buyer) would find instructions with it. This is a really good point. My Grandfather's estate included some specialized items that I could not even identify, much less make any use practical of. He knew what this stuff did, but he was no longer available to be consulted. This also makes selling (or even donating) things a significant challenge for the estate -- if we do not know what it is, it is much harder to find it a new home. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 We are food for worms.mp4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+FarmerPotato Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 On 2/21/2023 at 11:24 AM, jhd said: This is a really good point. My Grandfather's estate included some specialized items that I could not even identify, much less make any use practical of. He knew what this stuff did, but he was no longer available to be consulted. I ran across this best-case scenario: I bought a 4A collection just to get the CF7+ in it. I found a 3-ring binder: the owner had printed out manuals, including a one-file pdf compiling 4A articles I'd not seen before. Etc. This person was quite organized! Original TI stuff was in another binder. (Gave the console away, with modules and Tunnels of Doom cassette package. Recipient could play it with their kid.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrodroid Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Honestly, we are all living our own lives, collecting our own nostalgic memories, and placing our own value on these items based on our specific experiences and interests. It's unfair to expect our children to share our interest or place much value on them once we are gone. They have their own lives to live, and their own interests to pursue. We just have to accept that most of this dies with us, and becomes a burden to those we leave behind. With that in mind, I'd consider disposing of as much of it now to others who might value you it the same way you do, or if you're "not done with it" yet, just enjoy it for what it is and maybe leave a note on places where they can try to find a new home for it where others might find a use for it, but also plan for the realistic scenario that it's just old junk at that point. Don't make them feel like they're somehow failing you if they don't keep it or find someone else to take it. It is what it is, in 50 years nobody will remember any of this, or care about it other than a few museums. And that's as it should be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyPilot Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 On 2/17/2023 at 6:08 AM, Schmitzi said: Please bury me with all my stuff. Didn't someone once say the P-Box would make a great urn? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 18 minutes ago, SkyPilot said: Didn't someone once say the P-Box would make a great urn? A P-Box with LEDs attached to a few of those "ghost detector" circuits. Buwahahahahahahahaha. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfernalKeith Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 "If you don't type CALL FILES(0) before you load the game, Granddad haunts the screen as a 'Mr Bojangles' dancing sprite and insults you through the speech synthesizer." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveB Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 On 2/17/2023 at 3:08 PM, Schmitzi said: Please bury me with all my stuff. Sorry, the soldering is not lead free... environmentally not a great idea. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrodroid Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 5 hours ago, SteveB said: Sorry, the soldering is not lead free... environmentally not a great idea. Don't they bury people in lead-lined caskets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 8 hours ago, retrodroid said: Don't they bury people in lead-lined caskets? I think that's only if they're radioactive? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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