Leaving your ukes.

Rllink

Rllink

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A comment on another post sort of prompted me. I know that a lot of people value their ukes and are planning to pass them down when they are gone. In my case I'm realistically sure that none of my kids want them. In fact, my son was in the basement over the holidays and I asked him which one in particular he would like when I'm gone and said none of them. If there is any fight it will be over power tools, not musical instruments.

My mom before she passed went around the house putting little pieces of tape on the bottom of stuff with someone's name on everything she wanted to pass down to us. My sister went around and gathered it all up and put them in piles according to who it was supposed to go to. I think one of the saddest things with her passing was to stand there and look at my pile of junk that she wanted me to have.

So I think about it at times. I'm not young. I have not made any plans to pass any uke to any specific kid. I guess if they want one the can take one. I'm pretty sure they won't fight over them. That goes for my other instruments too. They will most likely all just get sold. Writing this makes me think that is perhaps it would be nice if they put them in UU to sell so that my friends here get first shot at them. I think I might make a note of that for them. I'll also put a good price on them for you all. The kids won't know the difference.
 
I have no delusions. I know for certain that no one in my family will want any of my ukes. They'd probably mark them for $25 at the estate sale only to be talked down to $20. The best I'm expecting is to tell them the approximate used value on the market so they get more for them than the $20.
 
mikelz777 said:
I have no delusions. I know for certain that no one in my family will want any of my ukes. They'd probably mark them for $25 at the estate sale only to be talked down to $20. The best I'm expecting is to tell them the approximate used value on the market so they get more for them than the $20.
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Hey Mike, can you put me down to be contacted at your estate sale? I'll buy a couple of those for $25. Oh, wait a minute . . . I'm older than you.

"Inside a dog", it's too hard to play a ukulele (almost Groucho)
 
Ed1 said:
Hey Mike, can you put me down to be contacted at your estate sale? I'll buy a couple of those for $25. Oh, wait a minute . . . I'm older than you.

"Inside a dog", it's too hard to play a ukulele (almost Groucho)
Click to expand...

Who knows, anything can happen in the big life lotto! :cool::D
 
Remember to leave behind a note to your spouse to explain what each instrument is actually worth, NOT what you told them you paid for it.
 
Mine will be burnt with me
 
No one in my family plays any musical instruments so they have zero interest in my ukuleles. I have 4 good ukulele playing friends and I have let them pick what they want from my collection. As long as I die first they win the ukulele lottery. The rest will be sold off and the money added to my estate.

I just thought of something, that money could go to a local grade school or high school music program.
 
I don't have any kids. But my great niece and nephew both play instruments. So they can have their choice.

All but one of my uke-playing friends are older than I. I'll bequeath one to him and to any that are still around.

Otherwise, I'll leave instructions for my wife to offer them here as well. (Great suggestion Rllink.) Letting her know the actual price I paid for them, and what I think they will reasonably sell for.

I think I'll ask her to donate the proceeds to a couple of charities I was involved with.

Hmm, I think I better make a copy of this and write it all out with instructions. With COVID around, ya never know...
 
When I'm dead and gone those things that were mine will go where ever they go......my son does play several instruments so perhaps he will keep and uke or two. Where ever the ukes go, I hope they continue to be played and bring enjoyment to whom ever has them and hears them.......
 
Rllink said:
A comment on another post sort of prompted me. I know that a lot of people value their ukes and are planning to pass them down when they are gone. In my case I'm realistically sure that none of my kids want them. In fact, my son was in the basement over the holidays and I asked him which one in particular he would like when I'm gone and said none of them. If there is any fight it will be over power tools, not musical instruments.

My mom before she passed went around the house putting little pieces of tape on the bottom of stuff with someone's name on everything she wanted to pass down to us. My sister went around and gathered it all up and put them in piles according to who it was supposed to go to. I think one of the saddest things with her passing was to stand there and look at my pile of junk that she wanted me to have.

So I think about it at times. I'm not young. I have not made any plans to pass any uke to any specific kid. I guess if they want one the can take one. I'm pretty sure they won't fight over them. That goes for my other instruments too. They will most likely all just get sold. Writing this makes me think that is perhaps it would be nice if they put them in UU to sell so that my friends here get first shot at them. I think I might make a note of that for them. I'll also put a good price on them for you all. The kids won't know the difference.
Click to expand...
I have 3 Moore Bettahs and 2 kids... I need another kid or another Moore Bettah..
 
kerneltime said:
I have 3 Moore Bettahs and 2 kids... I need another kid or another Moore Bettah..
Click to expand...

Or my phone number. You definitely need my phone number. DM me. :cool:
 
My opinion is that you should leave this kind of detail in a will. Even if it's not an "official" will (by whatever regulations that might mean in your local municipality), you should leave behind some kind of document that itemizes how your estate (or probate) should handle your prized possessions.

Personally, I'm planning to be around for at least a few more decades. But when the time comes, my ukuleles will probably be distributed to any relative that wants them and then the executor of my estate will be instructed to either donate or sell the rest of the herd. My mid- to low-end ukes will probably go to a library or K-12 music program. The more expensive the uke, the older the music student. (So a Makala dolphin would go to a 1st grader and a KoAloha to a 10th.) If I ever own a heirloom instrument, like a Moore Bettah or Beau Hannam or something like that, it'll either be taken by a family member or sold with the money donated to the aforementioned K-12 music program-like thing.
 
derbyhat said:
My opinion is that you should leave this kind of detail in a will. Even if it's not an "official" will (by whatever regulations that might mean in your local municipality), you should leave behind some kind of document that itemizes how your estate (or probate) should handle your prized possessions.

Personally, I'm planning to be around for at least a few more decades. But when the time comes, my ukuleles will probably be distributed to any relative that wants them and then the executor of my estate will be instructed to either donate or sell the rest of the herd. My mid- to low-end ukes will probably go to a library or K-12 music program. The more expensive the uke, the older the music student. (So a Makala dolphin would go to a 1st grader and a KoAloha to a 10th.) If I ever own a heirloom instrument, like a Moore Bettah or Beau Hannam or something like that, it'll either be taken by a family member or sold with the money donated to the aforementioned K-12 music program-like thing.
Click to expand...

Well I do have a will but it doesn't itemize every item that I have and specifically designate where each will go.
 
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It’s an interesting thing to think about. I was reading an article about how older folks are feeling dismissed and unappreciated as people because their kids/grandkids don’t want their photo albums or furniture. It definitely made me think about my instruments. I named my daughter after one of my guitars and it feels natural that this guitar should go to her when I die, but what if she doesn’t even want it?

My will states that all but one instrument will go to my wife, and she can decide what to do with them. The one exception is a guitar my mom bought me and that one was bought under the condition that if I got rid of it for any reason at all, she gets it. My wife says she wants them to look at remind her of me, but I bet she’d get tired of the clutter (although the instruments alone would look pretty great and really, the clutter comes from amps, pedals, tuners, and cords, so many cords).

I think I may include a note in my will specifying that the instruments should be offered to the kids and they can have whichever ones they want and whatever’s left can be given away either to music schools or, in the ukuleles’ cases, someplace like Roy Sakuma’s school to be handed out to a kid that needs a uke.

I’ll tell you what I DON’T want, though: I don’t want to force them on my family and end up being a burden to them, making them feel like they have to drag them around in their lives. The ukes won’t be appreciated and I think it would sour their feelings of me a bit.
 
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Bill1 said:
Find the new owners while you are still alive. If your own children are not interested, find some young people who are interested and encourage them and help them enjoy ukuleles.

Some things that you could think about:

Working with the local community group to start a ukulele collectors clubs, focussing on sub $20 ukes like old mahalos, lower end chinese models etc.. Ideally $5 ukes eked out of cupboards and dusty shelves in your area. As an example the Mahalo U30 model came out in many colours and you can track the age of the instruments by the changes that were made every year. Collecting all the colours or a decade is possible and educational for young people who would move onto Martins and Kamaka in later life.

Working with the local community group to start or be part of an existing music study and performance group, focussing on basics like some theory and Standard Notation as well as a concert program. But maybe not like a "classical education" where everything is so serious, instead the performance and study is focussed on recreation, relaxing/escaping with music maybe as an alternative to harmful escapes, not being a professional musician. Including risk taking with music instead of dangerous activities and substances.

Working with the local community group to be part of or start a Ukulele Club which has some collecting and performing and some jamming stuff.

Looking at maybe the teenage young people and your own interests, start a Ukulele Busking Society for young people.

Looking among your nephews and nieces for one or two who share your enthusiasm for music and ukuleles.

These are only discussion starters for things you may be able to do while you are still alive. If you die, and you have been involved with these types of activities, your estate will be easily able to find a good home for your ukes.
Click to expand...

Bill, that would be quite a noble undertaking. I think though that I will let my own kids decide what to do with them. I'm just not evangelical enough about ukuleles to take on such a crusade.
 
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When I'm dead I'm gone, so whatever happens thereafter is irrelevant.

Should I be mistaken however, I won't waste a minute of thought about what happens to my estate :D
 
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