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Posts: 8,574My friend Sherryl has about $15 thousand in Steiffs and "artist" bears. She is concerned because she is convinced that her kids will just through them away when the inevitable happens.
I told her to have it stipulated in her will.....the bears don't get thrown away they get sent to Christies or Southebys and auctioned off and the money goes wherever....college funds for grand kids whatever.
I have a small fortune in supplies, mohair, fabric, etc.....as I am sure all the rest of you do....and a couple Stieffs and a couple artist gollys....so what do we do?
I told my honey to give everything to someone.....we will know when the time comes....who will use the stuff and be happy to have it....and since he gave me the golllies and bears he knows their worth....but
is there a better way to handle this?
Dilu
Past Time BearsPretty somber topic, Dilu, but at my age, I need to think about stuff like that!! 
Neither of my daughters is "into" bears, but I've thought that they could auction off my endless supply of beary items on ebay and get some very much needed money to pay off school loans and other debts. The really huge job will be to get it all gathered together and itemized . . . poor girls!!
LuxembearsDeath is certainly a topic that people are often afraid to talk about. BUT...it is a part of life and we will all die one day.
The best thing you can do is have everything in writing. This will save a lot of confusion and headaches for those left behind.
Most of you have heard my story of my sister , nephew , and brother-in-law coming to a sudden and untimely death last Aug 29th. They had nothing in writing as to what to do with what was left behind.
I cannot even begin to tell you of the HUGE HUGE MESS my family has had to deal with ...dealing with the courts , laywers and lawyer fees (now in excess of $40,000) and dealing with my murderous brother-in-law's family. It has been ugly and horrible to say the least. Left alone dealing with the grief.
This summer will mark the 1 year anniversary of thier deaths and we are a long way from settling all of their estate issues. My family needs to heal and with all this unsettled business we cannot move forward.
I do have to share this astounding story with you:
My mom was playing Scrabble with my step father. She picked up 7 tiles each containing one letter......these are the letters my mom picked up IN THIS EXACT ORDER:
L, O, R, N, A, C, V. My mom cried her eyes out. My sister's name was Lorna Caroline...the 'v' must stand for victory. We think Lorna is telling us that she is in heaven.
Anyway, be kind to you family and spell everything out . wow...heavy subject.
Winneybears and FriendsGood topic Dilu...I have not a clue but better get one because I have lots of stuff. I can't tell you how many times I have thought this over , I have lots of " stuff" besides bears stuff.
Last summer I drug a lot of craft items out to sell in a garage sale..it didn't hardly make a dent but of course not many craft type people came. I have 8 big boxs of yarn...yesterday I gave my neice a bunch to make afghans , I set aside 2 for either garage sale or Goodwill. I have found it is better to give it away to family that want it rather then try to sell it in a garage sale....I just wouold not get that much for it.
For the bears....I do not have an artist collection except for a very few...these will be tagged who they will go to. I am fishing around NOW to find which granddaughter will get my bear stuff....then there is the doll stuff, patterns, books and trims. fabrics, laces...etc.
Better to ask around NOW than wait til later...my hubby would not want to bother with it....in fact he askes me form time to time " If...you happen to go before me, what do you want me to do with all your " stuff" ?...better get it marked or on a list NOW or it will probably go to Goodwill ". Yikes !!!!
So...I am working on it NOW. First ,to weed out what I will probably never use or don't need ,then I will get to the other stuff .....Winney
Back Road BearsDilu - Is there something you aren't telling us? Are you feeling OK? Are these topics on age getting to you????
I'll admit my hubby and I have had similar discussions. Problem here is that I'm an only child so no neices/nephews on my side. My hubby has 2 sibblings and 4 neices/nephews - we aren't close to any of them and they all have more $$$ than they'll ever know what to do with and don't apprecite the antiques and artsy stuff we have collected. The icing on the cake is that we don't and won't have kids. So what the heck do we do with OUR stuff?????
Having my bear collection auctioned and the $$ going to diabetes research would be a good idea. The antiques... who knows... let his family fight and squibble over what's worth more at auction so who gets it.
Then there's Henry's baby... the mustang. There's a country song about a soldier that goes off to war in the 60's, leaves his car behind with a note in the glovebox to the next owner of the car in case he doesn't come back. He doesn't come back but he's spirit rides around in the car with the new owner and pulls him from a crash in the end of the song. OK - if you are NOT a counrty music fan you are rolling your eyes. Anyway, that'll be my hubby... he may never get to heaven (but, I keep praying for his salvation.....) but he'll ride around in that Mustang forever!!!
I've written down what I want done with what, though it's not a 'legal' document yet but that's my handwriting... until it's better recorded it's there!
We don't always think about those left behind unless we've been through what Judi and her family has. A sombering and painful experience. Judi, I didn't know you then so your sister's death is news to me. I am very sorry you've lost someone so special so early in life.
Geesh, Dilly-u, anything else you want to bring up to depress us?? Let's get it all over with now! :lol::lol::lol:
Happy, Alive and Kickin' Bear Hugs,
Daphne
Kim-Bee BearsIf you want something of yours to go to a relative/friend, it should be stipulated that way in a will.... By the way, if any of you care to leave any of your teddies or mohair to me, I would be more than willing to take it 
:D:D *Trying to lighten the mood* I know that I dont want my Boyd's bears or any of the other artist bears to be just "thrown out" or mistreated... After all, right now I have a room designated for them... no, it doesn't just have bears - it also is the home to my clothing, shoes, purses, etc.... I am a collector of all 
SambrookBearsWooooooo Judi you've just freaked me out and sent a shiver down my spine! I expect the scrabble message was both haunting and comforting both at the same time!! Spooky! Seriously though what a terrible tragedy for your family. I'm so sorry. It really makes you think doesn't it. Hugs Mandy
Posts: 8,574Judi
I remember well the post where you shared....we cried for your pain then, and do again now. I love your mom's scrabble letters. And I know your sister is where she needs to be now, safe and happy, because you didn't come by your belief and your spirit by yourself.....your mom and dad taught you, encouraged you and loved you all your life, and therefore they did the same for Lorna. God bless her, but more especially, God bless your family and ease the pain they are going through now....I pray it ends soon.
Daphne....silly girl.....as far as I know, I am healthier now than 5 years ago.....then I didn't give 2 cents for my chances. Now, with gollybearing I have simply to much to do to think about "shuffeling off this mortal coil"
A nickel to the first person to tell me who wrote that!
No, what brought it up was Sherryl bringing it up regarding all her
Steiffs and not wanting them to end up in the county dump!
Yikes!!!!
So that's what got me started....also don't forget I am a psych nurse- we tend to think things in an off kilter wonky fashion.....where is Penny Poodles I miss her. But not to worry..
I think the answers have been very interesting. I am going to print it up when all is writtern and done and give it to
Sherryl so she can get everyone's imput.
She will feel better about all of this when she deals with it. And as Judi's family's story tells us we do not know the moment....
Now! Onward and upward to something cheerier!
Who's gonna win the nickel?
Dilu
You get a whole dime if you can tell me the character who said it and what speech it is from......come on my British friends.......you can do it!!
:D:D:D:D:D:D
bears by beesley TMGreat topic! I must say it is funny that you ask this question as I was just saying to Garnet this afternoon he would be screwed if I dropped dead today as I am the only one who has a clue how to maintain the website. Also he has no idea what money we have, where it goes or what will happen to the bears and materials or what we even have in stock! Good point huh!
I too lost my 46 year old brother Bryce suddenly in a motor cycle accident 4 years ago. My Mom and Dad both died suddenly at age 55 and 60. Gosh I'm ready to cry! Anyway as Judi said it is all a part of life and we should live each day to the fullist!!
I will haunt my man if he throws anything out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs Louise
Kiprie BearsWow wow what a serious subject to talk
about it....
I understand that everyone should to write
down the will on paper someday, but
I never done this before. :rolleyes:
For my bears, I don't have any Artist bears
collection yet but I want to bring all my bears to heaven(if I get to go..) with me ! :lol:
Well, their *bio* body will exist in this world but their heart and angel body will come with me 
When I get to the heaven, I will start making more bears so don't worry you guys! If you forget to bring it up there I will give you
mine for *FREE*. he he
Judi, I am so sorry for your sister's story and
the pain in you and your family...
I will send prayer to her and wish we can
meet at up there one day I hope your sister will like my bears which I'll bring up....
Thank you for sharing your story.
Ok, if my goal is heaven, I better start
doing more good things to the world. :D
Gentle Hugs/ Marie
Back Road BearsOoo - ooo me! I know!!!!! Hamlet's "To be or Not to Be" speech. I had to memorize that once upon a time...... it's not up there in my head anymore but I'm pretty sure that's a tid bit of it. Hamlet said it anyway!! Right, Dilu????? Will you just live longer now that I've guessed it? I don't care about the dime!!! Or the nickel or whatever I get!
Oh, but I'm not a Brit so perhaps I loose!?!?!:lol::lol: :(:(
DoodlebearsI agree with you Marie this is a serious subject. For me, well when I go I want my girls to take whatever bears they wish, the boys and husband are not really interested in having bears.Then they can stick the rest on Ebay. Supplies, bears etc and then have a huge big party out of the money. Mind you I don't plan on going anywhere for some time yet as there are lots more bears and gollys to come out of these fingers! I know we can't know when or where but seeing my darling Mum leave us all at the age of 51 then I'm hanging on as long as I can and enjoying the ride. Albeit a rather wobbly one!
Jane
Baird'sBearsDaphne's right about the 'coil'--and beat me to it!! :(
Judi, your Mom's Scrabble story is amazing and comforting! I didn't realize you'd lost your sister only last year! I hope all goes well and the pain subsides a bit. BTW, my middle daughter is named Caroline!
As for stuff--naturally I plan to live long enough to use it all up, but you all inspire me to start organizing!
Eileen
Posts: 3,177Well Wonks,
I suppose that my lovely boys will dispose of everything asap on eBay to raise cash for a hedonistic holiday of a lifetime in Thailand or similar den of iniquity :lol:
Maybe i should sell everything off at the first sign of disease and leave them absolutely nothing - hahaha - that'll teach the little devils :lol:
OR
I could select to be cremated in a HUGE coffin that also contains all my bears, mohair etc. etc. WOW, wuld'nt that go up in a huge pile of flames. You would be able to see the fire from the London Eye - hahahahahaahahah
PennyPiglet 
LuxembearsBless you guys. All of you.
There is so much we don't understand on the "other side". I find it all fascinating.
Ahh Louise, big hugs.:(
Don't you guys think that bears keep you young at heart? I sure feel like they do.
Men are from Mars.
Women are from Venus.
Teddy Bears are from Heaven.
Posts: 8,574Yayyyyy Daphne!!! I didn't expect an American to get it!!!
What happened to the Brits :D:D
Does anyone still study Shakespeare?
I loved him when I was a KID. I was a weeee bit overweight as a kid and my absolute favorite was:
"Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew" I rewrote the rest of it to fit the weight issue and had my class rolling on the floor when it was my turn to recite....
Even the teacher laughed. I wish I had saved that little ditty.....oh well:(
I got an A but the teacher very politely requested that I "no longer re-write the Bard, as he was far superior to my meager attempts." Ain't that the truth!:lol:
Well Duh!!! I chose to believe it was a joke and giggled my way to an A in the class.....Literature was a piece of cake....
Calculus, uhhhhhh.......you really do not want to know!:(:(
I owe you some money Daphne my friend....I can either fax it or mail it.....which do you prefer? Oh i could e-mail it as well:lol::lol:
Pen pen: awww let the boys have their hedonistic orgy.:lol::lol::lol:....you'll still have the last laugh.......but whatever you do .....please do not destroy your bears.....can you imagine this world without your bears? I can't.
Marie I love your concept: "their heart and angel body...." :):)
Judi; Teddy Bears and Golliwoggins are from heaven....cuz the Tedster doesn't want to be without his best friend any more than we do....right?
Just think we can actually talk and not have to worry about spelling....when the time comes......hip hip hooooray
'God bless us everyone...."
hmmmmm I do seem to have a penchant for the British authors.....they were truly great! Thank heaven we had them!:)
OK Dilly over and out
Back Road BearsDilu - you can just toss that dime eastward to me! :lol::lol::lol:
Or westward if you've got a really good arm and can get it all the way around the globe!
Calculus???? I couldn't get past geometery! Took me 3 years to get thru that!!! Science.... we won't even go there. And History..... good grief!!! If it wasn't Literature, Art or Music I FAILED miserably!!! I only passed gym cause I got a doctor's note to cover all four years of high school! I hated school, can ya tell?????
Ahh, but that was sooooo long ago!! HA! (OK, 17 years is long ago enough - do you guys ever look at high school kids these days and think "They look so young!" or better yet "We didn't act like THAT in high school!" You know you are getting old when.....!)
Daphne
I look at the 12-13 year olds I teach and think " they look so old!?!" 
Some girls are far more endowed than I am now... some guys have to shave already, and don't get me started on the sex aspect! All I do is swear my future kids are being home-schooled!! I'm the youngest teacher on campus, andthey think I am SOOOO Old!
Baird'sBearsDilu, you are a riot!! Keep it coming, girl . . .
Calculus? We didn't have it in high school back then, but I managed to get a D in HS Chemistry. I tried again at college, but the prof. very kindly advised me to drop the course.
I tried Calculus in college, where I also flunked gym one term, and didn't understand a word of it, though I'd been fairly good in high school math--dated the math teacher's son, actually. But I slogged on until we hit a proof that I couldn't even begin to do.
So I called old boyfriends from Harvard and MIT---in tears, of course--begging for help. The Harvard guy, same math teacher's son I'd dated in HS, came out and helped me through the proof, me still snivelling and dripping. :(
A few classes later, the prof announced that I was the only one who had got the proof right. She asked me to step up to the front and demonstrate it to the whole class, which of course I could not do to save my life.
I sat there in a paralysis of embarrassment and panic and shame until she moved on. Probably thought I was having an epileptic fit. Actually, I think she knew exactly what was going on.
Eileen
Baird'sBearsSpeaking of staying young and silly, and organizing stuff and avoiding housework, and spending too much time on the computer, and all the other topics this thread is not about, here's an idea for putting all our hairy assistants to work:
Eileen
DoodlebearsDilu wrote
Does anyone still study Shakespeare?
Well yes here in the UK at most schools Shakespeare are studies at some time or another. I studied it when I was at school and I have visited the Shakespeare theatre in Stratford upon Avon many times. My son has just been in a college performance covering acting, poetry and they showed four films that had been made by media students. There were acts from A Midsummers Night Dream and Hamlet which were really good. My son David was in a play which was written by my daughter, Sarah. David played a murderous landlord who had stabbed a client. Boy did it shock me to see my placid son acting with such anger. I have never seen him even raise his voice let alone be violent. He played it so well I am really proud of him! The films that were shown were all excellent and at the end of the evening there was an award ceremony where David was awarded the Artistic creativity award for his film, he also got a nice cheque which he was more happy to receive than the award. Isn't it great when those little ankle biters that we have produced grow up to make us so proud! :D
Jane
Past Time BearsCongrats on having such clever children, Jane! And Eileen, thanks for the funny link on how helpful our little kitty friends can be! My cats just sit on the desk next to my computer and try to catch the cursor! 
Posts: 8,574Oh Jane.....thank you for sharing about your wonderful kids....I am so happy to hear that Shakeybaby is still popular.....
There isn't one single human foible he didn't include in his work.....although Hot Wax in the ear as a murder tool.....I've never read thatr since.
Eileen....I had trouble with Chem....and it was a pre-req. for Nursing....I'm not really sure why....but it was and therefore I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CHOICE. Pass or live with mom and dad and a 5 year old? UGH! So I just did it. I don't know how I did it but I did.
I can't honestly remember any time in my nursing career where chem helped. Physiology all the time I use it....chem......uh nope.
I with you Doodlyjane! There are simply too many little golliwoggin lives to get going first.....not to mention their best friends!
OK
Onward and upward ...... I am supposed to be looking for an African dress picture to copy......how did I ever end up here?
Must have taken a right turn! :)
Dilydilu:P
Baird'sBearsMust have taken a right turn!
It happens to me all the time, Dilu. I've been online looking for pix of Lady Liberty and Robert E. Lee and his horse Traveller for bears.
And here I am! :/
Eileen
Winneybears and FriendsHey Dilu..I bought a doll clothes pattern some time ago for a black doll's costume and I think there is an african dress in there...Winney
