Miller: Passing down our prized possessions
My mother collected white hobnail milk glass manufactured by the Fenton Art Glass Company in Williamstown, West Virginia. She collected throughout her life, and when she passed a few years ago, she had amassed over 300 pieces.
The collection was among her most prized possessions, and she left specific instructions for it in her will. She wanted the collection to stay in the immediate family.
This was a slight problem as no one in the family was particularly excited about the glass. My sister and I were the primary beneficiaries, and we both wanted a few pieces for keepsakes, but neither of us wanted to split over 300 pieces.
We gave pieces to our children and saved some for their children. We shared a few pieces with other relatives and Mom's closest friends. This broke the rule of keeping the glass in the immediate family, but we thought it appropriate. My sister and daughter-in-law ended up with the remaining pieces.
Over the years, Mom's collection was convenient for the family. If we needed a gift for Mom, a piece of milk glass was always a winner. We could usually find pieces at local antique malls or flea markets.
However, there were two hurdles in the gift process. The first was remembering which pieces Mom already owned, and the second was determining if the glass was indeed Fenton. Yes, there are knockoffs of Fenton's white hobnail milk glass.
The key to getting over the first hurdle was a good memory. The key to getting over the second hurdle was a Fenton sticker on the bottom of the piece. If the sticker was gone, you had to know your milk glass.
Early in our marriage, I picked up a piece of milk glass in an antique mall and began explaining to my wife how to tell if a piece was Fenton or a knockoff. As I pontificated, I realized a lady standing nearby was listening. She seemed impressed. I felt like an expert from The Antiques Road Show. Later, I put milk glass appraiser on my list of possible side hustles in retirement.
Another item that came to me from my mother was a Spartan radio from the 1940s. It had belonged to her mother and stepfather. The radio was in great shape and still worked despite being nearly 70 years old.
Several months ago, the radio began to make an odd noise. Fortunately, I located a gentleman who works on antique radios, and he was able to fix it. He was very enthusiastic about antique radios, and it was infectious. I have since purchased two additional radios.
I was excited about my new collection, but to my chagrin, the radios are AM and Short-Wave receivers. There aren't many of those stations around anymore, so there isn't much to listen to. At least my collection looks nice sitting on the shelf.
This all brings me to a point or question. I'll eventually pass on, and my family will be left with old radios they may have no interest in. What will happen to the radios? And not just the radios but the dozen or so collections I have amassed in my lifetime.
Like my mother, I want them to stay in the immediate family. But will anyone be interested? Will anyone have the storage space? Even when split up, the milk glass collection created storage issues.
Mom's collection is a collection of keepsakes. The glass has limited monetary value. My collections are the same, items I like. Nothing of great value.
I am considering polling the family to determine the degree of interest in my collections. I would like to settle this issue so I don't leave everyone in a tight spot, trying to figure out what to do with items that are of no interest to them. I am a little hesitant about this. My children might have taste. What do they really think of my prized possessions?
Over the years, I have made a point of asking my employees if they collect anything. I do this for gifting and for rewarding employees. I want to give employees something they like and appreciate. All but one employee has collected at least one thing. Collections have included Longaberger Baskets, Coke memorabilia, dolls, souvenir spoons, Santa Claus figures, and other fun things.
I could not believe the one employee did not collect anything. So, I pressed the issue. Still, she was adamant she didn't collect anything.
She returned to work the next day and told me her husband reminded her she collects Mercedes sports cars. She just had not received the first one yet.
Dr. Jeff Miller is a doctor of chiropractic at the Missouri Orthopaedic Institute and the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Miller: Passing down our prized possessions
