Collectibles
Somebody spent forty years building this.
Inheriting a collection is harder than it sounds.
Someone spent decades assembling it and knew exactly what everything was. Now it’s boxes in a spare room, nobody left who can tell the good pieces from the ordinary ones, and every dealer who offers to “take a look” seems to want the best of it and none of the rest. Selling it properly means research, listings, packing and shipping, one item at a time, for months.
We take collections whole — the strong pieces and the middling ones together — which is usually the difference between something getting done and something staying in the spare room another year. Small collections you can ship, and those shipping costs are generally deductible to you; anything substantial we arrange and pay to collect.
We take coins and currency, stamps, comic books, militaria and historical items, vintage toys and figures, fossils and minerals, autographs, model trains, advertising and breweriana, and the mixed accumulations that most collections actually are. Sold through the right channels, they fund programs for children and young people — after-school and summer places for kids whose families can’t cover them — and animal rescue and wildlife work, which is chronically short of money and rarely first in line for it.
Whole lots
We don’t cherry‑pick the best pieces.
48 hrs
Typical time to hear back from us.
We collect
Larger collections picked up at our cost.
Tell us what you have
One short form. A real person from our team replies within two business days — no obligation, no pressure.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (888) 228‑7320
Four steps, and we do three of them
You don’t need to know what any of it is worth before you call.
1
You describe it roughly
Photographs of a few boxes are plenty. “My father’s coin collection, maybe twenty albums” tells us enough to start.
2
We tell you what we see
Within two business days. If something in the photographs deserves specialist handling or its own appraisal, we say so rather than quietly absorbing it.
3
It reaches us
Small collections you can ship. Larger ones we arrange and pay to collect, packed properly for the fragile things.
4
Your paperwork arrives
A receipt on arrival, then the documentation you need for your deduction once items are placed or sold.
Questions people ask us about collections
I have no idea what any of it is worth. Is that a problem?
Not at all — it’s the normal situation. Most people donating an inherited collection have never handled one. Send photographs of the boxes and albums as they are and our team will tell you what we’re looking at, including if something deserves a specialist appraisal before it goes anywhere.
Will you take the whole collection or just the good pieces?
The whole thing. Cherry-picking is what makes collections so hard to place, and the ordinary material usually still sells in lots. If part of it genuinely has no value we’ll say so honestly rather than quietly disposing of it.
Something in here might be genuinely valuable. What then?
We’ll flag it before anything moves. A standout piece is often better appraised and handled separately — both for your deduction and for what it raises. We’d rather tell you that than have you find out afterward.
How do I get it to you?
Small collections donors usually ship themselves, and that shipping cost is generally deductible to you as part of the gift. Anything large, heavy or fragile enough to need proper handling we arrange and pay to collect. Ask before you spend anything and we’ll tell you which applies.
Can I donate on behalf of an estate?
Yes, and it’s common. Executors clearing a home often have a collection they can’t sell quickly and can’t store. We’ll confirm who has authority to sign and work to whatever timetable the estate is under.
What can I deduct?
Generally fair market value for items in good condition, and we provide documentation of what was received. If the collection as a whole is worth more than $5,000, the IRS requires a qualified independent appraisal, arranged and paid for by you — which is worth knowing before you assume a collection is modest.
More on deductions, paperwork and timing — all donor FAQs
Collectibles with Causes
Our dedicated collectibles site goes category by category — what holds value, how mixed lots are handled, and when a piece warrants its own appraisal. Collection donations, piece by piece
You don’t need it to donate. The form on this page starts everything, and our team handles it from there.
Ready to find out what you have?
Send a few photographs. There is no obligation, and no pressure either way.