I could not emphasize Rich's advice enough: Tell your next of kin what you
want to do with your collection in the event of your untimely demise. Some
years ago a gentleman called me from St. Louis. His mother had a huge
freshwater mussel collection, but she had died and he had no use for it. He
was (in his own words) "going to toss it in the dumpster" until a friend
told him he could donate it and get a tax deduction. So he called me, I
drove to St. Louis and picked it up, had it appraised, put it into our
collection where it will (I hope) be forever maintained and available, and
he got his tax deduction. Invaluable collection, beautiful specimens -
destined for the land fill (She even had specimens purchased from Rich!).

I have made arrangements for my collection when I go to that big mussel bed
in the sky. You should, too.

G. Thomas Watters, PhD
Curator of Molluscs
Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology
The Ohio State University
Museum of Biological Diversity
1315 Kinnear Road
Columbus, OH 43212  USA
v: 614-292-6170
f: 614-292-7774

"The world is my oyster except for months with an "R" in them" - Firesign
Theatre

"I have the world's largest collection of seashells.  I keep it on all the
beaches of the world...  Perhaps you've seen it." - Steven Wright

Visit the Division of Molluscs at:
www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~molluscs/OSUM2


"Let me take you, baby, down to the riverbed
Gotta tell you something go right to your head" - Spirit

So join the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society at:

http://molluskconservation.org/

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