My little pearl-handled friend

If you had told me, ten years ago, that we would come across as many handguns as we have, I would have dismissed you out of hand. Why would a bunch of elderly New Yorkers have guns? Turns out, we had no idea how many guns are tucked away inside New York City condos and coops.

James

We were hired by Carl, the executor of James’ estate, to clear out James’ apartment. Carl and James had been good friends for many years. James had told Carl and lots of other friends that he had a small handgun, but Carl had never actually seen it. Whenever anyone would express concern that James was living alone, he would say: “Don’t worry! My pearl-handled little friend will take care of me.”

We kept an eye out for this gun during all our sorting sessions. We looked in closets, cabinets, and the backs of dressers but never came across it. Finally, when the apartment was just about empty, we came back to remove the last remaining things.

There was no furniture left -- just a few odds and ends, including a small ceramic planter with a dead plant in it. I pulled the plant out so I could donate the planter and found myself staring at the cutest little gun I have ever seen. It looked like a toy.

Carl wanted nothing to do with it. He recoiled at the sight of it and asked that we remove it from his presence. It was almost as if he thought the thing could take aim and shoot him on its own.

This gun, like almost all the others we have found, had never been registered. Fortunately, if you’re emptying an estate and find a gun within a certain period of time, it does not count as you possessing an unregistered gun.  We called the police and they sent a squad car to pick it up.

The police officers who came teased us about how we were all afraid to touch it. Technically, they said, they were not supposed to handle it for us; we were supposed to bring it to the station ourselves. But they took pity on us and carried it to their car. Joe got into the back to escort the gun to the precinct and make sure we had seen the last of it.

Jane

A year later we helped Jane move to Canada with her boyfriend of many years. Jane had advanced dementia so she was not involved in the decisions and planning of the move, but she was always present while we worked. She mostly just observed, but once in a while she would pipe in with a funny comment or question.

One day we brought an appraiser from an auction house to the apartment to assess some things that might have re-sale value. He wanted to see some crystal that had been piled into a small cabinet on the floor, so Joe got down on his hands and knees and pulled everything out.

As he was doing so, Jane called out, “Watch out for my gun!” We all had a good chuckle, thinking she was making a joke. But, when she realized we were not taking her seriously, she walked over to where Joe was crouched on the floor to get his attention.

She directed him to push gently against the back of the shelf. He did as he was told and, sure enough, he found that the cabinet had a false back. Behind it was a handgun. Turns out it belonged, legally, to Jane’s daughter. She passed away years ago and Jane put it in the secret compartment so it would be safely hidden away.

This time was more complicated. Unlike with Carl’s estate, Jane was in possession of an unregistered handgun. The police were supposed to fill out a report. Aware of Jane’s condition, they were reluctant to do this. They suggested we bring the gun to the station for their no questions asked gun return. Joe, however, was reluctant to walk even the short distance to the station with an illegal handgun. The police agreed to drive him. So, once again, Joe found himself in the back of a police car.

Guns can have a decent re-sale value but the rules for selling them vary by state. Please check your state’s laws before trying to do so.

However, our clients have always been more interested in getting guns out of circulation rather than selling them. Many cities, including New York, offers anonymous gun return policies, often with an incentive. New York, for example, offers $200 for the exchange. We don’t know exactly what the New York City Police Department does with these surrendered guns, but I would hope they are destroyed.

Here is a link to find out more about NYC’s program:  NYC311

If you own a gun or a collection of them, please follow your local firearms regulations. Keep any paperwork handy that your heirs would need in order to sell or dispose of them. And be sure to keep your registrations current. Imagine if the police at Joan’s had not been as helpful. It may have led to an elderly woman with dementia having to go in front of a judge for illegal possession of a firearm.

Like everything you own, a gun collection may end up becoming your heirs or caretaker’s responsibility. Keeping them informed of the collection along with all the paperwork will be greatly appreciated. And if you do decide to keep registered guns, please keep them locked up and unloaded. Maybe not in a planter.

China, china, everywhere

Most of our elderly clients have at least one set of china. It’s often a set that they registered for when they were married fifty or sixty years ago. For this generation, china was considered an essential part of a middle or upper-class family’s home. Sets were displayed proudly in a display cabinet in the dining room. This was so common that the cabinets are called china cabinets.

These sets are usually in excellent condition. The reason is simple. Most of this china has rarely, if ever, been used. Because they are fragile, and were expensive to purchase, our clients only used them on special occasions. Some kept waiting for an occasion special enough only to find it never arrived.

Almost daily I find myself having the same conversation. Even though our clients’ grandkids have said “no thank you,” even though they’ve read articles about how nobody wants china anymore, they still hold out hope that their set is the exception and that we will be able to sell it for lots of money. It was expensive when it was given to them, so naturally they think it must still be valuable.

The simple problem is that today’s young people don’t want china anymore. They don’t want the hassle of cleaning the set by hand and they don’t want to waste a full cabinet drawer to hold it all. And they certainly don’t want to buy a display cabinet to hold it all. Many value experiences over possessions, registering for vacations instead of kitchenware.

Aside from the lack of demand for china, another reason it is hard to sell is that it is expensive to move. Because it is delicate, each piece has to be packed with a lot of protective material. And because china is heavy, it needs to be packed in multiple boxes.

One of the first things you learn when you get into the moving business is that heavy boxes are at most risk of being dropped. If a heavy box contains books or papers and is accidentally dropped, this is not usually a problem. Paper doesn’t break. But if a heavy box containing something breakable like china is dropped, there is a good chance the contents will be destroyed. So even if you find a buyer for your set, the cost of shipping it will often exceed the re-sale value.

Very occasionally a particular set of china will turn out to have value, so it is worth checking with an auction house or dealer. But the vast majority that we have dealt with either doesn’t sell at all or sells for very low amounts. Please do not assume you are doing your heirs a great financial favor by leaving it for them to sell.

We generally encourage clients to donate their china. Most of the places we work with will still take decorative items because they can sell each piece for a small amount and still make a little money. I have seen cups and saucers sell for a few dollars each at thrift stores. But I fear that even the options for donating china are going to become more limited in the future. There is just too much of it available.

And if you’re not ready to donate, our advice? Use it! Make every day that special occasion. Oatmeal takes on a whole new taste when served in a fancy bowl with floral patterns. And it can be fun to serve your guests an after-dinner drink in a cute teacup. If it chips, throw it away.

I know this may sound reckless. You may be shaking your head as you read this, thinking of how expensive your set was or how your mother would carefully hold one of her plates and remind you about her wedding and how she selected this particular set to register for.

The key to keep in mind is that the purchase price of your china, like so much else in your home, has no bearing on what the china is worth now. Now it is only worth what someone will pay you for it. And that someone – that potential purchaser – can buy a decent set of dishwasher-safe, unbreakable dinnerware from Amazon or IKEA for a song.

Organizing Life's Daily Demands Interviews Paper Moon Moves

We were honored to be interviewed by Peter Gordon, a certified daily money manager and owner of New York Financial Organizers. In this interview, we discuss the main reasons people call a senior move manager as well as what happens to your belongings if something were to happen to you. How difficult would it be if your executor or family members suddenly had to come in and figure out what to do with all of your stuff? I talk about my sister and how I want to avoid leaving her a big confusing situation to manage if my husband and I pre-decease her.

We have partnered with Peter over the years when clients have found that staying on top of paperwork has become too challenging for them. He and his business partner patiently help their clients re-gain control over their bills.

We talked about how we both help elderly clients prepare for the future:

We talked about the reasons people call a senior move manager, and how to think about what would happen to all of your stuff in an emergency.

”Since 2009, Paper Moon Moves has been sorting, selling, donating, and managing our clients’ cherished belongings, and ensuring that they have just what they need for the next stage of their lives. If you’re faced with the challenge of downsizing and moving a senior you love or handling an estate, Paper Moon Moves is here to help.”