Not having children to lumber with it. I think I will most likely identify a younger family member or child of a friend who would appreciate the system and do the same with my cameras and lenses. However, if I live as long as I hope to, it might be more appropriate to leave it all to a museum. Whether my legacy will include the 272 replacement is down to Naim.
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Having just very recently revisited our wills, this was on my mind. Mr Bruss would struggle if anything went off die to a power cut etc, or worse something failed. Also due to the disparate value of the systems and having four children to argue/ feel disappointed over monetary value left to them, we decided that if I go Mrs Bruss will struggle on or sell as she thinks fit. I have told her that replacement with a Roberts radio of 1970’s vintage won’t be acceptable , nothing less than a Naim single box and radio streamer will stop me haunting her. 
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Who owns the hifi under English law?
As my wife says about anything about life after my death….what are you worrying about, you’ll be dead.
We’ve long realised that what we might value is not what our children might value. It’s entirely up to them what they do with our possessions.
We have a couple of mementos from our parents (they didn’t have much) but I think we’d hate to force any specific item onto our boys. If they want something fine, if they don’t that’s fine as well.
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Is that the case regardless of will? If so I am wrong in my belief asI thought otherwise.
That is only the case for a will made before marriage. If you make a new will after marriage the will takes precedence.
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Who wants 14,000 CDs these days?
My guess , Music Magpie , with instructions in your will for the proceeds to your favourite charity
I’ll speak to my dealer. I expect they’d oblige selling on my gear and leaving the proceeds minus their cut to charity.
My cd collection is all ripped to my Core so I’ll leave that to my brother (or nephews) as I’m sure they’ll get into streaming at some point.
@Guinnless - Absolutely, I should have sorted out my will years ago. My mum is always nagging me to do it so I will arrange it soonest…
This is a good thread as it has made me think.
I am leaving the system to a friend, I would suggest he downsizes it to the Pioneer UDP , the Nova and the small Harbeth speakers - the rest to be sold.
He can then stream or play Pink Floyd to his heart’s content. If I have “advance warning” I will treat another friend to a new Atom and some small floor standers
The rest to charity
Interesting … being single I thought about this some 10 years ago before I went to work abroad. Then I left the hifi stuff to my godson; but he’s not interested. But my nephew is … so a change of will may be in order.
In an addendum / annex to my will is a letter of intent with my wishes for the disposal of specific items in my estate. They are valued at cost with an estimate of the replacement value. I will now add in details of a dealer should no one want my kit.
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Hmmmmm, Music Magpie, having just sorted my deceased Father In Laws Estate thought I would give them a try, out of close to a 1000 CDs/DVDs they took 114 for the vast amount of £16.83, admittedly they cover the postage etc., hardly worth the couple of hours effort to scan them.
Money was given to a hospice along with the remaining CDs/DVD’s who will no doubt make better use of them, either selling on at 50p/£1.00 each or entertain the residents with them.
Oxfam is another alternative, my books, CDs, vinyl would probably be appreciated , the vast majority being bog standard .
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That’s what I thought - an old will before marriage didn’t feature in my thoughts because all the advice on wills is to make a new one whenever there’s a major change in circumstances, such as marriage.
Charity shops and electrical gear can be a problem as the shop may require that a full electrical check is carried out which costs money for the shop to spend before they take the item into stock - after all a 500 is an ugly black box that sits on the shelf doing nothing, only good for the skip.
I think that the only safe way is to pass on to a knowledgeable person which at a time of distress could be a challenge finding one. The fellow travellors of the hifi owner are only known on the internet perhaps or at a remote shop and have perhaps never been to the home of the dead person.
Maybe at least note down somewhere easily found after death details of what the system is, how it goes together (or info where to find that), and estimated secondhand value of components if loved ones decide to dispose of all or some of it. If you have a dealer then a note identifying and saying how that might be of assistance either in keeping or disposing.
That is one driver behind my thought to change my store/renderer, perhaps for something like Innuos with inbuilt CD play or rip capability. Also, having an active system I must document how to set up and info avoiding damage from incorrect connection etc, whether for use or disposal.
I have a will leaving my estate to nieces and nephews (I’m a widower). As nobody would be interested in the systems, CDs or records I’ve added the kit to a spreadsheet I keep updated which is called “Things that are more valuable than you think”. It’s referenced in my will, my executors (sister, niece, nephew) have my PC password. It covers my art glass, music systems and wine, with pictures referenced where needed to help identification. I’ve listed some dealers, galleries and wine merchants who would be good contacts. That should enable them to add a reasonable market value to the estate.
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You must show us these 14000 cd’s and how you store and organise them 
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I’ve done all my wills with a solicitor so I just told them what I wanted. I wanted it to be cast iron so my avaricious sister (my legal next of kin) got nothing.
My partner of over 20 years get my hifi assuming it hasn’t all been sold by then! 
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I’m taking mine with me. I’ll need something to listen to for the rest of eternity. 
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Same here , I having a Qudraspire coffin made with with integral brain and brawn racks evidently they will need more than the normal six pallbearers bearers.
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