Donating items to museums

[Kenny Andrew]

We often get people coming into the shop who want to sell their relatives medals. When we explain some are very common and not worth much they say they will donate them to a museum. I then tell them well if you no longer want them why not sell them to us, at least you will get something for them and we will make sure they go to a good home.

 

I have heard so many stories of people giving items to museums only for the items to be put into storage or worse.In fact my own uncles medals were given to the Cameronians museum , when I phoned them up to do some research on him, they told me they had no record of him!!!

 

Here's an interesting article about a lady who gave her fathers medals to a museum only to find out later they were sold on ebay!

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3185869/Grandmother-donates-Second-World-War-hero-father-s-medals-museum-flog-just-32-eBay.html

 

 

 

 

[Greg]

I think it goes a long way towards the 'everyone a hero' concept... yes there were hundreds of thousands, into the millions of brave soldiers and everyone wants remembered but it also only goes so far when items are very common and thousands were issued.

 

And a lot of those items museums get, they will only sell them on to acquire the funds for things they actually want.

[Kenny Andrew]

Would have been better if the museum contacted her first, and asked her if they could sell them or if she wanted them back.If she then didn't want them back fair enough, but just to sell them like that is a bit low.

[RAF635SQ]

I can understand putting in storage, they have little display space often and sometimes they will be planned back into later displays. Selling I do not agree with unless the museum purchased said items. If it was donated I believe it is the museums right to look after them, even if they stayed in storage. At least they will be safe then.