[Clayart] mel's collection to amoca/primer

[David Lyons]

Another great Mel story.   It takes a strong person to do as you did Mel. 
Dave

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 26, 2019, at 6:12 PM, mel jacobson <melpots at mail.com> wrote:
> 
> i have been buying, trading, gifting and getting gifts of pots
> for over 60 years. i have kept them all, treated them with great
> \respect and then decided they needed a quality home, and then
> able to become a part of a museums permanent collection.
> 
> as with my wife going into a nursing home, i made sure i was
> getting quality advice and then follow it.
> 
> david armstrong is one of the finest, most generous and
> knowledgeable professionals in the clay world.  amoca is his baby.
> 
> i called him and sought his advice.
> he is a good friend, and we have worked together on some
> major projects.
> 
> the pitfalls.\
> 1. major auction houses...southerby. etc
> you are taxed at 60%.  if it is a bad auction
> day you may loose half your value, then taxed on that.
> big gamble.
> 
> private buyers./  you still have to report taxes.  at 60%.
> and those negotiations can be daunting.
> 
> i have a vast collection.  hamada, kawai, arakawa and a dozen other japanese
> potters.  i have antique asian.  i have hare's fur..the real stuff.
> and, many of my own making of hare's fur.  the museum already has the bulk
> of the hare's fur study.
> 
> many wild, lou, ferguson, mackinnel, and that goes on and on.
> lots of chawan.  some very classical 60's stuff.  mackenzie, an entire
> set of dishes.
> 
> i also sent all of may saved pots from 1960 to present. the cream of my work.
> 
> it is all going.  going to empty the house.  all of it.  every pot.
> my family has what they want.
> it is the right thing to do.
> it is safe, it will not be sold in garage sales.
> 
> this is how i packed it.
> i had about twenty old plastic tubs with tight covers, and some
> older coleman coolers.  i boxed each pot with bubble wrap lining.
> stacked them all in the tubs.  big pots had small pots inside.
> all double boxes, and bubble wrapped and taped shut.
> 
> i ordered a wooden container. smartbox, as they are not so big.
> the tubs were stacked....then i nailed a plywood wall to make them
> tight.  stacked more tubs and boxes, nailed a plywood wall.
> 
> a huge ferguson container went in an old suitcase...wrapped with blankets.
> it is easy to stack the plastic tubs...they fit together like legos.
> 
> each pot has a mailing label, very sticky attached to the glazed part.
> they will not come off without goo off, careful removal.  no pot will
> lose its identity.   for example...kurt wild, 1980's, river falls wisconsin, usa
> it all comes from my label machine, computer.  it keeps score.
> 
> the container is sent to amoca.
> they will inventory the entire collection.
> it will be priced at retail.  that total figure
> will be sent to the irs with david's signature
> from the museum. i can do with that whatever i want.
> take small deduction over the next years...whatever.
> what matters is that the entire collection is saved in a
> marvelous museum forever.
> 
> the fear of vandals in my home
> is real.  kids tearing up the house, whatever. (we go to the farm
> a great deal now...sometimes two weeks at a time)  no worries now.
> a remote idea, but it does happen.  fire, tornado, storm...are all
> real.  i have been lucky...now take charge.  sleep better.
> mel
> 
> 
> website: www.melpots.com
> 
>