kellogg_kid wrote: I was told to come to this site to start my quest for identification.

That's some good advice  Glad to see you made it over and am looking forward to lots and lots of pics.

kellogg_kid wrote:I bought a storage locker owned by the late David Arneson. I will start sorting through the stuff and be listing on ebay. I will probably need help with identification of this since i have no idea about any of this stuff. I was told to come to this site to start my quest for identification. Thanks in advance, Mike

Pictures are the key because it helps us identify the edition properly as well as the condition.  You can do what you want, but I'd just take one photograph of each item on a contrasting color background.  This helps us better evaluate the edge which is often a helpful indicator of overall condition.  Then, if we need clarifying pictures or information, we can go from there.  Plus, there might be some items so common that one photograph is all we'll need.



However, if any of the items smell like cigarette smoke or mildew, we'd need to know that.  If you notice that the interior of an item is torn, has rusty staples, highlighting or any other obvious damage, that would be helpful to note.  After we provide feedback on the condition of several items, you start to get a sense of how other items rank and can do so without our help.  There is a guide on rating/grading items here:



http://www.acaeum.com/frontdesk/grading.html



We are looking forward to seeing these pictures!  

grodog wrote:
Also interested in that info!

I think I've had dreams of doing something like that, or showing up to an estate sale where there is a gigantic collection and no one wants it but me.

Seems too good to be true...

We'll see if Mike returns.  Hope so.

In my state, when a storage locker goes into default the storage company can sell it to payoff the debt incurred. In this case, Arneson had passed away and all attempts to notify family and estate were unsucessful therefore the company sold at an auction. And that my friends in how i ended up with it.

I have not really had time to go through it yet, There is about a 16 foot enclosed trailer full. Im sure it will take me a long time to go through it. I'll keep you all posted.

thanks, mike

Just a few tips.

First off, keep any and all documentation that shows the storage facility was previously rented by Dave Arneson. The Dave Arneson family is not that hard to get in touch with, so it's already hard to believe they couldn't contact the family... and the family is well aware of who Dave is... so right off, everyone will be skeptical.

You will need some "proof" that these items were his. So a signed rental agreement etc might be nice to have.

Also, take pictures as you proceed... ie: the unit at auction would have been nice, then the unit prior to and as it's opened. Even a video that you can pull stills from later would be good.

Without some "proof", anyone could come across a large stash of D&D/RPG goodies and claim they belonged to someone like Dave or Gary and then try and get a premium from collectors...

Many items carry a nice price tag just for being the item that they are, but having been owned or in the collection of Dave or Gary, they can be worth more to some. Personally, I am not the big Dave fan, but there are those that are.

Keeps pics, documentation, etc so you can pass it along to buyers as you proceed.

Be nice to see what all you have though.

its pretty easy to know its his even without any documentation. there are crystal glasses with his last name in them, family addresses, name tags with his name from previous conventions in the 70s. Documents with he and gary's name on them that only they would have etc.

I'm not sure if the family was not interested in paying the bill or it they had enough to deal with but they stopped responding to calls and emails it sounds like.

mike

kellogg_kid wrote:its pretty easy to know its his even without any documentation. there are crystal glasses with his last name in them, family addresses, name tags with his name from previous conventions in the 70s. Documents with he and gary's name on them that only they would have etc.

I'm not sure if the family was not interested in paying the bill or it they had enough to deal with but they stopped responding to calls and emails it sounds like.

mike

Having some, or even lots, of Dave Arneson items with his name on it, and the presence of items that only Dave Arneson would have certainly bolsters the authenticity of the locker, but what we are trying to communicate is how critical it is to document and authenticate what you have and why.  Perhaps you are an archivist or work in a library, so forgive me if I am saying something you already know, but what collectors in the Acaeum want is proof that what you have is what you think (or even know) you have. Perhaps the best way to clearly state this is pretend we are extremely skeptical of all information.

That means, taking a video of you emptying the locker into storage boxes.  Showing a photo of the receipt from the storage locker company.  Showing a letter from the Arneson family indicating you were given possession of the locker.  This kind of information makes it difficult for anyone to doubt what's happening and what's included. There are other things which could be done to authenticate this locker, and I only provided some examples.

Even skeptical people might be convinced that some of your items are Dave's for one reason or another, but the presence of some authentic items doesn't verify the presence of all claimed items.

I realize what I am saying just dramatically increased your work involved, but I hope you see that if you proceed as I recommend, you will dramatically increase your profits and your ease of selling these items if that is your intention.  Here's a final way to understand what I am saying. If you have ever watched Pawn Stars on the History channel, you will notice how much attention the owners give to authenticity.  Items that look old or legitimate sometimes just need an expert to come in and render an opinion, but sometimes a critical document or certificate or authenticity makes all the difference in the world.  This is the way collectors operate.

You may be tempted to show us one or two items and show how authentic they are, but I recommend you go just a little farther than that.  If you are smart, you'll realize we're trying to help here.  

my plan is to include date time and address of storage facility with receipt
photos of boxes, his check books, name tags and other items personal items with a certificate for each item i sell. That is my initial thoughts.