“I have just inherited a large collection of miniatures, what do I do now?” This is one of the most frequent questions we get asked and we thought it would be helpful to pop the answer here.

If you already love miniatures then it will be an easy choice to keep it all and add it to your own. The rest of this article will deal with those people who would prefer the miniatures to go to other homes where they can be better appreciated.

Consider Keeping One Thing – Naturally if this collection has been passed on to you by a relative then it will almost certainly have sentimental value. The beauty of miniatures, even to those outside our hobby, is their universal appeal combined with tiny footprint. For the sake of a little shelf space you can almost certainly find something in the collection that will conjure up fond memories.

Sell It Yourself – If you like the idea of selling direct then consider booking a table at your local show. This can be a fun way to make the most money but bear in mind that standing at a show is not everyone’s idea of a good time, It can be a long day or weekend and you may not sell everything you bring. It can also be tricky to get the prices right unless you have some experience in the hobby. I usually recommend this option to people who feel the would enjoy the experience. Get in touch with us about having a stand here.

Sell To Another Business – There are some excellent resellers in our hobby who make it their business to buy collections,  separate them into individual pieces and sell on to their customers. The benefits to this method are the ease with which the collection gets taken off your hands. The businesses we list below have all proven themselves to offer reasonable prices and a professional service (although naturally Miniatura does not accept any responsibility beyond passing on the information). Bear in mind that they will need to price in a way that affords them a profit so you won’t be getting the retail value for the items, but you save a lot of work and selling expenses.

Give It Away – Miniatures have such an appeal that charities can often do very well with donated collections. Pat Cutforth and her team of helpers at the Cancer Research UK stand have raised over £350,000 at Miniatura over the years from such donations. The miniatures end up in the homes of people who will love them and you can rest easy knowing the money raised has gone to a good cause.

I hope that helps you to navigate what can be a complicated process during an emotional time.