Originally Posted by
TenGrainBread
To me it's a shame this is being sold rather than donated to a museum. I recognize that it's a valuable asset, but to throw it to the market rather than ensure it is preserved is a shameful act.
That's a valid option but to me is questionable. Maybe a loan to a museum but nothing more. We don't know the reason why the sale offering, regardless it could be for family estate settlement, investment holding and the timing is ripe to unload, etc..
I greatly enjoy museums but don't trust the backside of them. And who's so official or authorized to rightly place a value on such one of a kind? There's lots of cronyism and angles to play cheat the tax man.
Personally have a family member acquired a rare and historic early auto that came out of the Museum of Science and Industry (and BTW: The museum recently announced a name change because of a mega donation and that philanthropist gets his recognition).
So, where do you think relics end up or if the dept. curator has his way or back act with the board and outsiders? Then there's other issues such as poor decisions in having proper preservation or the call for full restoration - often incorrectly done (that was very common in the 1970's). It happens.