Most collectors who plan ahead think about heirs. Fewer think about the years before that, when an illness or injury could mean someone else has to make decisions about the collection. This lesson is about that gap.

Why a will isn't enough on its own

The Alzheimer's Association explains that a will "only takes effect when a person dies," and that a power of attorney should be "durable," meaning it stays valid after a person loses capacity. Without documents like these, families can face "uncertainty about who can make decisions" (Alzheimer's Association).

What can happen without a plan

A 2026 Michigan Court of Appeals opinion, Estate of Karwoski v. Hamlin-Rogers, describes a collector with dementia whose conservator "did not catalog the metals and coins because she did not know at that time that the items were valuable" and "had no idea what was true and was not true" about his own list. To pay for care, the collection was sold quickly to a local shop for well below what the owner's own list showed, because consignment "appeared too extensive." The conservator later "admitted… it was a mistake not to inventory the items before the sale" (Karwoski opinion).

Nobody in that story set out to do harm. They simply didn't have the information or the plan.

The two things someone will need

Legal authority to act. That's a question for your attorney: which documents fit your situation and your state.
Information to act well. That part you can start today:

What you own, with photos and cert numbers
Where it is (kept private, shared only with the person you trust)
What you paid, with receipts if you have them
Who you'd trust to advise on or sell each category
What you'd want done: keep, pass down, or sell, and how

A simple plan, step by step

[ ] Finish your inventory with photos. See College 107.
[ ] Write your heir letter. It works for illness as well as for heirs.
[ ] Name a trusted contact in your portal and decide what they can see.
[ ] Book time with an elder-law or estate attorney and bring your inventory and letter.
[ ] Tell your trusted person where the information is, even if you don't share the details yet.
[ ] Review once a year.

Try it in your portal

Add a trusted contact and create a read-only Collection Report link Coming soon that you control. You can turn it off at any time.

Talk to your own attorney

Powers of attorney, trusts and similar documents are legal decisions that depend on your state and your family. An elder-law or estate-planning attorney is the right person to ask. Choice Custom Collections does not give legal advice and cannot act as anyone's agent, executor or trustee.

Educational only. This is not insurance, tax, legal or investment advice. The court case above is described from the published opinion for illustration only.

Sources

Course 108

108: Buying, Selling & Estates
If I Get Sick: Who Can Act, and What Do They Need?
The Heir Letter: A Template for Your Family

← 108: Buying, Selling & EstatesThe Heir Letter: A Template for Your Family →

All courses · Try it in your portal

Last reviewed 2026-10-28 · Draft

If I Get Sick: Who Can Act, and What Do They Need?