They just stumbled into it. He was having lunch with a guy who mentioned his collection of classic photographs. As it turned out, this wasn't just any collection of photographs. It was a great collection of photographs--mostly black and white, mostly historical in nature, and mostly focused on celebrities.
So what do you do with a bunch of black and white photographs?
Well, in this case you can donate them. The photos represent real value. It seems there's a real demand out there for those old time photos. Black and white. Historical in nature. Even the mundane. A photo of the basic typewriter. There's value out there in those photos.
Now mind you, this work is not for the fainthearted. Don't jump into accepting these photographs without guidance. If the donor believes the photos have value above $5,000, then the donor will need to get an appraisal on those photographs. Not just everyone does those appraisals. If the donor does not want an appraisal, then the work is a bit easier.
Certainly, with the graying of the population, and the passing of the World War II generation, the availability of these collections is increasing. Many would be willing to offer these collections simply to know that they are being put to good use by a charity.
Once the collection is donated, the charity must know how to utilize the collection. There is a matter of inventory. You need to know what you've got, and then you've got to figure out how to monetize the collection. I suppose there's the possibility that some charities will be content in just holding the collection--nice framed photos on the wall. But the real opportunity comes in monetizing the collection. The donated collection can be sold, or event the individual photos can be sold. It is all a matter of creating a market for the collection and utlizing the right entities that can create the market.
The point? Don't laugh off those photos--there may be gold in the black and white.
--William High is the President of the Servant Christian Community Foundation (www.servantchristian.com). Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) is a subscription database service of private foundations which provide funding to faith based organizations.