where or when do you stop

[loo]

I couldn't bear to do that.  I have a friend who has been doing this off and on for years and years, and she has boxes and boxes of documents; unfortunately for her, she has never really sorted them out, but, fortunately for her, she has a big house and no children! 
I only started last March, so I only have about one box!  But I have boxes and boxes of other stuff that I have collected over the years about various things.  Some of us just love paper, I think!

[Guy Etchells]

I feel your problem from a slightly different angle, we had loads of 35mm film that my father shot, that was the easy part we had the good bits cut to video, reminds me that we should now copy it to DVD, anyway next job was the Piles of pictures, I admit I have not gotten as far as I would have liked, but I viewed it in stages......pray why do we keep the out of focus ones then I chose the best One of the 7 of the same shot and threw the rest, now I'm starting on each event, and just keeping the ones that show a different view. Is this called pairing it down?

I haven't even started on the negs that I have no photo for but I guess if I don't get it down to a manageable size it will not be something to treasure, just a burden.

If you really, really don't want to throw it away have you tried the museums - I'm gonna. One day my loft will be empty

I can understand your point of view but to my way of thinking it is very short sighted.
What happens in the future when seven descendants each want their own original copy of that photo?
If you retain everything they can each have the joy of an original instead of just a later copy.
Pairing down is one step short of chucking the lot out.

I support the option of simply sorting or cataloging the collection rather than destroying parts of it. Are there no other descendants who would be glad to share the duplicates, this would have an added advantage of a duplicate collection in a separate location in case of fire/flood etc.
Cheers
Guy

[trellisick]

guy i think you have come closest to the answer with the idea of sharing your records around to other relatives but the problem here is the relatives do not have the same entusiasm as yourself, they all want the finished product which is never finished but are not prepared to participate in the actual research or storage of material. i have a small bedroom full of records that i feel i cannot discard

[loo]

"a small bedroom full" 
Blimey.  Help!!! Is this me in 5 years? 
I don't think I can bear it - and neither can my floorboards!

There is really not a solitary person in my family who is interested in keeping my research, mainly because there are very few living rellies.  It's mainly between me and the generation which is older than me, who won't have anyone to leave it to either.  I have cousins whom I've never met, but they don't want to meet me, and I don't see them wanting this stuff, being an entirely unsentimental lot.  I would like to pass it directly to their grandchildren etc, presuming eventually there will be someone who is interested, but I don't know how to do that, as their children aren't even grown yet.  Perhaps I can somehow will it to storage until such time as someone is genuinely interested.  Does SOG take this kind of stuff?

[Guy Etchells]

Change your will - leave everything to your record collection wording it so that the person who takes care of the records benefits from the proceeds of the will.
A different take on the leaving everything to the cat/dog
Cheers
Guy

[loo]

Yes, that's a thought, and very reminscent indeed of the doggies and kitties who are left with massive supplies of treats.  In fact, just a couple of months ago, someone in Ottawa (Canada) died and left his estate to the church (a church he never really seemed to have even belonged to) on condition that they would see to his kitty living out remaining years in the lap of luxury.  So, the church accepted the conditions, and for the first time ever, is in the kitty-care business! 
I suspect that if money was left to an archive or whatever for the maintenance of the associated facility, that they would take some of our leavings.  Probably best to ask them about this in advance.

[trellisick]

guy,
       i really like that idea, but now i have to get some sort of inheritance to leave someone.  kali.

[loo]

guy,
       i really like that idea, but now i have to get some sort of inheritance to leave someone.  kali.

lol.  What you need first, Kali, is to find some long lost childless rich relatives!!

[trellisick]

thanks loo,
                  in the 16 and 1700s the kuhnell side of my family appear to be very well of but around about 1800 they were pawning pocket watches and stuff to survive, funny old world aint it.