I am a the widow of Martin Becker, the first gentleman to take over Coles from Charlie Cole. Martin was a famous special effects man (before his Wikipedia site got rewritten and other people took credit for his many groundbreaking accomplishments), and avid steam machinist, collecting and building both 7 gauge trains and stationary steam models. He got cancer shortly after acquiring the business and it was run for a bit by his employees who apparently didnt care about keeping all the original dies and drawings in order (from what I heard later). When Martin died 6 months later, I was overwhelmed with two small children and a life-threatening illness myself (Im fine now)and I was told the smart business decision would be to to sell it for scrap. Instead, I found someone who seemed passionate and knowledgeable about the model-building business, and sold it as is to him, against everyones advice, on a handshake. He didnt even have the money to pay me, so I agreed to lend it to him, as well. I felt sympathy for the Model builders I had been talking to on the phone for the previous 6 months, who had their projects half completed, I couldnt just leave them high and dry. The deal was, after Ken finished paying for the company, then hed buy the museum models that Charlie Cole carefully built with his own hands over the yearsthe perfect, beautiful functioning models used in his catalogues, which I still have. Of course, once he picked everything up and moved it to Texas Ken found some excuse not to pay me and I really had little recourse, nor time and energy to pursue it. But I do have the whole collection (complete) even the three-foot long tractor and need the money. Im wondering what you guys thinkeveryones saying if I break up the collection and sell it off as separate items Ill do better, but if you guys have ideas of places that would appreciate its value as a collection, Id rather keep it together. I thought of the fact that Coles Power Models might need it for their catalogue, but Id rather not even get back on that guy's radar. Likewise advice on where would be good places to list the items if I do split it up. Thanks!
