Continuously enhancing the collection is a priority of the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum. Generous donations of specimens ranging from major collections to individual pieces have played a vital role in the museum’s growth over its 120-year history.
If you are interested in donating specimens to the museum, please contact us. Following your initial contact we will gather information from you to allow us to determine if your possible donation will be mutually beneficial for the museum and for you. In most cases, the museum will be interested in your donation. The process ends with a formal Deed of Gift agreement to assure that the terms of donation are clear upon physical transfer of the ownership of the objects to the museum. All donations of objects are handled on a case-by-case basis.
In order to best serve the museum now and in the future, most donations of specimens are given without restrictions; however, in certain circumstance this may be negotiable. The museum has rigorous and audited Collection Management Procedures to manage and protect the integrity and legacy of those objects in the permanent collection.
Depending on the size of the donation, you may need or wish to have an appraisal for tax purposes. The museum can help guide you through this process including recommending or arranging an appraiser. However, as the receiving party of the donation, the museum cannot perform the appraisal. The cost, if any, of the appraisal is normally the responsibility of the donor.
