From: Christina Olds
Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: August 1st Update on Estate of Robin Olds - IMPORTANT
To all,
Much has happened in the past few months surrounding the probate challenges with my dad’s estate. As most of you know, I’ve been ordered by the Routt County Probate Court to sell all of Robin’s military memorabilia (deemed his only assets) to pay probate debts to the IRS and two other creditors, plus the attorney fees. I’d like everyone to know that I have NOT brought any executrix fees into the probate line-up, although as personal representative I’m entitled to administrative fees. Despite hundreds hours spent over the past year, it makes no sense for me to be paid PR fees that legally come in line before the IRS and the other creditors, when stepping out of the line-up brings the end of probate closer to being paid.
While sad at first about having to sell the collection, I soon realized this was an opportunity to get my father’s enormous collection of memorabilia (he kept EVERYTHING) into museums, out to pilots, aviation enthusiasts, Robin’s admirers and serious collectors of important memorabilia, where it all belongs.
The River Rats (Red River Valley Association, founded back in ‘Nam by Scrappy Johnson, Robin Olds and Larry Pickett) leapt into action like knights in shining armor and quickly formed the “Robin Olds Fund” within the RRVA 501(c)3 to collect tax-deductible donations to purchase the important memorabilia for donation to museums.
Two, independent appraisers with 30 years each of militaria collectibles experience traveled to Colorado in mid-June and spent three days with me in the storage area. Talk about kids in a candy shop! They were stunned at the extent of the collection and carefully examined each piece, assigning a range of value from low to high if sold in the collector’s market. We noted several dozen items as ‘museum-worthy’ and those have been set aside for later dispensation to museums. This includes the collection of Robin’s papers and military documents he intended to go to the Air Force Academy, which I will donate to USAFA in the name of the River Rats as thanks to their outstanding organization.
My heartfelt admiration and gratitude goes to the RRVA! Donations have rolled in by mail and online from around the globe and we are now working on a fantastic display of Robin’s important memorabilia next to his F-4 SCAT XXVII at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton. This is tremendously exciting and my sister and my daughter are thrilled at the thought of Robin’s personal items going home to rest beside his beloved Phantom.
The RRVA donation drive will end August 15th, so I encourage any of you who have not already done so to contribute to the RRVA fund by mail or online. Your tax-deductible donation will help get more of the museum-worthy items into the AF Museum display so the pieces don’t have to be sold at public auction. Please make any checks out to RRVA and put “Robin Olds Fund” or ROF on the memo line.
Mail to:
RRVA
PO Box 1553
Front Royal, VA 22630-0033
Donations can also be made by credit card on-line at The River Rats website - river-rats.org, by clicking on the "Give Direct" logo and specifying "Robin Olds Fund" in the comments box.
POC John "Shadow" Hope at National HQ (540) 636-9798 or (866) 401-RATS (7287)
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ALSO COMMENCING RIGHT NOW!! is the auction of Robin’s ‘lesser’ (non museum-worthy) memorabilia through Manion’s International Auction House at www.manions.com . Manion’s has been terrific to work with and I don’t think I could have found a better group of people or a more professional organization to handle this auction. There will be three separate auctions over the next three months, with deadlines of the last Sunday in each month, August 23, September 27 and October 25.
Collectors from around the world are going to jump into the fray on this Manion’s auction and it’s my first desire that pilots and fans of Robin’s be able to have a piece of his personal memorabilia. If it weren’t for the probate debts, I’d be giving all of these things away over the next many years, but this is what has to be done now.
Please know that Manion’s is NOT like EBay. It’s very important to read the Bidder instructions carefully. You must register to bid with a credit card but Manion’s does not share information with anyone for any reason and all transactions are absolutely confidential. If you are interested in owning a piece of Robin Olds history, please go to www.manions.com and register. You’ll see the first grouping of Robin’s items right on the home page. New items will appear in an ongoing basis through October. Stay tuned!
ALSO – currently there are four autographed items listed on www.RRauction.com , with a deadline date of midnight, August 12th.
Under the military section at left in www.rrauction.com you'll find item #361, Joe Foss book, signed on the first free page in pencil and ink by Shorty Rankin, inscribing the book to Robin Olds, and signed by Joe Foss, Bob Galer, Jim Swett, Ken Walsh, and Gunther Rall. Under the Space and Aviation Section there are three items: #403, #448 and #449 which are all stunning Gathering of Eagles lithographs accompanied by the commemorative book and 2 side lithograph panels signed by groups of top aviators (including Robin). These are from Robin’s personal Gathering of Eagles collection.
There’s a good chance that the value of all of these pieces of my dad’s memorabilia will increase after the debut of “Fighter Pilot; Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds”. Ed Rasimus and I spent a long and challenging 16 months pulling together Robin’s memoirs and researching the history behind each segment of his military service. We’re excited to have this book published by St. Martin’s Press/MacMillan near Memorial Day weekend, 2010. Can the movie be far behind?
Please send this out through your email chain. As usual, many people will receive this two, three or even ten times. Sorry about that! Several people outside the U.S. have requested the ability to contribute through PayPal.
Anyone interested in this method can log onto www.paypal.com and send funds through robinoldsestate@gmail.com.
My thanks to all of you for bearing with me through this endeavor. The handling of my dad’s estate has been overwhelming, to say the least, but it has also been heartwarming and profoundly moving to see how much he was loved by people from around the world. When all is said and done, Robin’s memorabilia will end up exactly where it is all meant to be, and his legacy will rest in peace in its place in history.
Best regards and thanks to all,
Christina