"Several years ago there was a seller on EBay that had a ton of chip and dice dies.
He wanted , I think, about $10,000.00 for the lot.
I contacted his at that time and suggested that if they didn't sell that he could
donate them to the club museum and take a tax deduction."

It is the same person. It was $30,000 not $10,000.
He even came back and asked questions about the deduction recently.
Problem is if anyone donated that sort of value to the club without purchase paperwork to back up the value, IF the IRS audits you they will not accept the donation.
It has to have an appraisal certificate from one of only two qualified people in the country.