Saint Paul Steam: your stuff is awesome. I want to visit one of your shows with my son.
Gary: First, you can lead a horse to water, you cannot force the horse to drink. So maybe you are unlucky and the kids are more interested in video games.
Also note: Of course they don't want your collection when you fall off the perch. The thought of losing you terrifies them.
But the question for you is this: did you try giving away some of it already with no strings?
The families I see in hobbies together, the kids own some of it as well as the parents. (Dad has some John Deeres and so does kid...)
With my son, for example, he is three years old, and I already gave him one of my steam toys. The Wilesco firetruck. If he bends it, then it's bent. He loves it. I honestly need to transfer ownership of more stuff sooner rather than later. I also got my younger brother into it by selling him some engines super cheap.