That is a pretty bold statement for someone who has no idea of the assets in the estate or the beneficiaries.
Yea, I remember too. Mine are cancelled/cleared Blue certs you posted, with Willy Rey (Playmate of the year 1973 (I think)). They are supposedly worth somewhere between $150 - $300 each, assuming a buyer could be found. AFAIK, the story goes that Playboy had thousands of single share shareholders who requested the "novelty" certificate. That proved too costly to issue, so they did away with certificates. AFAIK. Hefs (auto)-signature adds to the value as well.
The need for a lawyer depends if you are an executor. Transfer of securities is easily handled by a brokerage firm or transfer agent. A call to the co, as previously stated is the 1step to get information since OP said it exists. obviously if there are complexities a lawyer is needed
It's not a waste of money if one of the beneficiaries has a notion to sue you (as executor). And of course up-front legal expenses of an executor are not "out of pocket". If an attorney is needed, that cost is deducted from the estate, before distributions are made.
Agree. I was saying that the act of transferring securities is not a complex process if you have no complexities. Transfer agents and/or brokerage firms do the research and paperwork for you.