I had to clean out my sister's house and property after she died. What a nightmare. It took forever as she was quite a hoarder. But she had a lot of nice clothes. A lot of the practical things I washed up and donated to the local nursing home. I knew many of the patients there ran out of clean sleepwear and day wear and get stuck in ratty old hospital gowns. The staff was delighted to receive the items. And I felt I'd brightened some patient's day.
Much the same on my end. MIL died in nursing home and as local child, the cleanup and house sale fell to me. Almost three years to complete. Two days of sales, donations of an incredible amount of stuff to local charities, and all her and her husbands clothes went to the nursing home that cared for them. Friends and family sale first, estate sale next, garage sale last. Then there was the 40 years of bad decor to remove and a three story house to paint. Wow. I want a tiny house!
My thrift shops sells crsft, home, cooking magazines and recycles what they can't sell. I enjoy the decorsting, cooking, gsrdening, crafting etc. I then give them back yo be repurposed again. 😍😊😍
For 10 years I hauled around a huge bin full of all my year books, one day I was just like….why am I carrying all this crap! Threw the entire thing in the trash. My parents have china cabinets full of porcelain figurines, and also antique furniture and a huge grandfather clock. Do I want any of it? No, but it makes them happy. And it’s their home….so the day they are gone I’ll have an estate sale and give away anything left over.
My neighbors husband was a collector of anything and held onto it "just in case". He passed away last year and she has been on a tare. She ordered a dumpster and started tossing. Donation truck were pulling up weekly. She is now down to a sofa , chair and an end table in her living room, a small table and chairs in her kitchen (dining room is empty), a bed, bureau and night stand in her bedroom. She kept minimal supplies in her kitchen and cleared out tons of old documents that weren't necessary to keep. She has very little and said she's never felt so free. She's grateful to be out from under the burden of stuff. Not just the younger generation wants less stuff. Many senior adults feel the same way and regret the money they wasted on things they really didn't need.
My Mom has so many Lladros, China and Crystal sets, Serving ware etc. and my Dad had a stamp collection, coin collection and antique book collection. I gave away most of her china but kept two patterns she loved. I gave away the flatware as I don't ever use it. Kept some of her crystal and Lladros and enjoy what I kept. My Dad's coin collection paid for three months in a Nursing Home until his Long Term Care Ins. started reimbursing. Mom sold his stamps and bought a new leather living room group of furniture. So, some of their stuff is still loved, but we did get rid of a lot. As for the traditional, dark wood furniture, it still looks nice with some modern touches. I've heard that finding quality made, solid wood furniture is getting harder and harder so don't throw furniture away until you check to see if anyone wants it.
We're turning 60 and we've been getting rid of things over the past couple of years. We never picked out china or silver for our own wedding. We've never bought little crystal figurines, Hummels or Lladros for ourselves, that just isn't our decorating style. If we are given that stuff, we simply take it and eventually find a new home for it - anything we can't sell or give away but is still in decent shape goes to Goodwill. I'd rather take care of this now than leave it for our kids to deal with. Oftentimes, we hear about the "transfer of wealth" from generation to generation. We rarely ever hear anyone refer to it as the "Great hoard transference" - which, if you keep all of that stuff, is what it really is.
Pianos... selling for nearly nothing or being given away. As a musician, I always wanted a baby grand. A couple of years ago, I purchased a gorgeous 5 ft maple baby grand that is about 90 years old that was in 8/10 condition. Buying a new one of comparable quality would cost $15k+- plus, you'd never get the construction materials in this instrument (ivory keys, old growth timber.) I bought it for $1000, and paid half that much again to have it moved. I dubbed her "Mabel" and she occupies a place of honor in my home. But spinets and uprights? You could pick them up free all day, every day.
I see very little demand for quality wood antiques. Younger folks seem to like trendy, poorly made stuff, which is a shame. Or they want to piant beautiful walnut, cherry, and mahogany pieces, which should be a crime.
Actually, painted wood furniture has lately fallen out of fashion, and quality wood antiques are rapidly regaining popularity. Watch any interior designer’s recent videos and you’ll see a return to an appreciation for *good* old pieces, often used sparingly throughout the home to add character to a contemporary esthetic.
People are buying well made stuff. Or at least some are. Only they are concerned vintage pieces won't hold 300 lb adults. Also, so many people shop furniture online. They want a delivery to their home.
Freecycle is another resource. And now that I'm old and don't want my family to have to deal with my stuff later on, occasionally I've been renting tables at a local firehouse's weekly fundraiser flea market and putting out items for free. I'm not interested in haggling with people over a quarter.
So I should get rid of family photos of ancestors up to 160 years old as my family does not want them? Also, I should get rid of the research my grandmother spent years researching on her family back to the 1680s immigrants because the younger members are not interested? The young ones want furniture made from saw dust rather than solid wood. I should toss my mothers china made in America because the young one wants dishes made in Asia that are basically not worth the price. The young do not know what quality is. No wonder civilization is on the verge of collapse.
I recently moved from my home of almost 40 years; a 100 year old colonial with much of the original woodwork. I had loved buying (dark) period pieces to fill it over the years. My 'new' home, however, is a 'cabin in the woods'. I dreaded the thought of getting rid of my furniture - but knew there was no way mahogany would look good in "1980s cheap rustic". But, at my age, frankly, I just didn't care how bizarre it was going to look. Lol! And was delighted when I calculated that none of my cherished pieces had to find a new home or be tossed. Even more delightful: they actually look pretty good in my new house! I never would have imagined. :-)
We collect walnut marble top furniture c1870s, and hand knotted oriental rugs early 20th Century. I guess we’re sunk. (Hint, there is a market for both of those items, it just isn’t in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.)
@@garyowen9044I collect furniture from 1775-1875. lots of bronzes, marble statues, 18th and 19th century paintings, silver and rugs. I don't know anyone that would want any of it when I am gone.
Not poor; just a different lifestyle. I’m 60 so I get where you’re coming from. But I’ve told my adult kids to tell me what they want so they have lovely memories not being burdened by dust collectors
I supplemented our five kids first on their own- homes with the extra furniture, kitchen ware, linens and window treatments. Worked well for me, I just gave it away, if kids didn’t want it, I donated. I cleared so much “useful stuff “ .
There are ways to prevent some things from going to the landfill. Seek out furniture flippers- they love remaking out-of-style furniture because it’s cheap or free. Cut hole-y clothes, etc., into quilt blocks ( avoiding the holes) and donate marked as such. There are local crafters that often use parts of out-of-style items to update them or make new crafts. Help that Elderly person set a room full of things for crafter/flippers to come and get and set supervised times for the visitor-shoppers so that Granny is never in danger. Mechanics have to buy rags- things that don’t sell or walk out the door can be cut into rags. Some people make beautiful bird feeders and bird baths out of old plates- thin china plates are very easy to glue together with an E-6000 type of glue. Prevention of so much stuff accumulating is best but 🌳Please 🌲Try 🌵folks to find ways to help the earth 🌎 before dumping more into it.
I was going through a bin of things that my mother sent me today. I noticed the only things that I wanted to keep our things that were associated with a happy memory for me. That being the case, I think the only things of their parents that kids want to keep our things that are associated with happy memories for them. I think we care more about happy memories and less about monetary worth.
I'm almost 70 and downsizing. Just threw out several photo albums of photos from my youth. It hurt but my kids don't want them and I get it. Stop acquiring stuff people!!
That hurt 😔, but better you make the decision than relatives feeling like they had to keep them or have to make the choice to get rid of. You're very strong ❤ and thoughtful
On photos if you have very good cell phone or digital camera take pictures of your photo albums . Also take pictures of things you know should downsize donate throw away . Put the digital pictures on many devises . As you get older it will bring you pleasure . Remembering the nice thoughts of the past also happy to many things not cluttering up your home and feels good .
DO NOT just throw out family photographs. If you don't have a family archivist to give them to then have them digitized before disposing of them. Try giving the collection to a local history group or museum. Even if you don't have time to label everything a family historian can still piece together who's who with reasonable accuracy. Turfing a couple of suitcases full of old black and white photographs because "nobody's interested in that old junk" will risk you becoming the stuff of family legend, that crazy aunt who...
my son has no room for anything and my dtr is a minimalist...so what I have collected over the years will never be wanted by them yet I think they have some value....sadly, I am no good at marketing or selling....
@@leelauralAre there any antique malls near you? Maybe you could sell to them (an actual person and physical location) instead of online. That’s what I did.
Many of us want the 19th century photos. And interesting books. Not best sellers or other mass market. I was lucky enough to inherit a collection of costume books from a friend.
Look....keep classic books....keep the non fiction and keep the highly touted fiction books....with our internet, everything will go digital and there will be NO record of history that can be relied on.....
Everyone needs a trust designation of items instructions . Many people are very uncomfortable going through dead peoples things . As a senior my family can’t even talk they panic . I helped my brother go through one our family’s items and it was ok . I will leave detailed instructions some items ship to a friend . Remaining put add in craig’s list or offer up “ALL FREE must take all or nothing “ Then family will enjoy the insurance money .
There is way too much stuff If no one wants good stuff for free they are not hurting financially If people buy new stuff for big bucks on credit then I don't feel sorry for them when they are broke later on in life. People nowdays buy new when threre is so much good used stuff out there cheep.
I have my fathers stamp collection....something I specifically requested. I remember looking at them when I was little and it makes me feel closer to him. I realize they are worth nothing to anyone else. I have some vintage jewelry and about a dozen Beatrix Potter Beswick which I love and have only for me. I have no living family to leave anything to so I don't collect with that in mind. I don't have anything to excess but what I have I enjoy immensely. It kind of makes me sad when people get rid of everything sort of virtue seeking. My things tie me to my past.
I just went thru my mom’s aunt’s photo album from the 1930’s and 40’s. I took out about a dozen pictures of people I know in them and wrote on the back who they are. But the rest, I got rid of. I’m 58, and starting my declutter process already
@@cjhoward409 love it!! I did this exact process for photos of my grandmothers. Sadly, after she passed, those albums completely disappeared. I’m still sad about that almost 20 years later.
Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, etc. may bring more success. Recruit some help posting or shipping, and get some basic advice on avoiding scams!
Not all but key family ancestor photos should be saved. Identify them all now while someone still remembers who they were! If no one in the immediate family wants them, (they're out of the will) look outward to cousins in other parts of the country or the world. Start on it now so it isn't a huge job when everything "has to go". Everything else, talk with family and friends now and start a list of who wants what and make sure it's easy to find.
I buy what I like not what I think will sell. I collect real antiques and you’re wrong about oriental rugs. Sorry dear. A good Persian rug will outlast your life. I have a little apartment with antiques and paintings and Russian icons. I have no chockies either. I’m not a minimalist. And I worked in the antiques field for years. You’re just wrong.
I have a set of china that my mother bought when we were overseas. My oldest said he didn’t want it at first, after really looking at the pattern he changed his mind. It’s rather plain and you can buy replacements online still although they are pricey.
Not true for everyone. My mom’s piano is the only thing I want from my parents’ house! But yes, you see pianos for free all the time, so not everyone feels like I do.
Pianos are very hard to get rid of. When I do find someone who wants one, they are usually shocked at the cost to have it moved. You can't just throw them in the back of a pickup.
Did it last year. Mom was moved into a nursing home so my wife and I cleaned out the house. Six full truck loads a day for five days straight to the dump. She was a heavy smoker so it was all 99% worthless. Sold estate sale items for years so became a walking Antiques Roadshow of knowledge and this was all junk. It was an eye opener for me to just sell my treasures and not leave my kids that type of mess. Its overwhelming
Young people today are more transient and don't want to move a bunch of heavy things around every couple of years. Also minimalism has caught on with a lot of people. I'm 58 and have embraced having less of some things.
59 w/ acreage, love old stuff/cars. It got away from me, lotta cleaning going on. My gen is the the only one that puts any value to this stuff, after this......
Most of my "stuff" is related to being a homeowner with more than a postage stamp for a yard.. Yard tools, mechanics tools, all kinds of tools. Mower, tractor, trimmers, loppers, saws, shovels, etc., etc. All "stuff" a homeowner needs unless they are writing checks to a landscaper, handyman, plumber, for every little problem. Still, there's plenty to purge...
You did a great job hitting on things people overlook, but you are so right. Downsizing is emotional, but beginning to detach can be helpful for ALL involved, including the owner of all of these items
There is a demand for early photos: daguerreotypes and ambrotypes dating to the mid-19th century, depending on condition and subject. As for "brown" furniture...it may not sell or for much, but it sure disappears off the curb with adorned with a "free" sign.
My son just ask for that dark old furniture you talk, all heavy rosewood old n beautiful till today, also my daughter ask for paintings n lithographs, including some paintings with no market value. They both ask for some figurines too. Nobody ask for the books, you right about that, but one single book n occult philosophy’s is worth more the five thousand, I’m sure someone will wanted. I hope they don’t change their mind.😊
Idk man. You guys are overlooking artists. We WANT this stuff to upcycle or use to create art. But we don’t want to buy it. We want you to give it to us for free 🤷♀️ So….. nobody wants it should be changed to nobody wants to pay for it
We have 100 year old bedroom set with green marble tops. Old furniture sucks. The drawers stick and are heavy. You'll break your back moving them. New furniture is made precise and the drawers slide so easily. For good selling items at yard sale, TOOLS and metal working machinery. In any case you never get what you paid. Order on-line, a new living room set, it was delivered and set up. Came home to see it was made for little people. I had a hard time donating it to a church group.
@@annainspain5176 The population of the USA has doubled in my lifetime. Keep pretending all the unnecessary crap you buy is needed or wanted. The problem keeps growing even as you ignore it.
Love living in a 2 bedroom now apartment Lived in home 30 years my daughter and grandson own everything in the 4 walls Are home is the outdoors hike bike You cant take all the junk with u you when your dead 😊
Actually when they are saved to the cloud you can share the album with other family members so that when you die they still have access to all those previous pictures.
@@LifeHappens-xu8pg unfortunately- As beautiful as it is, there’s not a huge desire for it in my market area…Sad but true. Hopefully those who value those items will
@@MovingToLancaster Most furniture is now junk. I do understand how people have come to want to live lighter….much lighter, as in pressed paper garbage furniture, but it’s literally disposable, like most things. I do not want junk in my home, or collections, or special dishes, or any thing of the sort… but I do tolerate beautiful quality solid wood furniture :) “sigh”
@@LifeHappens-xu8pgMost of my furniture is pre 1880. Massive pieces like I have are hard to sell because people don't have room. My bed is 10 feet tall.
anybody out there needing to get rid of their dad's baseball card collection before listing the house, feel free to send them to me. I'll take good care of them.
I just went thru my mom’s aunt’s photo album from the 1930’s and 40’s. I took out about a dozen pictures of people I know in them and wrote on the back who they are. But the rest, I got rid of. I’m 58, and starting my declutter process already
its not that we are "pawning" stuff off to you....we bought it and kept it because we thought it would be valuable for you....maybe we were wrong but our hearts were in the right spot.
That means she's trying to start to get rid of things. Help her find a home for those things but don't lie to her and act like it's going to your house if it really isn't!
TOTALLY agree. Devastated when my grandmother's & grandfather's photos of our ancestors 'disappeared' (I had painstakingly made notes on the back of all of them with my grandmother's help) Still praying they turn up one day...
@@MovingToLancaster Oh no, so sorry to hear. It's painful when we lose things we hold dear to our hearts. Hoping they turn up for you very soon. A reputable psychic could be a helpful resource for you.
Another way to frame to issue: all those things we have spent a lifetime accumulating may take another lifetime of someone's time to rehome. When you pass on, your heirs will not be able to spend a couple of years finding the highest price buyers. Certain quality items may find ready buyers, all the rest will need super low prices or donations (or the dumpster!). What happens in most houses where a person has lived for decades is that all the nooks and crannies get filled up and there is way more stuff than anyone expects. Maybe you are guilty of storing things underneath or behind your sofa(s) - and have closets at the bursting point, and so on throughout your house. I have been steadily thinning out storage spaces, closets, and especially my garage for several years - and I still have a house full it seems! It is very agonizing and stressful for your family to honor your memory while distributing and selling off your estate. Be a nice senior and get the job started while you can take some of that burden away from your heirs. Best wishes.
@@ocpersonofinterest Everybody experiences grief and loss differently, and maybe for you and your sister spending weeks going through everything was a joy. My mother had two houses and they were full of stuff. Me and my three siblings quickly identified the items of meaning After that it took a while to go through everything (and dad's stuff too, he had been gone for almost ten years and his stuff was still in place) and settle all the financial aspects. I'm being proactive and reducing my possessions now, so that my family will have it easier in that regard. I'm also taking care of some financial aspect so they won't have to spend as much time dealing with an estate attorney.
We had to empty 65 yrs of marriage collection from my In-Laws. Lovely stuff, but when we called an auctioneer who informed us that antique furniture is often referred to as ‘brown turds’ by people trying to sell them. Young people aren’t interested, and older ones already have plenty.
I gave away four bankers boxes of my late mother-in-law’s worthless silver plate to the same person on Freecycle. She was the only one who wanted it. When I got silver plated items as engagement gifts in the 1970s, I returned them. I had no patience to polish them.
I get invited to peoples homes for a fancy meal lately.... these kids should be ashamed. They dont even have a set of china or silver to host dinner parties because they threw it away. It screams poor!
A lot of new and very expensive homes in our market don't even have formal dining rooms. If people even have others over, it's often not in a dinner party setting. A surprising number of 20-30 year olds I've encountered can't even set a table, and they have appalling table manners to boot. Plus, their little monster spawns have to be plugged into an electronic device or they are bouncing of the walls. I've offered all the kids in the extended family a stamp collection. No takers. I like to donate stuff when appropriate. I often recommend estate type sales to folks that need to downsize. They may only get a dollars for something, but at least the buyer values the item.
Wow… Are these “kids” kind? Responsible? Compassionate? Do they help others? Make an effort to improve their community, or the world? Then they have no reason to be “ashamed.” Not regarding formal table settings a high priority is *not* a character flaw, neither is being “poor,” for that matter. 🙄 They generously invited you to a special dinner, and *this* is how you later talk about them? SMH….
@@yellowdog762jb “Little monster spawns”? …Really? The most consequential manners are those involving kindness. Clearly age doesn’t automatically teach someone that.
+@andreaebinger5436 mean comments are a reflection of the poster 😂 Thx for the laugh. Have a great week! I AM limited - to time I give to unkind people. Scroll on!
I had to clean out my sister's house and property after she died. What a nightmare. It took forever as she was quite a hoarder. But she had a lot of nice clothes. A lot of the practical things I washed up and donated to the local nursing home. I knew many of the patients there ran out of clean sleepwear and day wear and get stuck in ratty old hospital gowns. The staff was delighted to receive the items. And I felt I'd brightened some patient's day.
What a wonderful idea, thank you so much for sharing this!
That's such a great idea!
What a great idea to donate your old clothes to a nursing home. Thanks for sharing! ❤ I’ll have to pass that idea on.
Much the same on my end. MIL died in nursing home and as local child, the cleanup and house sale fell to me. Almost three years to complete. Two days of sales, donations of an incredible amount of stuff to local charities, and all her and her husbands clothes went to the nursing home that cared for them. Friends and family sale first, estate sale next, garage sale last. Then there was the 40 years of bad decor to remove and a three story house to paint. Wow. I want a tiny house!
Recycling is the answer for most magazines. Donating to a thrift store works for much of the rest.
There are hospital thrift shops and charity thrift stores.
Don’t confuse those with Good Will, that is NOT a nonprofit. The CEO makes a lot of money.
My thrift shops sells crsft, home, cooking magazines and recycles what they can't sell. I enjoy the decorsting, cooking, gsrdening, crafting etc. I then give them back yo be repurposed again. 😍😊😍
Artists or people who do crafts are also interested in magazines too.
I take magazines to doctor's offices and leave them.
For 10 years I hauled around a huge bin full of all my year books, one day I was just like….why am I carrying all this crap! Threw the entire thing in the trash. My parents have china cabinets full of porcelain figurines, and also antique furniture and a huge grandfather clock. Do I want any of it? No, but it makes them happy. And it’s their home….so the day they are gone I’ll have an estate sale and give away anything left over.
@@jazzyflorida3757 great idea! Good for you for recognizing it. 😊
Jennifer, Books. My wifes fav. Hard for her to part with. She has multiple tubs full of Martha Stewart Living Mags.
I can't get rid of them either!
@@MarySchumann when I wanna make that woman happy I just bring her a pile of books...
+John Cunningham eXp Realty Aw! Yup!
+Mary Schumann that’s my hardest one too. 😊
Didn't Martha Stewart wear an ankle bracelet-monitor? Why are we glorifying crooks?
Pianos are unwanted too.
I recently had to close a relatives estate. Couldn't give the piano away. It went in the dumpster 😕😕
Good point!
My neighbors husband was a collector of anything and held onto it "just in case". He passed away last year and she has been on a tare. She ordered a dumpster and started tossing. Donation truck were pulling up weekly. She is now down to a sofa , chair and an end table in her living room, a small table and chairs in her kitchen (dining room is empty), a bed, bureau and night stand in her bedroom. She kept minimal supplies in her kitchen and cleared out tons of old documents that weren't necessary to keep. She has very little and said she's never felt so free. She's grateful to be out from under the burden of stuff. Not just the younger generation wants less stuff. Many senior adults feel the same way and regret the money they wasted on things they really didn't need.
@@BetsyFlannery wise words!
My Mom has so many Lladros, China and Crystal sets, Serving ware etc. and my Dad had a stamp collection, coin collection and antique book collection. I gave away most of her china but kept two patterns she loved. I gave away the flatware as I don't ever use it. Kept some of her crystal and Lladros and enjoy what I kept. My Dad's coin collection paid for three months in a Nursing Home until his Long Term Care Ins. started reimbursing. Mom sold his stamps and bought a new leather living room group of furniture. So, some of their stuff is still loved, but we did get rid of a lot. As for the traditional, dark wood furniture, it still looks nice with some modern touches. I've heard that finding quality made, solid wood furniture is getting harder and harder so don't throw furniture away until you check to see if anyone wants it.
We're turning 60 and we've been getting rid of things over the past couple of years. We never picked out china or silver for our own wedding. We've never bought little crystal figurines, Hummels or Lladros for ourselves, that just isn't our decorating style. If we are given that stuff, we simply take it and eventually find a new home for it - anything we can't sell or give away but is still in decent shape goes to Goodwill. I'd rather take care of this now than leave it for our kids to deal with. Oftentimes, we hear about the "transfer of wealth" from generation to generation. We rarely ever hear anyone refer to it as the "Great hoard transference" - which, if you keep all of that stuff, is what it really is.
Pianos... selling for nearly nothing or being given away. As a musician, I always wanted a baby grand. A couple of years ago, I purchased a gorgeous 5 ft maple baby grand that is about 90 years old that was in 8/10 condition. Buying a new one of comparable quality would cost $15k+- plus, you'd never get the construction materials in this instrument (ivory keys, old growth timber.) I bought it for $1000, and paid half that much again to have it moved. I dubbed her "Mabel" and she occupies a place of honor in my home. But spinets and uprights? You could pick them up free all day, every day.
@@philwilson8617 so true! And good for you! Love those beautiful baby grands!
I see very little demand for quality wood antiques. Younger folks seem to like trendy, poorly made stuff, which is a shame. Or they want to piant beautiful walnut, cherry, and mahogany pieces, which should be a crime.
So true! My, how times have changed!
Actually, painted wood furniture has lately fallen out of fashion, and quality wood antiques are rapidly regaining popularity. Watch any interior designer’s recent videos and you’ll see a return to an appreciation for *good* old pieces, often used sparingly throughout the home to add character to a contemporary esthetic.
My son picked up a hardwood maple table left on the curb and refinished it
@@altitudeiseverything3163
Our local antique dealer has recently dropped prices on his antique furniture. Younger people don’t want it
People are buying well made stuff. Or at least some are. Only they are concerned vintage pieces won't hold 300 lb adults. Also, so many people shop furniture online. They want a delivery to their home.
Try giving stuff away for free. Craigslist has a "free" category under the 'For Sale' heading.
Freecycle is another resource. And now that I'm old and don't want my family to have to deal with my stuff later on, occasionally I've been renting tables at a local firehouse's weekly fundraiser flea market and putting out items for free. I'm not interested in haggling with people over a quarter.
If you have old pictures I recommend seeing if your local historical society might want them...
@@saladlamp2092 yes!
So I should get rid of family photos of ancestors up to 160 years old as my family does not want them? Also, I should get rid of the research my grandmother spent years researching on her family back to the 1680s immigrants because the younger members are not interested? The young ones want furniture made from saw dust rather than solid wood. I should toss my mothers china made in America because the young one wants dishes made in Asia that are basically not worth the price. The young do not know what quality is. No wonder civilization is on the verge of collapse.
@@annodnosinut3485 good thoughts…I love history. What a blessing that you have those treasures!
I recently moved from my home of almost 40 years; a 100 year old colonial with much of the original woodwork. I had loved buying (dark) period pieces to fill it over the years. My 'new' home, however, is a 'cabin in the woods'. I dreaded the thought of getting rid of my furniture - but knew there was no way mahogany would look good in "1980s cheap rustic". But, at my age, frankly, I just didn't care how bizarre it was going to look. Lol! And was delighted when I calculated that none of my cherished pieces had to find a new home or be tossed. Even more delightful: they actually look pretty good in my new house! I never would have imagined. :-)
@@blujeans9462 that’s awesome!
Old heavy furniture?
Yes I want all of it please!
We collect walnut marble top furniture c1870s, and hand knotted oriental rugs early 20th Century. I guess we’re sunk. (Hint, there is a market for both of those items, it just isn’t in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.)
@@garyowen9044I collect furniture from 1775-1875. lots of bronzes, marble statues, 18th and 19th century paintings, silver and rugs. I don't know anyone that would want any of it when I am gone.
Current style doesn’t last, either!
Anything teak I’ll take in any condition. Sandpaper and Watco teak oil will get them looking new in an afternoon
Not poor; just a different lifestyle. I’m 60 so I get where you’re coming from. But I’ve told my adult kids to tell me what they want so they have lovely memories not being burdened by dust collectors
@@MyrtGyrt love it!! Great job!
1:17 Those are some seriously creepy dolls. I definitely would not want those.
+@M.Campbell right?!
I supplemented our five kids first on their own- homes with the extra furniture, kitchen ware, linens and window treatments. Worked well for me, I just gave it away, if kids didn’t want it, I donated. I cleared so much “useful stuff “ .
@@katiemoyer8679 such a great way to bless others! ❤️
There are ways to prevent some things from going to the landfill. Seek out furniture flippers- they love remaking out-of-style furniture because it’s cheap or free. Cut hole-y clothes, etc., into quilt blocks ( avoiding the holes) and donate marked as such. There are local crafters that often use parts of out-of-style items to update them or make new crafts. Help that Elderly person set a room full of things for crafter/flippers to come and get and set supervised times for the visitor-shoppers so that Granny is never in danger. Mechanics have to buy rags- things that don’t sell or walk out the door can be cut into rags. Some people make beautiful bird feeders and bird baths out of old plates- thin china plates are very easy to glue together with an E-6000 type of glue.
Prevention of so much stuff accumulating is best but 🌳Please 🌲Try 🌵folks to find ways to help the earth 🌎 before dumping more into it.
@@lydialangfordjoiner765 great ideas 🥰
I was going through a bin of things that my mother sent me today. I noticed the only things that I wanted to keep our things that were associated with a happy memory for me. That being the case, I think the only things of their parents that kids want to keep our things that are associated with happy memories for them. I think we care more about happy memories and less about monetary worth.
+@JulietParrottMerrell yes!
I'm almost 70 and downsizing. Just threw out several photo albums of photos from my youth. It hurt but my kids don't want them and I get it. Stop acquiring stuff people!!
That hurt 😔, but better you make the decision than relatives feeling like they had to keep them or have to make the choice to get rid of. You're very strong ❤ and thoughtful
I like my stuff. Anyone who is inheriting my million+ dollar home can spend a few hours and few $K to get rid of it. Won't bother me after I'm gone.
On photos if you have very good cell phone or digital camera take pictures of your photo albums .
Also take pictures of things you know should downsize donate throw away . Put the digital pictures on many devises . As you get older it will bring you pleasure . Remembering the nice thoughts of the past also happy to many things not cluttering
up your home and feels good .
DO NOT just throw out family photographs. If you don't have a family archivist to give them to then have them digitized before disposing of them. Try giving the collection to a local history group or museum. Even if you don't have time to label everything a family historian can still piece together who's who with reasonable accuracy. Turfing a couple of suitcases full of old black and white photographs because "nobody's interested in that old junk" will risk you becoming the stuff of family legend, that crazy aunt who...
@@Bashkir097 Agreed!
What does turfing mean?
@@josephineananda tossing
I don't know anyone who has a family archivist/historian. I'd turf mine for sure.
Lose the background music. Annoying
@@dkayfellows agreed. I recorded this years ago. Time for a redo 👍🏻
This is so true. I have so many items saved from family and my kids don't want any of it.
+Lauri Howes RE Broker I hear you!! It’s common!!
my son has no room for anything and my dtr is a minimalist...so what I have collected over the years will never be wanted by them yet I think they have some value....sadly, I am no good at marketing or selling....
@@leelauralAre there any antique malls near you? Maybe you could sell to them (an actual person and physical location) instead of online. That’s what I did.
Many of us want the 19th century photos. And interesting books. Not best sellers or other mass market. I was lucky enough to inherit a collection of costume books from a friend.
Look....keep classic books....keep the non fiction and keep the highly touted fiction books....with our internet, everything will go digital and there will be NO record of history that can be relied on.....
+@janebeckman3431 awesome! 👏
All they will want is cash.
Everyone needs a trust designation of items instructions . Many people are very uncomfortable going through dead peoples things . As a senior my family can’t even talk they panic . I helped my brother go through one our family’s items and it was ok .
I will leave detailed instructions some items ship to a friend . Remaining put add in craig’s list or offer up “ALL FREE must take all or nothing “ Then family will enjoy the insurance money .
What they want is not to be burdened with too much stuff. They tend to value experiences over possessions. That’s *not* a bad thing.
@@altitudeiseverything3163 I had both.
There is way too much stuff
If no one wants good stuff for free they are not hurting financially If people buy new stuff for big bucks on credit then I don't feel sorry for them when they are broke later on in life. People nowdays buy new when threre is so much good used stuff out there cheep.
I have my fathers stamp collection....something I specifically requested. I remember looking at them when I was little and it makes me feel closer to him. I realize they are worth nothing to anyone else. I have some vintage jewelry and about a dozen Beatrix Potter Beswick which I love and have only for me. I have no living family to leave anything to so I don't collect with that in mind. I don't have anything to excess but what I have I enjoy immensely. It kind of makes me sad when people get rid of everything sort of virtue seeking. My things tie me to my past.
@@l.5832 great memories! Cherishing those special sentimental pieces has value!
Same here, my childhood things and two bracelets of my mother's stay til I die.
Yes! History is important to millions of us!
Yes I agree. My whole is a scrapbook of my life and I m not ready to part with loved memories and possessions.
Research if a historical society wants your old photographs.
Like the Jewish Museum in NYC.
And documents
I just went thru my mom’s aunt’s photo album from the 1930’s and 40’s. I took out about a dozen pictures of people I know in them and wrote on the back who they are. But the rest, I got rid of. I’m 58, and starting my declutter process already
@@cjhoward409 love it!! I did this exact process for photos of my grandmothers. Sadly, after she passed, those albums completely disappeared. I’m still sad about that almost 20 years later.
May be able to sell them in a garage sale, a lot of people look for items like this.
+Angela O'Hare - Las Vegas Realtor very true ☺️
Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, etc. may bring more success. Recruit some help posting or shipping, and get some basic advice on avoiding scams!
Not all but key family ancestor photos should be saved. Identify them all now while someone still remembers who they were! If no one in the immediate family wants them, (they're out of the will) look outward to cousins in other parts of the country or the world. Start on it now so it isn't a huge job when everything "has to go". Everything else, talk with family and friends now and start a list of who wants what and make sure it's easy to find.
+@stevepettersen3283 YES!!! 👍🏻
I buy what I like not what I think will sell. I collect real antiques and you’re wrong about oriental rugs. Sorry dear. A good Persian rug will outlast your life. I have a little apartment with antiques and paintings and Russian icons. I have no chockies either. I’m not a minimalist. And I worked in the antiques field for years. You’re just wrong.
@@AnastasiaRomanov-w9x good for you! Own the treasures you love! Precisely my point 😊
Tips are ok, but they are overshadowed by your pick and loudness of your music.
@@littlefootinalaska6253 appreciate the feedback - filmed this a few years ago & should probably reshoot 😊
I have a set of china that my mother bought when we were overseas. My oldest said he didn’t want it at first, after really looking at the pattern he changed his mind. It’s rather plain and you can buy replacements online still although they are pricey.
@@sugakookie6303 love that!
Music distracting. Trying to focus on the words.
Easily fixed - just turn down or off your volume
Also pianos!
Not true for everyone. My mom’s piano is the only thing I want from my parents’ house! But yes, you see pianos for free all the time, so not everyone feels like I do.
See if a school wants it for their music department.
Pianos are very hard to get rid of. When I do find someone who wants one, they are usually shocked at the cost to have it moved. You can't just throw them in the back of a pickup.
Pianos are very $ to move or give away...not sure what to do😮@@DownsizingPro
We were at an auction. One thing was a 1700’s “coffin” piano. Super heavy. But it was in great shape. It went for only $50 ! 😮
You’re speaking the truth, been thru this and still getting rid of crap for last five years.
Did it last year. Mom was moved into a nursing home so my wife and I cleaned out the house. Six full truck loads a day for five days straight to the dump. She was a heavy smoker so it was all 99% worthless. Sold estate sale items for years so became a walking Antiques Roadshow of knowledge and this was all junk. It was an eye opener for me to just sell my treasures and not leave my kids that type of mess. Its overwhelming
Young people today are more transient and don't want to move a bunch of heavy things around every couple of years. Also minimalism has caught on with a lot of people. I'm 58 and have embraced having less of some things.
59 w/ acreage, love old stuff/cars. It got away from me, lotta cleaning going on. My gen is the the only one that puts any value to this stuff, after this......
My kids want my classic car, not much of anything else.
I hear you! (& congrats on owning the classic car!)
Most of my "stuff" is related to being a homeowner with more than a postage stamp for a yard..
Yard tools, mechanics tools, all kinds of tools. Mower, tractor, trimmers, loppers, saws, shovels, etc., etc.
All "stuff" a homeowner needs unless they are writing checks to a landscaper, handyman, plumber, for every little problem.
Still, there's plenty to purge...
I hear you!! All useful items! Good for you for considering purging excess!
You did a great job hitting on things people overlook, but you are so right. Downsizing is emotional, but beginning to detach can be helpful for ALL involved, including the owner of all of these items
+Alyson Wahl yes!! So true! Thx for watching 😊
There are so many people I'd like to send this to... they'd be so upset, though.
I hear you! :) I do appreciate the share. (& it allows you to blame me for sharing the news) LOL
Good information. Just because the seller thinks they paid so much for an item, they believe others want them. Not so much:)
+Horizon Real Estate & Probate and Trust Help very true! Another reason to hang on to relationships & memories but release the “stuff!”
My Rolex is something I’ll hang on to.
There is a demand for early photos: daguerreotypes and ambrotypes dating to the mid-19th century, depending on condition and subject. As for "brown" furniture...it may not sell or for much, but it sure disappears off the curb with adorned with a "free" sign.
It is amazing some of the things people leave behind.
+Amy Hayslett Realtor right?! LOL
My friend just sold her home last month with all the furniture, over the list price.
I have often recommended to my clients who are selling homes to check with the new owners to see if they are interested in the furniture.
My son just ask for that dark old furniture you talk, all heavy rosewood old n beautiful till today, also my daughter ask for paintings n lithographs, including some paintings with no market value.
They both ask for some figurines too.
Nobody ask for the books, you right about that, but one single book n occult philosophy’s is worth more the five thousand, I’m sure someone will wanted.
I hope they don’t change their mind.😊
+@51colibri great to keep items in the family if there’s someone who wants them!
Love the dumper at the apartment build helps down size life
Idk man. You guys are overlooking artists. We WANT this stuff to upcycle or use to create art. But we don’t want to buy it. We want you to give it to us for free 🤷♀️
So….. nobody wants it should be changed to nobody wants to pay for it
@@country_house_dogs true! I always admire creatives…I’m definitely not one! 😊
I think a lot of people are just living in smaller spaces. The middle class doesn’t have the big farmhouse and property their grandparents had.
No, they have McMansions full of junk from IKEA!
Have the photos scanned before discarding.
I'd be happy to swing by and pick up all your Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio stuff!!
+@ronleight9341 👍🏻
Great points about an often TOUCHY subject! :)
+Wise Move AZ thx! Appreciate you watching ☺️
All true.i started do all this at 62.my son just wants money if there us any left
@@Beingnessing I hear you!
We have 100 year old bedroom set with green marble tops. Old furniture sucks. The drawers stick and are heavy. You'll break your back moving them. New furniture is made precise and the drawers slide so easily.
For good selling items at yard sale, TOOLS and metal working machinery. In any case you never get what you paid.
Order on-line, a new living room set, it was delivered and set up. Came home to see it was made for little people.
I had a hard time donating it to a church group.
Good information, but the background music was wayyyyy too loud.
True - I need to redo this video haha
How about ask around instead of assuming either nobody wants my old stuff or my treasures will be valued heirlooms.
It's all junk. Trash. I've been a Landlord for 42 years. Trust me. All your stuff has no value and it's going to the landfill.
I would hope that you would take what is still useful and donate it rather than fill up the landfill.
@@DownsizingPro Not with the attitude that wrote "it's all junk, trash." That's all he can see.
@@annainspain5176 The population of the USA has doubled in my lifetime. Keep pretending all the unnecessary crap you buy is needed or wanted. The problem keeps growing even as you ignore it.
@@DownsizingPro Doing so is still pretentious
Love living in a 2 bedroom now apartment Lived in home 30 years my daughter and grandson own everything in the 4 walls Are home is the outdoors hike bike You cant take all the junk with u you when your dead 😊
@@pauldietzmann5610 yeeeessss! 😊🙌🏻
Scan pictures to the cloud save till you die
great suggestion!
Actually when they are saved to the cloud you can share the album with other family members so that when you die they still have access to all those previous pictures.
You are so Wrong about beautiful heavy wood furniture in great shape…. You must be assuming most home buyers are dumb. Bye
@@LifeHappens-xu8pg unfortunately- As beautiful as it is, there’s not a huge desire for it in my market area…Sad but true. Hopefully those who value those items will
* will continue to do so ☺️
@@MovingToLancaster Most furniture is now junk. I do understand how people have come to want to live lighter….much lighter, as in pressed paper garbage furniture, but it’s literally disposable, like most things. I do not want junk in my home, or collections, or special dishes, or any thing of the sort… but I do tolerate beautiful quality solid wood furniture :) “sigh”
@@LifeHappens-xu8pgMost of my furniture is pre 1880. Massive pieces like I have are hard to sell because people don't have room. My bed is 10 feet tall.
anybody out there needing to get rid of their dad's baseball card collection before listing the house, feel free to send them to me. I'll take good care of them.
Old photo albums should be well labeled.
I just went thru my mom’s aunt’s photo album from the 1930’s and 40’s. I took out about a dozen pictures of people I know in them and wrote on the back who they are. But the rest, I got rid of. I’m 58, and starting my declutter process already
@@cjhoward409 great job!
My mom needs to watch this...she has too much stuff she tries to pawn off on me.
+Bill Olson - Your Charleston Realtor that’s a common problem! 😁
its not that we are "pawning" stuff off to you....we bought it and kept it because we thought it would be valuable for you....maybe we were wrong but our hearts were in the right spot.
That means she's trying to start to get rid of things. Help her find a home for those things but don't lie to her and act like it's going to your house if it really isn't!
No one wants family photos of their ancestors who came before them???? To many people, these are a family's most valued items.
TOTALLY agree. Devastated when my grandmother's & grandfather's photos of our ancestors 'disappeared' (I had painstakingly made notes on the back of all of them with my grandmother's help) Still praying they turn up one day...
@@MovingToLancaster Oh no, so sorry to hear. It's painful when we lose things we hold dear to our hearts. Hoping they turn up for you very soon. A reputable psychic could be a helpful resource for you.
Another way to frame to issue: all those things we have spent a lifetime accumulating may take another lifetime of someone's time to rehome. When you pass on, your heirs will not be able to spend a couple of years finding the highest price buyers. Certain quality items may find ready buyers, all the rest will need super low prices or donations (or the dumpster!). What happens in most houses where a person has lived for decades is that all the nooks and crannies get filled up and there is way more stuff than anyone expects. Maybe you are guilty of storing things underneath or behind your sofa(s) - and have closets at the bursting point, and so on throughout your house. I have been steadily thinning out storage spaces, closets, and especially my garage for several years - and I still have a house full it seems! It is very agonizing and stressful for your family to honor your memory while distributing and selling off your estate. Be a nice senior and get the job started while you can take some of that burden away from your heirs. Best wishes.
Totally disagree. My sister and I were agonized about losing out parents. Going through their stuff brought back good memories.
@@ocpersonofinterest Everybody experiences grief and loss differently, and maybe for you and your sister spending weeks going through everything was a joy. My mother had two houses and they were full of stuff. Me and my three siblings quickly identified the items of meaning After that it took a while to go through everything (and dad's stuff too, he had been gone for almost ten years and his stuff was still in place) and settle all the financial aspects. I'm being proactive and reducing my possessions now, so that my family will have it easier in that regard. I'm also taking care of some financial aspect so they won't have to spend as much time dealing with an estate attorney.
I could care less if you don’t want my stuff you just want an easy sale
+@motorcityneedlearts-sy1dv 😂🤦♀️
LOL - ummmm - hilarious perspective from a watcher who's not even in my market! Thx for the laugh!
Amish country !! yeah
+Tennessee Mountain Realtor that’s our home! 💕
+Tennessee Mountain Realtor 💕
A friend of mine paid to have old furniture shipped across the country THREE times. She was sure her son would want them some day. He didn’t.
90 % of what you have is worthless ask yourself men would you buy it out of need.
So true - the value is so often in the eye of the beholder... :)
We had to empty 65 yrs of marriage collection from my In-Laws. Lovely stuff, but when we called an auctioneer who informed us that antique furniture is often referred to as ‘brown turds’ by people trying to sell them. Young people aren’t interested, and older ones already have plenty.
No one is going to want my parents' ashes. What will become of them?
I recommend that you bury them or scatter them, maybe somewhere that was special to them.
+@bllackwing maybe scatter them somewhere special to your loved one? ❤️🩹
Good info!
Thanks, Karen!
I donate or give away…
That's always a great idea!
No one wants stamp collections
No one!
+@franmcdonald4702 collections of all types aren’t what they used to be In desirability for sure! 😌
@@annesmith6582 I'm definitely a fan of gifting, donating or repurposing in any/all situations possible! :)
Why are the items I moved to storage for big sale next month worth $$$$ and are on ebay ?
It's all relative to what they are, right? :) Good for you for gaining cash from your storage items!
Do by storage bends
And please don’t guilt your family if they don’t want your collections. We’ve got our own stuff to deal with.
@@doghouse583 this…! 🙌🏻
I gave away four bankers boxes of my late mother-in-law’s worthless silver plate to the same person on Freecycle. She was the only one who wanted it.
When I got silver plated items as engagement gifts in the 1970s, I returned them. I had no patience to polish them.
@@judithscharf4873 glad you found someone who appreciates them! 👍🏻
I am dowsing!!!
Me too - I try to purge & clean out regularly - AND - when something new comes in - something (or things) must go out! :)
If nobody wants them? Who would you give/gift them to??😮😅😂😅. Your generation? Just what is your age?😮😊
I found a local ebay seller and we share profit of my stuff .
I am in the process of donating. I hate clutter and the kids want none of it unless it has $$$ value.
@@judierenfrow8073 good choice! They’ll thank you later!
Sex specific
Some stuff she said is yrue. Rest is BULLSHIT!
@@jakekot1351 LOL clearly your experience has taught you different than what’s proven true in my 24 year career. Good for you!
chochkees..... I love it
+Tennessee Mountain Realtor lol
It's actually spelled "tchotchke". It's a Yiddish word.
I get invited to peoples homes for a fancy meal lately.... these kids should be ashamed. They dont even have a set of china or silver to host dinner parties because they threw it away. It screams poor!
A lot of new and very expensive homes in our market don't even have formal dining rooms. If people even have others over, it's often not in a dinner party setting. A surprising number of 20-30 year olds I've encountered can't even set a table, and they have appalling table manners to boot. Plus, their little monster spawns have to be plugged into an electronic device or they are bouncing of the walls.
I've offered all the kids in the extended family a stamp collection. No takers.
I like to donate stuff when appropriate. I often recommend estate type sales to folks that need to downsize. They may only get a dollars for something, but at least the buyer values the item.
Wow… Are these “kids” kind? Responsible? Compassionate? Do they help others? Make an effort to improve their community, or the world? Then they have no reason to be “ashamed.” Not regarding formal table settings a high priority is *not* a character flaw, neither is being “poor,” for that matter. 🙄 They generously invited you to a special dinner, and *this* is how you later talk about them? SMH….
@@yellowdog762jb “Little monster spawns”? …Really? The most consequential manners are those involving kindness. Clearly age doesn’t automatically teach someone that.
You are limited.
+@andreaebinger5436 mean comments are a reflection of the poster 😂 Thx for the laugh. Have a great week! I AM limited - to time I give to unkind people. Scroll on!