Article: Your Top 10 Objects Your Kids Don't Want

NorthernLight said:
Yes, it is interesting!

I don't have to worry what will happen to my stuff, because it already happened. I've spent my whole life moving and leaving things behind. I had to pawn some jewelry I'd inherited. I don't have any photos.

I do worry about who to leave my bank account and car to though. Mostly I see them as a burden -- a mess for someone to clean up. Not really worth anything.
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you can leave 'em to me.. I'll take on that burden for you... :sneaky::LOL:
 

All I can do is tell them this belonged to so and so. How I got it, what it means to me. They will have to decide what they want, offer other things to family. I am not going to worry about it. As long as I have my home, they are with me. If I have to go into care I will deal with it then. There are a few things that are valuable but most sentimental.
 

My daughter probably won't want the piano, so I am going to donate that soon. China cabinet ... ugh. Kids these days really don't use good china. We like it for special dinners, holidays, and all.
I have some jewelry that is nice, but it's mostly from my mom.
 
We are big on de-cluttering, when I realized that with age I could no longer do many things I did when younger. What are my interests are not necessarily my kid's interest. we have a mountain retreat we bought 20+ years ago, never did anything with it. My son has been building on it. We paid our eldest daughter her share of the value, and offered to pay the youngest daughter. She decided to keep her share, but now lives 700 miles away and has never shown much interest and probably never will.

I have given all my tools and equipment to my SIL, he works in construction and wanted what he could use. My son has all my guns, which was not many. He got most of our yard equipment, My daughters helped clear out our two storage bays and kept what they wanted. The rest was donated (or given away) if not sold at a few yard sales we held. We moved all our remaining goods to a small home in a senior HOA with an 8 foot utility trailer and small pickup. My wife had many hobbies of which most of her creations were given to our g-children (each with their personal treasure choices), some sold, some not.

We try to keep purchases to only necessities & maintain our 'stuff collecting' to a minimum. My wife reads, plays computer games, works puzzles or tends her flowers. While I surf, busy myself with re-installing OS's on my laptop or watch movies on our streaming services. We socialize with our neighbors, get our daily walk and enjoy our retired time. Traveled when younger, saw America and now live with our memories without unnecessary travel.
 
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Really, when was the last time you threw a state dinner, where only the best china, and silverware would do? Online, you can see people's homes, today, it's totally uncluttered, stark, bare. When you look at my place, there's all kind of stuff everywhere. It's definitely 1980s-90s. Plus, your stuff is valuable to you, if you don't have the same emotional attachment to it, it's junk.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Really, when was the last time you threw a state dinner, where only the best china, and silverware would do?
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Every Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I bring out my favorite china (inherited from my mom) and my silver for my favorite people (my family).

fuzzybuddy said:
Online, you can see people's homes, today, it's totally uncluttered, stark, bare.
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Maybe they're uncluttered, stark and bare in photos (staging by realtors and remodeling contractors), but in real life most people's homes are anything but that. Including the homes of young people.
 
We sold our primary resident in 2002 and opened a new business venture. We decided to rent for the foreseeable future and we offered my son's and their wives to take whatever they wanted. At that time they were in their late 20's and early 30's and both took what they wanted. Most of what they took included handmade articles that my Danish wife's mother had made for Christmas and special occasions and Silverware from my grandmother. The rest we sold or donated to charity. Now we are living in a nice home in Coastal SC. Since most of the keepsakes are gone. The furnished house will be left to the our 2 boys and their families to do with as they choose. Since both live up north, they may keep the house as a 2nd home they can share and take turns using during the year or sell it. We have seriously downsized and not added much since moving to SC in 2013. So there won't be much to unload after we are gone.
 
I know.... After inheriting my mother's vast collections of china and glassware and trying to sell it. You can't even give away most things. Everyone wants their own stuff and they want it NEW. When people are eating out of pizza boxes and fast food bags, what do they need a huge set of china for? There used to be 5 or 6 collectibles/second hand shops in Mechanicville a few years ago. They have all gone OOB. The auction houses around here are closed and the few operating are only taking "in-demand" collectibles or precious metals. Antiques are OUT right now.

My garage sale last May. Ended up bringing most of it back inside.
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debodun said:
I know.... After inheriting my mother's vast collections of china and glassware and trying to sell it. You can't even give away most things. Everyone wants their own stuff and they want it NEW. When people are eating out of pizza boxes and fast food bags, what do they need a huge set of china for? There used to be 5 or 6 collectibles/second hand shops in Mechanicville a few years ago. They have all gone OOB. The auction houses around here are closed and the few operating are only taking "in-demand" collectibles or precious metals. Antiques are OUT right now.

My garage sale last May. Ended up bringing most of it back inside.
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I think my G.Grandfather who was a tall ship sailor, had that picture (the one in front) on his wall. My Grandfather left it there as long as he lived.
 
NorthernLight said:
Gah. Okay, I meant, Lots of people in the US and Canada, who can't afford a dishwasher or nice dinnerware, would love to have the latter and take good care of it. "Lots of people" being me.
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Do you have a local Gifting site on something like FB? People offer or ask for things they need and may not be able to afford.

I’ll bet if you said you’d enjoy having a few nice pieces of dinnerware, silverware or glasses, you’d have many donors. So many seniors are tried and feel sad when they have to take items to thrift stores. I have things that I’d gladly give to someone who would appreciate them.
 
I‘m going to ask my DDs and DGDs if they ever might want my mother’s dinnerware. It’s not china, just a unique pattern. I’ll send them a couple of photos. If the expected answer is no, I’m going to start using it. It won’t stand up to the high pressure of the dishwasher but I’ve decided I’d rather use it than have the kids disposing of it later.
 
My son is digitalizing all our family's old pictures.

He wants to sell my grandfather's secretary, and I am about to give in since it's out of place in his house. My apartment is far too small for such a large piece of furniture.
 
Jules said:
Do you have a local Gifting site on something like FB? People offer or ask for things they need and may not be able to afford.

I’ll bet if you said you’d enjoy having a few nice pieces of dinnerware, silverware or glasses, you’d have many donors. So many seniors are tried and feel sad when they have to take items to thrift stores. I have things that I’d gladly give to someone who would appreciate them.
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I've never heard of anything like that.. but it sounds like a really nice idea!!
 
After my mom passed. I sent a truckload of items to an auction. The auctioneer was highly recommended to me, but he didn't get much. A china cabinet and 8 foot long oak bench only sone for $20 and $10, respectively. He combined all my mom's jewelry into one box lot that sold for $2. And a box lot of Stengl and Heigel pottery sold for $3. After the sale, a lot of the "better" items tat didn't sell didn't turn up when I went to retrieve them.
 
This popped up just now so I reread the article. Truth is, I own very little of what's on that list.
10. Books: I've donated nearly all my books over the years. Have a few cookbooks remaining, but that's about it. I use the public library fpr real and ebooks.
9. Paper ephemera: ditched all the stuff we inherited from parents and have only a few photo albums remaining. Never did save greeting cards, paperwork, etc. Drawings from when my children were small? I laminated them and use them as shelving paper. Brings me a smile.
8. Steamer trunks, sewing machines and film projectors: Nope, nope and nope.
7. Porcelain figurine collections and Bradford exchange cabinet pieces: Nope
6. Silver plated objects: I have service for 16 in silver plated flatware. One of my children might be interested in it. As for their comments about polishing silver, very few people need to bother anymore. My silver chest is lined in something that keeps the silver from tarnishing.
5. Heavy, dark, antique furniture: nope. I do, however have a few lovely mid-century modern pieces that my children covet. (Barcelona chairs, for instance)
4. Persian rugs: Nope
3. Linens: None worth passing along.
2. Sterling silver flatware & crystal wine services: Have a set of SS flatware awarded to my Great-great grandfather (or maybe GGG grandfather) by Queen Victoria as a prize for winning a footrace. At least one of my children has expressed great interest in it. I own beautiful hand cut Orrefors, Waterford and similarly high quality crystal vases, bowls, glassware, etc. Whatever my children/grands don't want they will likely pass along as keepsakes to friends of theirs whom we've known over the years.
1. Fine Porcelain Dinnerware: I inherited a set of 12 dinner plates and bring them out at Christmastime only. They stay well wrapped in heavy towels for storage. When they can be found on the internet they fetch over $100 per plate, plus shipping. I have little doubt one of my children or grands will use them for holidays in their own home one day.

Bottom line - If you have beautiful pieces, items with intrinsic value, or expensive, highly useful tools, your children are likely to find room for them in their homes. Run of the mill stuff, kitschy dust collectors, etc., not so much.

14K & 18K gold, diamond, precious stone, and platinum jewelry are coveted, but silver (other than coins) and costume jewelry (even the expensive stuff) gets pitched or donated. Exceptions would be unexpected collectibles like first generation Swatch watches.
 
I read something like this on a minimalist site.
I stopped trying to give my children my things. They were polite about it.
They do like that I saved a lot of toys. When the grands come to visit they are busy for hours with the legos, Lincoln logs, barbies, superheros, ponys, blocks, omagles, on and on.
 


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