Decluttering advisor

debodun said:
It IS depressing to be told over and over again that the items my mother collected and paid top dollar in the 1970s are practically worthless today. She paid $300 in 1977 for a green Depression glass luncheon set for 8 (you know what that would be in today's money?). With everyone decluttering, the market is flooded with doo-dads. Supply is high; demand is low.
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I agree that it is sad and depressing to think about. I think that some things just become too old to be of interest to the next generation of collectors. I think most people collect items that they remember from their childhood. As an example in this area the colored nesting Pyrex bowls that I remember my mother using in the 50's bring good money while the older Hall nesting bowls have gone down in value.

If you have no immediate plans to move to smaller quarters and you can't sell the items for what you feel they are worth then keep them and enjoy them.

Good luck!
 

I love those Pyrex bowls and casseroles too - so pretty as well as useful. That is what people want I think, things that are practical and useful as well as attractive and simple. Old fashioned little knick knacks and curliques just scream granny's house --- not a look people are going for. No point being depressed, that's life.
 
I can't get rid of stuff fast enough these days. If you want the money it'll be hard, but if you look around there's always someone's life that can be made better by donating it. I'm not talking Goodwill here, I'm talking shelters, immigrants, abused women starting over with their children. There are so many people with nothing out there. Be God's blessing. Now I know that's not what you want to hear, but I really do it for me much more than them. It's called letting go of the massive material life we've come to expect here in the States. It's truly a spiritual thing, freeing oneself from the anchor of so-so many things.
 

So true Skyking, the possessions end up owning us if we get so attached that we can't let go of some glass and wood. I agree donating and helping those with less is a much better way to live and anyway, we really do end up parting with everything eventually.
 
I saw an amber Madrid (Depression glass pattern) cookie jar with lid, sitting on the shelf at a nearby Salvation Army "thrift" shop. It was marked $2.99 and hadn't sold. People here just don't recognize or know the value of vintage glass. I bought it; don't know why, when I am trying to downsize. It worth $45 in the Gene Florence Depression glass price guide I have.

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Quite a few people have suggested that I donate to local thrift shops. Problem is - they aren't accepting right now. They aren't selling and they are flooded with donations from people downsizing.
 
debodun said:
I saw an amber Madrid (Depression glass pattern) cookie jar with lid, sitting on the shelf at a nearby Salvation Army "thrift" shop. It was marked $2.99 and hadn't sold. People here just don't recognize or know the value of vintage glass. I bought it; don't know why, when I am trying to downsize. It worth $45 in the Gene Florence Depression glass price guide I have.

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Gotta love the thrift shops!

Maybe you should try to get set up in a local antique mall or flea market and do a little wheeling and dealing in your spare time! I have thought about it but I have not found the right situation in my area.

I recently found an amber Sharon or Cabbage Rose covered candy dish similar to this one at the local Goodwill for $1.84, after they applied my senior citizen discount.

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In my mind the value is what I paid for it.

I bought it because my grandmother had one and she used to scold us when we "clanked" the lid after we snitched a piece of candy!

I'll enjoy it for a while and then give it so somebody as part of my "catch and release" program! I just love the hunt!!!

Good luck debodun, happy hunting!
 
Such a coincidence! I have been on a campaign to declutter the last 2 weeks.. It is harder to do with your family's things that was passed down to you. I just hope my daughter wants most of it. My son has already said he only wants the hall tree that my father found under a house he had bought. He restored it and gave it to me.
A friend was over ( who practices being a minimalist, unlike me) and asked me what I was going to get rid of. She mentioned my china cabinet. I was horrified. If nobody wants it, just bury it with me in a hole somewhere.
 
This is what most people see as proper decor these days - to me it looks so anemic and sterile. What I would do to that room! Replace furniture with a nice beige or tan suite, repaint the walls anything but white, a few china cabinets and knickknack cabinets filled to the brim, and pictures on the walls!

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I like a lot of white and am a big fan of minimalist and clean Scandinavian interior design. I'm wondering though who the "most people" you're referring to are and what the source of that information might be. I regularly read Architectural Digest, Dwell, and Elle Decor and the photo above doesn't reflect what the current trends are for interior many designers. There's always been a mix of styles and influences, so that's why I'm wondering about your "most people" comment.
 
debodun said:
This is what most people see as proper decor these days - to me it looks so anemic and sterile. What I would do to that room! Replace furniture with a nice beige or tan suite, repaint the walls anything but white, a few china cabinets and knickknack cabinets filled to the brim, and pictures on the walls!

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I bet they have a secret room with a big comfy recliner, giant television, pictures of the grand kids, etc...
 
Deb, I think this picture is exaggeration and out of context and there must be an article connected with it. No one lives like this and this is not an example of minimalist living but maybe like a blank canvas before adding art and some accessories.
 
My mother, who is 85, collected antiques all during her 50s and 60s. She didn't have a very good eye for authentic pieces or pieces that would increase in value, but she did make some good buys. For reasons only she understands, she let the local Historical Society talk her out of most of those. When my grandmother died 10 years ago, mom got a lot more stuff. I have four siblings, and none of us are interested in inheriting her collections, mostly glass and figurines. What we can't donate will wind up in a dumpster, and we'll breathe a sigh of relief that she won't be here to see that. It won't mean we don't love her. We are all very pleased that she enjoyed buying and living with these things. It was a hobby that delighted her, and the collections continue to brighten her days.
 
I think with more and more of us Boomers looking to downsize, people who want to help declutter are a big market. But I agree, there needs to be some expertise in what to do with things of some value, especially if we do not have children or anyone to pass things on to.
I am in a similar situation. My husband and I were in our late 40's when we married. This was my first marriage, his 3rd. Neither of us have children to pass things on . So, a couple years back I took two weeks off work and started going through the house and doing some down sizing. We have little of value, so I had no problem with donating or trashing things. But what we have left is an issue. He brought over 500 compact disks into the home. Do not want to trash them, or donate if I could get any money at all for them. Same with DVD's. We have many pre-recorded ones and some that we have recorded. What to do with these? The kind of "expert" I would want is someone who could advise me on this.
 
There are several music stores here that will offer something for used CDs and DVDs. If not, consider donating them to your local library. Our library has busy music/video sections.
 
When I posted to a FB antiques discussion group, some of the comments on my possession was rather harsh. One person said, "You think you're sitting on a gold mine when you're really sitting on a pile of ****!" (asterisks mine - fill in the blank with your imagination). I wonder why antique people seem so snobby?
 
I agree that's a rather harsh comment. It's hard to speculate why someone would feel the need to post like that, but there are a lot of angry people in this world using social media as their outlet. I'm sorry that was directed at you.
 
Sorry to say, DVD's an CD's are a dime a dozen, especially CD's.

With streaming movies and music on the Internet, much of it is free.

They don't take up that much room. If you can't donate them, just store them in a closet and enjoy them now and then. Good luck.
 

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