I have furniture that I like, sort of, but don’t love. And I don’t want it in my house. DH is my problem. He thinks that just because it fits into a corner, it’s not bothering anybody. Well, it’s bothering me. I don’t want every corner filled with furniture that’s totally “meh.”
I don’t want my kids to have to deal with my things that they think are meh!
I found a good spot for my mother’s silverware. We do use it about 2x/year and we all like taking it out, but that’s where it begins and ends. Anyway, it’s in 2 nice wood boxes, about 3 inches high. I have them stacked under my computer monitor and they bring it perfectly up to eye level and look like part of the desk!
Really? One of my clients had no luck with her Hummels.
@mathmom True Hummels from a long time ago have value. The “instant collectible” Hummels of the type that my mother bought like mad for about $35 or $40 each are hardly worth the effort to sell on eBay. I sold a bunch at a yard sale for $8 each and was glad to make the sale.
We get Hummels at my charity thrift store all the time. Some of the very old ones are worth something. The others don’t sell…at all. If someone got $8 a piece for,the newer ones…be happy! That is great.
I use my great-grandmother’s silver every single day. I run it through the dishwasher,too. I’ve dropped spoons down the disposall. I enjoy it way too much not to use it!
As for “grandmother’s china”–don’t sell it (you’ll get nothing for it), use it. You’ll break pieces, but so what?
I’m using Royal Doulton plain white porcelain China for my everyday dishes. My issue…my mother died and left me with TWELVE sets of dishes, and almost the same number of sets of eating utensils. We have given a lot away. No one wants the rest…except for,the sterling silver flatware.
twelve.
I don’t like it. It’s Limoges, which I thought meant something but apparently not. (I’ve looked it up on eBay and Replacements, and it’s worth hardly anything.) I can’t sell it to Replacements, because every single plate or bowl has some sort of tiny chip. It’s white, with little pink and blue flowers, and it’s just – little old lady looking. Also, the dinner plates are too small to be realistic. They must have eaten less in the olden days.
Hmmmmm. Maybe Goodwill. Don’t tell my mother (who passed away 31 years ago).
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I have some glass Luncheon set with gold trim from my grandmother… afraid to use it because I don’t know if there is lead in it or not. It has been sitting in a box in my basement for over 25 years. Of course I have other things boxed in my basement too for that long… I really should get rid of them (and I call my husband a pack rat.) Maybe this thread will give me the incentive to start lightening up here at home.
I recently was given the China that my dad bought for his mother when he was in the Navy. It has “Made in Occupied Japan” stamped on the back. I agreed (sight unseen) to take it because I knew it would make my dad happy. Turns out I like it and have used it several times. The stuff from my other Grandma is old lady looking but has some nice sized pieces. I like the smaller plates from 100 years ago but not the tiny pink flowers.
This.
My MIL and my parents have houses full of stuff. The problem is that people get to be a certain age and it is too overwhelming physically and emotionally to get rid of things. A lot of it is very nice stuff and my folks have lots of beautiful antiques, but all of the “kids” are over 50 and we all have our own houses with stuff. The grand kids have their own tastes and many of them live far away (at least on my side) so that taking this stuff would be a logistical nightmare.
H and I are not downsizing yet, for a number of reasons, but we are at the point where the kids are grown and we would like to simplify. We are working on getting rid of our own stuff sooner rather than later.
With Replacements, by the time you pack,insure, and ship to them you won’t make anything.
Reading this thread makes me think of bridal registries. One should really think about what they really need for their home that they will utilize. Especially since many couples merge two homes to one when they get married.
My in laws recently moved to assisted living from their home of 50 years. They reveled in the perceived value of their stuff- fur coat, no one wants it; antique cut glass, no one wants it, etc. etc. It was really sad to see how low the prices were and how much stuff was left to go to the guy who paid $200 and cleared out a truckload of leftovers.
In hindsight, I wish I had kept a few more items, I was trying to be firm and not hold onto just stuff, but I would have been happy with a few more items.
But nothing is worth much, no even good brand name, antique stuff and forget silver plate, it’s sterling or nothing!
In going through the files, I see that the in laws had their items re-appraised regularly and insured and enjoyed knowing they were successful and had accumulated such valuable possessions. We did not tell them that the items they valued the most were hard to sell.
We had even taken the antique cut glass to antique shops, they told us all the ladies over 80 collected it and are dying, the market is flooded, Gen Xers are not collecting, no one is buying the things a prior generation valued.
Keep the stuff that makes you smile!
So… what do you do with the sterling? 
We need a cc exchange. Who’s know maybe someone wants antique glass in exchange for sterling. Or a nice piece of furniture in exchange for something else. Too bad we can’t post pictures of our items we want to get rid off.
^Good idea! I’ve got first dibs on @thumper1’s inheritance of signed danish modern furniture. 