After the children/grandchildren had decided what they wanted (not much as it turned out; parents had given away a LOT while they were healthy) one of my siblings had the fantastic idea to sent out an email and make a few calls saying “We are cleaning out the house to prepare it for a sale. Please stop by between 1- 5 pm on xyz date so we can say goodbye”. And then everyone took a souvenir (if by souvenir you mean a heavy buffet, a set of dining chairs, etc.) We told all the friends, random neighbors, cousins, etc. “The place needs to be broom clean by ABC. Here is the phone number of the management office so you can arrange for your truck or van”. And then we were out of the logistics loop. Most everyone took a tray, crystal bowl, knick-knack, framed art work, and the die-hards indeed arranged for a truck and movers to come get furniture.
I thought it was a stupid idea and was just going to create more work for us-- but truthfully, the folks who stopped by WANTED stuff (and to say goodbye to us- the kids even though we are all grown up). One neighbor cleaned out my mom’s “junk” drawer and took scissors, tape, random flashlights. Another took an unopened 24 pack of paper towels from Costco. Whatever they could carry (some neighbors made multiple trips) and truthfully, stuff was gone in a flash.
The management office there was pretty strict about days, times for trucks-- but hey, you want a free mid-century modern dining room with buffet and china closet, you can find a moving company that will show up next Tuesday at 8 am.
Hugs to you.