Family photos and videos. I can’t imagine them wanting anything else due to sentimentality, but my D might want kitchen appliances she doesn’t yet own.
My handbags. I would like to get another Birkin so I could have 2 to give.
The baby grand goes to D2. D1 has already said she wants trade her queen bed (it was mine actually) with my king size bed (bed and mattress) already. I don’t have a lot of furniture left because both kids have taken most of them or given away.
I know we are not including jewelry here, but it is something my girls would treasure the most because I wear my jewelry often and I know it would remind them of me.
I don’t have many pieces of jewelry, but am looking forward to giving it to my future DILs (I only have sons.) My sister married into a family that really made an effort to make her feel like part of the family, down to giving her some family jewelry and I remember how much that meant to her, how nice a bridge that built between her and her in-laws. Looking forward to doing the same with my DILs.
I couldn’t think of a thing except my jewelry, which our only daughter has already claimed. When I asked my husband, his quick response was ‘the guitars.’ He has many. I learned years ago not to ask how much they cost. But all 3 kids play, so, we will need to sort out who gets what eventually.
@kelsmom re: the grandfather clock…you aren’t the only one. My MIL decided my husband should have the grandfather clock. It’s an old antique that works beautifully. Neither my husband or I have any interest in owning it…at all. It’s just huge, and not our style. My youngest brother in law and wife really love the clock and we have agreed that when MIL dies, we will just give the clock to them.
MIL has made it very clear that this is the only thing she is leaving to DH…and if we want anything else, we can buy it at the estate sale she has directed will happen after her death. I’m not making this up. Everything will be sold, and whatever profits will go into the estate…which is basically a trust to fund the family cottage trust (we are not part of that either). It’s actually a good thing because this means we won’t be getting any more stuff from her. It’s a sad thing because my husband basically will inherit nothing from his mother.
She has asked us a few times if there is anything we want from her home, and we have a very short list of three items that we know no one else wants. She has said no to those items. Whatever.
There was apparently a fight over some porcelain figurine or something like that when one of my husband’s aunts passed away… Husband was not there to witness it, but his sister was and is still fuming ?. The item was of a great sentimental value to my SIL. SIL used to get upset when someone would mention said aunt and would start telling the story how the item got forever taken from the family… Mr. B just shakes his head.
I doubt kids will be fighting over our junk. Good.
Interesting topic. A version of this came up over the holidays when we were talking about the state of our will with our (only-child) son. We recently designated him trustee so that he would immediately inherit if we die tomorrow instead of having a third party involved until he turned 30 as was originally specified when the will was made and he was 5. We said, “So, even if we drain the portfolio, you’ll at least get this house or whatever roof we have over our heads at the time. Is there anything in particular that you want to make sure we keep for you?” He said, “I want you to keep EVERYthing! I want this house just like it is right now. I might donate your clothes and clean out the medicine chests eventually but, for Pete’s sake, don’t get rid of ANYthing!” Sappy, sentimental kid . Sheesh.
We have a few moving boxes already started for S1 (19yo). It has things like extra set of silver wear, microwave, toaster, etc. Over break I also mentioned our chair/ottoman was on its last legs and probably wouldn’t make the trip to the new house. He told me to stick it in his dad’s office for now b/c he’ll take it eventually.
And the library! About half the books are his anyway. Once it’s complete in the new house it’s going to be spectacular. Cozy without being stuffy. And full of well loved books, not just for-show.
Well one of them has to take H’s 1 share of stock in the Green Bay Packers 
Other than that, not much. I wish at least one of them wanted the piano.
Definitely tons of pictures / photos. Wife takes thousands of them (literally).
We are not collectors and neither of our parents’ were so I can’t say there’s much of true value aside from some jewelry. Dh has two pieces passed down from great grandparents and, when my grandmothers on both sides passed, I asked for six teacups and saucers with the idea that each D of mine would have two. Of course they don’t take up much room but they’re not any of our style. In fact, I display them in a little used room up on a shelf. Honestly, once my D’s are settled, I don’t know that they’ll even want them.
I can only imagine my kids wanting practical things that fill holes they have in their own homes (i.e. something from the kitchen). We do have some art that could be wanted but, I’d imagine when we go, so will 98% of our possessions. Hopefully we’ll have pared down well and leave as little a burden as possible for them.
Side story: my bff had an unexpected life event and needs to move with about 8 months to prepare. They’ve lived in their home more than 25 years and, during that time, parents have passed and they’ve just taken the parents’ “treasures” and stored them. My friend is so overwhelmed and burdened; she is also very environmentally sensitive so, even though she’s OK parting with things, she really wants to make sure another family member doesn’t want the treasure. If not, then a friend and then anyone on next door, or the library, or the women’s shelter, etc. etc. Anything but the landfill. She spends hours and hours just trying to figure out how to dispose of things. It’s really been awful. True, she has chosen to make it harder on herself than she could have but it’s a huge task. I’d do just about anything to not leave this kind of task to my kids. And definitely a great reminder not to bring additional things into the house unless they have a purpose, will be used and/or appreciated, etc.
Maybe a few kitchen items and hand tools. Not much else, and I have given them permission in advance to pitch or donate anything and everything.
Not the house. No the cars. Not the furniture. Not the pictures. Not the china or crystal.
Years ago, my parents made a list of their possessions that they thought we 3 sibs might want. Then we ranked them individually in importance to us. They informed us that anything that would have to be shipped would not be paid out of the estate. My sister who live 2000 miles away quickly changed her mind ( strange since she could afford to ship anything anywhere). All in all, it ended up being very fair. My mother “gave” some things to each of us by taping our initials under the item.
After they passed away, we started dividing things up. Interestingly, some items I thought I wanted were wanted more by my S or B, so some trading went on. We lived closest to them, so we took the furniture that we wanted and our kids wanted. We gave much of the remainder to my S’s in-laws. They had great need. Surprisingly my kids wanted many sentimental items from their house. I took several of my parents’ wedding gifts, and items from my great-aunts.
From our house, D1 wants our spinet piano that belonged to my grandmother. D2 wants the great-aunts furniture that is in her bedroom. All of them want a share of my Hummels. S1 will take my grandmother’s wicker rocker. They all want to split the entertaining pieces that belonged to my parents and grandparents. I now use them when they visit, no need to keep in the cupboard.
No one wants DH’s hoarded basement stuff. The CD collection (about 20K of them) will go to the library, unless someone wants to open a store. We took nothing from the in-laws, mostly junk. The supposedly worth-money-jewelry was all costume; my SIL took MIL’s rings.
Just to rain on the ‘get rid of it’ parade, quick story. About 15 years ago I was invited to a big old house for a wedding shower. House’s owner was the bride’s never-married great aunt (a physician). She lived in that house for 30+ years. I had to chase a little kid up to the attic, and up there I discovered a huge attic filled with Stickley furniture. Probably 30-40 pieces, in perfect condition. I eventually complimented the owner on her collection, and she said ‘that old stuff? It was In the house when I bought it so I put it up in the attic for my nieces and nephews to play with.’ Uh…she had no idea what Stickley furniture was. She was about to put the house on the market, and I convinced her to get an appraiser in here to look at that furniture. The appraiser came the next week, gave her a check for $50k and had the whole lot taken away. Owner was going to donate it, on orders from her equally clueless Realtor.
My S might want the house but will have to buy out D. Other than that, I can’t see him or DIL wanting anything. They already own a home so have their own “stuff.” My house is larger so they might want it, but I can’t see my D ever wanting to live in this little town again.
D has “claimed” one of the sets of china that was my ex-husband’s grandmothers (so D’s great grandmother that she never met).
I have a house full of Victorian reproductions from the 1950s that I inherited from my grandmother. My D will probably want some of it. Lots of solid mahogany and marble tops. But the dusty mauve velvet Victorian sofa is something she has commented that she wants. She loves the boho style and said her inspiration in decorating her small apartment was a gypsy fortune teller’s living room. LOL
My parent’s sold their house of 60 years last Spring and moved to a senior apartment. She kept anything of value and sold the rest. While she was cleaning out, she kept trying to get me to take stuff. The only small items I mentioned wanting she suddenly decided that she was going to keep!
When I was young there was a print my grandmother had which I liked and she said would be mine when she died. However, when my grandmother died my mother (an only child) took it and said it could be mine after she died (my mother took everything that was her mothers and wouldn’t let anything “skip” a generation.) So move forward twenty years and when my mother died, I didn’t want to take it from the house as my father was still living there. It would be awkward to strip his wall and take claim to it. Two years ago my father sold the house and moved into an assisted living facility. He asked me if I wanted anything in the house and I said all I wanted was my grandmother’s picture. He assured me that he had taken the picture as one of the very few things he took from the house. I go visit him and he has the picture on his wall in his assisted living apartment and tells me how nice it looks. So, I have to wait for a third person to die to inherit the picture I want!
@kiddie This is my lot in life, too. There are several pieces from my paternal line I have loved since childhood, and would like to have. Although married for 57 years, my mom has nothing but contempt for my dad’s side. She has a house stuffed to the gills (and keeps acquiring).
I’ve asked for 1-2 things, and “No!”. She’s only 20 years older and in better health than us. Resigned myself these things will never see my house.
I’ve taken a look around after this thread. Decided my kids want my power tools, H’s new pickup, and tractors/lawnmowers. I hope they keep a few of the genealogical treasures, but I do not want them to feel burdened by them.
I asked my children what they would want a year ago. S wants his great grandfather’s pocket watch. When we got married we were allowed to pick a painting from DH’s artist grandfather- his parents’ house is filled with all his paintings. My 3 girls all said the only thing they’d want would be that painting. Not sure how we’ll deal with that. We were hoping they’d also be allowed to choose a painting so everyone could have one but even with subtle hints I don’t think that’s going to happen. Sad, because my girls would really appreciate one of his paintings.
On my side, my parents have taken us on what my kids call the “death march” where we each went through their house separately and my mom asked what we’d like. Pretty pointless when everything was already saved for her favored daughter and granddaughter. (which is not me or my kids) We laugh about it but there is a hurtful element in it for the unfavored grandkids.
Are you worried someone will steal them? Do you own a pool table now?
One of my grandmother’s was a great cook and even better baker. I have many of her kitchen things - a cake spatula, her wooden recipe box with recipes, her rolling pin, some baking pans - and use them often, thinking of her each time I do. I’ve taken over her role as the renowned baker in the extended family.
Wow! That’s one huge collection!
My daughter just asked when home for the holidays for some candle holders we received as a wedding gift way back when. I wasn’t ready to part with them. Maybe I should box them up and mail them to her. My son has had his eye on a set of glasses made in my husband’s country of birth, another wedding gift.