Author Topic: Article: Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parent's Stuff  (Read 1881 times)

talesofthesevenseas

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Article: Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parent's Stuff
« on: February 12, 2017, 09:02:52 pm »
Thoughts on this?

[url]http://www.nextavenue.org/nobody-wants-parents-stuff/?utm_source=sumome&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=sumome_share/url]
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Pelady

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Re: Article: Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parent's Stuff
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2017, 10:29:54 pm »
Tales of 7cs,       http://www.nextavenue.org/nobody-wants-parents-stuff/

I am afraid it is so true.  My father pasted away last year at 90.  My brother wanted the house Dad had been in for 64 years to be cleaned out and ready for market in 3 weeks.  It took us that long just to clear out the metal and tools in the cellar. Gave tools to everyone.  Finally got some scrapers to come and took them two days to cart the metal away. Also Filled a 10 by 20 dumpster, took 8 or ten trips of donations to a "Savers" a resale charity store.  The grandchildren wanted nothing. I tried auction houses, antique malls. Carted all kinds of stuff 70 miles to a summer home because I live in a condo and you can not have yard sales there.  I made $500 bucks but it was mainly my stuff that sold not my parents.   Was able to sell some women's clothes  from the 50's for 80 bucks after a ton of work.  Nobody wanted any of my Dad' hand taylored suit from the same area, but his dickies and jumpsuits sold. Filled half my cellar with stuff I just could not throw out. Tons and tons of work not a lot of profit. It was not only physically exhausting but mentally. Letting go of so many things that reminded me of my mother, father, and grandmother was far from easy.
PeLady
« Last Edit: February 13, 2017, 10:40:51 am by Pelady »
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talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Article: Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parent's Stuff
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2017, 03:34:29 pm »
Thanks for sharing your story. Wow, sounds like an extremely difficult time. Did you try doing an estate/garage sale at any point?
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KC

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Re: Article: Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parent's Stuff
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2017, 03:56:51 pm »
I am so sorry that you are going through this time.  It is emotionally straining.  My birth mom passed when I was just out of High School and I was the one that went through her items (more than my dad or sibling).  It actually made me see different interests/dreams to her that I had never done.  I got to reminisce and cry lots.  Actually cathartic.

Yep...I know my kiddos will not want most of our things.  But that is okay...because Hubby and I enjoy them NOW while we are ALIVE!!!  No different than a parent suddenly losing a single adult child and dispersing their belongings.  We have a detailed Will/trust that we write out where things will go (children, family, friends, associations, museums) and if they don't want them...then it is up to the trustee or kids to do.  Over time we will downsize items (like I am starting to do) and only keeping the things that truly make us :)  We also had all of our children (none are married) give us Power of Attorney for their Medical and Belongings should something ever happen.  (Can see my legal background kicks in here and we attempt to make things easier when emotions are high.)

It is interesting how many things have changed over time.  HOWEVER, I know of many kids that didn't want items, disposed of them in some form and sometime later grieved that they didn't keep them.

Another interesting article from the same place your link was at
http://www.nextavenue.org/slideshow/10-things-you-should-save-for-your-kids/#slide1

I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!

ghopper1924

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Re: Article: Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parent's Stuff
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2017, 10:26:18 am »



Yep...I know my kiddos will not want most of our things.  But that is okay...because Hubby and I enjoy them NOW while we are ALIVE!!! 


In the final analysis, KC's quote says it all. I just bought an 1860s etagere that (to me) is drop-dead beautiful, but no child, niece, or nephew wants it (or for that matter, any of our Victorian stuff) now. But yeah, we love them and we'll live with them enriching our lives as long as humanly possible.

I think the article is pretty brutal, and essentially correct. I believe there will be irony down the road as well. The same 30-somethings that don't want the mass-produced (though often well-built) 30s and 40s mahogany Duncan Phyfe stuff will live to experience the same thing when their grandchildren don't want their 60s soulless, mass-produced Knoll sofas. In fact, I think the expiration date on that stuff will arrive sooner than 30 years from now.

As to the youngest consumers buying Ikea or Ashley, not only is that stuff soulless, but they'll be lucky if it even lasts 20 years. There will be no question of giving it to somebody down the line, because the furniture will disintegrate long before that.

The article did not talk about Victorian, though that's taken a big hit as well. But because it has style(s), and because most of our 150-year old pieces can easily last another 150 years, perhaps there's the possibility that it can recover some day.
"I collect antiques because they're beautiful."

-Broderick Crawford