How to help aging parents get rid of their stuff?
Don’t take on items you don’t want or need out of guilt. Have honest (but gentle!) conversations with your parents about the items they value and how they fit into your lifestyle. Sometimes those conversations are as simple as, “My apartment is small, and work might transfer me to a new city next year.
What kind of things do parents like to keep?
So, in a quandary familiar to many adults who must soon dispose of the beloved stuff their parents would love them to inherit, Ms. Beauregard has to break it to her mother that she does not intend to keep the Hitchcock dining room set or the buffet full of matching Lenox dinnerware, saucers and gravy boats.
Where do young adults get their household goods from?
But for a variety of social, cultural, and economic reasons, this is no longer the case. Today’s young adults tend to acquire household goods that they consider temporary or disposable, from online retailers or stores like Ikea and Target, instead of inheriting them from parents or grandparents.
What should I do if my parents want to downsize?
Get the lay of the land by asking your parents why they want to downsize, what results they want and what method they think is best. If mom wants to make top dollar on eBay by selling a China set you’d then have to ship across the country, you may need to work through the details.
Where can I get my parents old stuff?
“Old mahogany stuff from my great aunt’s house is basically worthless,” says Chris Fultz, co-owner of Nova Liquidation, in Luray, Va. And if you’re thinking your grown children will gladly accept your parents’ items, if only for sentimental reasons, you’re likely in for an unpleasant surprise.
Are there antiques dealers that want your parents stuff?
They don’t have the emotional connection to things that earlier generations did,” she notes. “And they’re more mobile. So they don’t want a lot of heavy stuff dragging down a move across country for a new opportunity.” Most antiques dealers (if you can even find one!) and auction houses have little appetite for your parents’ stuff, either.
What are parent items and what are child items?
In a general sense, parent items are a type of product, and child items are a specific and purchasable product. What is a Parent Item? Parent items are the generic items that your specific child items are tied to. For example, a parent item might be “Men’s Cotton Crew Neck T-Shirt”.
Are there any things in your parents house that are worth money?
If your parents snagged a copy of her original cookbook published by Knopf in 1961, it could be worth hundreds this year. Your dad’s old woodworking tool might work better than its modern equivalent—which means it’s also worth more money if sold today. Certain saws, hand drills, and wrenches are widely sought-after by collectors.
