by Martha Tobin
More and more these days, the younger generation is saying ‘thanks but no thanks’ to the items generously offered to them by their parents and grandparents.
Instead this younger audience tends to favour a more contemporary, cleaner aesthetic that doesn’t include fancy dishes, serving platters, china cabinets, boxes of old family photos, VHS tapes or photo albums, old handmade quilts, antique dolls or figurines.
The younger generation are very aware that due to the rising cost of living, their starter homes will be smaller with less storage space. They also know that most of their parents and grandparents’ furniture and collections have likely depreciated in value. So while these items hold meaning and memories for you, the reality is that these items have little sentimental or monetary value for them.
Additionally young adults these days value experiences more than acquiring things. Their priorities are travel, flexibility and freedom and they know that ‘stuff’ will only weigh them down.
So what can you do with all of your furniture and collections that your kids have indicated they don’t want?
If you want to sell your items here are a few options:
–yard or garage sale
–post items on online marketplaces
–reach out to an estate or auction company
–take them to consignment stores
If you want to give your items away here are a few options:
–put them on a Buy Nothing group
—donate them to a local charity
–post them on the GiveShop app.
Determining what you want to do with your items well-ahead of time will allow you to start the decluttering process at your own pace and perhaps find someone who treasures your items like you do.
While getting rid of items you spent money on can be difficult, the burden of ‘clutter’ can be equally costly in terms of time, focus, energy and space. And it can be costly both emotionally and physically to your kids if in the end they have to do all the decluttering when you are no longer able to do it.
“If everything is special than nothing is.”
(Ruth Soukup)