Nobody wants your parents stuff.

[Queen K]

http://www.nextavenue.org/nobody-wants-parents-stuff/

I spotted this article on facebook and it resonated with me right away.

North America is a vast sea of stuff, stuff stored in expensive storage units, stuff in stores, new stuff in retail, vintage stuff, good stuff in thrift stores, and all kinds of stuff dumped at the dump because for a time, no one wanted it.

Even Thrift Stores have to be "picky" and not every thrift store takes everything.

I've posted about this issue in the thread about Wills, in threads about seniors homes and moving into them, in threads about downsizing, garage sales and many others.

The fact is, some of our stuff is valuable. Some isn't. The 'net helps.

[Lady tehMa]

Some stuff has sentimental value as well as monetary. Some stuff has only sentimental value. I have a few items that wouldn't fetch any money, but they are ties to a past. A basic china cabinet my grandpa made for my mom, an old family bible from the early 1900's, some salt n pepper shakers that belonged to one grandma, and teacups and saucers that have belonged to other family members. They have stories.

We are drowing in a sea of stuff. But we shouldn't throw out ties to the past anymore than we should keep every single thing.

[Queen K]

I like the garage sale sign that says, "Our can be your ".

Most often and very rarely is any of it junk though. It's the bread machine that got used exactly twice. Or the art work they inherited but is quite good.

The real issue is for those who just wait too long to start dealing with it all.

And the boomer kids who just don't have enough time to deal with it in a weekend. I like the part of the article where they had to spend another months rent, just to deal with stuff not even worth a months rent.

[Lady tehMa]

Our folks have had us walk through the house and put our name on items with masking tape. My sisters got to furniture before I did, but I got to a few things that mean quite a bit to me. What isn't marked will be sold off or donated when my parents decide. They are still in a house, I expect if one passes before the other they will downsize to assisted living (and knowing them, be insistent on staying where they are in the Kootenays), either keeping items marked or sending them along. My parents are too practical to have a storage unit. But they do live in a house larger than mine!

[Queen K]

I also have posted many times about the incredibly expanding thrift stores. They used to be in church basements and small retail spaces. Sure there still are some of those, but now the thrift store has morphed into huge Big Box Thrift Store sizes.

And they still can't keep up with donations. Some of that might be pricing, as I've noticed thrift stores trying to squeeze the last dollar out of every donated item.

[coolwaterwave]

Wish the thrift stores were more about moving items into new homes and not the bottom line. So much overpriced when you visit the local ones.

[Gilchy]

Wish the thrift stores were more about moving items into new homes and not the bottom line. So much overpriced when you visit the local ones.

Most of the Thrift Shops are a fundraising vehicle, trying to maximize net "profit".

[Queen K]

Sometimes I think Canadians are better off shipping all the excess stuff to Third World countries where getting certain things might be difficult. Just set up a distribution center, and ship stuff over, let others buy it.

[TylerM4]

It was a little heartbreaking when emptying my grandparent's farm after grandpa died.

It felt like I was constantly telling grandma that her stuff wasn't worth anything. Even their "Nice stuff" was a 8yo travel trailer than had developed a leak in the roof, and their "Nice Pickup" was 10yo with check engine light on and 4x4 not working.

Nor do I think they had realized how run down and "old feeling" the farm house had become.

[Queen K]

You don't see it when you live there. And older people usually lack strength to deal with stuff, seriously, they can no longer clean out the garage of 40 years of useful stuff accumulation. Great for the antique, collectible pickers, bad for the kids, often who come from far away places, to deal with it all.

I drove up to a farm house where I grew up going to and was astounded at how worn out it was. But that's after not seeing it for many years.

[TheBoss]

Glad my parents don't own very much. So that will make clean up easier. Also i'm not much for material items. I have my few things i enjoy and the rest is just hobbies, IE record collecting and etc.

[MAPearce]

Sometimes I think Canadians are better off shipping all the excess stuff to Third World countries where getting certain things might be difficult. Just set up a distribution center, and ship stuff over, let others buy it.

I nominate Bmans house for the distribution centre..... He likes stuff .

[MAPearce]

Wish the thrift stores were more about moving items into new homes and not the bottom line. So much overpriced when you visit the local ones.

Sadly , Thrift stores have become an overnight dumping ground for junk which costs them money to dump...

[GordonH]

Sentimental value only applies to those with a connection to item & those who owned it.

[shoo]

If we wait too long, our stuff ends up owning us. I've cleaned out the homes of 3 family members after their deaths and it was overwhelming. I kept very few things of theirs and donated all the furniture, clothing, dishes, etc. I kept pictures, some albums and art work, including a couple of beautiful quilts. Jewelry was distributed among the rest of the family and everything else including furniture and appliances donated. I've seen elderly folks that can barely manage their own homes but refuse to downsize or move into assisted living of some type. Their precious stuff is hauled away eventually but at a burden for someone, usually an adult child who has little time to sort through it all.

The experience changed me. I downsized in my mid 50's from 3000 sq.ft. Into 1300. I spend money on experiences/travel/events now...not stuff.