What would you keep?

[~Karen~]

Some questions to throw out there to you.

Do you own any or alot of heirlooms? If you don't own any or only very few, are you happy with that, or do you wish you had some to pass down? If you have alot of heirlooms, are you satisfied or do you wish you didn't have so many.

What are your reasons for hanging on to heirlooms?

I really am going somewhere with these questions. Right after my dad died 3 years ago, my mom moved out of their house and she was going to leave everything there for whoever would purchase the place. Since there were many, many heirlooms, my hubby and I took everything, upon my mom telling us that we could. We just couldn't see some stranger pilfering through belongings that way. When we go home we seperated and sold a large portion of items, and even some heirlooms. Now that is in the past, we have always felt a little overtaken by what was still left. My 2 sisters got what they wanted. The things we have kept are true heirlooms with stories, not all are expensive, valuable items, but dear none-the-less. I have a sool outfit, made in 1870 by a great great great gradma, from shearing the sheep to spinning the wool to crotching it for my great great grandpa. It is in really good shape and a shadow box can be made for it, but it is just one of many items of heritage.

Has anyone started off with an abundant supply of heirlooms and then turned them loose to donate or sell? If so, how do you now feel about it?

I think I need to declutter, but I don't want to regret it or my children wishing I had kept something for them.

~Karen

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

i wish i had some advice for you but all i can say is, boy are you LUCKY!!! i have just a very few things from previous generations and they mean so much to me... unfortunately i was not able to say what stayed and what went, i just got what i got... years ago when my first daughter was born, my grandfather in germany offered to ship the bed my mom slept in when she was little, not a crib but not a regular bed, kind of a mix of the two. my mom would have done it but my dad said no, too much money... and i was young and poor. so it was given away... i got to see pictures, it had an angel carved on the headboard... would have been awesome to have.

 

[minisaremighty]

It's a hard thing to have to decide. I've been there. Also been in the situation where we were supposed to get a few select items upon my grandfathers death (his wish, but not in his will) and his new wife of 2 years didn't let us have any of it. I have been sad over the years from time to time that I never got them. However, we have had several things that we ended up selling because we just didn't have the space and they were huge.

What I eventually did was go back to my "hope chest" that I inherited from my grandmother. It's beautiful and I decided that all heirlooms I will pass on to my children and their children HAVE to fit inside this cedar chest. It's about 5'x2.5'x2.5' It's not tiny or anything, however it really doesn't hold a lot. I put my wedding dress in there. A couple small momentos from each of my children (i.e. the outfit they wore home from the hospital after they were born). Select items passed down from family members. Newspaper articles about the family, etc.

Now as far as photographs go, we've kept ALL of those. Those don't take up a ton of space and say a 1000 words each. I have fabulous photos of my grandparents when they were young and just married in 1924. One photo I have of my grandmother with her two sisters when they were in their early 20's. My grandma was wearing this ring you can see in the photo. I have that ring. I will forever keep the two together. They don't take up much space.

So, ultimately, it boiled down to space. I have given myself that designated amount of space (which is not full yet).

I watch these shows on decluttering and they say get rid of all of it.

: I just can't do that, but I think they'd be happy that I resolved to contain it all in a beautiful piece of furniture so it's hidden and the chest can also be used as a bench

:

 

[Sterling]

Oh that outfit sounds awesome!!! It must be beautiful!!

:

For me, you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned you wanted to declutter. I've been trying to declutter for about a year and 1/2 now. Only problem I have is locating boxes and finding the time and right weather (not too hot or too cold up in the attic) to get up there and clean and get rid of stuff and save some other stuff. Right about now I wish I did'nt have as much as I have. Some things near and dear to me are the toys and such that Mom and Dad kept for us before we got married and when we branched off with our own homes, we took them with us. Things such as Barbie dolls and things we had when we were little along with some heirlooms that they gave to each of us 3 girls. I will keep some things, but I will get rid of other things. I have already started to as a matter of fact. I "thought" about selling my Barbies...but my sister interveened ( :bgrin ) and made me change my mind...for now......

Hopefully I won't accumulate much more things. The things that are more dear and sentimental to me will be packed in boxes and closed as I don't really display much, I don't like alot of things to clean dust off of inside the home.

 

[lvponies]

I ended up with alot of antique furniture when my mom and grandma passed away. Unfortunately, my mom's husband took a few things with him that I wish I could have had and am still bitter over it. My mom had a diamond ring with 3 diamonds of a carat each that was supposed to come to me. The ring came from my father's mother. Well....my mom's husband had a man's ring made out of one diamond and gave the other 2 to the woman he married after my mom died!!! Totally off subject, but still bugs me to this day. I treasure the antique furniture I did get. Not sure if my daughters will want it or not after I'm gone. They don't seem to have any appreciation for it at all and may end up selling it off. My husband has collected alot of civil war stuff, mostly found when metal detecting. Lots of "stuff" around here!! I do love the collection of "StoryBook Dolls" that were my mom's when she was a child. Hopefully, my daughters will keep them. I did up with a bunch of stuff from my grandma's attic. Old 78 & 45 records. Still in a record box. Now those I would get rid of. What am I ever going to do with them? Also.....lots of newspaper articles about my grandfather when he was post master general of his local post office and articles when my mom was a debutante. I really don't need/want that stuff, but what do you do with it? Couldn't bear to throw it away!!

 

[Miniv]

Every family is different.........and each family goes through changes. Have learned that personally.

We inherited a lot of things from my great aunt, my grandmother, and it all filtered down with my both my parents' passing. In the last few years I've sold quite a bit on E-Bay. It was wonderful to be able to do that when money was tight. I was very careful with what I let go, though.

We still have a number of things, but much of it I am holding onto so we can pass them onto Brianna. Just about everything has a story behind it, but if Bri wants to sell them, that's her choice.

MA

 

[capall beag]

I would keep what was special to me. I love heirlooms BUT my hubby HATES "old clutter" and so I would only keep what was really dear to me. It doesn't help that we have no storage, or maybe it does

:

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Just be careful what you do keep and what you give away. I went through a similar situation when we moved from Ky. to Texas. I sold a few of my antiques and heirlooms, gave some to family members I knew they would be special to, and kept a few. Even though I really don't have room for them here, I "miss" some of the things I no longer have. Look the things over, and don't just think if you really need or want them, but would you miss them if you no longer had them.

 

[~Karen~]

Thanks for some good thoughts everyone. I am sorry to hear about your treasured ring, "lvponies" I could never do that to a person. That was so thoughtless . I appreciate your words "Just Us in Texas" that is what I don't want to happen to me, regret. I know that if I hang on to them till my children are mature, then their isn't a large abundance for any of the children once divided. But for one person, and our living quarters are going to downsize for an indefinate length of time very soon. Many items I have are large. Thise extremely heavy free standing multy functional radio/record player/shortwave radio/aircraft radio/ etc. with all the original books, sales receipt, etc. that my great grandparents bought, my grandpa inherited, I listened to growing up and now it is mine. I treasure it deeply, but my husband literally HATES moving it (it is extremely heavy, and has 4 short legs it stands on so I cringe (in fact, I have to leave the room when it gets moved because it has to be tilted onto 2 legs before lifting). We have at least 2 more moves to make with it before we are finsished moving it. I want to get it fixed, it needs a tube or 2 in it and I don't have a clue about that.

I use my kerosene lamps that my great and great grand parents used for light when our electricity goes out. I think that is so neat!

Well, anyways, it is difficult, but I really do think I need to try to release some more, just don't want regrets.

Thank you for sharing! I appreciate it!

~Karen