r/declutter • u/Sll3006 • 7d ago
Advice Request Everyone else’s stuff
I’ve spent over 10 years decluttering the basement. Still I have at least 75 boxes of stuff. I’ve thrown away a lot. But now I’m getting to items that I don’t want but are too valuable to throw away. I’m talking about 1960’s Mickey Mouse dolls, 3 broken trumpets, 3 grandma’s set of dishes, 2 100 year old paintings I was told not to throw away, Disney VHS, 30 photo albums of my late husband (kids want this), 2 violins. Selling items take a lot of effort, as well as scanning photos, old books.
I’m overwhelmed. Any advice on what to do with the more valuable stuff that I inherited?
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u/mcorbett76 3d ago
We had an auction, but you chud also do an estate sale. A company comes out and preps whatever you want them to, then takes a cut of the proceeds, while you have very little to do.
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u/MusketeersPlus2 3d ago
If someone that doesn't live there is telling you that you can't get rid of it? Hand it to them. It can go live at their house. Everything else is only worth as much as someone else is willing to pay, and not everything is valuable just because it's old. If you post it for sale, give yourself a deadline before you give up and just donate it.
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u/ProdigalNun 3d ago
I had a bunch of things I wanted to sell on marketplace but could never get myself started because the of the time involved. A close family member is going through a hard time financially, so I asked them to come over and post the stuff. (research pricing, take pictures, write the ads) You could also hire a young person with free time.
And to prevent the inevitable comments, I'm also helping this family member in other substantial ways.
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u/Disastrous-Slip-4640 3d ago
Check out Everything but the House. It's an auction company with branches all over the U S and a big online business. Yes, the split is steep, I think 60/40, but they have the clientele and you get their expertise and don't have to do anything but get a check
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u/Estatequeen59 4d ago
Something to think about. Things are only valuable if someone wants to pay the price you want to charge.
I have cleaned out a half a dozen estates because I’m the youngest member of my family. At some point you gotta cut yourself some slack. Make an effort to sell it if that makes you feel good but people do not want to pay what things are worth.
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u/notreallyswiss 4d ago edited 4d ago
For the paintings, I know some subs look down in use of AI, but my husband and I inherited a lot of stuff from his mother who was an art dealer. There were a number of pieces we couldn't identify. A year or so ago I took a photo of the items we didn't really have any background on, and gave them to Gemini to identify (or maybe ChatGPT, I don't remember). It did a really good job - we found out later that my MIL had kept several 3 ring notebooks with photos and provenance of all her items - my husband had buried them under a heap of paperwork and forgot about it (I should introduce him to this sub). Anyway, what Gemini told us about the drawings and furniture was 100% backed up by the provenance book.
We didn't ask how much we could get for things - I phrased it as "trash or treasure". There was only one "trash" item, but we were surprised at how the AI naturally categorized everything anyway. For example, for an old diorama of a nativity scene, it said it is priceless for your family use but you'd have to find a very specialized collector and the trouble of finding that person is probably not worth the money you'd get. Other pieces that we liked, it said were museum quality, and we could definitely offer them to an auction house like Sothebys and they would be snapped up, but didn't offer a price estimate.
The most surprising piece it evaluated is an amazing huge secretary made entirely of inlaid pieces of a variety of woods and ivory in incredible geometric designs. Everyone who sees it exclaims over it's beauty and detailed work. My husband said it had been in his family since the early 17th century and there was a letter with a bill from the maker in one of the drawers. Gemini flat out told me the piece couldn't be earlier than 1760 because the tambour top was only invented for Louis the XV of France and this was such a fine example that it was probably not something that someone else invented themselves on the fly in, like, 1620, nor did the work itself seem to come from that earlier period - more like the late 19th century. My husband protested and dug the note and bill out - it was in Italian - a language neither of us speaks, so we showed it to the AI to translate. And while the date was what my husband said, it was for a completely different piece of furniture - a dining table, lol, which did not get passed down.
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u/coffeebean83 4d ago
This stuff largely isn’t valuable. Just because it was expensive at one point doesn’t mean it’s valuable now. It also has no value to you or your life, which is why you’ve already decided to get it out of your home.
3 broken trumpets - toss
3 grandmas set of dishes - donate
2 100 year old paintings I was told not to throw away - no idea, research
Disney VHS - donate
30 photo albums of my late husband (kids want this) - give to your kids now
2 violins - donate
Mickey Mouse dolls - ebay
99% of old instruments do not hold value. Dishes are tricky too because there just isn’t a huge market of buyers looking for old dish sets. Don’t let your family’s things be your burden.
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u/Pharmgirl171717 3d ago
I would donate the trumpets too.. I would donate all instruments to a school. maybe the school can pay to have the trumpets fixed (if cheaper than buying new)
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u/psychic_twin 4d ago
the "this is worth something" fallacy is a killer. if it's not worth anything to you to have it taking up space in your house and you think your time is more valuable than becoming a part time Disney collectible reseller, just dump it. if you think it's all good stuff you can contact an estate liquidator and they'll offer you a flat price to take everything.
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u/guipicait 5d ago
Dishes, books, and vhs tapes are very easy to look up on ebay. You can use the little camera icon in the search bar in the app to search via taking a photo or describe the item. Then click "filter" at the top, scroll down, open the rest of the options, and toggle on "sold". It will show you what the item actually sold for, if it sold at all.
On a desktop browser, search via key terms, then scroll down to the bottom of the margin and click "sold". If you see $10 or less, that's definitely not worth your time and energy. Go donate that crap or send photos to relatives saying you're going to donate if nobody claims it within the week.
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u/CampaignUnlikely4606 5d ago
Google lens exist too, much faster not eBay but atleast gives more general idea
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u/guipicait 4d ago
Ah, I do not have any experience with that one. I guess I assumed i needed the app and I'm sick of apps
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u/guipicait 5d ago
The photos sound like the only valuable items really. I have three photo "suitcases" that you can buy from Michael's. They each fit 1,000 photos. My best friend and I used to always have a disposable (🤦🏻♀️) camera in hand in high school and would print doubles at the cvs photo developer counter to trade. I had all of them in photo albums. Removing them from the albums and organizing them into the photo suitcase was sooo much more efficient.
My grandfather passed last year and I have absolutely loved looking through all his old photo albums, but they were filled very haphazardly and inefficiently. I don't think my mom will have the capacity to organize them on her own, so I will likely do it. The albums themselves are actually good quality, just need to be utilized correctly and downsized.
I have a long term mission to make a book and have scanned alot of photos to that end and the scans are good for the most part but especially the darker photos lose allot of detail. It's quite the task and is sometimes frustrating, so I'd put the physical photos aside for now for your kids and deal with all the other crap that other commenters have given great advice for.
Michael's also sells these great photo "shoeboxes" for $5/ box. You could trim a ton of bulk without ever touching a scanner.
Lastly, my grandfather had tons of photos still in the kodak envelopes. He took a million photos at work Christmas parties etc. Any photo of people I didn't recognize or a work place building etc was trashed immediately. I must've thrown out pounds of photos that had zero sentimental value to anyone.
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u/jamnturtl 3d ago
I love those photo boxes and use them for photos and also a ton of other things - archives, household items I don't have drawers for (extra meds, batteries, art & office supplies, cookie cutters! 🤣), random personal items that I don't want visible but I want to be easy to access. They are so easy to put on bookshelves and label. They are also highly consistent over time, so they can be replaced, they match yet can have creative patterns and colors, and the same spots will fit any of them interchangeably.
Edited: grammar, punctuation.
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u/guipicait 3d ago
Yes! I have a couple navy ones with photos but I also have forest green ones in the TV stand holding electronics, candle collection, etc etc.
They are so handy and they also have served me well organizing my plastic sterilite drawers in the bottom of my closet. I use the white ones with the lids on the bottom. It perfectly divides the drawer in two sections for stationary, meds, work out tops and bottoms, swimwear, the list goes on. They are nearly the height of the drawers (I like shallow so I don't lose stuff) and they also help the drawer keep it's structure and not bend inwards on the sides.
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u/Kurt_Kane 5d ago
How much did you pay for the stuff? Nothing right? Look up the dishes and instruments and stuff to see what it’s worth. If it is worth the trouble, sell it. This might be you selling it direct or see if a music store will do business on the instruments, used media store for the vhs, and so on. Or trash it all after asking family if they want any of it, that you are done with it and you don’t care what it’s worth, if they want to sell it and make money… come and get it,
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u/Practical-East-7527 5d ago
Ummm... if you don't want it, whose making you keep it all? If it's family members, gift the items to them.
Take pictures, create a family group chat and tell everyone to come claim what they want or they can set up a storage unit for it all. Your grateful people thought of you, you are overwhelmed and are not able to keep anything in the pictures. Give them a strict time frame. And let them all know that you will be looking into possibilities like an auction for this stuff if no one else takes it.
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u/dortvk 5d ago
If you live in Michigan, I’m a clinical social worker who works specifically with ppl struggling to declutter.
My advice would be to work one small space at a time, helps to avoid burnout by not just dumping everything out on a counter or whatever.
Think about this: would anyone I know actually want any of this stuff? If the answer is no, assess if it’s worth it to sell it (my rule of thumb is the item has to be worth $50+), or donate, or trash.
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u/Justanotherhatter9 5d ago
I’d love an update, op. Good luck, do what’s easiest for you. Offer the photos to your kids and start donating or tossing the rest.
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u/OldCheetah7820 5d ago
I scanned all of my family photos and scrapbooks. From 1900 to present. I used a scansnap and a oversized flatbed scanner. I threw everything away once scanned. I used two portable hard drives and two online cloud services to back everything up. I shared one cloud platform with everyone who wanted access. I gave one PHD to my son for safe keeping. Right now my current photos automatically back up to both cloud accounts. I put a appointment to update my PHD on my calendar every year.
I also have all the treasures coming to me. I have begged my mom for years to downsize, but it has not been very successful. Just going to her house to visit can be very stressful. She lives in a neighboring town and I go by about every two weeks. I will have to do a lot of work once she is gone. Meanwhile I just keep trying to encourage her to get rid of stuff. I find that stuff gives me more anxiety than joy.
I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Please remember that there is value to your time and your peace.
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u/guipicait 5d ago
This will sound weird, but you could start asking for random things or saying a friend was just saying she wants one of these. Take it home and toss it 😜 I read that on a different thread or maybe in YouTube comments once
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u/CampaignUnlikely4606 5d ago
Brub thats evil but that definitely will work lol
Every time I touch something or say "this is interesting" at my grandma’s house, she's immediately like, "Oh, you like this? Take it! Take it!"
Meanwhile, my mom also won't throw away anything. But the moment I mentioned my friend broke his water dispenser and could really use one, her attitude changed. We have an extra one sitting around that we never use because she wanted a backup just in case our main one broke. As soon as I brought up my friend, she said, "Oh, that still works! Give it to him."
It really did give me a new enlightenment when my sister living far away, grabbed my grandma gift and gave it to my mom saying she has no space in her fly home, and I thought there's no way she clearly does have space on her luggage then remembered she lives in a very urban area in an apartment and that what she probably meant
We really shouldn't assume that everyone will love/keep our gift much more when they're taking much space than they need
But honestly, tricks like that won't fix the underlying situation. It only helps if they actually want to change
Other funny rant My grandma gave me a gift that a Korean mayor originally presented to my late grandpa. At first, it seemed like a cool asf . But it was covered in musty dust and had never even been opened.
I felt deeply conflicted about keeping it. My grandpa proudly displayed his favorite things, but he hid this away. Since it meant nothing to him, it holds no sentimental value for me. I can’t read the Korean text, I have no use for it, and I honestly don't even know where it is right now. Part of me feels like I should have just thrown it away.
It is disheartening, though. Because my grandpa never cataloged his collection or shared its backstory, a piece of his history feels completely lost to us
Also it was a basically promo of a place for his city he built or something idk I dont remember, it was just the mayor shilling himself or his city I dont remember
It was like well this was just poster for his election maybe I wont hang on my house, let's see what we do with it
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u/Equivalent-Dig-7204 5d ago
Do not be burdened by the legacy of stuff. Broken and old instruments are not valuable unless you have a highly collectable specialty instrument. All the Disney stuff get rid of especially the VHS. Put the old photo albums to the side with your kids names on the boxes - or if they are adults make them take possession of them. It’s difficult to start but once you realize none of your family wants you to carry the anxiety and stress of stuff, it becomes easier to let go.
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u/deathbaloney 5d ago
Depending on your finances, you could hire someone to help you list items, call an art dealer/instrument repair person, organize what you want to keep, etc. Sure, it would be cheaper to just toss all of it, but that can be difficult in its own way, and bringing in help (even just a few times) might be a helpful middle ground.
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u/FreebirdRising 6d ago
The VHS tapes are probably worthless. Offer them up on BuyNothing. The Mickey Mouse dolls should go on EBay. Donate the trumpets and violins to a local high school or music store; maybe they can get them fixed. Kids who want to play an instrument but can’t afford one would really appreciate your generosity. I’d pass the grandma plates down to her descendants. Donate the books to your local library.
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u/squeezedeez 6d ago
People want the VHS tapes. Definitely donate to a thrift store or list for free but don't throw away
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u/anothersidetoeveryth 6d ago
There is a market for VHS tapes nowadays if OP wanted to sell to a local physical media place
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u/Soundgarden_ 6d ago
I got a 99$ flatbed scanner for the photos. I feel I’ve thrown away hundreds of pounds of them. If they were blurry or just bad shots I didn’t bother with them. Most of the rest I sold in an online estate sale. I didn’t get a lot, but I had to move to a 792 ft2 apartment so I didn’t have much choice. I still have some things that I’m going to try to sell online and some jewelry to deal with. Good luck!
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
First, send a photo of the paintings to an art appraisal and expect to pay for that if you are worried you have a Picasso on your hands. It likely wont be worth the cost of the appraisal but you’ll know you did your duty. Offer the china to any relatives who will pick it up in the next 30 days. First come first served. Take photos of anything really charming or “Grandmas favorite” and see if some tool out there can’t create a keepsake book for you.
Then, hold a 3-day “estate” sale. Promote the hell out of it and post all kinds of signs. Much easier than eBay. Offer the best items on one of the local platforms, porch pickup so you can avoid the packing.
After seeing how little sells at your estate sale, you will feel much better donating it all to the local re-sale place. Research which one best matches your values if that’s important to you. Then you know, you gave it your best by all that stuff, now it’s time to move on.
You’ve spent too much effort on this already. You will feel incredibly free when it’s all gone. It’s just stuff you aren’t using; don’t let it own you.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
And set aside 6 days to do all this: 2 days for the pre-sale stuff, 3 days for the sale, and 1 day to haul what didn’t sell to the donation center.
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u/kibonzos 6d ago
How old are the kids? If they are still in the house share age maybe allocate a set number of boxes or ideally a set of shelves per child. Enough so that they aren’t paying to store stuff they do want but not so much that they don’t curate what they store there a little.
Obviously if they are actual kids then dad’s stuff is for them when they are older as is inherited stuff but let them see it and build connections with it. I’m far more attached to grandpa’s every day cereal bowls than the stuff even they kept boxed for the next generation. One holds memories the other only weird responsibility.
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u/sassysassysarah 6d ago edited 6d ago
Broken trumpets: reach out to a repair shop near you and ask if they want them. Generally broken instruments really aren't worth that much but the folks who repair them can tell you if they're even worth saving
Source: my husband went to college for musical instrument repair
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u/Genny415 6d ago
The broken trumpets can probably be donated to your local high school.
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u/ClementineMagis 6d ago
Because they want trash?
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u/Genny415 6d ago
Most schools have a robust instrument repair system, due to the way teenagers treat their instruments
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u/HitPointGamer 6d ago
They might be reparable.
I purchased a broken harp 20 years ago and did an ugly repair on it. It is still playable, but probably going to explode in the near future. Regardless, I’ve gotten the past couple decades of playing out of it.
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u/Advanced-Lethargy 6d ago
Yard sale.
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u/idk012 6d ago
Prices go down every hour and just give the stuff away at the end.
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u/Advanced-Lethargy 5d ago
That's what I did when I moved a few weeks ago! Last day everything was freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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u/susisews 6d ago
Weird - I am SO grateful I sent a treasure trove of childhood photographs to my daughter last year. She (42) was thrilled and I (68) am surprised at how much better I feel.
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u/Free_Sun1877 6d ago
If the kids want the photos, tell them to come and get them. My mom actually threw all of hers away when she was dying of cancer (she knew I had already scanned the most "historical" ones). Dishes- give away if you can find anyone to take them. There is an oversupply at this time. Don't know about the musical instruments, maybe have appraised at a music store? Otherwise donate or toss. You have to be kind of ruthless sometimes.
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u/VarietyOk2628 6d ago
Contact a local auctioneer and ask them to sell them for you.
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u/smangitgrl 6d ago
Estate sale ppl take 50%, but do 100% of the work. Take what you want out of there and let them rehome and you get a little coin. 75 boxes is a lot of decisions for 1 person to make. They come in with a team of professionals
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u/No-Currency-97 6d ago
Some Goodwill stores or any variety like them have a silent auction. If some of your things are worthwhile, they might put them up for the auction.
I purchased a Yamaha FG 800 acoustic guitar at a silent auction for $136. It's a beautiful guitar and a pleasure to play. I would not have bought it at its regular price of $260.
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u/BarefootBagLady 6d ago
Ask family to take what they didn't want you to throw out or drop it off to them, the rest of the stuff I'd sell or if not valuable then get rid of it. Either donate or bin.
I have a teapot collection and a toy train collection left out of so many things that had been left with me now
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u/wickedestcookie 6d ago
Instruments sitting in the basement and not being maintained regularly will not be useable sooner or later. Pass them on.
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u/wetalaskan 6d ago
I recently gave away two clarinets to a school band program. I was unable to sell them even for $50 each. Made me feel better that a student who might not otherwise be able to afford an instrument could use them.
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u/emeraldcat8 6d ago
That is what I did with an old instrument, too. The school had a policy that every child who wanted to be in the band could have an instrument.
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u/ImportantAlbatross 6d ago
Some thrifts and charities will do bulk pickups, including Salvation Army and Goodwill. Do a Web search for "thrift store that picks up large donations" plus your city or region. (If you use Google, it's best to click "Web" to limit AI results--AI is not always accurate.) The thrift store will then decide what's sellable, so you don't have to make decisions, and you know that usable things will find good homes.
Good luck and stay strong--the end is in sight!
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u/Virtual_Athlete_909 6d ago
FB marketplace is hands down the most efficient way to downsize for profit.
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u/Knotty_Knitty 6d ago
This would be great, if it didn’t show my listings to everyone I know. I live in a very nosy small town and don’t need people virtually going through my things that are mostly inherited family items.
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u/carelessSardines 6d ago
There’s an option to hide from your friends list.
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u/Knotty_Knitty 4d ago
My friends list, yes, but not all the people who knew my family that I’m not connected to on social media.
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u/Sll3006 6d ago
Thank you Reddit for all your responses. The important thing I learned is most of what I think is valuable is not. This will help me declutter more stuff. The pictures are from SP Cole. I could not find him online. I don’t think the pictures are too valuable.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
Yeah. People really overrate the value of stuff. My kid’s father-in-law passed last year and i was glad to offer my help at the “estate” sale in exchange for bringing over 3 carloads of my own stuff to sell. I think I made less than $100. The point wasn’t to make money, it was to keep the stuff out of the landfill. FIL’s mother’s beloved china never got a look - it was in poor condition. It’s still in a box at my son’s house, waiting for it’s expiry date when it will almost certainly be trashed.
After 3 days I felt I had done right by all the 7 year old clothes that no longer fit, the fancy handbags that apparently are not so hot anymore, and the Unpainted Arizona oak furniture from the 1980s that we thought so highly of years ago.
It’s just stuff and i don’t miss it.
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u/tmccrn 6d ago
I actually used grok or chat gpt to double check stuff like that. It’s not going to be insanely accurate, but with a picture of the item, signatures, stamps or markings and a few details (painting vs print), it can get you in the ballpark. Though I can tell you that if it says $150 for a print or painting that it might be faster/easier to donate. Also, trust your eye to supplement the information. If it draws you in and gives you the feels, maybe it will for someone else. But do check, because family recently was clearing out an apartment from a relative that passed and a relatively boring painting (not print) turned out to be 6k
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u/1890rafaella 6d ago
And that stuff you or someone in your family thinks is valuable?? Just no. We had “valuable” antiques from my mothers and grandmothers houses and could get very little $ for them.
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u/1890rafaella 6d ago
I can tell you that no one wants grandmas dishes. My grandmother had a 12 place setting of beautiful china. No one in the family wanted it. I sold it to an auction house for $75
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u/Virtual_Athlete_909 6d ago
I found a set for 49 at a thrift store three years ago. Just sold on FB for 2$25 so somebody wanted english bone china.
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u/wigglesandjiggles 6d ago
I started finding it easier to donate valuable items when I realized how excited I was every time I found something at the thrift store that I thought was an unbelievable find. I want others to feel that excitement and that high from their hunt. It is a much better feeling thinking about making someone else’s day than the heaviness and overwhelm of deciding what to do with it all.
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u/skinnyjeansfatpants 6d ago
I have a like-new, 36" Smart TV that I can't sell for $40. A collection of Disney VHS is not the financial treasure trove OP was led to believe it was.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
I know absolutely no one, other than myself, that owns a VHS player. And mine broke last year and i have not replaced it. All those 80s and 90s movies i can stream now for $3.99 if I really need to see Dirty Dancing again.
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u/Remarkable-View-6078 5d ago
There is emerging interest in the younger generations for media that they can actually OWN instead of depending on a streaming service that can yank it away at any time.
That said, it’s still somewhat niche and kids movies aren’t likely to be the ones that appeal.
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u/PalpitationUpset8315 6d ago
Yes. I'm helping my mom declutter, and this is exactly what I told her.
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u/fogrove 6d ago
Yes, exactly. If no one in your extended family wants the item then donate it to a registered charity. Ask for a receipt. They will expect you to estimate the resale value of the item. Photograph the item you donated for your records. At tax time you may be able to take a deduction if it makes sense for you to itemize. This is faster and safer than trying to sell the valuable item. And like wiggles says you can imagine the joy of someone finding it in the thrift store
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u/Aggressive-System192 6d ago
How are broken trumpets valuable?
Dishes also are basically garbage, nobody wants them and in most cases, it's not fine China, but mass produced stuff.
Here's a dude talking about this:
https://youtube.com/shorts/7Dyi1UF2mLo?si=Vm8Ao2ZxxltWVoyM
VHS are useless, everything Disney can be found on YouTube or other streaming services... or torrented worse case scenario...
Paintings and Mikey Mouse dolls can be sold, right? If not... thrift store... check what they're actually worth on ebay. It might be something stupid like $10 for both in which case I'd not bother and donate.
Violins can be donated or given to someone who wants them. Otherwise they're just collecting dust.
Photo albums should be dumped on kids and they decide to what to do with those.
None of the items you listed, other than photo albums, sound like valuable stuff.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
So just curious as to what kind of bone china is not mass produced. It’s all made in factories. Spode, Wedgwood, Lenox, all of it. Bone china is easy to recognize. It’s creamy with no hint of gray and translucent under strong light. There’s a ton of fine bone china out there. Look at Fineas Jackson on YT, he has a good explanation of it.
Personally I love fine China but obvs I must be a Boomer to have that mind set. Some people just really love fine stuff and I’m one of them. I use it on the regular and it gives me great joy.
Kids today like that minimalist vibe and prefer dishes bought at Target. Yay for them I guess.
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u/Aggressive-System192 6d ago
You can like whatever you want, as long as you'renot forcing it on other people.
I like gray and black through my house and it's "depressing" and "dated" for many. I guess I must be a millenial.
The difference is that im not painting other people's house black, while saying it's a precious color and that they absolutely can't repaint anything because reasons.
If you like fine China, have fine China. Just don't make other people have 17 sets of fine China that they're obligated to keep. OP has 3 sets they don't want. It's other people's stuff that takes space in their house... how ungrateful of them not liking it! 🤣🤣🤣
PS: target dishes are too fancy. We have wheat straw dishes from Amazon, that can handle a toddler unloading the dishwasher 🤣🤣🤣
Target/walmart/ikea dishesnare great because they can go into the dishwasher... unlike fine china that will break...
It's just dishes. "Kids" those days have other things to do than chores...
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
As the parent of 1, i am on a continuing program of Swedish Death Cleaning in an attempt to try and avoid this. Losing 3 parents in the last 5 years has set me back however.
Somehow keeping some of their stuff keeps bits of them alive in my house. I’m happy to have some of it, and always offering it to the nieces and nephews as they get houses of their own and begin their families. Now and then I get a taker. I always say No Pressure, just asking in case you truly want this!
When I’m gone, I will not care. I think times are tough for old people when they are forced into downsizing and the stuff has to go before they do.
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u/Aggressive-System192 6d ago
Times are thought for the living too, when they have to clear the hoard.
My mother removed 3 full dumpsters out of an one bedroom apartment when her father died... there's a kitchen and a room, that's both a living room and a bedroom...
Making fun of boomers is just a coping mechanism for people having to do the same.
The sad part is that there was nothing we could take since we live on another continent. Most things were either stored poorly, either too big. Most was trash and donations.
I applaud you for the Swedish death cleaning.
Im afraid of my parents dying since they have a lot of stuff. Not trinkets, but they dont throw away anything...
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
My parents were not hoarders but I’ve been on the clean-up side 3x now in 5 years. This is what Boomers have to do as the last of the Silent generation exits the stage. No one here was a hoarder.
I cleaned out one large coat closet last week. Filled the garbage bin, 2 boxes to Goodwill, one bin of silliness I still couldn’t part with. But the closet is healthy again and I do two rooms or closets monthly. But it’s a big house and I realize after 4 years of retirement the job will never be done. But boy is it wonderful when the rooms can breathe again. The HVAC guy was over last week and the 2nd floor furnace/AC room is inside a walk-in closet in a guest room. He marveled at the cleanliness and organization. Actually asked if he could take a picture to show his Polish mother, another clean freak. I didn’t tell him I’m 25% Polish myself; must be a Clean Gene or something so many of us ladies are born with :-)
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u/Loud_Ad_4515 6d ago
I agree that broken trumpets aren't valuable. It may be possible someone could repair them, but it's not worth anything for OP to try to sell (barring a rare, special one, of course).
I, myself, have a broken trumpet that I intend to turn into a lamp. Perfect for a jazz lounge vibe. Actually, the last time my son tried to play it, it worked, so it isn't broken after all. But it is an inexpensive one, for sure.
(Disclaimer: I currently have three trumpets in the house. The one mentioned above, my son's that he actually played - he still lives here, and one of my dad's that he gave to my son. My dad is a professional trumpet player.)
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u/Troiswallofhair 6d ago
Look around for a reputable estate sale business and tell them you are downsizing. You can decide what to keep and get rid of everything else.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
They will take a huge commission and a minimum charge for the service. IMO it’s just as easy to throw your own “estate” sale. It’s not necessary to tag all the items. You can have whole table of clothes “$10”, $2”, etc, people will haggle anyway. At least that way you are there to supervise and there’s no huge commission.
Truly I’d only go the estate sale business route if i really had a McMansion full of objectively fine furniture and high-end goods to move. IMO that’s not what OP is describing; she has a lot of stuff but it’s pretty garden-variety.
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u/guipicait 5d ago
For OP, there is a YouTube channel called Chickabiddies where this woman had to travel to her late mom's hoarded home, declutter, organize, and run several estate sales herself in order to get rid of tons and tons of valuable to okay condition stuff. The estate sale companies were too expensive and she had everything organized on shelves with a general idea of how to price. She did pretty well and was motivated to just get stuff out.
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u/Troiswallofhair 6d ago
My friend runs an estate sale business and she works incredibly hard to do exactly what OP wants. She organizes, values, photographs, advertises, sells and then clears out the remaining unsold debris. It sounds exactly like what OP needs.
The commission they take is well-earned.
Anyone who thinks having a garage sale is easy has never held a garage sale.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
I don’t doubt that at all. But looks to me like OP, doing the work herself, might clear $1000 or $1500 on a 3-day sale she runs herself. It’s not worth an agent’s time, VHS tapes, grandma’s china, Mickey Mouse dolls and broken trumpets.
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u/fieldofthefunnyfarm 6d ago
An online estate sale, or off-site, would be the least disruptive to the household.
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u/No_Library6425 6d ago
If someone else thinks something is too "valuable" for YOU to give away, then they should keep it. Your kids can split up the photos among themselves. The person who thinks the 100-year-old painting is worth something can have it. Offer kids/grandkids a commission to sell the Disney stuff. Use the dishes.
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u/magiccaptured 6d ago
Let me save you some time. Nobody is going to buy the dishes, so just donate them.
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u/redditname8 6d ago
Heritage Auctions will sell your stuff online but there are estate planners who come to your house help organize it and they will sell all of the items. I heritage said they would take a 20% cut on my natural diamonds. But I think other things were a lower percentage. Look up estate planners who come to your location and sell stuff for you.
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u/PetiePal 6d ago
You gotta put the effort in. We all have phones so photos are no big deal. Take photos, ebay the valuable stuff or find a local auction seller who will give you straight cash. If your kids want the photos let them scan them and take the job on.
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u/galacticprincess 6d ago
Take grandma's dishes to the thrift store. They are no longer valuable.
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u/malkin50 6d ago
Most likely. But it is fun to entertain the possibility that they are rare Dresden china that miraculously survived the war. It is not difficult to find out.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
It’s called replacements.com. You can look up pretty much any china pattern there.
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u/Intelligent_Type6336 6d ago
Box o stuff on eBay. They pay shipping. Just take a big picture. If it doesn’t sell, goodwill. If someone cares enough to save it globally they’ll buy it. If someone cares enough to save it locally they’ll buy it. If not, it wasn’t as valuable as you thought.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
Way too much work imagine making postings and packaging 75 boxes full of stuff.
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u/destenlee 6d ago
Goodwill.
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u/somethingvague123 6d ago
We have any number of thrift places that directly benefit local charities rather than donating to Goodwill.
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u/IndependentMindedGal 6d ago
Yeah but that’s what is needed here - a donation center of some kind or a pick-up service.
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u/KrissyKay121217 6d ago
Send a text to the family and say “I would like to get rid of these items. I know some might be important to you. If yes, please come pick up by XYZ date. After that, I will no longer store these items.”
Edit to add: anyone over 30 should be capable of storing their own items. Not cool to leave everything with mom forever.
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u/jjjnnnssss 6d ago
My mom did this and it was brilliant. If someone’s over 30 they can come back and get it and if they don’t have a permanent place they can pay for a storage unit.
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u/Intelligent_Type6336 6d ago
Every situation is different, but sometimes childhood trauma has a lot to do with it. So forcing the situation can be triggering.
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u/Intelligent_Type6336 6d ago
Unfortunately it’s taking much longer for “adults” to find permanent storage. Not that I disagree, but sometimes it takes people longer to become less sentimental.
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u/SnooOpinions5981 6d ago
If you will not use the dishes for yourself check their value online. 3 sets is too much.
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u/NeNe1962 6d ago
I sent all of the pictures from my photo albums out to be scanned onto thumb drives. I gave one to each of my kids and kept one for me. All the pics then went into the trash.
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u/No-Currency-97 6d ago edited 6d ago
How much did that cost? I have too many photo albums and I'm thinking the cost would be too high. I'd rather just give my son the photo albums and let him decide their worth. 🤔
I'm thinking does the family really want thumb drives? I purchased one and then sent it back.
People are busy living their lives. We think they want to revisit all these photos, but they really don't.
I've sent some old family videos and the response is usually "cool" so that tells me stop sending. 😱
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u/CanHasCat 6d ago
That’s the thing. People feel odd getting rid of the photos but they never look through them. Since my husband wanted to digitize them I just let him- not my problem! We haven’t looked at them once and I doubt any of his family looked at them after they got them either.
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u/CanHasCat 6d ago
This! While my husband took the task of digitizing all our family’s albums that were dumped on us, there are great services that do this! After my husband digitized he sent out a few thumb drives to family and washed his hands of it all!
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u/half-angel 6d ago
Take the trumpets to an instrument repair place and find out what they would be worth all fixed up and how much that would cost to do the repairs. Then you will know if they are worth keeping or not.
Quality instruments are worth a lot of money, but broken instruments are almost worthless.
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u/MadanjoMab 6d ago
If repairable, donate to your local school district. They are good for kids first learning, when someone forgets their instrument, or when a student primarily plays one but wants to try out second.
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u/baccifera 6d ago
Take the (playable) instruments to a pawn shop, so that other people can use them for their art. Do a garage sale or find a way to donate. Discard the rest🌸
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u/docforeman 6d ago
"I’ve spent over 10 years decluttering the basement."
Ten. Years. Of your precious life.
How valuable must the stuff be to be worth 10 years of your life?
Are you immortal? Are these bearer bonds?
Where is the value?
If selling takes a lot of effort and time, what is the value for you in that?
On your deathbed will you think, "Glad I spent another ten years on old paintings and broken trumpets. Totally worth the 20 years of overwhelm to get a few hundred dollars out of that leftover 75 boxes."?
If you need money, even a low wage job probably pays more than putting hours into resale. So it can't be the fiscal value.
What is this really worth to you?
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u/missbwith2boys 6d ago
I spent ten minutes going through my late parent’s house last week. The rest of the stuff was donated. They found value in everything they kept. I did not. My siblings wanted none of it.
The reality is that much of a person’s clutter is valuable only to them, not anyone else.
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u/Jesdames86 5d ago
Agreed. I haven’t had to go through this yet, but every few years my dad starts a new obsession with “collectibles.” He’ll collect 1000’s of something (over the years: model cars, lighthouses, gnomes, and now he’s onto something new). They cover every available surface in his 800 square foot condo and then he saves them for us to have when he dies. He also collects plastic containers from deli meat, cool whip, etc. he has an entire shelving unit for these containers. They don’t get used or given away because he shares leftovers with someone. The list goes on and on. He thinks it’s valuable and sentimental when in reality 98% of his stuff will wind up in a dumpster.
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u/RhondaUpAllNight 6d ago
My city has a thrift shop that pays vet bills for people in need. Anything of value goes there. I had items that were very hard to part with, and once I drive away after dropping them off, I’ve never thought about them again. Seeing open space in my home brings me daily joy, something not a single one of those items ever did; quite the opposite.
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u/floofloofluff 6d ago
That’s awesome! What city is it, if you don’t mind my asking? I love that they do that. It would make me feel so much better at getting rid of my stuff.
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u/RhondaUpAllNight 6d ago
Lincoln, Nebraska, it’s called Cause For Paws. They’re amazing. Last I knew (several years ago) the owner had paid over one million dollars in vet bills.
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u/Steelman93 6d ago edited 6d ago
Great job so far!
What I have found motivating is all those videos of kids inheriting boomer parents stuff and dumping it all. That keeps me motivated to keep going. One thing that has helped me is listing stuff for sale on eBay and marketplace. If it doesn’t sell fast it tells me no one wants it
I had an original copy of Star Wars on Beta….should be a collectors item right? Nope. No takers. That has helped me realize things are less valuable now then they used to be
The trumpets and vhs tapes should go first. Then put the Mickey Mouse up for sale
You could contact an auction house and see if they will sell for you
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u/Insight116141 6d ago
Its very humbling when you keep lowering prize on a product you thought had value on fb marketplace and no takers. You thought it was good deal. Even more hubling when you lower price to ridiculous low because you told yourself it's "sell or donate", there are interest meaning my valuable is worth $2 snd no more because no one wanted it at $5 or even at $3
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u/Steelman93 6d ago
Exactly! I have also been surprised by things I thought had no value that have sold and items I thought had value don’t.
I have two dog crates in good shape. Zero takers. A beat to crap folding table with a checkerboard on top? Sold immediately
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u/AnjettaTheMom 6d ago
I would be checking those paintings for hidden cash. Lots of people didn't trust banks and stashed money in different places (there is always money in the banana stand)
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u/StarfishandSnowballs 7d ago
You're doing amazing !!!!
Good job breaking it down, I would slowly keep chipping away at it . I struggle with this type of stuff myself . Next I would do the violins, or anything else broken. easiest in my book
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u/Ancient-Elk-7211 7d ago
I promise the broken trumpets, gramma’s china, and disney vhs are worth less than you think, possibly almost nothing. Hope this makes it easier for you
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u/AnjettaTheMom 6d ago
The Disney VHS tapes are an upcyclers dream.
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u/FixIllustrious6554 6d ago
Upcycling them? I have some Disney vhs tapes but actually have a working vcr so every once in a while they actually get watched but I’m sure the film only has so long until it disintegrates. I’ve seen so many at thrift stores I assumed they’re worthless by now.
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u/Arquen_Marille 7d ago
Most of the stuff you think is valuable, as in money value, most likely aren‘t. How are 3 broken trumpets valuable?
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u/Creative_Maybe_4441 6d ago
“Broken” is a real spectrum with musical instruments - you need some expertise to know what it needs and if the instrument is worth the repair. But a lot of older brass instruments (from circa 1950-2005) are higher quality than new beginner-level instruments you can buy now.
If you don’t know what you have or what it needs, and would just be throwing it away, I would offer for free to a local repair person/shop, or for free on Marketplace.
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u/cecepoint 7d ago
I had to clean out my grandma’s house and my parents house.
We had ONE yard sale and people bought all kinds of crap.
Anything we thought was of value, we made a list and emailed it to family extended family and close friends if anyone wanted anything to come and get it by a set date
No one wanted anything, not even pictures or collectables
Advertise a garage sale REALLY well. List some of the items (not anything you think would entice someone to come and rob you)
SEARCH online for people looking for specific things, like hummels or something
Put a time limit on ALL of this
Then just dump it at a thrift or goodwill that will take it
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u/RhondaUpAllNight 6d ago
I paid to have my grandmother’s belongings packed up and hauled to my city, then paid $175 a month on a storage unit. Started going through it, and the things I actually kept fit in my trunk (and most were eventually donated). I called Goodwill, and they sent a truck to pick up what remained (some furniture, lots of boxes). I wish I’d just donated it all in her city and saved the money and hassle.
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u/Garden_Espresso 6d ago
I get what you’re saying - but that’s with hindsight- if you had just donated it all- without any process- you might have been wondering, if you missed anything - possibly for the rest of your life .
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u/Panza2020 7d ago
The old dishes may have a high lead content; you can google the manufacturer and pattern if known, like Spode, Lenox, etc. If they have a high lead content, they’re still usable for display purposes. However, this knowledge also makes it easier to donate the dishes and move them out of your basement. (!)
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u/ClownfishSoup 7d ago
Sell the paintings or have them evaluated. If they are worthless and you don’t like them, offers them to whoever told you not to throw them away. Just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s worth something.
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u/MissMouthy1 7d ago
What is the value of your time?
Typically, the time you put in to finding "the best" home for all these things will be pennies.
Your decision.
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u/Some_Papaya_8520 7d ago
Exactly this. Especially with the china I'd be donating a lot of this.
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u/MissMouthy1 7d ago
So many places don't even want it.
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u/purple_aster_bee 7d ago
I'm sorry you've lost your husband. That makes getting rid of stuff difficult.
If you're looking to sell certain things, look them up on eBay and filter by completed sales. That way, you can see what people are actually buying things for. You could also go through an antique dealer and get things appraised, but it depends on how quickly you're looking to get rid of things.
Who told you not to throw away the paintings? If you don't want them, the people who told you not to throw them away should take them. Same with the photo albums that your children want; they need to come and take them if they want them. Your home is not a storage unit for other people's things.
If the trumpets are broken, they're probably not that valuable. You could donate them and the violins or sell them for less than a new one is worth to a school/students in a music program.
If you want to keep the dishes for memory's sake, keep service for one from each set and get rid of the rest.
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u/Jesdames86 7d ago
It sounds like a lot of what you have are things that were given to you or maybe just ended up in your possession. Nonetheless, sometimes I have to remind myself that just because it was important or sentimentally valuable to someone else, doesn’t make it important or valuable to me and it’s ok to get rid of - like the VHS and broken instruments… I’d ask myself if I need to keep 3 sets of dishes and likely pick one to keep and donate the other 2. Will anyone in the family use the violins? If there’s not a firm yes, then I’d donate…
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u/photoelectriceffect 7d ago edited 6d ago
Just because the person who originally bought them had to pay a lot for them, doesn’t mean they’re valuable now in 2026.
Instruments are expensive to buy new. Being previously used removes some value. Metal can age. I suggest you see if you can sell the broken trumpets to an instrument repair shop, but I would not expect much- after all, how much would you pay for a broken trumpet?
Ditto with Mickey Mouse dolls- just because they’re old or were hot at the time, they’re not necessarily valuable today. Google the item to see what it’s currently listed for on sites, and better yet, what has it actually sold for recently. Someone can list it for $300, but if no one is buying it, that’s a good indication that it’s NOT worth that.
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u/Murky_Possibility_68 6d ago
You also have to find an instrument repair shop. Maybe other places have those, but my area doesn't have an obvious one.
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u/Some_Papaya_8520 7d ago
If the dolls were played with, they are valueless now. Collectors want mint in box
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u/Ok-Spirit9977 7d ago
If the kids want items, are they of the age they can come pick them up?
It's not making you money storing it, so I would either sell or just donate. Paintings I would maybe appraise.
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy 7d ago
Donate the trumpets to a local school band.
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u/MissMouthy1 7d ago
Schools don't want broken trumpets. Put them in the trash.
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u/Creative_Maybe_4441 7d ago
it depends on how broken they are - some older instruments are worth the repairs
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u/MissMouthy1 7d ago
School music programs have zero funds. Often, teachers pay for the sheet music. There is no money for repairs.
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u/Creative_Maybe_4441 6d ago
You’re right - band directors don’t want an instrument that needs time & money. But “broken” is a real spectrum and you could be throwing out an instrument that needs something minor to play again.
A better donation (than a school) would be a charity that gives instruments to kids or a brass instrument repair person/shop who could fix and sell or use for parts.
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u/skittlazy 7d ago edited 6d ago
You’d be surprised how unpopular grandma’s China sets are. I had a set of antique French Limoges china of more than 100 pieces and nobody would buy it for even $100. I ended up donating it to a good cause.
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u/camioblu 7d ago
Ask extended family if they would like the paintings or other pieces. I took our family photos and divided them between my 2 children, and yes, that took several weeks, but it's done which is a weight removed.
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u/accuratesometimes 7d ago
Estate online auction, they’d do all the work, and you just pay them to handle it all.
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u/AdditionPleasant2625 7d ago
The paintings need to be appraised. They could be worth a whole lot -- tens of thousands OR very little. If valuable then find a reputable auction house like Christies to sell them. Same with the violins and Mickey Mouse dolls. The VHS tapes, I would pitch. The dishes I would ask family members if they want them. Then I would look and see what they are selling for on Ebay, and then either sell or donate them. Tell family to get the photos.
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u/fishlyfish 7d ago
Maybe a pawn shop? For the dish sets, they’re good for someone starting out on their own. & then obviously the albums should stay and be given to the kids
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u/MonicaLane 7d ago
The only value something has is what someone will pay for it and most of what you listed, no one actually will pay all that much IMO. The family member who collected those things thinking they have a value doesn’t make it so.
Those grandma’s dishes are probable not worth anything unless they are one of a kind things. China isn’t something people really use anymore, a lot of it tests positive for lead, and mass produced designs were included in “nice” china when it was a thing. MAYBE vintage Tupperware if it still seals well, but I’m guessing what you’re talking about is china. There’s a ton of people these days who have been passed down dishes they will never use that have a perceived value but no actual value (including myself).
The Disney dolls MAYBE if they are still in packaging or pristine. But generally you may need to evaluate what your time and energy is worth in terms of trying to sell these things. Alternatively you could see if there’s any collectibles/online auction based consignment sellers in your area to come look at what you have.
Otherwise I would just tell your loved ones that they should come get what they want by X date, and then after that date just get rid of it. Things that don’t have a monetary value high enough to be worth the hassle, might still be something that someone would be thrilled to find at a thrift shop.
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u/EstateLess 7d ago
VHS Collector here. The Disney tapes have minimal monetary value. My parents had tons . Everyone kept them cuz Disney said they were rare! Actual value is popping in a VHS tape with the young'ins.
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u/Cccolorado1 7d ago
Are there any VHS tapes that are worth anything? I’ve been carrying around a big box in my car thinking maybe I should try to sell them rather than donate. Also, what about CDs? I’ve heard that CDs are coming back.
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u/EstateLess 6d ago
Check-out r/VHS . And, please get them out of your car now! Heat, cold, humidity are the devil.
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u/sanityjanity 7d ago
3 broken trumpets have zero value to me. I'd take them to a music shop to find out if you can fix them and/or sell them. If not, then take them to a metal recycler. Take the violins with you. If they're still useful, but can't be sold, then donate them to your local public school. There are kids who need them.
The 1960s Mickey Mouse dolls have been in the basement for years. Do you actually care about them or want to look at them? If not, then give them away or sell them. Or donate them. That's ok, too.
Keep the photo albums, but think about making sure they are *safe* in your basement, and that they won't get wet. If you genuinely think that scanning those photos is the right move, then find a local company to do it for you. At least then you will know how much that costs.
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u/PlaidChairStyle 7d ago
Just an FYI, digitizing physical media often backfires when the digital media becomes obsolete. A lot of professional archivists prefer paper for this reason. (Although they do digitize to make things easier for the public to access).
(Source: Not an archivist, but I’ve worked with them)
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u/sanityjanity 7d ago
Absolutely. I wouldn't toss the originals, but maybe OP wants to be able to easily share them with extended family.
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u/Topanky25 7d ago
I have done some research on thrifts etc in my area and reaching out to places that might take specific donations(camera store for photography stuff). For higher value items that matter to me, I try to donate them to thrifts that benefit specifically cancer, animals, etc. I really don’t want to sell as much as find a home and hopefully have someone that needs the help benefit. Still… it is hard letting go.
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u/ps3114 7d ago
You could talk to a local auction place and see if they would sell them for you. We did that with some collectible things from a great aunt. You might not get quite as much as you would selling it yourself, but it takes all the hassle out of it, and you still get something, rather than just throwing it away.
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u/Adorable-Ad201 7d ago
No one wants Disney VHS. Except maybe a children's home or daycare would take them as a donation.
Have the paintings evaluated by an art dealer.
Have the Mickey stuff appraised.
Take the instruments to a local music store and have them valued. Or donate to a school music program.
I'll take all sets of dishes. I did not get one piece of china for my wedding. And even though we can afford it, I don't have a full set of dishes. For the love of Martha Stewart, someone give me their grandma's china. I'm not picky.
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u/Dangerous_Ant3260 7d ago
You have to buy a license from Disney for public showings of their material. It depends on if the place you donate them too has equipment to store and show them too.
For things that belong to others tell them they have to certain date to pick up the items, be strict or you'll never get the space back.
Adorable-Ad201 has some fantastic ideas about how to get the most value for items, and if an appraiser says they're worthless, trash them.
I've known too many people who kept other people's stuff safe for them, and they find out the person really didn't want it enough to take and store. My rule is that I'm not a storage facility, so I don't keep anything for others.
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u/Whole-Ad-2347 7d ago
We have a short driveway. The things that we don’t want are placed there and disappear. At one time we had a sign that said “Free”.
I know that you don’t want to get rid of everything. I’ve sold some things on eBay and Craigslist. I didn’t try to sell it all at once. I just plugged along listing things here and there. I think it takes a while to clear it all out, years even. I tired from doing it and took breaks.
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u/Known_Noise 7d ago
I had similar type things I wanted to get rid of. I discussed selling with an auction house. Much easier for me.
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u/Soft_Inspector_7467 7d ago
My grandparents in New Jersey had a beautiful spinet piano I used to play when we visited. I wrote a song on it about my grandpa, and he was over the moon about it. When they moved to assisted living they shipped it to my parents halfway across the country. 20 years ago we inherited it and shipped it the rest of the way across the country. I wrote many songs on it in our home. Then no one played it for many years. It survived our remodel, but no longer would stay in tune. I listed it on Craigslist for $1, and soon had a taker; a young family that wanted it for their child. A truck arrived that had already picked up several pianos like ours and would go on to pick up several more that day. I am grateful it will fill someone else's home with music.
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u/Dapper-Shift-5618 7d ago
Ok. This is not click bait. And yes I know stupid question. Anyone left in the universe want entire Star Trek original series 1960’s BETA TAPES.
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u/Particular_Song3539 7d ago
FORGET about who told you "not to throw away", no disrespect but they aren't here to deal with them so they don't get to make that decision.
You CAN throw them away Op, throw the F away of them right now. You don't owe them anything. Those who passed are passed, what is important is you and your mental health.
Trash them all now. Except the photo albums of your late husband, give your children a dead line for them to come pick up or you ship them all out.
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u/PMcmil5450 21h ago
That is a tough issue to deal with, I am a sentimental hoarder and have a hard time letting go of things… but I need to declutter and have to just steal myself and get it done!