Things kept for ever but never used.

Having moved three times in the last 8 years I have sorted and got rid of stuff each time so have only kept what I will use/need.

I’m hoping when I pop my clogs my girls wont have loads of stuff to sort out.

I would like to be far more minimalist but DH is a hoarder. He has stuff like specialist tools for vehicles we haven't owned in decades.

I try to actually use things rather than keeping them for best. We use heirloom silver cutlery every day (I donated the stainless steel sets) and use sheets and pillowcases which my mother had stored for over 50 years.

Witzend

I still have my father’s christening gown and robe - he was born in 1916. It’s all silk, with tiny pintucks and lace, and I think was probably hand made by my GM, or by her mother, who had been a lady’s maid when AFAIK good needlework skills were required for the job.

My mother had wanted to use it for us, but all four were too big and fat! IIRC because of infant mortality at the time, babies were christened rather younger (and smaller) in my DF’s day.

Someone once suggested the V&A, but I’ve never approached them.

I think that any museum that has a costume collection would be delighted to accept it, Witzend. It sounds absolutely gorgeous.

I have a 1930's chrome and glass drinks trolley, (just like this one, but without the items shown).
It was an engagement/ wedding present to my parents in 1933.
I love it, but have never used it. I have asked the children and grandchildren if they would like it. It would make a good gin trolley, but nobody seems to want it.
So it is still taking up space and doing nothing.

All ideas welcome ?

Start drinking gin Auntieflo?

I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder but have loads of things that never get used, dinner services, tea sets, glasses to name just a few but they have sentimental attachment so that's why I keep them.

Maybe I am a hoarder but a very tidy and well organised one.

I deal online in antiques and many of the items which people have bring much better prices if you sell them internationally. English hallmarked silver can bring good prices with American collectors because American silver was simply marked "sterling" and not dated.

I inherited my grandmother's tea service. To my knowledge it has only been used three times. It was brought out and used when my Dad and his two brothers were married. It is in the packing case, wrapped in the tissue paper my Granny wrapped it in when it was last put away.
I unwrapped a cup once, just to look at it then wrapped it up again.
It was originally one of my Granny and Grandad's wedding presents.
It's a genuine antique now.

Auntyflo, that would probably go for quite a reasonable amount. Look up drinks trolleys online.

The problem is that things we may think are lovely and could be worth something often go for very little at auction. Objects which many of us wouldn't give house room to often fetch quite a lot!

Beautiful china tea sets, dinner services, go very cheaply in charity shops and auctions.

Auntieflo that looks interesting, it's Art Deco isn't it?

I don’t know about drinks trolleys, but my old Hostess trolley that had been used as a dumping ground for years, fetched £80 almost immediately on EBay!

I started having a really good clear out because we thought we were moving, now it’s off I am going to continue the decluttering. Anything that I don’t love, like or is necessary, is going. I am finding it very cathartic!
I am determined that my DCs won’t have the horrendous amounts of stuff that we cleared from my parents’ house - 150 London Life magazines mouldering under the stairs and brought from their previous house 60+ years ago anyone?
Umpteen used envelopes, bits of string, broken kettles, defunct irons.....
My DCs have been asked if there’s anything they’d like and taken them.

OH has a trunk in the loft. It has been moved from loft to loft each time we move. It contains his Oxford University text books and notes. He hasn’t looked at in years and never will. He refuses to get rid of it. I also know for a fact he has all the love letters his ex-girlfriend (he only had one before me) wrote to him!

We have a pair of large ornate silver candlesticks, hallmarked 1756 (the year Mozart was born). At the moment they live in a cupboard in my son’s house. My impression was that people didn’t want silver anymore because it has to be cleaned regularly. I certainly find that off putting!

Witzend

I don’t know about drinks trolleys, but my old Hostess trolley that had been used as a dumping ground for years, fetched £80 almost immediately on EBay!

Where would I put my tablecloths?
?

Thank you Smileless, we do have some gin, in fact several bottles, but I can't drink while on chemo tablets. But I do like gin ?
Grannysb, it might well sell, but I don't think I've got the energy to list it, send it etc.
I think it is Art Deco, Callistemon21, as it was a present in 1933, when my parents were married.

Could be worth a fortune, Auntieflo - don't let them throw it in a skip!

the spoons are beautiful

I’ve got something that I don’t know what to do with - an oak tantalus, which came from my husband’s parents, not sure where before that. Unfortunately, it’s locked and there’s no key. One of the stoppers is not on the relevant decanter, but I have got it. It is nice, but useless in the present form.

I am slowly parting with my late husband's things. His tools and electronic kit are being found homes with friends or other people/societies who can use them. However, one thing I'll probably never part with is his box of calligraphy pens.

They're no use to my daughter or me as he was right handed and we are both left handed. OH hadn't used them for several years but I remember the pride and pleasure he used to take in his beautiful lettering in the days before we all got computers loaded with a zillion artistic fonts and there's no way those pens are ever going anywhere.

Callistemon21

Witzend

I don’t know about drinks trolleys, but my old Hostess trolley that had been used as a dumping ground for years, fetched £80 almost immediately on EBay!

Where would I put my tablecloths?
?

Wot’s a tablecloth?

Mind you I’ve got a Christmas one somewhere, a present aeons ago. Doesn’t fit our dining table but we did use it once way back, when we had too many for Christmas dinner to fit around the table, so we brought the round garden one in for the kids to sit at.

Callistemon21

The problem is that things we may think are lovely and could be worth something often go for very little at auction. Objects which many of us wouldn't give house room to often fetch quite a lot!

Beautiful china tea sets, dinner services, go very cheaply in charity shops and auctions.

We took a massive dinner service - tureens and all - to a charity shop. It had belonged to MiL, and I think to her mother before her, and as far as I know MiL only ever used it at Christmas.

We just didn’t have room indoors, so it had been cluttering up the garage for years.
I dare say it had been expensive but TBH I had never found it remotely attractive. Still, there’s no accounting for taste, so I hope it found a good home - and made a few ££ for the charity.:

I gave an unwanted old tea set to a local cafe which uses mix and match vintage crockery. They were delighted and gave me a couple of "tea for two" vouchers as a thank you. I was just pleased to be rid of it but occasionally when I walk past I see people with a cup or plate on their table.

We used to go to a cafe like that in Devon - all really pretty, mismatched china.
There was also a family wedding that served afternoon tea with the same - and flowers on the tables in teapots! The tables all looked so,pretty.
(There was wine too, in case anybody’s wondering.)

We're currently clearing out our childhood home following the death of my mother. It's heartbreaking but we can't keep everything (although my sister is having a pretty good try).

Just have to select things that are really meaningful and let everything else move on. No one's life and value is defined y what they owned. They live on in the impact they had on society and other people's lives.