The kids don’t want your stuff

I think I have read at least three articles just this week in print and social media about how the treasured collections of the parents are not the same things treasured by their children.  I have seen cartoons of an elderly man in man in a wheelchair  next to his son in front of a packed garage as the man exclaims in jubilation, “One day son, this will all be yours!” and the son has nothing but a look of despair on his face!

It is certainly a chore to take care of an estate.  Not everyone appreciates things that their parents or grandparents cherished and passed down to them, but the younger generations coming up have changing ideas about material possessions.  Younger generations would probably appreciate firearms, jewelry or vehicles but they do not want Hummels, China, Crystal or collectible plates and figurines.  Most things in the 80’s and 90’s that were “made to be collectibles en mass are no longer desirable and hard to liquidate.

According to most of the articles I read, Millenials are especially driving the market and they don’t like a lot of clutter or “brown” furniture.  A lot of furniture is being painted and distressed which I hate to see unless it is in bad condition and that is the best use for it.  We are even seeing a lot of painted cabinetry in newly constructed homes.  Millenials are also buying stuff at IKEA and Target, not so much at thrift stores.  People that do want a vintage look can easily get it at Hobby Lobby and online stores.

Another issue is that when a loved one passes away, the children usually have households full of their own things and have no room for more.  I wonder just how much people pay to store all their stuff at storage places.  There is a need for temporary storage between moves and such but I must say, American consumerism generates a lot of stuff.  People have paid more to store the stuff than the stuff is worth.

Thankfully there are those out there that still like the second hand market and those that love to buy storage units.  If you can afford to hire a professional company to liquidate an estate, it is often best to go that route because it can be overwhelming physically and emotionally for the sellers.  A good liquidation company can net you the most money and get the job done quickly.  Happy Collecting!