Vanity: Is This Stuff Worth Keeping

2 | myself

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I do hear that vintage clothing especially wedding dresses,

Does 30 years make it vintage?:) Boy does that make me feel old:)

Becky

[Richard Kimball]

Becky, what I did when my grandmother, uncle, and father died, is keep the photographs (scanned and used as a screensaver now), and a couple of mementos of things that had special meaning to me. From my grandmother, I have a cow bell that hung in a tree in her back yard. It was the bell that was on the lead cow when they were farmers. From my father, I have a post office box bank and some of his air force ribbons.

These mementos make me think of them and smile. The photos remind me of pleasant times. I don't have room to store all the other stuff.

Oh, BTW, old National Geographics aren't worth anything, but old Life magazines can be worth from $2.50 to $10.00 retail. That's retail. A guy who sells them would probably only buy them from you for about 25 cents each or by the pound. Give fair warning to anyone in the family who wants stuff to COME AND GET IT by such and such date. If not, you'll hear about it. Believe me.

[HairOfTheDog]

Sorry doll.... I think it's vintage :~D

[codercpc]

My husbands parents, who were teachers in the 60's and early 70's, have boxes in the basement with teaching supplies. My father - in -law died 4 years ago, and we have offered over, and over to go through everything but my Mother in law refuses.

All of the kids tease about "arson" investigations when she dies also. She is now thinking of moving, but none of the houses that she looks at "are big enough" for all of her stuff.

She loves clutter. Two years ago, my two sisters-in laws decided to surprise her for her birthday by organizing her kitchen (she had complaining about it for years). We all chipped in and bought lots of organizational bins, etc. I was gone the weekend they organized (boy am I glad now), but when she got home, she never even Thanked them, in fact she still complains about it, two years later, when she can't find something in her kitchen. Within a week, everything was back where it was originally.

[HairOfTheDog]

They might indeed use it. I don't know what's best, to store it, or to give it to someone who will say "This is really neat".

Mom's dress is home-made, she made it herself, and it isn't fancy either, but it does have elegant tiny buttons on the sleeves and is all lace with satin underneath.

One of my cousins wore my granmother's wedding dress at their 50th wedding anniversary party. There are possibly neat uses for yours yet to come in the family, with daughters and grand-daughters around. I am not sure I will have that :~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Thanks that's interesting about the magazines. I have figured out from this thread, that I really don't have enough of anything to make the effort other then tossing it worth keeping. But:)...I am going to try one more time to find a place for it. The kids are gone and I think we are going to make one of their bedrooms a place to put stuff like that.

There was never really a question of my keeping all the old photos I have. Those I couldn't part with.

That cowbell would be a special thing:)

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL...Wow, that's kind of cool:)

Becky

[wildehunt]

Wheaties boxes...
so attractive gathering dust on a shelf.

Ebay sounds like the ticket..

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I think it was back in the 70's, the cola bottle industry went thru a craze of labeling their bottles with football stuff. My husbands parents worked in a glass factory where these bottles were made. We have alot of them up in the attic:) Mice can't destroy them, but there isn't much else to do with them but stick them in the attic.

Becky

[upchuck]

Ping

[MACVSOG68]

Thanks for the ping upchuck

None of what you listed would have much value on ebay unless the newspapers were complete and essentially in mint condition. If so expect to get $2 to $10 for the Kennedy papers and probably nothing for the rest. Of course you could pick up a couple of extra bucks on shipping, but doubt that it's worth it. As pointed out earlier, the Life magazines might have a few dollars value if in excellent shape and depending on the cover.

My recommendation is to donate them, and take a tax deduction.

[swmobuffalo]

It's interesting that this thread came up, there's an article in my local paper today about "hoarding" as it's called. It really is a mental problem. The collecting of stuff to the point where you can't function is usually caused by feelings of anxiousness or depression. They usually know what's wrong but feel powerless to do anything about it. My mom was a hoarder of sorts, she was always afraid they were going to run out of money and starve so she had tons of canned goods. But usually she would go through and send a load home with me ever so often. Worked for me, it was all good stuff and I had 3 kids to feed!

[MACVSOG68]

Consider that a mint condition 1865 paper with Lincoln's assasination on the headline is today worth maybe $100

And a mint condition April 15, 1865 New York Herald is more than likely a fake, as well as the Times and a few others.

[swmobuffalo]

Do you have grandkids or young nieces or nephews? You might consider making them "historical yearbooks" of the headlines and articles, just use plain 3 ring binders and plastic sleeves. It will help preserve the articles and preserve a little bit history that they may not otherwise know anything about!

[cowboyway]

My pop is the food hoarder. He'll go out and buy groceries and won't have anywhere to put em when he gets em home.

Must come from growing up during the depression era.

[SunkenCiv]

"Kennedy's assassination"

Ted Kennedy was assassinated?

["When Harry Met Sally" flashback]

[tuffydoodle]

Good scrapbook stuff. Your grandkids and great grandkids will thank you after you are long gone.