Buried Under Five Generations of Stuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are both only children. When our parents passed away and we cleaned out their houses, we found ourselves in possession of tons of family photos and papers spanning 4 generations and 100+ years. I don’t have any problem getting rid of my clutter, but I really hesitate to throw out my grandparents’ journals and letters from the early 1900s. Am I being irrational? It just feels like we’re dumping irreplaceable historical items.

I know I’m not helping PP but I could never toss something like those letters and journals. They are simply irreplaceable

[Anonymous]

to whom, and what is going to be done with them? np here.

Most people are going to have to accept that what they have is not that special. I mean, if it's special to you, it's special to you. Keep it. You can't assume it's going to matter to anyone else or the larger, wider world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are both only children. When our parents passed away and we cleaned out their houses, we found ourselves in possession of tons of family photos and papers spanning 4 generations and 100+ years. I don’t have any problem getting rid of my clutter, but I really hesitate to throw out my grandparents’ journals and letters from the early 1900s. Am I being irrational? It just feels like we’re dumping irreplaceable historical items.

I would keep this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:to whom, and what is going to be done with them? np here.

Most people are going to have to accept that what they have is not that special. I mean, if it's special to you, it's special to you. Keep it. You can't assume it's going to matter to anyone else or the larger, wider world.

This!! If you have no room for all of those boxes full of treasures, why would you think that your kids have room for them?

Pick out some special things and get rid of the rest.

[Anonymous]

My rule is, if nobody knows who is in the picture or anything about the item, throw it away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are both only children. When our parents passed away and we cleaned out their houses, we found ourselves in possession of tons of family photos and papers spanning 4 generations and 100+ years. I don’t have any problem getting rid of my clutter, but I really hesitate to throw out my grandparents’ journals and letters from the early 1900s. Am I being irrational? It just feels like we’re dumping irreplaceable historical items.

I would keep this.

Thank you - this reassurance is helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are both only children. When our parents passed away and we cleaned out their houses, we found ourselves in possession of tons of family photos and papers spanning 4 generations and 100+ years. I don’t have any problem getting rid of my clutter, but I really hesitate to throw out my grandparents’ journals and letters from the early 1900s. Am I being irrational? It just feels like we’re dumping irreplaceable historical items.

This will sound a bit cold, but think long and hard. Irreplaceable to whom exactly? If you called the Smithsonian would they want it? Most of the “irreplaceable” papers are a dime a dozen.

[Anonymous]

My mom died when I was late 30s. She has saved all kinds of stuff and it was hard to get rid of. But I’m the end they were her things (letters from friends and lovers, high school documents, and more). She saved my preschool drawings and clothes. I tossed them. I saved some family archives - like citizenship documentation. I tossed photos that weren’t immediate family or didn’t have people in them.

As a result I save next to nothing unless I really really really want to. My kids do not want my letter jacket. They just won’t. I save very little at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My rule is, if nobody knows who is in the picture or anything about the item, throw it away.

But there's a market out there for old photographs including snapshots.

[Anonymous]

...? I doubt it. Where would this be?

But like with anything, of some value, not worth trying and not needing to maximize the outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rule is, if nobody knows who is in the picture or anything about the item, throw it away.

But there's a market out there for old photographs including snapshots.

NP. This is just setting up people to stay stuck. Most people don't want to bother sorting, posting, selling, and mailing old photos. If the photos don't mean anything to you or anyone you know, get rid of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rule is, if nobody knows who is in the picture or anything about the item, throw it away.

But there's a market out there for old photographs including snapshots.

NP. This is just setting up people to stay stuck. Most people don't want to bother sorting, posting, selling, and mailing old photos. If the photos don't mean anything to you or anyone you know, get rid of them.

There is not a market for 99.99% of old photos, including 99.99% of your old photos.

There is a market for really nice glass negatives, tintypes, anything professionally done that actually looks good and is in focus. Or anything that shows a historical event or place or person. But you still don't get paid much for it, and 99.99% of yours are not in this category.

[Anonymous]

The Minimalists recommend using the spontaneous combustion question to declutter sentimental items. To do this, take a sentimental item in your hand and ask yourself, “How would I feel if this item spontaneously combusted?”

Would you feel relieved? Then let that item go. Would you feel good, but a little bit of guilt? Then take a picture of the item and then let it go. Would you feel devastated? Then that’s an item that you definitely want to keep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are both only children. When our parents passed away and we cleaned out their houses, we found ourselves in possession of tons of family photos and papers spanning 4 generations and 100+ years. I don’t have any problem getting rid of my clutter, but I really hesitate to throw out my grandparents’ journals and letters from the early 1900s. Am I being irrational? It just feels like we’re dumping irreplaceable historical items.

I know I’m not helping PP but I could never toss something like those letters and journals. They are simply irreplaceable

OK, but if they are special and irreplaceable, you need to store them in a way that will preserve them, and even display them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are both only children. When our parents passed away and we cleaned out their houses, we found ourselves in possession of tons of family photos and papers spanning 4 generations and 100+ years. I don’t have any problem getting rid of my clutter, but I really hesitate to throw out my grandparents’ journals and letters from the early 1900s. Am I being irrational? It just feels like we’re dumping irreplaceable historical items.

I know I’m not helping PP but I could never toss something like those letters and journals. They are simply irreplaceable

OK, but if they are special and irreplaceable, you need to store them in a way that will preserve them, and even display them.

Here's what to do with old journals:

https://www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/what-to-do-with-old-journals