Many baby boomers and seniors are holding on to their dishes with the hope that their children or grandchildren will someday want to take them home to use for entertaining and holiday celebrations. Let me be perfectly honest with you.
Number 1—Your kids and grandkids are simply not interested. They are not emotionally attached to things like you are and hold no emotional obligation to keep them in the family. This may not be a bad thing—simply put, “it is what it is.”
Number 2—Many baby boomers and seniors have this fantasy of cash that can be earned from selling dishes and assorted home goods on eBay or other Internet sites. I can tell you from my personal experience, that just because the dishes have a stamp on the back stating “Made in Occupied Japan,” that does not make them valuable on the open market.
If you have dishes that you are interested in selling, I recommend you try this easy-to-use website (http://www.replacements.com/) and follow their instructions for obtaining value on your china, crystal and silverware. You will need to know exactly what you have in stock and a description of the pieces as well as a photo of the pattern. If they are interested in purchasing your dishes, silver, etc., they will send you a contract. Either way you will know within a few days and you can take your next steps accordingly.
My mother passed away unexpectedly in August 2001. Her four sets of dishes sat in my attic for several years before I had the time and temperament to deal with them. Once I found out there was no interest from Replacements.com I donated all four sets of dishes to a charity of my choice. Because of my own personal experience I completely understand my clients’ hesitancy to move on this. But, once you decide the time is right, it’s time to act. Pick a charity, call it and schedule a pickup date. Don’t look back; just think of the joy that the dishes will bring a family who could not otherwise afford to spend their hard-earned and limited cash on something as beautiful as a matching set of dishes.
Happy Organizing!
Eileen Bergman is a professional organizer, a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD). Eileen may be reached at 973 303 3236 or [email protected].
By Eileen Bergman
