A client was leaving her home of 40+ years and going to live in a community close to family. Not only had she lived in this home, but so did her mother (and all of her belongings).
Mother and daughter were collectors of fine European china, crystal, linens and silver and once combined, had enough place settings for a full-blown army. Beautiful pieces - but pieces that required handwashing, polishing and ironing. "Life happened" and mom passed away about 15 years ago. But daughter kept all her lovelies. A china cabinet and a buffet in the dining room, a hutch in the kitchen (along with several cupboards), a closet in the hallway and a walk-in pantry held these treasures but none had been used in many years.
Unfortunately, many of the people who valued and collected porcelain, china, crystal and silver are downsizing, moving to retirement communities or passing away. Family doesn't want them - "If it can't go in the dishwasher, I don't want it!" As such, the market has become flooded with these pieces and people are paying very little for them, if they are even interested in buying them.
I'm encouraging everyone to START USING THE GOOD STUFF (more frequently than just the holidays). So what if the gold wears off when you put it in the dishwasher. If you feel compelled to replace it, most likely you'll be able to find it pretty inexpensively. If you're not a fan of polishing silver, sell it. It's not doing anyone any good sitting in the drawer or cabinet collecting dust. Plus, silver prices are pretty good these days.
Guess I should start following my own advice - I bet iced tea would taste just as nice (or better) in a Waterford glass!
Happy New Year all!
For more information on how A Stress-Less Transition, LLC can help you or an older adult, please visit our website.
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