How do you let go of sentimental pieces?

[Polabowla]

If you have an item (jewelry/ clothes whatever) that you never use but it has sentimental value, do you keep it?
Or sell it & use the funds towards something you will use?
Do you regret selling?
Do you feel guilty having something unused?

 

[Elizabeth35]

We just downsized from very large home to a townhouse 1/4 the size of the house---so I am speaking from my experience-lol.
If it is jewelry from my Mom I keep it as it takes virtually no room and has little $ value.
Same with jewelry DH buys me. Some does not get worn much but I would never sell it and risk hurting his feelings.
Clothing does not have sentimental value to me---only functional and I get rid of anything I did not use in the last year. No sense wasting space on something I don't use and I would rather donate it so that it gets used by someone who may need it.

If someone gives me a gift and I know 100% I won't use it---I donate immediately. No sentiment unless it was something handmade.
I do save stuff my kids made for me when they were small and have them on my nightstand or bookshelf.

I guess over time I have realized that memories are in my brain---and the 'stuff' can go away guilt-free to someone who may want or need it more than I do.

 

[Polabowla]

@Elizabeth35 that is major downsizing! Kudos to you for managing!
I managed to get rid of a lot of old clothes; except my engagement party dress. Why? I will never fit into it, an old fashioned style, my kids will never wear it. But it sits in my closet for so many years due to sentiment!

 

[MjK1]

When I divorced I got rid of a lot of gold that the jerk had given me....at scrap value because I just hated the sight of it. I regret that...I sold a 14 k bangle for next to nothing, a diamond and sapphire ring and my wedding /anniversary rings. I should have just put them away and decided after I got over being so furious at him.

 

[dk168]

I sold a number of pieces that my mum had them made for me when I was young when I needed the money for relocation. I also sold my ER at the same time (I was divorced by then).

The rings no longer fitted me, and I outgrew the style of the rings, and I felt the tiny hoops with baguettes were too small for my face after I had put on quite a bit of weight.

The cost of re-setting them at the time was way more than what I could afford at the time.

In hindsight, I wish I had kept them and re-purposed them into pieces that I would wear, so yes, I regretted selling them.

Hey ho.

DK

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

If it’s jewelry, I tend towards resetting it if the setting isn’t to my style. If resetting isn’t possible, it would depend on how sentimental the piece is to me. I also want to wait until I have grown up kids (none yet) because they might want some sentimental piece that I don’t. So I’d hang on to it.

Sentimental clothing I have very little of, mostly just things like my grandmother’s and mother’s wedding dresses. But I have projects in mind for both.

 

[missy]

Weirdly enough I am not sentimental about things.

People and animals yes but things no. I was OK letting go of my first few ERs even the one Greg proposed to me with...it was not a big deal at all for me. Greg was more sentimental about the ring he proposed with initially when I told him it wasn't my style but once he understood why he was cool about it and didn't mind at all.

So it's relatively easy for me to get rid of/trade up/change my jewelry. But I am otherwise a very sentimental person. Just not so much about things but about living beings yes.

 

[Diamond Girl 21]

I have trouble getting rid of sentimental things from my deceased parents and grandparents. I kept all the jewelry they gave or left to me, as well as pieces that hold special memories. I have no problem getting rid of my personal items, except those gifted by my husband and daughter.

 

[Elizabeth35]

@Elizabeth35 that is major downsizing! Kudos to you for managing!
I managed to get rid of a lot of old clothes; except my engagement party dress. Why? I will never fit into it, an old fashioned style, my kids will never wear it. But it sits in my closet for so many years due to sentiment!

Then it obviously makes you happy! One dress doesn't take up much space.
If it makes you feel any better, I do have one of my late Dad's shirts hanging in my closet and a couple of his hankies in my drawer.

 

[marymm]

If you have an item (jewelry/ clothes whatever) that you never use but it has sentimental value, do you keep it?

It depends lol ... my general rule, the more sentimental it is, the more likely I will keep it ...

Or sell it & use the funds towards something you will use?

I have sold a couple of pieces that had some sentimentality attached to them (a ring my aunt passed on to me, 4-5 jewelry pieces my husband gave me as gifts) ... I have no regrets for myself, but I have since learned my DH wishes I would have kept one Tiffany sterling+CS ring -- although I have doubts it was untreated CS so I'm still okay with selling it, had I known DH wanted me to keep it, I would have kept it in my jewelry box...

Do you regret selling?

For a number of years I had only one regret in selling something, an WF ACA half-bezel ring ... but I can say truthfully that I now have zero regrets about anything I have sold.

Do you feel guilty having something unused?

No guilt about anything unused - if I treasure it, I'm okay with keeping it.

I have some cherished jewelry pieces my DH gave me that I don't wear anymore but would never part with;

I have my aunt's favorite birthstone ring that fits only on my pinkie but I still wear it several times a year and think of her (I could resize it but choose not to);

I have an old sterling and sapphire (synthetic?) cross pendant/charm my dad unearthed from the ground when I was a child and handed right over to me, I was overwhelmed with excitement and pleasure at this unexpected gift;

I have an old sterling spoon ring which my favorite uncle gave to me -- it is loose even on my thumb but I pick it up and am transported to another time.

But all this is me ... YMMV ... if you have things you feel comfortable parting with, and can realize some money from selling, I say go for it.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I have 8 very sentimental jewelry pieces. On the scale of 1-10 four are a 10. I will never willingly let them go. The other pieces will only be let go if I really need money.

 

[Polabowla]

What if the piece is sentimental but also has some bad memories attached?
Like @MjK1 said jewelry can hold a lot of mixed emotions!

 

[missy]

I have trouble getting rid of sentimental things from my deceased parents and grandparents. I kept all the jewelry they gave or left to me, as well as pieces that hold special memories. I have no problem getting rid of my personal items, except those gifted by my husband and daughter.

Yes, you reminded me about something. If I had a piece from my grandmother I would definitely be sentimental about that. In fact my grandparents gave me pearls decades ago for my graduation gift and while I don’t wear pearls (yet) I wouldn’t ever get rid of these. So I guess I am sentimental about *some* pieces.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Warning !!!
long rambly post
(I sit at home all day with only Gary, the cats and netflex for company)

If i don't love something or its not useful out in goes !!!
thank you Marie Kondo

But .... as for the sparks joy dept
Well that's another matter....

.....a favourite item of clothing that's worn out gets made into a cat blanket - that way i still get to see it and feel it and wash it and the cats enjoy a nice blanket

I have a lot of clothes that dont fit
But regarding said clothes that don't fit .... if i still like them i keep them !!!
And if i only wear them one time when they fit again i plan on savoring that moment !! What's the point of having a 4 bedroom house if i don't use all the wardrobes !!!

I would fear death by lightening strike if i got rid of any of mum's good jewlery but i love the pieces anyway so its not a problem

My sister sent me some of mum's 'fabulous fashion pieces' aka worthless things she didn't want - i have happily worn both the long tiger eye beads and also the tourquoise
There is a thick gold plated chain - the gold is coming off - but i would really love a silver chain just like it so im hoping if it turns out to be silver i can get the gold removed ...... so its become (another) possible project in the wings

I had mum's clip/screw on pearl earings adapted for peirced ears,
the jewler's lady said they wern't very good pearls but honestly they don't look any lesser than my 'mall jewler' pearl earings


I had a wee clean out in August and sold some of my baby / childhood jewlery and long unwarn gold earings for the scrap value - i kept a couple of pieces i want to repurpose
Oddly i wish i had kept the worthless gold plated chain from the baby braclete because i now have a non jewlery use for it

My sister cleared out mum's house when mum went into the demetia home
We live in another island and i couldn't afford that kind of time off from work (or time away from Gary and Borris)
So Im pretty sure she gave me all the things with no monetary value or that had been damaged in the earthquakes like the big Swarovski star that has 2/3 of its points blunted
I keep it on top of a tall book case so as not to subject it to eye level scrutiny
Im not sure it will survive another earthquake ...
Mum had no structural damage in the quakes but she lost some nice things in an aftershock (my sister lost her house)
Mum did try to make a claim but her mind was in a muddle and the insurence company wasn't overly helpful

By the time mum moved to Christchurch i had lived away from home for a long time and had only gone back a couple of times, it wasn't practical or possible or financially doable for me to take stuff back by plane to a 45m2 flat so i know i missed out on stuff i would have liked and mum might have liked to give me

Sometimes this has lead to a fixation - like i now have a carltonwear collection because i really wanted grandma's tomato lettuce dish mum sold in a lot for a song to a dealer
Saddy Gary really hates the Carltonwear (maybe mum didn't like it either) but its from the same era as this house !
Gary said once his eyes are better he'll build me a sewing room/studio/she-shed/ sleep out off the back of the garbage with french doors onto garden and i can display them out there which is a happy compromise because for me carltonware definatly sparks joy

Back to worthless cr*p i hold on to
My sister sent me the old 1960s stainless steel s&p 's from our family breakfast table (not the grinders - that would have been too useful dam it !)
I was like serously WTF ????
But i polished up the wooden bases and they now live on the kitchen window sill for decoration
Someone after me can bif them out, meanwhile i enjoy their familiarity
I tried using them but Gary said they were usless - i told him he uses way too much salt anyway but as i insist on freshly ground black pepper they are in fact usless
The other day one of them fell out the window into the garden
The way i rushed outside to retrieve it must mean i am quite fond of them

i have some of the bits and pieces from the top of Mum's dutchess from their bedroom - a vase and little breakable nic nacks we wern't ment to play with as kids
I actually used the vase the other day for the first time and then i used it again yesterday

i don't have much of my dad's things thanks to those bast*rds at crown removals lossing literly all my stuff from when mum sold the family home in Dunedin to move to Christchurch
But I have Dad's cuflinks (my sister thought her son would just loose them ....) and im going to get them turned into bangles (maybe i give my sister one .......???)

I have these two other vases -pretty much worthless and dated glass, with no value to anyone but me - but i still use them as my two late elderly great aunties gave them to me for my 21st
One is chunky ugly so sits behind the lace curtain in the bathroom when in use, the other one is crackle glass from the 90s - but i dropped it and it chiped the rim - the trouble is i really quite like it
One day I'll find a replacement at 'good will ' and ill chuck out the chipped one
But they both spark joy because i loved Dad's aunties and they are useful

I have mum's brand new prevously unopened Irish linnen table cloth she got for her wedding (she got two)
Gary and his sister like it because their mother had the same one in Birmingham - you could say it sparks joy for them !
Saddly the first time we used it we got a stain on it
but we didn't notice
When i finally treated it and hung it out to fade the stain in the sun it got caught up around the frame of the clothesline when it rained and got rust on it
Ahhhhhhh !
(I thought about a cat blanket) im going to cut it up and sew runners for the top of the china cabinets

Ive learnt the hard way don't throw something away, well i mean don't throw it out traight away - give it a few days for my mind to tick over first

My mother had way too many things she never used or kept for good
But worse was she never let us use our own good stuff while we were at home
My sister got a lot of really trendy 21st presents that dated so quickly
Then fashion and preferences and lifestyles change and those things never get used
Its such a huge waste on so many levels

I have no children, life is short so
we use the good stuff

Ive broken things and felt bad (Borris and Tibby now eat off two of the entree plates from Mum's 'modern' good dinner set (i used this epoxy porcelain glue - it looks a bit hoki but so what ??? )
Im not like I'm serving it up to human guests

Mum had this gross cheap crystal milk jug and sugar set one of dad's sisters gave them for their 25th anniversary
Mum hated it (she wasn't very keen on the sister either )
My sister gave them to me ..... (of course
....I still suffer from a few residual sister issues btw .....)
Anyway i threw the butt-ugly jug out on unpacking it - Gary was impressed) - it had a chip anyway, now Borris has her biscuits out of the sugar bowl !
Tibby thinks it's quite posh !

My sister is a snob of the highest order
I too do like nice things but for me, sentiment takes preference over monetary value alone

I have nice stuff still to unpack, once i get a job we can buy more cabinetry
Sometimes i think there isnt enough of 'me' in this house and we should buy a new dinnerset
My mum hated old and retro stuff and this house is old and we are embracing the retro !
I don't really like a lot of what is currently fashionable

I may not be a minimalist by a long shot but im not acfually a hoarder either!
I will and do chuck stuff out !
I just like to get a bit of use out of it first

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

This is the pretty little vase that sat on mum's dutches, with the s&p that now live on the window sill
You'll see i really need to make those runners because im using a coaster under the vase
The blue mountain pottery i brought for myself recently as ive always liked it and we never had any at home

 

[Polabowla]

@Daisys and Diamonds i love that vase -the frosted designs are so pretty!
For some reason i never inherited any items from my grandparents.
I would have loved to for the sentiment & history.
As far as the dress goes, i guess i can look at it & remember when i was a slim young thing lol

 

[FL_runner]

I only have a few sentimental clothing items (wedding dress, etc) and have no issue downsizing when it comes to clothes/shoes/bags. I only have a few sentimental jewelry items (two rings from my grandmother and a set of small diamond studs, high quality jade pendant, and a strand of pearls from my mom) I love them all so no plans to part with any of them! My parents are very good about being relatively minimalist, and use and enjoy the material items they have- I do the same like using my “good china” every day and dressing up even if I’m not going anywhere special my grandma was a compulsive bargain shopper and her house was full of low-cost items, many still with tags, when she and my grandfather passed. There were only a few things from all of that me or my mom really wanted to hang on to and they tended to be sentimental but also things that we would use all the time (antique clock in beautiful shape, antique teacup collection that we had used for tea when we were over growing up, etc).

of all things I will admit that my book collection is massive and I do try to donate items as I can but then I’ve ended up re-buying sometimes! I read on my tablet but it’s just not the same!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

@Daisys and Diamonds i love that vase -the frosted designs are so pretty!
For some reason i never inherited any items from my grandparents.
I would have loved to for the sentiment & history.
As far as the dress goes, i guess i can look at it & remember when i was a slim young thing lol

Thank you

And we were all slim and young once !
Sigh

My mum only had 2 brothers so we had quite a lot of grandma's things at home
the plates and bowls and cups are so tiny compaired to today's - that's why we used to be slim !
I keep meaning to use her desert set at Christmas ....but i always want a bigger portion of pudding !

My dad was one of 8 with 5 sisters
all he had was a little plate of the royal family, a very young Queen/ (maybe still a Prinncess ?), Duke, Charles and a baby Ann
It always lived in my room on the top of the bookcase by the light switch
One day my aunty saw it and commented and mum felt she should have given it to her
Lucky she didn't and dad got angry that she had wanted to
that's when we found out that was all he had from home

i made sure i got that, my sister has become quite anti monarchy since she married her left leaning husband anyway

And i have that grandma's Asbedestria from Port Charlmers ! (Well a piece of it, many generations removed)
I rescued it from Mum's when she went into the home - i brought it home in a plastic bread bag because i couldn't fit the pot in anywhere !

 

[Tekate]

I give them to someone I think will treasure them as I did

 

[LLJsmom]

Very hard time letting go for various reasons. Sentimentality, laziness, guilt, I-might-be-able-to-use-this-at-some-time...

Always a struggle but I actually hate having things I bought and don't use. Gotta put more stuff on pre-loved. Took me 4 years to sell an empty setting.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I guess to answer the question in the thread title
I dont !

 

[lovedogs]

I don't tend to sell or get rid of sentimental stuff. I wait and think about it until I am sure I can get rid of it. I don't tend to get sentimental about many things though, so it doesn't end up coming up often.

But I was absolutely heartbroken when I sent my original engagement ring diamond to Sally at Heart of Water in Thailand and it got lost/stolen and never arrived to her. ugh that was awful and a huge lesson learned for me about being more careful about sending stuff overseas that it would break my heart to lose.

...but I am also the person who has kept my dog's baby teeth that fell out (if anyone doesn't know, dogs lose baby teeth just like people do). The thought of throwing them away just makes me sad and feel like I'm throwing away a piece of them. DH thinks I'm certifiable for it, but oh well.

 

[Kim N]

...but I am also the person who has kept my dog's baby teeth that fell out (if anyone doesn't know, dogs lose baby teeth just like people do). The thought of throwing them away just makes me sad and feel like I'm throwing away a piece of them. DH thinks I'm certifiable for it, but oh well.

I really wanted to keep them too (I thought they were so tiny and cute), but DH convinced me not to!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I don't tend to sell or get rid of sentimental stuff. I wait and think about it until I am sure I can get rid of it. I don't tend to get sentimental about many things though, so it doesn't end up coming up often.

But I was absolutely heartbroken when I sent my original engagement ring diamond to Sally at Heart of Water in Thailand and it got lost/stolen and never arrived to her. ugh that was awful and a huge lesson learned for me about being more careful about sending stuff overseas that it would break my heart to lose.

...but I am also the person who has kept my dog's baby teeth that fell out (if anyone doesn't know, dogs lose baby teeth just like people do). The thought of throwing them away just makes me sad and feel like I'm throwing away a piece of them. DH thinks I'm certifiable for it, but oh well.

With dear doggy being your fur child you'r just channelling your inner Victorian
Queen Victoria had jewlery made with her kid's baby teeth
kind of weird because she didn't seem fond of little children but i think she was also the Queen of sentimentality


Sometimes Borris leaves a long white cat whisker in my bed
i find one every now and them
i keep them

 

[springerspaniel]

...but I am also the person who has kept my dog's baby teeth that fell out (if anyone doesn't know, dogs lose baby teeth just like people do). The thought of throwing them away just makes me sad and feel like I'm throwing away a piece of them. DH thinks I'm certifiable for it, but oh well.

@lovedogs I have one of my dogs' baby teeth in my jewelry box!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I have a couple tufts of dear Tinky's fur in a locket and a tinky trinket box
He loved a brush, he had short but really soft fur like ﹰGinger valvet
- i found a huge ball of the fluff from the brush under the couch when we were packing to move - i wish i had kept that to go into a Christmas bauble because he loved playing with tree decorations

 

[Polabowla]

I don't tend to sell or get rid of sentimental stuff. I wait and think about it until I am sure I can get rid of it. I don't tend to get sentimental about many things though, so it doesn't end up coming up often.

But I was absolutely heartbroken when I sent my original engagement ring diamond to Sally at Heart of Water in Thailand and it got lost/stolen and never arrived to her. ugh that was awful and a huge lesson learned for me about being more careful about sending stuff overseas that it would break my heart to lose.

...but I am also the person who has kept my dog's baby teeth that fell out (if anyone doesn't know, dogs lose baby teeth just like people do). The thought of throwing them away just makes me sad and feel like I'm throwing away a piece of them. DH thinks I'm certifiable for it, but oh well.

That is so sad & awful, i would be heartbroken too!

 

[lilmosun]

I can't part with things that have strong sentimental value for me. They make me happy just taking them out and as they invoke strong emotions/memories of special people or times.

Items that fit that category include a couple of jewelry pieces that belonged to my grandmother, my godfather's jade ring he gave me before he passed, etc.

My mother has given me a lot of jewelry over the years but only a few pieces truly have sentimental attachment such as her diamond bracelet she gave to me before getting wheeled into heart surgery.

I dislike my ering and haven't worn it for decades (although I picked it out .). But I never felt right replacing or getting rid of it. It's one of the few pieces of jewelry my husband has bought for me and buying something myself to replace it isn't the same. Recently, I have thought about resetting the diamond in a pendant so it will get worn.

I can't think of many non-jewelry items that have sentimental value other than my father's purple heart medal, some pictures and a few handwritten letters.

In my mind, if I can get rid of it, it really doesn't have (or no longer has) strong sentimental value to me. Which doesn't mean I don't appreciate or value the memories or people associated with it.

 

[123ducklings]

I keep sentimental items even if I don’t wear/use them. That said, a small number of items come to mind; things that are easily stored and not taking up needed space or otherwise weighing on me. Generally speaking I am pretty good about rehoming things that we no longer use.

 

[Polabowla]

I'm laughing at myself because as a kid i used to tell mother to get rid of old stuff & now look at me.... 2 boxes of cards from dh, my old dress, and who knows what else