Many older adults that I work with have items that they purchased as “collectibles.”  These are often items like plates, figurines, beer steins, bells, spoons or thimbles.  Marketers who sold these items in gift shops often referred to them as “limited edition.”  This was a lie.

Let’s face it:  Precious Moments are not so precious anymore!  Bing & Grondahl plates are a dime a dozen.  Souvenir spoons were fun to buy while traveling, but hold almost no value to anyone else.

The fact of the matter is, if a company could make money on a tchotchke or trinket, they produced as many as they possibly could while there was demand for them.  When the demand stalled, so did the production.  Now the market is saturated with these items and folks who own them and are trying to downsize are finding that supply far exceeds demand (which means there is little to no monetary value to any of these items).

So what’s a person to do, who has all these collectibles to give up?  Do your best to give, donate or sell them to others who would find enjoyment out of them, but come to peace with the fact that you will likely get little or no money for them.  The collectibles gave you joy when you purchased them, when you displayed them, and while you enjoyed them in your home.  They have served their purpose, and now it’s time to let go.  They don’t owe you anything.