[Greg Reid]

I think some of you may be missing the larger point...It's not so much about how much the stuff is worth and who will get it. The larger issue, and the one I worry about sometimes, is the fact that if something happens to you, it can be a MAJOR pain to the survivors to have to do something with all your STUFF. Especially, when they may have no idea what it is, much less what it's worth.
Believe me, it's a lot of work for your survivors to clean out a garage full of old car parts, tools, etc.....Especially one that has been gathered over a period of 30 or 40 YEARS.

[ho428]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I think some of you may be missing the larger point...It's not so much about how much the stuff is worth and who will get it. The larger issue, and the one I worry about sometimes, is the fact that if something happens to you, it can be a MAJOR pain to the survivors to have to do something with all your STUFF. Especially, when they may have no idea what it is, much less what it's worth.
Believe me, it's a lot of work for your survivors to clean out a garage full of old car parts, tools, etc.....Especially one that has been gathered over a period of 30 or 40 YEARS.

Over the past few years I've had to liquidate 3 estates and like you say it is not an easy task.
A couple of things I learned.
No one wants your old furniture unless it's a single heirloom piece, few people even want the nice antiques.
Auctions will get rid of a lot of stuff fast, but expect pennies on the dollar for what you think it's worth.
No one wants any clothes.
You can throw most of the entire kitchen ware away.
No one wants an old used washer-dryer-stove-fridge, etc... give it away if you can.
Ask around enough and someone will take all the tools. Tell them all or none.
If you leave a house empty, offer the mower and trimmers to a neighbor in exchange for cutting the grass.
If there is something with a little value no one will pay you what it's worth, take .25 cents on the dollar and be happy about it. Don't store it in hope of selling it "someday"
No one wants any books, bears, beanie babies or figurines, although some of them sell good at auction.
Bedroom suites are the hardest to sell. Go low $ with good pictures on CL.

If you know enough about certain items you can try to sell them as a lot, but even then it's a royal PITA.
The only things I had decent luck at selling were cars, trucks and boats.


As far as my cars and parts I wrote most everything I have down with notes on how and who to contact to help liquidate it. Some of it would get posted on PY for sell. I'd rather people that would appreciate it get it, even at clearance pricing.

[Chief Wanabee]

Originally Posted by ho428

As far as my cars and parts I wrote most everything I have down with notes on how and who to contact to help liquidate it. Some of it would get posted on PY for sell. I'd rather people that would appreciate it get it, even at clearance pricing.

This is a most excellent idea - thanks! I will also try to add something helpful here. Beyond having a will (critical if you want to have any say in what happens to your stuff), it's a good idea to make it very clear where your "finances" are. What accounts, what banks, who you have your stocks and other investments with, where's your insurance policy, pension, etc etc. Although my wife and I work as a team when it comes to finances, she probably couldn't tell you precisely where everything is. And in a time of loss - or when it's someone else acting as your executor - you want them to be able to find everything with as little stress as possible. People are at their most vulnerable after losing a loved one and they may not be thinking straight, or they can get conned/cheated.

I've witnessed a number of family and friends having to deal with the aftermath of a mess (hoarders, financial records, etc) after someone passes, and I've learned my lesson - I'll never leave a legacy like that for anyone else to have to clean up.

[Jerry H.]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I think some of you may be missing the larger point...It's not so much about how much the stuff is worth and who will get it. The larger issue, and the one I worry about sometimes, is the fact that if something happens to you, it can be a MAJOR pain to the survivors to have to do something with all your STUFF. Especially, when they may have no idea what it is, much less what it's worth.
Believe me, it's a lot of work for your survivors to clean out a garage full of old car parts, tools, etc.....Especially one that has been gathered over a period of 30 or 40 YEARS.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not particularly worried about the value, I just don't want my kids with the burden of disposing of my stuff. I just went through this with my mother's estate. I was lucky enough to have enough nieces and nephews that needed furniture, etc. to get rid of all of her fixtures. We had to rent a dumpster to clean out her house; clothes, food that was odd or outdated, and just junk that no one wanted. We could have had a yard sale, but no one wanted to fool with it. When my daughter just recently spent 2 months at home taking care of us after the accident she mentioned jokingly of having to clean up our junk when we passed away. That was after she ran across my magazine collection.