Don’t hoard your antiques – review and sort them out

Did you celebrate National Old Stuff Day this week? It’s every March 2, and one description got me rather worried: “For getting rid of the old and trying something new”.

As an antiques addict, that sounds a little brutal! But it did get me thinking, that for collectors, there is much wisdom in reviewing and sorting, rather than just amassing.

It’s easy to accumulate clutter in all areas of our life: those overflowing corners, cupboards and lofts. With longer and brighter days peeking over the horizon, the tradition of ‘spring cleaning’ is a great nudge to have a freshen-up.

But where to begin with long-held collections? An easy starter is with duplicates, or ‘second tier’ pieces where you have better examples. Does an item ‘spark joy’, or bring you pleasure? Do you even notice it anymore?

To prevent a severe clear-out you later regret, a tip is to set aside potential items for a week or two (no longer, or they won’t leave). Ideally out of sight: in a box, or the garage. If you don’t miss or notice them, now’s the time to sell, or donate to charity. Either way, it’s lovely to think of your unappreciated items bringing pleasure to someone else, and raising funds along the way.

Another theme of National Old Stuff Day is to appreciate old, genuine and quality items as a necessary kickback against today’s consumerist society. So ditch (and going forward, stop buying) cheap, disposable and short-lived items, and embrace fewer, including vintage, long-lasting, recycled and re-purposed.

Heed the warning tales of cherished collections loyally retained while plummeting in value, such as Beanie Babies and even previous ‘safe bets’ like stamps. Or fields where genuine originals are valuable, but not subsequent decades of later mass produced items. These can include Coca Cola, royal memorabilia, Franklin Mint figurines, Star Wars toys, and Barbie Dolls.

So make National Old Stuff Day work for you: review what you have, keep what you like and will use, or which will genuinely gain value. Collect less, but research better and target quality.

And believe me, clearing out an area that’s been a long held bone of contention can earn you serious domestic harmony brownie points. Maybe even enough to sneak in a few new (quality, of course) purchases while the rose-tinted glasses are still on!