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| Wedding gift: Love them but are rarely used |
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MILLENIALS NIX THEIR PARENTS' TREASURES
BY Jura Koncius
A seismic shift of stuff is underway in homes all over America.
Members of the baby boomer generation are trying to offload their place settings for 12, family photo albums and leather sectionals.
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| My china: place settings for 8, rarely used |
Their offspring don’t want them.
As baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, start cleaning out attics and basements, many are discovering that millennials, born between 1980 and 2000, are not so interested in the lifestyle trappings or nostalgic memorabilia they were so lovingly raised with. Whether becoming empty nesters, downsizing or just finally embracing the decluttering movement, boomers are taking a good close look at the things they have spent their life collecting. Auction houses, consignment stores and thrift shops are flooded with merchandise, much of it made of brown wood.
Downsizing experts and professional organizers are comforting parents whose children appear to have lost any sentimental attachment to their adorable baby shoes and family heirloom quilts.
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| Baby shoes worn by all 6 kids |
To make matters worse, young adults don’t seem to want their own college textbooks, sports trophies or T-shirt collections, still entombed in plastic containers at their parents’ homes.
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| Hey kids! Do you want any of this? |
The 20- and 30-somethings don’t appear to be defined by their possessions, other than their latest-generation cell phones.
“Millennials are living their life digitally through Instagram and Facebook and YouTube, and that’s how they are capturing their moments. Their whole life is on a computer; they don’t need a shoebox full of greeting cards.”
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| Cards taken out of one of my kids's boxes |
Many millennials raised in the collect-'em-all culture (think McDonald’s Happy Meal toys and Beanie Babies) now prefer to live simpler lives with less stuff.
“My parents are always trying to give us stuff,” says Kelly Phillips, 29, a real estate marketer. “It’s stuff like bunches of old photos and documents, old bowls or glasses. We hate clutter. We would rather spend money on experiences."
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| Some of my clutter. Maybe I should take a picture and store this on my phone? |
Her husband agrees. “If I can’t store my memories of something in a computer, I’m probably not going to keep them around.”
Stephanie Kenyon, 60, the owner of Sloans & Kenyon Auctioneers and Appraisers in Chevy Chase, Maryland, says the market is flooded with boomer rejects. “Hardly a day goes by that we don’t get calls from people who want to sell a big dining room set or bedroom suite because nobody in the family wants it. Millennials don’t want brown furniture, rocking chairs or silver-plated tea sets. Millennials don’t polish silver.”
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| Got lots of silver plates and bowls for our wedding:currently stored in the garage; needs polishing |
The formal furniture is often sold at bargain prices, or if it’s not in good shape, it might go straight to the dump.
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| Our beautiful oak bedroom set we thought one of our kids would want, but it is brown! |
“Baby boomers were collectors,” says Elizabeth Wainstein, 50, owner and president of Potomack Company Auctioneers in Alexandria, Virginia. "It was a passion, and they spent their time on the thrill of the hunt.” She says younger people aren’t really that interested in filling shelves.
“When my parents downsized from 4,500 square feet to 1,100, they sent me four boxes of stuff. It was things like cards from people I no longer knew, a paper plate with the face of a lion I had glued yarn around and my christening outfit. I appreciate my mom taking care of this stuff, but I really don’t want it.”
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| Self Portrait: Do you want this MaryAnn? |
Karen Hammerman, 52, has three sons ages 17 to 24. She and her husband live in a five-bedroom house in Rockville. Maryland. “Millennials have stuff on discs and flash drives,” she says. “I don’t think my sons are going to want my walnut table, eight chairs and buffet. We will downsize maybe in five years, and I will either sell this stuff or give it away.”
I would love to hear some opinions about this! Thanks!
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| More brown furniture |
