Heirlooms rant

[steadyrollingman]

It's rare that I watch stuff like Dickinson's Real Deal - only when it's local, in fact, when I've often seen some interesting items - but am I the only one who's increasingly infuriated by it?

I had to pull out all the stops just to get PHOTOS of all my great grandparents, and I've finally been able to acquire one object, a chipped teapot, that belonged to one of them. So when I see people selling heirlooms like their grandmother's own handmade quilt for £100 or whatever it was, it drives me mad. If I was their grandson watching their appearance on whatever YouTube is known as in 2072, I'd be thoroughly ashamed that my ancestors were so greedy or thoughtless for what is, let's be honest, usually nowhere near a life-changing sum, when it could have been handed down the generations – yes, my parents might not have been particularly in love with the item, but how did you know I wouldn't be?

I understand times are hard, but you never hear anyone say "I'm going to spend the money on food and rent" when they're asked what they'll be doing with it. It's always a party, meal, or weekend away, etc. Do you seriously need the money that badly?

I look at the few wills that are available from my almost exclusively solidly working class heritage and whenever I see something like "and to my beloved son Thomas I bequeath my silver tankard" I can only dream of owning something like this. Have even got ebay searches for a few unique items like this saved just in case.

Shame on anyone selling their heritage like this (well, unless it's an item that I want  )

[PrawnCocktail]

There is always the other side of things - when my mother had to move into a Home, she was living in a 1930's semi which she had lived in for over 50 years. She was surrounded by her mother's furniture and ornaments, which had come from her mother's home (an even larger house). I live in a small 1970's semi 150 miles away, and couldn't take much. I had to watch her beautiful rosewood dining table and chairs go under the hammer for next to nothing. I'd have loved to have it, but even if we'd managed to get the table into my dining area (very doubtful), there's have been no room for the chairs! Same with her corner cupboard, her dinner sets, the chaise longue, and one of the paintings my grandmother painted (did manage to keep the smaller ones!) and loads of other stuff. The money went towards her care home fees. Broke my heart to see it all go, but needs must!

 

I did manage to keep my great-granny's christening robe, all the family photos, and quite a few ornaments! Although what my daughter will do when it's her turn to go through it all, I don't know!

[Mike in Cumbria]

1.  It's just stuff. Everything you own is a potential heirloom and none of your descendants would thank you for passing it all on to them.

2. Surely it's up to them what they do with it

3. I never watch that sort of programme. Give me a good Danish series about serial killers any day, so no I don't get infuriated. If you find yourself getting mad, there's an easy solution

[BumbleB]

To my mind, we also have to take into consideration that we are "human beings" and not "robots" so everyone is different, and everyone has their own take on what is or is not valuable.  What anyone wants to spend their money on is their choice, as it is mine. 

[steadyrollingman]

I did manage to keep my great-granny's christening robe, all the family photos, and quite a few ornaments! Although what my daughter will do when it's her turn to go through it all, I don't know!

Yeah, I mean, you can't keep everything obviously, unless it's being inherited by someone with very few possessions about to move into their own place. But there's 'stuff' and then there's 'heirlooms' like the paintings etc. For my part, I really like using the woodworking/mechanic tools I got from my granda, plus some of their cutlery and crockery, although those all hold sentimental value from my past use. But the ordinary / ubiquitous items of furniture they had, not so much. Mind, what was unremarkable to my 3x g-grandparents 200 years ago would still be very welcome...

[ThrelfallYorky]

I use some of my grandfather's brushes and signwriting tools, an my OH uses some vey old handtools including a lovely Norris Plane. They're heirlooms to us.
TY

[Ayashi]

The other problem with inheriting is knowing what is an heirloom and what isn't. Somewhere around the house we've got a cup belonging to my great-grandfather. I have no idea which cup it is. My mother doesn't like being asked questions and will clam up about it.

We've got a few heirlooms that I can identify. One of my mother's cousins is very focused on one area of our tree and when she found out we had the family bible her immediate response was "Why do you have it?" Err... because we are descended from them as well??

When my grandmother was a child she apparently sneaked into an archaeological dig in Bath and stole the finger off a Roman skeleton. Nobody knows what happened to it after she died.

[steadyrollingman]

When my grandmother was a child she apparently sneaked into an archaeological dig in Bath and stole the finger off a Roman skeleton. Nobody knows what happened to it after she died.

  Maybe she recognised the skeleton as her 22x great grandmother.

Yeah, the Bible thing - I used to search 'religiously' every morning on ebay for an old family bible that was of relevance. Got too time-consuming, especially when a lot of vendors didn't bother showing the inscription pages even though they'd mentioned it was filled in so I had to message them, so I had to give up -  but think I need to start again.

[BumbleB]

On a different tack - I am wearing a pair of gold and diamond earrings which I found in items I inherited.  I have absolutely no idea where they came from - neither of my grandmothers wore earrings at all as far as I am aware.  But they must have come from someone, somewhere and I'm assuming within the family    

Thinks!  - I must try and get a date for them!