Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

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AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

February 16, 2008

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

By: Ina Steiner

Sat Feb 16 2008 18:09:28

In today's AuctionBytes-Update newsletter (February 17), author Jan Perry tackles the painful dilemma of dealing with a loved one's possessions after they've passed on. Jan talks about how online auction sites can provide financial and emotional help to those who have suffered a loss. We'd like you to share your experiences with this topic.

I'll include a link to the article here once it's online. I hope the topic will be therapeutic rather than painful.

Update: Here's a LINK to the article.

Comments (10) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: Jane

Sat Feb 16 19:08:44 2008

When my aunt died 6 years ago, we sold her possessions on eBay over several months, and made several thousand dollars. My father (his sister) was very happy we were able to make some extra needed money for the my household and supported it 100%. Had my aunt known how it ended up, I'm sure she would have been very pleased.

Now, my father has since died (2 years ago), and Mom and I have slowly been selling off some of his possessions. Same thing, Mom supports this 100%. There is no sadness involved. Some items are kept, some are sold.

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: SantasSports

Sat Feb 16 23:11:42 2008

A possible idea in selling a loved ones/relatives items on EBAY would to donate a few of the auctioned items to Mission Fish.

If the person supported or was involved with one of the many charities offered, it would be a nice memorial to the loved one.

I offer a few store items each month for the American Cancer Society as a way of rememberance.

Santa

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: Sue B.

Sun Feb 17 01:06:09 2008

It is great if family has the time and expertise to sell on eBay, but often this is not the case. I conduct Estate Sales in the Chicago Area and so often find that if the family ''gets rid of the junk'' they have thrown away often thousands of dollars. Often items that could easlily be sold on eBay and more often just plain ''good things'' that others could still use. Case in point, I am working on a sale where the family filled 2 dumpsters before they called me! Hardly a hankie, dish or vintage item left. In a 1950's home where they saved ''everything'' this family has really missed out. Happily, I arrive in time to save the vintage Barbies and am selling them for the family on eBay now. In addition, it is often much less emotionaly draining to have a 3rd party do the sorting and selling...someone who knows what is valuable and what is not and has a good track record on eBay.

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: ed

Tue Feb 19 02:55:31 2008

Each of us has to deal with this emotional situation. I am an estate sale dealer in Memphis. Always try to help the family through this time.

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: Tom G

Tue Feb 19 09:47:16 2008

My father was a hoarder. I couldn't bear just tossing the things he enjoyed and had carefully saved for decades. Little by little, I've been selling things like his library of old audio magazines and books. It's comforting to know they are going into enthusiastic hands who will enjoy them rather than the land fill. I'm sure he'd be happy, and it helps my sense of closure.

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: Angela

Tue Feb 19 12:00:19 2008

Sadly, this is the type of business that eBay seemingly doesn't want any longer. Heck, before Paypal and check-out, I even communicated with the buyers, and it gave me a great sense of comfort to know that her treasures were going to make another person happy. Also, I bought some trinkets I collect from a seller who was cleaning out her mother's belongings. One day, I found a surprise box from the seller. She had grown weary of listing, and knew that I would love the "stragglers", so she just gifted me with them. I still get happy when I think of that.

But eBay now does everything it can to keep those type of relationships from developing.

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: Michelle Gauvreau

Tue Feb 19 22:09:06 2008

When my mother was placed in a nursing home back in 2001, I had finally realized how much my mother actually hoarded in her house. She never kept up her house unfortunately which left the daunting task of cleaning out over 30 years of items she collected from the tippy top of her house down to the many-times over flooded basement. Alot of stuff had to be thrown away and alot of stuff that could be saved is now kept in a storage unit as big as a one car garage (and a half). She had over 30 years of vintage collectibles, flea market items, tag sale items, you name it, it was in there. I finally appreciated how hard she worked and how hard she tried in her own thoughts to make ends meet. Too bad eBay wasn't around in the 70s and 80s. She would have LOVED it! While Mom was in the nursing home, it took me nearly five years to clean out her house because I just couldn't keep going back every weekend. It was overwhelming but I finally was able to get it done. And, now that it is all done and over, and Mom has since passed away in 2006, I have managed to work very hard and sell quite a few of her belongings making money to have the extras that we enjoy. Thanks Mom. May you rest in peace.
Michelle
eBay User ID: ladystarre

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: Sue B

Sat Mar 1 23:32:05 2008

This is a great series and I plan to use parts of it as a guide for the families I deal with when conducting Estate Sales in the Chicago Area. Tomorrow I will begin working on an Estate Sale where the house has been vacant for nearly 2 years. How wonderful it would have been for the heir to have asked friends to help with making decisions about what to do with her Mom's things.

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: pat

Sun Mar 2 00:32:44 2008

A suggestion I frequently make to people who live far away from their family. Don't make hasty decisions you may regret - instead, rent a storage locker for 3 or 6 months - put everything in it except large furniture you are sure you won't want, and go back and sort later.

I had three sudden deaths in my family, all on the other side of the country. Each time I had to go and take care of everything with the help of only my son. There have been so many times I have said I wish I had kept such and such, or I wonder what happened to this or that. Each time I made the mistake of sorting and packing in one day's time and the last time selling the remainder to a man who had a store - the whole kit and kaboodle for a couple hundred dollars(though it's not the money that matters). Although I did save many treasures, and some things I should have tossed, it was a mistake to do it within days of a death when I was still in shock.

Put it in a locker - it will be the best hundred bucks or so you ever spent, I promise.

Dealing with a Departed One's Treasured Possessions

by: pat

Sun Mar 2 00:36:39 2008

Another suggestion. Gather any photographs immediately and take with you, or pack securely and mail to your home address. They are irreplacable and matter the most.

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