10 Common Inheritance Items That Have Little Monetary Value

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When you receive an inheritance, you may acquire prized possessions that could be worth a significant amount of money. However, some inheritance items might have plenty of sentimental value but minimal monetary value. It’s critical to know the difference between the two so you don’t get the wrong impression.

Here are 10 common inheritance items that are typically not worth a lot of money.

Large Furniture

Chances are that when you inherit a home, you’ll also get all the furniture that comes with it. While the property will be worth plenty, the furniture inside may not be as valuable since the resale market for these items isn’t lucrative. It can also be challenging to sell large pieces of furniture with so many people living in smaller units these days.

Formal Sets of Wedding China

The prized wedding china that has been in your family for generations may not be worth as much these days. With smaller gatherings and a changing of preferences in our culture, you may no longer see five-piece place settings with a matching teapot. You could also list silver-plated flatware under this category because most people don’t want to polish their silver before family meals.

Collectibles That Were Mass Produced

While your relative may have held on to certain collectibles because they thought they would be worth something one day, the reality is that there isn’t a market for everything. Collectibles like Beanie Babies, baseball cards or commemorative plates were often mass produced, and there’s a good chance they aren’t worth much unless you get lucky and inherit a super rare piece among the collection.

Old Perfume Bottles

Those old perfume bottles may look like they’re worth something, but there likely isn’t much of a market for them. This article on Money Talks News specifically lists vintage bottles of Avon perfume. Even though these bottles could have a distinct appearance, it doesn’t mean you can sell them.

Books

If a book is a first edition or the author signs it, it may be worth something. Otherwise, most books don’t have high resale value.

Holiday Decorations

Old Christmas or Halloween decorations could have sentimental value in your family, but you may not be able to sell them for much. There isn’t much of a resale market for holiday decorations, as most people would prefer to purchase new items. Stores will also sell off holiday decorations when the season ends, so buyers in this space may be more inclined to look out for those deals.

Most Types of Crystal

Due to changes in taste and preferences, you likely won’t be able to sell crystal for a huge profit. Crystal also needs hand-washing and frequent cleaning to look pristine, so there’s a chance that what you inherit isn’t in the best condition. However, it is worth pointing out that the following crystal makers are doing well — Baccarat, Hofbauer, Kosta Boda and Lalique — so if you inherit items from these brands they could be worth a pretty penny.

Old Equipment

That sewing machine or vintage lawnmower may be a unique item in your possession, but you won’t be able to flip it for much of a profit. While your inherited equipment could be useful around the house, you likely won’t find many buyers.

Wardrobes

Selling old clothing isn’t a profitable venture very often since used clothing stores don’t offer a lot. Old clothing could also be worn out or dated and thus, no longer wearable.

Old Electronics

While having an old camera or laptop may feel novel, these electronics have seen their value drop steeply. There could be a market for some vintage video games, but most old electronics become obsolete and worthless.

What You Can Do With Inheritance Items

As you go through your inherited items, it helps to have a process to handle all of these new objects in your possession. You can try to categorize every item under one of the following: 

• Keep: These are the items that you will hold on to for personal use. 
• Try to sell: This will be the pile of stuff that you try to sell on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace for a profit.
• Donate: Even though you may not have use for that old clothing or set of holiday decorations, there are others out there who could benefit. 
• Throw out: Some items you won’t be able to salvage, so it’s best just to throw them out so they don’t clutter up your space.
• Uncertain: You don’t have to make a decision on every item at the moment, so put these in a separate place until you determine which of the other categories to move them to.

Going through the items that a deceased relative left behind can be a stressful process, but it helps to have some sort of a system. We recommend that you perform some research and gather some opinions before you throw out anything that could be valuable.

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