Feeling Stuck with a Collection of Collectables? Read This

On a regular basis I get messages from people wanting to know what to do with some collection of collectables they are in possession of. Most of the time they don’t give me any context – just the raw question: “What do I do with my collection of (fill in the blank)?” The fact that these folks are reaching out to me in the first place is an indication that their inner knowing already has the answer. They just need me to validate that it’s the right one.

The collections in question are usually of collectables that are purely decorative. Hummels, Lladro, Plates are examples. Also coins, pill boxes and those little china figurines thousands of lucky girls would receive each year on their birthdays. These collections may have been built from childhood or inherited from a relative. In either case they are almost always boxed up in a closet, semi-forgotten until the question of decluttering comes along.

This blog is for anyone who finds themself saddled with a collection of collectables gathering dust in storage. I have three courses of action for you to choose from.

1. Sell It

The market value varies widely on collections of collectables. Demand ebbs and flows, but the good news is that obtaining market information is as easy as a Google search. There is usually an avid buyer looking to round out their collection or a particular collectable that suddenly becomes ‘hot.’ You can see listing prices easily on EBay or another marketplace platform and what you see may excite you. But hang on there, partner!

Before you mentally fast-forward a life of luxury financed by your grandmother’s Hummel collection, it’s important to understand what’s involved in the process of selling. You will be spending some degree of time, money and effort to get this done – they money doesn’t just come with a wave of a wand.

Depending on the platform you choose, you will have to do some or all of the following. Photograph each item. Create a detailed listing for each item. Field offers and correspond with potential buyers. Negotiate. Pack up the collectables (the more fragile, the more effort you’ll put in.) Send and track the package(s). It’s important to lay up the value of your collection against the effort you’ll expend to sell it. Is the net amount worth it to you? If yes, great (as long as you follow through!) If not, maybe consider options 2 or 3.

2. Display It

If your collection of collectables has sentimental value, why not display it? Sure the Lladro may not be your taste, but won’t it make you smile and think of your mom when you pass by? A clever way to solve the dilemma of displaying decorative collections that don’t really ‘go’ with the rest of your home is to display them in a more private area. Your dad’s collection of baseball memorabilia could work on the top row of shelves in your utility room, for instance. Or maybe the stairwell to your basement is a cool place to hang your mom’s antique plate collection that’s too classic for your modern home. Even a closet can work as a place to display a collection in a private way. My husband was presented with his dad’s collection of miniature cars after he passed away. No, they weren’t going to grace the credenza in our living room – but my husband enjoys them on his side of our bedroom closet, just above his sock drawer!

If you can’t find a private show-home for your collection and you can’t bear to display it publicly, it’s probably time for some radical honesty. It’s simply not your taste and you don’t care for it. I assure you, keeping a collection of things your don’t personally like does not honor the person who gave them to you. Maybe give yourself some grace and move on to option number three.

3. Donate It

When you lack the motivation to sell your collection of collectables and have accepted that they are doomed to life in a box if you keep them, here’s what you do. Donate them. If that feels wasteful or disrespectful to you, let’s reframe the action of donating.

Imagine there is something you really want that is no longer available in the market. Or maybe it is available but it’s way out of your price range. So you take it upon yourself to stop by estate sales or thrift shops when you are passing by, looking for this item. Now imagine that one day you hit the jackpot and there it is!  Are you feeling the joy? Good – because that is the gift you are giving someone else who actually values your collection of collectables! That person is going to go home and tell all their friends about it. You made their year. 

What’s truly wasteful is that same collection gathering dust in your attic. No one is using it, no one is enjoying it. It’s just taking up space and you probably feel guilty every time you think about it. So donate it and free up some space in your home and your mind. That alone will be worth the small effort it takes to drive it to the donation drop. 

Collectables are still a thing – we are a society that loves to collect. But if you are not currently enjoying the collectables in your home, set them free! I guarantee you will feel better and lighter and ready to take on the next hard thing!