As noted in the article, hire a professional organizer or ask your local real estate office for recommendations of a service for seniors to help you. Most have someone they recommend.

I, too, saved my 3 children’s toys hoping to pass them down to my grandchildren. For various reasons, none will be having children, so keep that in mind. They are quality toys (Fisher Price, etc) so now they’re all dusty and dirty from storage. I now need to wash everything before donating. Framed artwork can be donated to a non-profit. When you think about the “value” you paid for the drums, you already got the value from them when you used them. Find a school music program that would be thrilled to have them.

Just to share – we declutters to move across the country. Took a workshop and then just started tossing. Lots of it we dragged to the sidewalk and others took it. Some we gave to friends. We had ‘pack and party’ dinners with all the friends we loved, amidst boxes and chaos. That was something to look forward to in the evening.I finally figured I could get new stuff at Home Goods when we needed it. I now have a small rental in CA and a corner of the kids garage in NJ both of which need decluttering again!

I also have those things and I would like to get some of it appraised but don’t know where to take them…I have China that belonged to my grandmother and it all has 14k gold trim in the outside and inside of the plates and it’s a ten piece place setting in perfect condition..I also have a vase she gave me that is dark smoked glass on the upper part of the vase and the bottom of the vase is all 24k gold inlay..
it’s so beautiful and I would just don’t want to get ride of either without getting an appraised first
any help if anyone knows how to find a good appraiser would be appreciated I am also 74..

if you get answers to your problems please ket me know because i am going through both #2 and #3