Could be an attached memory or sentimental value, whatever.
Conventional worth be dammed.
Given to me it would either be the quilts my grandmother made, or the charts my grandfather followed along with during the moon landing.
Personal items would be the assorted thank you notes the elderly have given me from being in retirement industry. Want to make a collage of them one day.
I have the only family heirloom I want. It’s a cutting from my grandmother’s monstera.
My grandmother is a miserable person who I have not spoken to in decades (racist, untra-religious). However some of my earliest childhood memories were of playing with my army men in her monstera’s leaves. It was small and abused looking back then. She kept it in a dark corner without enough light. When I was around 13 year old, I cut off 2 nodes and 1 leaf and started my own plant from it.
I have almost lost it a few times over the years. Scab, frost, kids, bacterial infections, a couple years overseas relying on someone else to care for it etc. Every time it’s come back, started again and kept going.
My mother’s wedding ring. My father was a monster, so it’s not because of the marriage it represents. It was the cheapest he could get, it’s thin and worn down and battered, and, of all the kids, she gave it to me. When I die, however I am disposed of, that ring goes with me, because… she gave it to me!
Whoa, now; I suggest you take a peek at the quilt market. Old quilts in good condition can demand astonishingly high prices.
Photos & letters all fall into this category, I think. I suspect that some future historian might find some value in them, but if we don’t extictify ourselves, there’s so much digital material - photos, videos, emails - that anyone studying any period after 2000 is going to be doing a much different job, involving much less sleuthing, than those who studied ancient periods.
From my great grandmothers kitchen:
My great grandfather’s black leather Stetson flat cap. Wearing it now, in fact.
Great grandfathers service medals from the continuation war.
As I understood it from grandma he was doing damage control when the Soviet fire bombed towns.
The Don Quijote painting my Babushka made. I love it. I’m glad I got it when she passed. As far as I know there are two in the family. This one and one in blue.
Not worthless. That is some dope piece of art! I bet that would put your dining room together nicely!
This post actually gave me the idea to make a website with all her art. I hope my relatives participate.
Edit: And it’s live at https://brigitte-tantau.de/.
A rubber stamp of my grandfather’s initials, which happens to be exactly my initials.
Nobody else in the family have this initials, so this really would worth anything only to me.
I have a letter opener made by my great uncle for my grandfather.
What makes it interesting is that my great uncle worked as a mechanic for the RAF, keeping Spitfires flying during the Battle of Britain and the letter opener is made from discarded parts from Spitfires he worked on. Not sure what the blade was, some small strut or something, I suppose, and the handle is made of different-sized washers.
My grandfather’s dog tags from Vietnam. He always kept them swinging from his rear-view mirror. Swore they kept him safe.
Also swore up and down that he wasn’t superstitious, lol.
