what to do with all these knick knacks?!

[Linnie The Pooh]

My grandma passed away a little over a month ago. About 14 years ago, my mom casually mentioned she really liked those musical figures that are carousel horses that go around...Well, my grandma for some reason (who has always been a little off kilter) began collecting them, plates, figures and figurines etc. Companies such as Bradford Exchange, Lenox and others made a fortune off her. The receipts my mom could find totalled up to just over $15,000 worth of that stuff. She was buying them right up until she died.

This lady had so much stuff, it was unbelievable and we've had one yard sale already and sold a bunch of it, but what to do with these horses and things? I've tried them on ebay and they won't sell and they're not really garage sale material. Some of them she paid nearly $200 apiece for them so I hate to see them get sold for a pitiful amount, but I think that's what will happen. My mom is talking about donating them to charities and taking the write off for her taxes. Does anyone have any suggestions? There is just so many of them-it makes it hard to store them. Plus she was heavy smoker so they all reek of cigarette smoke. A lot of people don't like that.

She just loved that stuff so I hate to see it treated like it's junk. When she was alive, we knew she bought this stuff, but didn't know how much of it she was buying, not that that would've mattered. She would've bought it anyway. She thought of it as an investment.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Donating it is a good idea. Maybe to a place that sets up families with homes, or a silent auction going for a good cause. Or a retirement home.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Maybe you could try ebay another time. Especially if they are collectibles. It's a timing thing for me. What won't sell today might tomorrow. You never know.

Can you find a special cleaner to get rid of the smoke smell? I wonder if vinegar & water would work, and rinse them really well. Might be worth looking into.

Good luck!

 

[Pugdog007]

Maybe wait till we get closer to the holidays and try ebay again?

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

Great ideas! Thank you-I'll pass them along to my mom. I really want to help her with this. She is so overwhelmed right now....

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

What about a consignment shop, particularly one that attracts an older crowd? They might also help you price the items.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I would give Ebay another go around Christmas also.

 

[Rajah]

I agree, give e-bay another round, especially as it gets closer to the holidays

 

[KirstenB]

Take out an ad in several big-city newspapers around the country. You'd have a decent chance of reaching a collector, or perhaps someone interested in buying the lot to resell themselves.

 

[Disney Doll]

Why not go online and google "Lenox collectors" or "carousel collectors" or something to that affect.

You never know what you might find. Maybe there is a group who specializes in collecting these items.

If you have any Bradford Exchange stuff, maybe there is a group that collects only that stuff.

 

[Cindy B]

No one has mentioned craigslist.org for your particular area. You can place ads for items for sale there for no listing fee.

 

[TerryKitten]

I don't know all the details, but when my Grandma died my Dad had alot of her plates and collectors items to an auction house.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would say since they reek of cigarette smoke they have lost their value. So if you donate or sell for a lesser price realize they are damaged.