Every family has a set of treasures that nobody really wants. You know the ones. They’re heavy & awkward, while also rarely useful, but parents insist on passing them on to their kids.
We asked our readers about the family heirlooms they wish they’d never gotten, and here are eleven they told us about. Which of these have you tried handing down?
Vintage mink coat
One reader told us that their grandma left them a full-length mink coat that nobody in the family had actually worn since the 1970s.
It looked nice, yes. But it had too much history & controversy, too, so nobody wanted to sell it or wear it. They didn’t want to explain it either. The reader said they left it in a garment bag until they were finally able to donate it to a thrift shop.
Wall-mounted taxidermy
Nobody wants to open their dad’s old den and find four deer heads staring at them. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to one reader. They refused to help dust these dead animals.
Selling or even donating them is quite the lengthy process since there are rules to follow & few buyers are interested. You really want your kids dealing with that?
Masonic regalia, aprons, and jewels
A reader said they’d inherited their grandfather’s Masonic apron & gloves, along with several ornate pins. But they had no clue what to do with them.
It really felt like their family had misjudged their interests, and they decided to donate them to the local museum. They just wanted to be rid of them.
Crystal chandelier
Saving a large, heirloom chandelier for your kids’ next house seems like a nice idea in theory. When that next home finally comes, your kids will likely learn that the installation and rewiring alone could cost them hundreds of dollars. The style also likely won’t go with their modern home. Not to mention that those old bulbs are impossible to find these days.
Chances are, it’ll probably just end up boxed again, waiting for that someday.
Antique pocket watch
Getting a pocket watch isn’t the treasure you think it might be. Simply getting one cleaned may run $100 or more, while replacing a mainspring costs extra.
One reader said they had no use for an heirloom like this because they can just check time on their phone. Most kids will likely sell their pocket watches to a jeweler, as they’d rather have the money.
Model train layout
It’s nice to think that your kids will love your HO train setup, down to each tunnel & painted mountain. Reality is different.
Yes, your kid might like the carriages, but a couple of readers said they were also rather unhappy about the eight-foot plywood table that the trains are glued to. It’s a lot of space and waste that your kids probably don’t have.
Crystal wine glasses from the 1950s
Once upon a time, crystal wine glasses were the pride of every dinner table, although they’re not seen the same way now. They just stress people out. One reader actually said they were too scared to even touch them because it just takes one chip for them to be ruined. They also didn’t want to spend time handwashing fragile crystal glasses after takeout night.
Wedding quilt
So many readers said they have a heirloom quilt that feels too sentimental to throw away, but equally too fragile to use. One reader told us that theirs was stitched from farm clothes & embroidered with family initials.
While every generation had apparently handled it carefully, they didn’t know what to do with it, so they left it in an archival box. Hopefully, someone will care enough to fix it one day.
Family crest ring
A signet ring is supposed to stay in the family. But it’s not as easy as this. The issue, according to one reader, is that nobody in the family has the initials in the ring anymore, while the gold itself has become thin. It also doesn’t fit anyone’s hand.
They were too scared to leave it on display in case of thieves, yet they also didn’t want to hold onto it either.
Bowling trophies
Old bowling trophies all look the same. They’re shiny & plastic, all engraved with years on them, and they’re often passed down to kids.
However, several readers admitted that they couldn’t care less about them. They don’t have the same sense of achievement from looking at them, so why would they want to keep them?
College yearbooks
A few readers mentioned how their parents left behind yearbooks from their college days, covered in inside jokes & doodles that only made sense to them. It was a pointless heirloom.
After all, nobody could recognize a face, and none of them wanted to take it on another move. It was a waste of paper, really. They’d rather rip out the page with their parent’s photograph and stick it in a box versus holding on to the entire yearbook.
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