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August 10, 2015

What would become of your vintage collection if something happened to you?



The topic of today’s post is a serious and somber one, I will tell you that up front from the very get-go. It’s a subject I've thought about numerous times throughout the course of my adult life, and I think its one that will resonate with a good many of you as well.

I'm 31 years old and have been happily married for close to eleven years now. I do not have any children yet and don't know for sure if I ever will (due to infertility and other medical related reasons). I have a small family and a few close real world friends (few of whom live anywhere near me), as well as the blessing of many amazing online friends. I'm chronically ill and battle a multiple of very serious medical conditions; periodically I end up in the hospital and at times require surgery of one kind or another. And lastly, I live in a small town that does not have any vintage clothing shops (my province as whole is greatly lacking in such stores).

These points might seem a bit disassociated, but I mention them all because the relate directly to the heart of today's post: what would happen to your vintage wardrobe and/or collection if you died?

Before going any further, I need to state emphatically that I am not to the best of my knowledge at imminent risk of dying and am not writing this post because I think that such might be the case in the near future. However, it would be foolhardy of someone in my medical situation not to think about this topic, and even if I was the healthiest person on the face of the earth, I believe that I would still pause to give it thought sometimes.

It is not pleasant as a general rule to think about one's own mortality or what will become of our worldly possessions after we've passed away, but it is one of those things that is better to discuss and approach up front while you have the chance, than to leave your loved ones to deal with it entirely on their own after you're gone.

I've been collecting vintage items and building a vintage wardrobe for many years now, and while most of the items I own aren't particularly expensive on an individual basis, as a whole my collection (not to mention the stock I have for my Etsy shop) certainly has a decent worth and is not something I would ever want to see simply end up being donated or (much worse!) thrown away after I was gone.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's wonderful to donate clothing and other items to worthwhile charities and do so at least twice a year, however in the case of my vintage wardrobe and collection of other items (such as books and magazines), I would like to think of them going to people who are guaranteed to continue to give them a truly loving, vintage friendly home (again, yes, I realize that some of them could end up in such homes if donated, but there's no guarantee of that, especially when you live somewhere like I do that does not have any kind of a vintage centered community).



 photo cn_imagesizejoan-crawford-shoes_zps73970da7.jpg

{Though your vintage shoe collection might not be quite as big as Joan Crawford's was, chances are your ever-expanding vintage wardrobe and the other array of yesteryear items you've been gathering from quite some time now has amassed into a sizable collection, of which, some day, you and/or your loved ones will have to decide what to do with after you're gone. Image source.}


If something happened to me, I certainly wouldn't except (or necessarily even want - keeping such things around might cause more pain for him) my husband to hold onto my vintage items for the rest of time. He might remarry or develop a long-term relationship with someone else and I highly doubt they'd want a bunch of their partner's deceased wife's items cluttering up their home either.

The task would fall to him (and, assuming she was still with us, my beloved mother) however to figure out what to do with my things (vintage and otherwise) if the worst did happen to me, and I'd like to try and make that easier on him while I'm alive and kickin', so that it would be one less thing on his mind while he was grieving.

For some people, it might be possible to leave their vintage collections to their children (daughters in particular, especially if they've shown an interest in vintage themselves), but others might not have children, know that their kids don't want (or have room for) their vintage collections, and some of us do not have children (and may never).

If you're fortunate to have one of more family members or close friends who share your passion for the past, that is obviously a good option, but again, you'd want to make sure that it wouldn't be an imposition (in terms of storage space especially) for your loved one(s) to suddenly add all (or at least most of) your vintage items to their home.

Should you happen to have especially rare or valuable items (which I do not), you could possibly leave them in your will to a museum or historical society who could continue to preserve them. Likewise (and here value matters far less), you could leave your clothing, shoes and accessories to a theater, opera company, or other performing arts organization or group who could benefit from them.

For those who live in a town with vintage or antique shops that specialize in the kinds of items you have, it may be possible for your spouse or another loved one to sell your items to such a store after you're gone. By the same token, selling to a private collector might be another option, as would having a vintage estate sale, though in the case of the latter much more than the former, you don't know for sure where your items might wind up.

These are certainly not all of the possible options out there (nor have all the points related to the ones stated here been explored to their absolute fullest), but they're some of the most plausible and (I'd venture to say) frequent situations that our family members will encounter after we're gone (even if - as I hope dearly is the case – you live for another forty, fifty, sixty, or more years, eventually each of us will pass on, and there's no sense in not thinking about what will happen to our belongings while we're still alive).

Short of leaving them to a child or family member (again, I don't believe any of my current relatives would want much or any of my vintage collection, not being vintage/antique fans themselves), which would be my ideal situation, I would love to bestow them on one or more friends. 


There again though, my real world friends who are vintage fans and most of my online ones both live in other Canadian provinces and different countries around the world (thus shipping my whole - or even part of - my collection could be an exorbitant expense), so that might not be very likely either. If you had a dear online friend who could come collect your vintage items in person, such as with a rented trailer, that could be a great option.

As things stand right this very moment, I genuinely do not know what would become of my vintage collection (which would likely take someone - especially someone who was not overly knowledgeable about types of items I have and their worth - a long time to sell on a piece-by-piece or small lot basis either online or offline) if the unthinkable occurred today, tomorrow, next week or beyond.

I suspect that involving the vintage community - you, my dear readers - through my blog itself would be one avenue that Tony might pursue, but (and we've talked about this topic point blank) even there the question remains as to in what way (or which ways) this would play out. There is no easy answer now, and I know that this is a subject I will continue to think about until one (or more) solutions is forthcoming.

Though there might not be many other vintage lovers around these parts, there are certainly scores more out there around the world and this is a situation I'd imagine most of us will eventually find ourselves in. Or, more technically, our relatives and spouses with find themselves in, at some point, if we plan (and most of us do) to hold onto our vintage collections for the duration of our lives.

As I said from the onset, this topic is serious one. It's neither easy nor pleasant for most to discuss or think about, but I believe that both of these things need to be done. Many of us might be young now, but age alone does not prevent an unforeseeable end from befalling any one of us at any moment in time. 


Please, by all means, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on this topic. Have you pondered it before yourself, too? Do you already know what will happen to your vintage items after your death? What would be your ideal situation?

I sincerely hope that this post didn't bring anyone down. That certainly wasn't my intention. I just thought that it was high time we broached a topic that affects all of us (what will happen to our vintage items once we're gone) at one point or another. 


Ultimately, there is no right or wrong approach here, only the one that works well for you and your family.

80 comments:

  1. Jessica this is something I talk about ALL the time with my vintage (repro) loving friends, I'm not even kidding! It's a serious topic because the thought of all the things I love and spent a lot of money on going to waste makes me shudder. I may not have my own children (for the same reasons you stated yourself) but if I could and ever do in the future then hopefully they will be girls who will want to keep all of my dresses and love them.
    A very interesting, thought provoking blog post!

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    1. It's really great to know that I'm not the only who thinks, and talks about this topic. Having spent so little time in person throughout my life with other vintage wearers, I've not really had the chance to broach this with like-minded people face-to-face and thus really wanted to get other's impute here, because objectively, it's something we'll all need to deal with (or our families will) sooner or (hopefully!) later.

      Children, as said, would be the logical route, but they're not a part of all our lives, either by choice or circumstances, and unless one lucks out and has nieces or nephews (or perhaps step-children) that wanted our wardrobes, the question of where they'll wind up still remains. It's not an easy one at all and I genuinely don't have a good answer myself yet.

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts on this important subject with me, sweet Harlow, I truly appreciate (and am sincerely sorry that you battle infertility as well).

      Huge hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. It has crossed my mind a few times, but at the moment the idea of leaving the world at this age with so much left to do feels so terrifying I tend to talk myself out of worrying about it rather swiftly, and therefore haven't come to any conclusions! That being said, most of my possessions aren't vintage and probably aren't worth much collectively either, so I expect the solution would be to pass them along to charity and that would be absolutely fine. I don't know what I would do in your position, where most of them are vintage... I feel like the answer lies within the vast community there is online, but how to use this I'm just not sure... A very difficult one, for sure. CC x

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    1. I know what you mean exactly - the topic is a bit like the (often humorous) scene in a cartoon or movie where a character approaches a fork in the road and one lane is bathed in sunshine and chirping birds, while the other is a frightening path of darkness, gnarled trees, and howling wolves - it is far more preferable to think positive and just focus on the sunny path at this point in our lives.

      I completely agree with you, and am really glad that you raised that point, that the solution may lie within the vintage community itself. I'm not sure how, but it feels like it must. Maybe the answer would be to start a consignment shop online for vintage and repro items that relatives could send to the shop owners after their loved ones passed on. That would be a ton of work potentially though and not something that could be launched/entered into easily or without consulting some lawyers first for sure! Again, it's hard to say where the answers lie, but certainly talking about this topic is a great step towards unearthing them and I truly appreciate your impute here, dear CiCi.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. I think this was very interesting post, yet of course serious. I bet this subject isn't very casual to talk about, but I have actually thought about this myself. If I die where will my vintage treasures end up to. I have said to one of my big sisters one time that I would testament all of my clothes (and other items) to her if I die in an accident or something like that, I know she'd love and cherish them. She just said it would be weird to wear them, dead sister's old clothes.
    I would not want my (or any other's) vintage to end up in a trash can or to someone who'd make things like rag rugs out of decent vintage clothes.

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    1. That last point in a substantial concern of mine, too. I realize that almost nothing lasts forever, but it would break my heart to think of my vintage items meeting their end far sooner than they had to.

      Thank you very much for weighing in her and for letting me know that you've thought about this topic as well, dear Sara. It's fantastic - relative to the situation, I mean - that you have a family member to bequeath your wardrobe to. I'm not currently in that same position and I think that a lot of my concerns when it comes to this topic stem from the fact that I'm not.

      Many thanks again & have a beautiful week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Knowing my parents, they would just keep it around, or let my friends pick out things they wanted. I feel like if people wanted it, great, but if they didn't I really don't care about where it goes that much.

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  5. This really was an interesting post though, and not something I've seen talked about anywhere else

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  6. This is something I've thought about a lot this year, as my mother-in-law passed away in February and we had to clear her house. She'd relocated a decade or so previously, so there wasn't masses of sentimental value in the house - nothing large like furniture - and we were able to find room for anything that had a family attachment, though I wish I knew more about the art deco and Victorian glass vases.

    Clearing made me realise how hard it is for the people who've been left behind, and how you do just hit the point of being unable to deal with much more and taking stuff straight to the charity shop. I expect most of my stuff will end up like that. Because of that, I'm going to make a clear will, and let it be known to people while I'm alive, where I want stuff to go. Like you I'm childfree, so the people I want to have things are quite distant physically, and a clear will will make it much easier for things to go where they should. I've got certain things like jewellery (eg my grandparents' wedding ring) that needs to go to specific people.

    Ultimately, though, once things like the jewellery and books have been dealt with, it's up to my major inheritor - probably either my husband or my brother, depending on who outlives me - to do what they think best; sorting out an estate is traumatic, and I hope they feel able to do whatever enables them to carry on their life remembering me fondly.

    The other important thing I learned is to really enjoy your stuff while you're around. Get as much pleasure out of it while you can, because no-one else will enjoy your entire collection, all in one block, the way you do. We are all unique individuals and accumulate our 'treasures' in unique ways, and when we are gone, the force holding our collections together is gone. Your collection is an expression of uniqueness, have fun with it.

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    1. Dear Mim, thank you very much for your in-depth comment and for sharing with me about your MIL's recent passing. I am truly sorry for your and your family's heartbreaking loss. My own MIL passed away in September 2013 and now even nearly two years latter, we're still very much feeling the pain of that occurrence.

      As I was writing this post, it struck me that perhaps I should pen a will or at least get my wishes down on paper in some form. Without family members to leave most of my belongings (well beyond my vintage ones, I mean) to though and none of them having much value on a piece-by-piece basis, I haven't done so yet, but it is objectively both the logical and responsible course of action to take. Great job on planning to write one yourself. I hope that it goes smoothly for you.

      That is such an extremely wise, important point and I really appreciate that you brought it up. We definitely need to enjoy, savour, and in some cases, share, our unique, wonderful belongings while we're still on this earth.

      Thank you again so much. Your comment really gave me a lot to think about and I sincerely appreciate that.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. Quite an interesting topic.
      Like you, I do wonder where my vintage and other personal things will end up.
      Having several childless great aunts over 90 years old makes me think of this, as I am sometimes approached by them asking if I want something - and to be honest about wanting it - because they want to give it to someone who will appreciate it -
      I have thought about it several times, however i have yet to sit down and let my husband know how I want things done.
      In your case with such a great blog and vintage audience I would really explore selling them on line. Hugs.

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  7. Good morning dear Jessica,

    Although I don't have a large collection of anything (vintage or otherwise) I have a few special items that I wish I knew what to do with when that time comes for me (as it will go us all). For instance, I have my great-grandmother 's ruby ring which I wear. I have no one to leave it to.....no children (and since I'm 40 and my husband is 56 we most likely won't have any) no siblings, no nieces or nephews except by marriage and we're not really close to those as they are scattered all over the country.....well, you get the idea. I wish I had a close friend with a daughter I could dote on and possibly leave some things too, but so far that's not the case. It's a conundrum for sure. :/

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    1. Hi lovely Jennifer, thank you very much for your comment and ability to really relate to what I was talking about here. I feel the same way regarding not knowing what to do with my most cherished pieces, as I have, at present, no one in my family to pass most of them along to. It almost makes me think that we should start a network of fellow vintage people who might be able to help grieving families out on this front, when the time comes for each of us (it would be a huge undertaking of course, but maybe some of the solution lies in such a community based approach to tackling this issue).

      Many thanks again & have a wonderful week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. My vintage collection falls under the category of more furniture,dish ware and trinkets then clothing, so I would think my kids would first go through and pick what they want. From there I would suspect a yard sale and then on to the thrift store.
    Since I'm no where near death ( I hope lol ) I think about what would happen if I had a fire. Chances are it would all be gone and anything left would possible head to a dump. Although it would be sad to lose everything, I know its just stuff.
    The vintage stuff is not what makes me who I really am it's only a small part of what I like. In death it's my character that I want to be remember for.
    I met you through this blog because of your love of vintage but now and forever it's your kind words and your valued opinions that I cherish. To me that beats stuff any day.

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    1. Goodness, do I think about that as well (especially since one of my biggest fears has always been burning to death - not that I have grounds to think it's more apt to happen to me than any average person, but still, it's been a big fear of mine since childhood). Truth be told, while we do have insurance, I would imagine that I'd just have to start from scratch and that it would be sad and painful, at least initially. I hope with all my heart that neither of us - or anyone in our circle (or point blank, but that isn't really realistic, objectively) - ever runs into that scenario - and if someone does, I hope that the community rallies around them and helps by donating vintage pieces to them.

      I can't begin to tell you how much your beautiful, heartfelt words mean to me, dear Debra. I couldn't agree more and have gotten so much from the people, above and beyond the items, that make up my vintage filled world, too. Thank you deeply for the reminder of that and how at the end of the day, things are just things, no matter if we're here on this earth any more or not.

      Giant hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Oddly enough, this is a topic that can come up, even when moving or changing life-styles. I have been working on slowly moving out some of my collection right now. Weeding out a collection isn't very profitable. I think it's wise to consider that this won't be a profit making project. A few options to consider that might work for vintage collector:
    1--Donate to a college or school. This may take a bit of research to find a school that teaches fashion design or costume history. It will include networking with that school to see if they can use and store what you might give to them. They might also want a magazine or book collection on the subject too.
    2--Donate to a historical museum. It might not be local and may also require some networking. Museums have their own criteria, so you may have specific pieces that they can use in their exhibit, research or other uses.
    3--Donate to a Theater group. In this case, the fashions will be used as costumes. Or try making friends with a free-lance costumer. I find I can give them just about anything and they will add it to their own collection.
    4--Stage a huge sale or sell in a larger sized flea market. You want a venue that will attract a large number of shoppers. Be sure to investigate all expenses before you try this one (truck and clothes rack rentals, hotel, booth fee etc) A sale in partnership with a charity could also bring in shoppers.
    5--Sell online. I think we all know the details for this one. Trying to sell in 'lots' or groups of vintage is one way to move out a collection with volume.
    6--Sell to vintage stores. Check out the stores first to see their prices and quality. If you feel you have items they might want, ask if they buy wholesale (you'll get 1/2 or less of the selling price) or on consignment and make an appointment or send photos.
    As you can see, all of these require active participation of the collector in the planning stages. At least knowing in advance where the collection will go is helpful for anyone trying to deal with a large vintage when the collector is unable to participate for what-ever reason.

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    1. Hi Jen, thank you very much for your stellar, thorough comment - it's a blog post unto itself and if you ever wish to post it as such on your own site, I happily encourage to do so. I love that you brought up some of the same points that I did, as well as some other possible ways to pass along vintage items once a person is gone. Point #1 in particular, while not the easiest to come by necessarily, especially jumped out at me and is a very smart idea.

      I'd love to donate my things to anyone or any organization that would give them a loving, caring home where they'd be properly looked after, but finding such, especially if you don't live in, or near, a big city isn't always easy - and if you do, there's nothing to say that such an institution would want your things. Bequeathing them to someone else that you know and care about is probably the best route, but isn't in the cards for all of us and that's why ideas like these are worth their weight in gold.

      Massive thanks again - you went above and beyond with this great comment and I wholeheartedly appreciate it.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. gosh Jessica, my apologies for that overblown response. I meant it to be brief, but got carried away with the topic. I think you have touched an area that needed to be discussed by those of us who read your blog. This was a great idea!

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    3. Hi Jen, please don't apologize for the tiniest of moments. I didn't think that your answer was "overblown" or the like in the slightest. Quite the contrary. I sincerely appreciate how much you shared and that felt you had a lot to say on this topic, too. It's awesome to get your impute here. Many thanks again for it!

      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Due to things that have happened this year this is actually something I've been considering too. It's difficult to think that things I have collected and treasured might just get binned as 'old tat/junk' by someone who has to clear it all out after I'm gone! I have no children either to leave anything too.
    To that end I have let it be known to all my nearest and dearest that I want my handbag collection to go to the Tassen Museum in Holland. It's a modest collection but I have some good pieces. Though there is always the risk that your collection might not be wanted, I think this would probably be a more likely case with clothes unless they were particularly rare or fine examples.

    I know a lot of charities in the U.K sort through donations and sell on valuable/vintage pieces at auction rather than in store so perhaps leaving a vintage collection to a specific charity you know will treat it will respect?

    I just have so much stuff period I pity the poor person who ends up with the task!

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    1. It's wonderful that there are such charities in the UK, while some charity/thrift stores will price rarer/older pieces accordingly, the practise that you described is not common here in Canada at all. It should be universally done, if you ask me.

      How fantastic (relatively speaking, I mean!) that you know where you want your beautiful handbag collection to end up. I love and really admire that.

      Thank you very much for your excellent comment and for sharing that you too have been pondering this serious topic lately (though I hope with all my heart that it's not due you being in poor health).

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. Very interesting post! I know for a fact my parents (if they are still around) would just donate ever I had to VV. They don't know real good vintage and pretty much every time I wear or use something have to ask if it is vintage/where did I get it etc. I guess for me if I am gone I don't worry too much about where my odd collection of items will end up. I am sure they will find a good home, hence why I donate to the thrift shops hoping they find a good home:)

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    1. That's a very level headed, smart way of looking at things, dear gal. I guess I always picture my mom and Tony tackling my belongings together, but it could objectively be only one or perhaps even neither of them - one never knows how the future will unfold. Things get a lot trickier though if it wasn't one of them and I bet then, whomever was put in charge, would just donate everything. That's fine, of course, but if there was some way I could have bequeathed at least certain items to people that I knew would love and cherish them before I passed, that would be great.

      Thank you very much for sharing your take on things here. I really appreciate it and hope that you family doesn't have to do any donating for many decades to come!

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. I was thinking about something very similar to this post just a couple days ago. With my mother finishing her treatments for breast cancer, our mortality and what to do with our possessions is a subject that is coming up more often because of it.

    It's not nice thinking about it, that's for sure... but it's certainly something that should be discussed sooner than too late. I'd like to think one day I'd meet someone who shared the same passion for vintage sewing and Halloween paraphernalia as I do, that way it would give me peace of mind where all the contents of my sewing room are heading lol. Too wishful? Probably, heh.

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    1. Sweet dear, I'm truly sorry that your mom is battling breast cancer. My 84 year maternal grandma is as well and she underwent a mastectomy and lymph node removal for it this spring. I mention this just to let you know that I can relate, in part at least, to what you and your family have been going through on the cancer front. I hope with all my heart that your mom is able to pull through and go to live a cancer free life for a long time to come.

      So true about how wonderful it would be if you had a friend nearby who shared your different loves and you could each just bequeath items to them. My three largest areas of personal belongings are my vintage things (clothing and otherwise), craft supplies, and books, and save for maybe some of the craft supplies that I know one my aunts would be glad to take, if she had the available room, there is no one, friend or family, who I can think of to leave most of my things to at this point in my life. I just hope dearly that people come into my world as time goes on that would be a good fit for such things.

      Thank you very much for your comment and for sharing about your dear mom. Again, I wish nothing but the best for her.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. I have thought about this many times. I always get think about it when I go to estate sales and see that someone was a collector. I worry about everything getting donated because I know that shops in my area only keep things that are "in fashion" and items that do not fall under that category are either sold to third world countries or turned into insulation. That is why I haven't decluttered What I already need to get rid of. I have found a place online that will sell the clothes and donate the funds to the charity of your choice. Fashion Project. I did email them and verify that they do take vintage clothing. They said that they did, if it is in good condition. They cannot be sure that the customers of the site would purchase it though. I am going to test this out with a few things in the coming weeks. That could be an option if all of your things are in great condition as I am sure yours are. Some of mine are not in great condition, but I still love them and know other vintage lovers would as well.... No plan as to what would happen to any of that. Plus there is all of the vintage things that I have that are not clothing. I'll keep watching to see if anyone posts any good ideas

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    1. Thank you very much for bringing up the topic of Fashion Project. I had not heard of that site before, but think that it's a brilliant idea. I'm not sure if it's open to folks around the world, but even if it's just in one or a few countries, it's still a viable option for some in our realm and I wholeheartedly appreciate that you shared about it here, dear Brandy. Thank you so much for your impute and smart suggestion.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. Dear Jessica... this is a topic that always comes to my mind... but due to the reasons of the thought, I will drop you a line and won't comment it here! But I can just say that I am sorry that you have to go to hospital sometimes, but that it's good that you remain always so positive and sweet!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. You're very caring, sweet Denise, thank you deeply. So long as one comes home from the hospital, that's what really matters! :)

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. This is indeed a topic I've considered myself many times, it can be hard not to ponder these things sometimes when your health is getting you down. Unfortunately I don't have anyone to pass my things down to at the present moment, so if I were to die in the imminent future my things would fall into possession of my mother who I feel would probably put things on eBay. Which I think would be a good option, some of my items are fairly valuable, particularly my vintage music merchandise, so it would no doubt find good homes with other collectors that way. That's what feels most important to me, that my things find good homes whoever that may be with. As long as they end up with people that will appreciate them in a similar way that I do, it doesn't really matter to me who that person may be. Someone who won't turn my things into a craft project! (I feel strongly about vintage items being preserved, they're little pieces of history to me) I'd hate for a partner or family member to hold on to things just because they feel they had to because it was mine and I'm gone, I think possessions can begin to feel suffocating under those circumstances and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But on that same token, it does make me feel a little sad that the collection of things I've amassed that bring me so much happiness could feel like a burden to someone else.

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    1. Thank you very much for your understanding comment and for letting me know that this is something you've serious pondered before yourself as well. It's great (relatively speaking, of course!) that you have someone who might be able to some of your belongings online. It's not that Tony couldn't do so in my case, but I know all too well (from my Etsy shop and selling on eBay at various times over the years) what an incredible amount of work is involved there and given that Tony already puts in crazy long work hours and has very little free time (much like myself), I don't know if that would be a viable option for him and I can't think of any one else in my family who would want, or have the time, to do so. Bequeathing items to someone (or multiple people) that you care about really is the easiest and best option, but it's just not in the cards for me at present. Hopefully though, I won't be going anywhere for quite a while still and in the in term, people will enter my life who will a natural fit for some of my personal treasures.

      Thank you again very much, honey. I truly hope that it's moot point for you and your family for many decades to come as well.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Definitely something worth thinking about! I don't have a collection of anything--and nearly no assets to my name, either, I know by law, if something happened to both Angel and I, our parents are our next of kin, and we've verbally told them that if anything happens to us, to split our assets between our (8 in total) siblings. When we have kids, then we'll actually make a will and designate guardians and designate anything we own as going to our kids.

    The problem of what to do with a collection has come up more often in recent years with my family, as my grandpa has a gigantic collection of antique steam and gas engines and parts thereof. We've brought it up several times that if he were to pass away, it's quite possible that things that he owns that look like rusty pieces of metal to us, the non-initiated, could actually be worth hundreds of dollars and be very precious to the right person. It's a conundrum that my family hasn't figured out how to solve, because if anything, I think the antique engine collecting community is perhaps even more obscure than the vintage collecting community!

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    1. Thank you very much for sharing your own thoughts on this topic and how it relates to your family with me, dear Rachel. Absolutely! I'm not an expert in that field, but I'd certainly say that there are way more vintage fashion (et al) enthusiasts out there than vintage engine collectors. My first thought on that front, would be to try and contact a large auction house that specializes in automotive (and the like) items and see if they'd be willing to auction some or all of them off for your family.

      Many thanks again - and I sincerely hope that you don't have to face that situation for a number of years still to come.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Denise @BuyRVintageJunkAugust 10, 2015 at 6:34 PM

    This subject and your post truly shows your caring heart, Jessica. Most (if not all of us) who collect vintage love the history of these items-be it clothing, jewelry or whatever. We all know that others before us loved the item, and there's a good chance that someone AFTER us will love it too.

    My parents were serious collectors. After my mom passed away (dad died earlier) we had an estate sale. She chose me as executor of her estate. It was one of the hardest-and best-things I have done in my life. We honored her love of antiques, vintage and junk! Nothing got thrown away, everything was treated respectfully, and the people who came to the estate sale seemed to know this sale was different. And her vintage treasures went to live at another home, and continued their journey. :)
    Mom always said that the business of life was dealing with death.

    You take care of your sweet self, Jessica. I consider every day a blessing!

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    1. Thank you deeply, dear Denise, that means a lot to me. I too see each day as an astronomically amazing blessing and don't take a single one, even the worst, most painful or challenging one that I've ever had, for granted. A terrible day beats the alternative hands down.

      How wonderful (relatively speaking, of course) that you were able to have such a positive experience with your parent's estate. I don't have anything grand as an estate yet at this stage in my life, but I do like to imagine, either way, that at least some of my things would find their way to loving, caring, appreciative homes in a similar sense as your mom and dad's did, too.

      Thank you very much - many hugs!
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. This is a very interesting topic. I'm on the other end of it myself, being in receipt of a lot of items from elderly family members (mainly homewares and fabric). My mum had a lot of childless great aunts, who left her a lot of things, and I have pieces myself that have come from deceased relatives.
    One case in point is my grandmother's sewing collection. My grandmother has not passed away yet, but has serious Alzheimers. For years she would let me take whatever I wanted from her sewing room, and when we finally had to move her into care, I took the car up, and packed it full of all her sewing things, took them home and sorted them. She was concerned one time about what had happened to it, and when I reminded her I had taken it all she was very relieved. If I hadn't taken it, I don't know what would have happened, as I am really the only other seamstress in the family.
    It's certainly a hard question, but a good one to talk about. I already have quite a collection of odd pieces, even at 21, some of which have very significant meanings. I would hope I could at one time pass them onto a daughter or grand daughter, but if that was not to be, I don't know what I'd do. I would just hope it finds a good home somewhere

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    1. Thank you very much for sharing such intimate experiences with me (us) here, sweet dear. I'm very sorry about your grandmother. We lost my MIL to a stroke triggered by her Alzheimers in 2013, so I can sincerely relate to many of the challenges that your family is dealing with. It's great (relatively speaking, naturally) that you were able to give your grandma's sewing items a loving home and that you two have that shared passion in common.

      Indeed, ultimately, finding things a good home is what matters to me as well. Relatives or close friends would be ideal, but if that isn't to be, then simply placing them with folks who knew their value - far beyond their monetary worth - and who would cherish and enjoy them as I did.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. What an interesting topic. I've often wondered the same thing, for none of us can be too young to think of death at some point. It feels sad and strange that he same items we so lovingly rescued and brought back to life from the dusty floors and shelves of thrift stores could be back there in an instant. Of course there are family members who would keep the more treasured pieces, but they can't keep all. You've raised an extremely thought provoking question here, Jess, one I shall be pondering for a while.
    As always, wishing you the best in the coming days!

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    1. Yes, precisely, that is so true (re: how we saved and breathed new life into old items) and I think that it was in my mind as I penned this post, even if I didn't expressly delve into that side of things. You hit the nail on the head, dear Abigail, and I think you for that.

      Happiness & hugs to you as well,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. I have been thinking about where all of my "Shtuff" is going to go, after I'm gone, and I have to keep a sense of humour as I don't think my kids will want any of it...new is better to them!!...so I keep telling them they'll have to rent a dumptruck to haul everything away!! I collect antiques, teddy bears, do card making and scrapbooking, so our house is pretty full and I am always looking for ways to re-display things, and then for every "new" item that comes into the house, one has to leave. I donate to our locate Mennonite thrift store,as they have some people come in and help price anything that is vintage or antique, and then the proceeds go to third world countries. I am starting to realize that more and more of my items will end up going there. I just donated an antique wardrobe (valued at $600.00), knowing the store will get good money and it will feed someone poor. I'm finding it harder and harder to find anyone that "gets" the true value of rare and vintage items, so I am enjoying what I have now, and if I suddenly pass away, I'll be gone and it won't matter any more! I try not to dwell on it and I wouldn't want to put the pressure on someone else to figure out "homes" for items that "I" collected.! Make sense! :)

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    1. It definitely does and I would never want to put that kind of pressure on my loved ones either, which is a huge part of why I wanted to broach this topic publicly, hoping that in doing so, perhaps I'd get closer to some answers. Objectively, they are just things at the end of the day, but they're things (for the most part) with lives and histories far older than my own and it does pain me to imagine them meeting an untimely fate, simply because I did.

      Thank you very much for your impute here and for sharing some of the things you collect. I'm a paper crafter too and that is another large collection of mine that would need to be dealt with (ditto for my books). Not fun thoughts at all, but necessary ones out of love and respect for those we leave behind.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. Quite a touchy subject.
    Then again, not that I haven't given it a thought. Since it is in my nature to have a looong term plans & emergency plans, one of them indeed is about my immediate passing (not being in any way sick or morbid, but it is an option that might happen: an accident, a heart attack..). With that in mind, I have summed up a "what needs to be done" with me, my human body and my belongings.
    Unlike most other folks, even unlike you - I chose to live alone. So, if the situation like this occures, it IS important not to be the "dead weight" on anyone (pardon my pun). Having an event like this planned is surely a heavy on emotions, no one likes to even consider his/hers passing.
    If it comes to an unfortunate event, I have decided to leave it to charity, to be used by anyobe. Truthfully, I do not care about material goods as much as others, and what hapens to them after my passing. I would like for someone who appreciate it to be able to enjoy it - but then again, I'd be happy if my items end up in the hands of someone who NEED it.
    ...
    A massive THUMBS UP to you & your bravery on writing this post. It's a wake up call, and for many - a reason to start some emotionaly heavy planning "in the case of".
    Cheers to you. A hero & a pioneer.

    Marija

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    1. Thank you deeply, my dear friend. That truly means a lot to me and I do wholeheartedly hope that this post helps to launch similar conversations between vintage lovers and their significant others/family/closest friends. We all like to believe we'll be around for decades more, but the end can come at any moment for absolutely anyone on earth and while we don't have to dwell on that fact, it seems irresponsible to me to not at least try to think about it sometimes and to help make our passing and what we leave behind easier for our loved ones to deal with when we're gone.

      Many sincere thanks again - you always say and convey such wise, insightful points on any topic.

      ♥ Jessica

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  22. This is something I occasionally think about as well. Fortunately, I have an easy solution in that my younger sister also loves vintage, so I have always thought I would leave my collection to her. Otherwise, I have a number of friends who also love vintage, so I would probably let them pick and choose as they wished. I definitely prefer to think of my collection going to others who I know, and will cherish those items, rather than anonymous people I never met or had a connection with.

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    1. You are, relatively speaking, I mean, truly fortunate and in a boat that not many of us are, dear gal. I'm really happy (again, relatively speaking!) for you and hope that knowing your items will go to loving, appreciative new owners gives you some peace of mind when you do reflect on the worst case scenarios in life. I truly hope I can reach a point where I can say the same (leaving things to family and friends) one day myself as well.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. this is one reason i do not collect.
    i try only to own what i really need for daily life and a event here and there. the temptation is often high while browsing the fleamarket stalls and hubs tend to be a collector. but luckily we both are great fans of buddhism which teaches to not hang on material things. this helps. mostly ;-)
    i hope you´ll find a solution for your problem - and i really really hope and wish that the actual problem is in a very fare future!!!!
    love!!! <3 <3 <3

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    1. Thank you very much, my dear and always wise friend - I second that hope entirely, but it would be foolhardy of someone in my position not to think of the very real possibility of the end being far nearer than anyone saw coming (though, of course, I hope it's decades off!!!).

      The older I get, the more I try to take that approach, too, especially since we live in such a tiny home (two people, two businesses, and two very lively pets in one wee condo, as I always like to say) and each inch of space is at a premium. Like many young people, I did a fair bit of buying in my 20s, but have already scaled back a lot in my early 30s and suspect I will even more so as time goes on and on.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  24. My very good friend always tells me that vintage lovers are just care takers that have the pleasure of preserving treasures during our life time. I like that thought! Though where things travel after is just part of the story of each item, they could go anywhere in the world!

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    1. That is a truly wise, level headed, one might even say enlightened take on things and you know, I flat out love it. The items are not us, ultimately, and each one deserves to keep living its life, if it can, long after ours has ended - wherever that may mean it ends up (though ideally, not in the trash!).

      Thank you for your eloquently comment, sweet lady.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  25. I've honestly never thought about this before. I think my significant other would probably sell or donate most of it, and maybe keep a piece or two to remember me my. You're right that this is a bit morbid, but you're also right that this is something that people should probably think about once in a while, even young, healthy people. Like, I don't really know what I would do with any of my boyfriend's stuff if he passed away. This is a good reminder to talk about these kinds of things with the people close to you, even if death doesn't seem like much of a possibility.

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    1. Honestly, if something happened to me right now, I suspect that that is the path that Tony would take as well. I don't have much that would interest my various relatives and there isn't a lot that would serve Tony well, so without someone (or multiple people) to bequeath my belongings to, I do think they'd end up being donated.

      Tony and I have talked a fair bit about this for both of us and that would be the route I'd take with his things, as he's in the same kind of boat.

      Thank you very much for your comment. I completely agree that it is genuinely important to talk about this subject with our nearest and dearest loved ones while they're still here, if possible.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  26. Ironically, I think about death quite often these days, especially since 2015 is not a good year for many of us and there are a lot of people dying this year. It feels as a survival of the fittest. But even though death crosses my mind often, I never really thought about what would become of my vintage wardrobe if something ever happens to me (which I hope won't be near *knocks wood*).

    After reading your post I sat quietly for a moment to think about it. My lovely boyfriend Ben is also very much into vintage and wears it and is a member of a couple of websites that sell vintage to other members in the group. I think he will hold onto it for a while and then sells or donates it. I think I will ask him when he comes home work.

    A thought provoking post, that's for sure!

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    1. I nod in agreement with you, dear Lindsay, as a shutter reverberates up my spine, because I too have noticed that with some people in my life in the last couple of years. Of course, as we age ourselves, more folks who are of an advanced age pass on, but it isn't only the elderly that seem to be meeting a far too sudden end and your description of it being a matter of survival of the fittest is starkly accurate.

      With all my heart, I'm very sorry that you've had so much loss in your life lately and hope dearly that you'll be spared more for a long time to come.

      Thank you deeply for weighing in and for sharing some of your thoughts on this topic. I really appreciate it.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  27. Im 37 with no children by choice and knock on wood in good health, but things can always happen. I too have few real world friends, no brothers or sisters, my father is deceased, and my mother and I are not at all close. I dont see my extended family at all. My concern is what would happen to my beloved pets if something happened to my husband and myself, I haven't really thought about the vintage. My hope is that my online friends and my father in law would work to help my pets find good homes. Im not too worried about my vintage. I hope that it would be passed on to others that appreciate it. I actually like the idea of things traveling from person to person. I also know that having children is no guarantee of having someone to pass things on too, a love of vintage is not genetic. Plenty of people I know have give me vintage because they know there families aren't interested. I hope our beloved possessions find other care takers after we are gone
    retro rover

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    1. Thank you very much for your impute on this important topic, dear Kate. I swear, I have had the same thought about our pets as well, were something to happen to both Tony and I. There is one family member who I believe would take Annie, but I'm not sure what would happen to Stella (our cat). Penning this post actually made me realize that I should figure that out now, just - goodness forbid - in case. Thank you for the reminder that there are things far more important than any worldly good that need to be looked after and rehomed once we're gone. You are a truly wonderful pet owner.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  28. Thank you for sharing this post!! It's something I truly never thought about, but something that is indeed good to think about!
    I'll be praying for you, dear Jessica!!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Esther, that is beautiful of you to do. I promise though that I have not had any sudden/new reasons to think that my time might be up soon. I would be forthright and share as much, if such were the case. It's actually because I haven't that now seems like a wise, calm time to delve into the topic, without the stress of the end possibly being quite near, I mean.

      You are a caring, wonderful person. Thank you again.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  29. Things are just things, Love. When it is your time to go, they won't matter anymore. Make a plan that will make it easiest on those you leave behind, with clear, simple directions so they can feel they they are honoring your wishes.

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    1. You are absolutely, wisely 100% right, dear Piper and I completely agree with you. It's less about the things and more on making dealing with them at least a touch easier on my loved ones, whomever they may be when my number is called. Thank you for the clear reminder that ultimately, things don't matter.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  30. I often think of this (much more so since being given all those things in April), especially in relation to my books and sewing patterns, which all together could add up. A lot of my other things, Christmas decorations and oh so very many dishes, for example, belonged to family members, so I would hope that even a non-vintage loving family member might treasure at least some of them. In reaching old age (which hopefully will be most of us) I agree with the idea that if you don't have someone who you can siphon things off to, of finding a place such as a museum/theater/college that might be able to use them in a way that would be appreciated. I think for me knowing my items were going to a place where they'd be appreciated, loved, and cared for would probably be my biggest factor in making a decision, though.

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    1. That is an excellent point about how some vintage/antique items may be easier to rehome because they relate to things like Christmas or have a more widespread practical application (like a china set or vase, for example), that a lot of people have an interest in/can use. Thank you very much for bringing that up. In the scope of writing this post, I had all but forgotten about that element of things and how it factors into the equation.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  31. I have read your page for awhile but never commented. My impression is that you live in a smallish BC town. Small town museums are great repositories of everyday life stuff. I also think think they're starting to be open to 40s- 60s stuff. Vintage fashion us always a popular item in these museums plus they like to know any stories about them. Worth considering.

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    1. Thank you very much for your comment. I do indeed live in a small-ish town. It's not that small, a touch over 30,000 people, but in many ways it has the resources and arts/culture scene of a much tinier place. We have one miniscule sized museum here in Penticton, with very few in the whole region. I doubt that they'd want much, but I'd be thrilled if they did and as touched on in this post, this is certainly an option that I've thought about before. I think that the next time I'm visiting, I'll ask someone who works there point blank about if they take donations from the public and if so, what they generally prefer to receive. Thank you for the reminder to do so - and for commenting for the first time. It's always a pleasure to connect with long time readers who haven't done so previously.

      Have a great week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  32. Jessica,

    What a lovely post. Although I don't have a large vintage clothing collection, I do have a lot of things that have very special meaning to me, including antique furniture, jewelry, and books. I've been married for 14 years and we also do not have children, by choice. I'm estranged from my siblings and both of my parents are gone now. I wonder all the time who I would bequeath my "things" to when I die.

    My mother was diagnosed with ALS in 2008 and we moved her from San Diego, CA to Baltimore, MD to come and live with us so we could care for her. At that time, she was able pick and choose who got what and I could see how it pleased her to know exactly who was getting what and that she made the decision on this. She knew that the person she gave it to would cherish it.

    On the other hand, my grandfather recently passed away and it absolutely broke my heart to see my Uncle and Cousin have an estate and garage sale and sell ALL of his things without reaching out to family members to see if we wanted anything. I was fortunate to have been in Minneapolis to visit shortly after he passed and was able to grab some of my grandmother's jewelry and some ties for The Gentleman. But as we were in the midst of moving from the U.S. to Germany we couldn't take much else. But the sad thing was that they never even thought to keep any of the beautiful furniture or keepsakes of my Grandparents life. It gutted me to see everything sold at a garage sale. Some people just don't have the same attachments I guess.

    Anyway, I want to thank you for bringing this subject to light. I hope it starts a conversation for people and I also hope that you are able to find a solution that gives you the power to decide and gives your husband and family peace.

    Love,
    Christine
    ~The Glambassador~

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    1. Thank you very much for your thoughtful, intimate comment, dear Christine. I sincerely appreciate you sharing some of your own very personal, painful firsthand experiences with me (us). I'm deeply sorry to hear about all of the hardship that you and your family have been enduring in recent years.

      I'm struck in reading your own comment and those of some other people here, how many of us in the vintage scene are childless, either by choice or circumstance (or simply because they haven't opted to start a family yet). My mind keeps going back to the fact that maybe it would make sense to create a some sort of network of vintage folks (that their nearest of kin were aware of, ideally) so that people could perhaps have a particular friend or fellow collector to bequeath some of their more treasured belongings to in lieu of leaving them to relatives or close real world friends. I fully realize that such a network, as it were, would be a massive undertaking and might not even be smart from a legal standpoint (lawyers would need to be consulted for sure), but there's something very comforting about the idea and think it could help a lot of us out, at least in part, if it were in place. I'm just talking in terms of hypotheticals here and am not launching such a project myself, but I may look into the general concept behind it more and see if there's any viability to it or not.

      Thank you again for your wonderful comment, your understanding, and your love - oodles of it is coming right back to you.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  33. I often think about this too. I have been seriously ill in the past and at one point or another thought i would not survive. I do have children (boys) and at the time what would happen to them was more imortant than what would happen to my things. Now that i am well i wonder what would happe to my possessions. I couldn't bear for my husband to get rid of all of my things, things i have spent a life time collecting and that are dear to me. When my grandmother died, relatives swooped in and immediatley got rid of all of her possessions including giving all of her antique furniture which i would have loved (being a single parent at the time with no money) to a neighbour that she didn't even know. In the past it has been in the back of my mind that i would have a grand daughter that would appeciate my collections but it now seems highly unlikely that i will be getting any grandchildren. It is when dusting my many cabinets of 1920's wedding collectables that the thought occurs to me the most. Yes, it must all be worth quite a fair bit, that's before i consider my cc41 shoes and clothing. It would be a tradgedy for it to end up in the local charity shop or worse, chucked out for the bin man.
    The truth is nobody in my family would be interested in my items or feel sentimental about them in any way. I have thought that maybe i should log all items and their current value with the suggestion that they are sold. I haven't got around to doing this yet and i'm sure that if i ever do i will be shocked at the value and the money tied up in them. This may prompt me to have a huge purge as nice as these things may be they money they would bring would be of far more use to my family today than a cabinet full of gorgeous 1920's wedding shoes that nobody is every going to wear!

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  34. Jessica, you have done a service to your vintage-loving readers by bringing this up--it is important to consider, especially since many of us value our vintage not just for its beauty and craftsmanship, but for the history that it represents. What a shame it would be to have it shoved into a plastic bin bag and left at a thrift store or worse, the dump!

    I so appreciate this post, not least of all because I need to consider this prospect. (Like you, I am in no imminent danger of dying, but one must be prepared!) I have made many provisions for my spouse and dearest friend in the event of my death--life insurance, a specific type of deed on the home my spouse and I own that will make that transfer easier, etc.--but my vintage collection had not previously crossed my mind. As I have no children (and intend to keep it that way) and no family or close friends who are especially interested in vintage, I am very fortunate that I live in a state in the US with no fewer than 3 universities with excellent fashion programs, at least 2 of which have archives and historic fashion collections. I will have to see about whether any of them would be interested in taking custody of my personal collection when the time comes, that way I know my vintage pieces will continue to be appreciated even after I am gone. If nothing else, it is a good start for my estate planning! =)

    Sorry this was so long-winded; I do hope you know how much I appreciate that you were willing to ask this question not just of yourself, but of all of your readers as well. You certainly made me think! <3

    -Abbey

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  35. I have never thought of this and my husband and I did our wills about a year ago..silly me. Now what would I do with my collection?

    I too don't have kids and pretty sure they are not in my future and my closest relatives are boys and a tom boy of a girl so that is a no go. I guess I would will them to my vintage friends who would know what to do with them.

    Now I need to change my will. Thanks for bringing this topic up! Yes a tough topic but a topic that needs to be discussed never the less.

    Liz :)

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  36. I think it is a great idea to start a discussion on this topic. In my family we do talk about what to do in case of death but mostly along the lines of ceremonies, music etc. My Grandma spent some time sticking names to pieces of furniture and books to make sure they went to the people she thought would appreciate them. I think a clear will really helps here. Oddly, the thing that worries me is my vintage knitting pattern collection, I would hate for it to just get chucked out. I think I will go around everyone to whom it might concern and tell them to send them to a museum!

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Kate. This post has been helpful to me and I hope it will be for many others. I find that I want to get even more organized (I'm pretty organized all the time, but there's always room for betterment in any area) and to get even better at not holding onto things I no longer want/need/use/love, so that if the unthinkable were to happen suddenly or even just while I'm still relatively young, there would be less for my surviving family members to have to deal with. I enjoy decluttering and organizing a ton, so that doesn't feel like work and will happen organically, as I realize a particular item doesn't need to be life any more (though, that said, I have already donated four big bags of items to charity this month in the days since this post went live).

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  37. My three daughters would inherit all of my vintage clothing and jewels. I think they would donate the mink cape let as they don't wear real fur. Other items have already been tagged specifically to go to other people. Including you. Xx

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    1. My sweet friend Christy, thank you for your incredibly touching comment and for thinking of me in that regard. There are no words to adequately express how much that means to me.

      Huge hugs always,
      ♥ Jessica

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  38. Hello! I hope you are well! My life has been through some serious changes this year, so I've been absent from the blogging world. Hope you are well Jessica! Thankfully my life is slowly starting to mend itself.

    I know exactly what I will do with my collection when I go. I have the great fortune to live in the same city as the Canadian Costume Museum. I will donate everything I have to them. That way I know my things will be taken care of and others will be able to enjoy them through the museum.

    Lisa.xo

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    1. Hello dear Lisa, I have missed you so much and thought of you time and time again during your blogging break. I really appreciate you sharing your plans on this front with me and think it's wonderful that you have things figured out. What a blessing to live in the same city as the Canadian costume museum (a place I want to visit with sooo incredibly much). I hope that such a donation is many decades off though of course.

      Thank you again & have a beautiful weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  39. You're right, this is a serious topic which we all should consider. I've thought about it for the past 3 years or more. I don't have a lot of very expensive things either, but summed up it is quite a lot. And I have things which no-one in Denmark understands the value of, e.g. my lucite shoes, purses and collection of jewellery. To most other people it would just be old stuff. I've thought about writing a little notebooks what the different items are and if they are worth selling. I certainly do not hope it will just be driven to the dump site, then I would prefer it to be given to a charity shop. I hate people use and discard things mindlessly. I hope they (the ones that have to take over when I'm gone) will sell it and earn the money, but I also know how time consuming it is to sell online. Perhaps that's why I've started sorting and selling myself. I've also thought that an accident or bad illness could hit me, one never knows what fate has in store for us. Perhaps we vintage lovers should make a group on the internet like a shared testament of vintage things, so our family can just contact the group saying we are gone and that we have so and so (we could even make and update a list ourselves before we leave) and if anybody would be interested. Denmark is just like you describe it, no fellow vintage lovers, hardly no vintage shops, so it is a difficult one. I've decided that when I'm gone I don't care, but I do hope that it is at least given to charity. It is a tough one. I didn't have the energy to read all the comments, but since I know you have done so, perhaps you can one day write a follow up with all the great ideas I am sure your fans have written. Wishing you a lovely day, dear. :)

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    1. Hello my very dear friend, thank you for your in-depth, thoughtful, wise words and for sharing your idea of writing down the worth of items in a notebook. That is an extremely smart approach and one that I might honestly adopt myself.

      At the end of the day, while things are just things, they're important too and my fear is that they would end up in a landfill somewhere, too. I couldn't imagine Tony doing that, as he understands their worth, but if he wasn't there (either), I really can't say what my other family members would do. Chances are they'd just give it all to charity.

      Yes, I fully agree and have been thinking a lot more about that idea since penning this post that a part of the answer for some folks lies perhaps in a group that could help others out when the unthinkable happens. I fully realize that there could be a ton of legal nightmares involved there, not to mention that if the person (or people) running it passed suddenly, the whole thing could fall apart, but I do think that we should have something like this out there to help us vintage folks and our families.

      I don't know if I'm per se the one to spearhead such a group myself, but I will think about it - I wouldn't do so with out talking to an estate lawyer first though, as, again, there could be a lot of legal elements to consider when discussing a person's property and/or will after they've passed and the last thing I'd ever want was to unintentionally get embroiled in a heated family estate battle.

      Thank you again, lovely Sanne. I hope with all my heart that neither of us have to face this situation for many more decades to come.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  40. Wow. This was a very powerful subject. I have 3 daughters but only Belle is my size. She would be the one that already called dibs on my vintage collection. And I say collection because it entails so much more than just clothing. Thank you my sweet friend for an excellent post on a subject that we all need to consider.

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    1. That is so very true about most people's vintage collections being comprised of more than "just" their clothing. There's usually accessories, purses, perhaps shoes, various collectibles, books and/or magazines, records, and/or whatever else a person collects. I own all of these things and they were very much on my mind as I penned this post.

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this deeply important subject with me, dear Christy. I sincerely appreciate it.

      Wishing you a relaxing, lovely last weekend of August,
      ♥ Jessica

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  41. Great read and great information. Something I think of often and not just about my vintage clothing.
    Thanks. Sandy

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    1. Hi Sandy, thank you very much commenting on this post and for sharing that you two reflect on this subject often. I hope dearly that it's not because there is any imminence to the the matter for you.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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