TL;DR
Get kitchen gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Apartment Therapy has published advice from designers and vintage-home experts on seven kinds of household items people may regret donating, including old books, quilts, dishes and family keepsakes. The advice is subjective: experts point to sentimental, decorative or possible resale value, but the report does not establish that every item is valuable or worth keeping.
Apartment Therapy has published advice from designers and vintage-home experts on seven categories of household items people may want to think twice about donating during a decluttering purge. The recommendations focus on items that may carry family memories, decorative uses or potential value, rather than offering a rule that every object should be kept.
The list includes vintage books, sentimental collectibles and antique quilts, along with old dishes and inherited knickknacks or travel souvenirs. It also covers other potentially meaningful objects that might otherwise be discarded, such as family papers and unusual household items. The article’s central advice is to avoid making quick decisions about items whose history or possible uses are not immediately apparent.
Sara McDaniel, a designer and vintage seller at Simply Southern Cottage, says older books can serve as styling pieces and that some may be rare first editions. The report does not identify particular titles or establish that a reader’s books are valuable. Kylie Bass, founder and principal of KBB Interiors, advises keeping a small number of collectibles with personal meaning rather than holding onto an entire collection.
Ann Couser Kittredge, a vintage-home decor blogger, says handmade quilts can be used as throws, bed coverings or tablecloths, and may carry family significance. She also suggests reusing old dishes in displays or practical arrangements. Designer Laura Medicus recommends displaying selected family mementos and souvenirs alongside other objects. These are design suggestions and personal judgments, not appraisals or guarantees of resale value.
How a Purge Can Erase Useful Keepsakes
The advice speaks to a common consequence of clearing out a home: an item that seems expendable during a hurried purge can later prove useful, meaningful or costly to replace. Books, dishes and textiles may have decorative or practical uses beyond their original purpose, while keepsakes can preserve a link to family history.
That does not mean a household should retain everything. The experts’ comments instead suggest slowing down for items with a specific personal story, possible age or alternate use. For objects that appear rare or valuable, the article’s recommendations do not replace independent research or a professional appraisal. The distinction matters because sentimental value and market price are not the same.
Products Worth Considering
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, Onyx Black
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, Almond Cream
Traeger Pro 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 572 sq. in.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Seven Categories in the Report
The Apartment Therapy report is framed as advice for people decluttering, moving or sorting inherited belongings. Its seven categories are vintage books, sentimental collectibles, antique quilts, old dishes, hand-me-down knickknacks, travel souvenirs and other personal or family mementos. The examples include figurines, old tools, trophies, maps and childhood documents.
Rather than recommending that readers keep entire collections, the designers describe selective approaches: save a few objects with meaningful memories, consider whether an older item could be displayed or repurposed, and avoid assuming that an object is worthless simply because it looks dated. The source is a lifestyle and home-design report based on interviews; it does not provide a market survey, valuation data or a formal conservation guide.
“These books often make for fabulous styling pieces either as a coffee table accent, a book wall, or even on your dining room table.”
— Sara McDaniel, designer and vintage seller at Simply Southern Cottage
Sentimental Worth Is Not Market Value
The report does not assess individual objects, identify specific valuable editions or estimate what any item might sell for. A book’s age alone does not establish rarity, and an antique-looking dish or quilt is not automatically valuable. Condition, provenance and demand can affect market value, but the source does not evaluate those factors.
It is also a matter of personal preference whether to keep family items that are difficult to store or display. The report offers expert opinions and examples, not evidence that readers will regret donating every item in the listed categories. Its publication date is described only as about four hours before the supplied source material, so the exact date and time are not available here.
Pause Before the Donation Pickup
The report sets out no follow-up event or formal next step. For readers deciding what to do with belongings, its advice amounts to reviewing items individually before donating them: identify the objects tied to a particular person or memory, consider whether they have a practical or decorative use, and research items that may be rare before letting them go.
That approach does not require keeping an entire collection. The designers’ recommendations favor selecting a manageable number of meaningful pieces and making a considered decision about the rest. Any claim of significant monetary value would need to be checked separately, because the article provides no appraisals or price evidence.
Key Questions
Which seven types of items does the report say to reconsider donating?
It names vintage books, sentimental collectibles, antique quilts, old dishes, hand-me-down knickknacks, travel souvenirs and other family or personal mementos.
Does the article say these items are all valuable?
No. It relays designers’ suggestions about possible uses, history and sentimental meaning. It does not appraise items or claim that every old book, dish or keepsake has market value.
Should I keep an entire collection of inherited objects?
Not necessarily. KBB Interiors founder Kylie Bass suggests keeping selected pieces with special memories rather than every object in a collection.
What should I do if I think an item may be rare?
Research the item and its history before donating it, and seek an independent appraisal if a reliable estimate of market value matters. The Apartment Therapy report does not provide valuations.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
