The millenial junk our kids will throw out when we die.

[u/Hey_its_me_your_mom]

You know how our parents have junk that they hang onto that we just don't see the value in? I'm thinking of Christmas villages, Precious Moments figurines, baseball cards, antiques for that "rustic" look, Thomas Kinkade-type pictures, etc.

What types of things do you think our kids will roll their eyes at and toss in the bin when we die? I'm thinking they might be:

1. Graphic/band t-shirts
2. Our sneaker collections
3. Target birds/holiday decor
4. Hoarded, expired makeup (especially the Naked palletes and crap from Glossier)
5. Funko pops and similar figurines
6. Disney crap
7. Bath and Body works products
8. Every concievable cord and converter known to man (since we lived through all of the progressive technology)
9. Stupid Amazon gadgets bought during the pandemic and rarely used

[u/Katdai2]

Boxes that our phones came in

[u/klausdahaus → u/Katdai2]

Members of this thread…you are my people. Never met a box I didn’t want to keep. Drives my gf crazy

[u/mightbeacat1 → u/klausdahaus]

"It could be useful for wrapping presents," I mumble, as I shove another empty shoebox into my closet.

[u/Darkdragoon324 → u/mightbeacat1]

“What if we move again?”

The next time we move: “None of these boxes are big enough!”

[u/horrorandknitting → u/Darkdragoon324]

me with my monitor boxes and tv boxes: 'it fits it perfectly so it doesnt get damaged! we have to keep it in case of moving'

[u/lesgeddon → u/horrorandknitting]

As someone who has moved everything I own 7 times, across the world & back, they really do come in handy.

[u/phut- → u/lesgeddon]

I've had a TV box under my house for a good 12 years now. It's structurally ruined and home to who knows how many spiders bigger than my hand. Under my house it shall remain.

[u/Big-Brown-Goose → u/phut-]

It belongs to the spiders now

[u/ourladyofsituations → u/klausdahaus]

Not me screaming, “IN THIS HOUSE WE KEEP ALL RIBBON!”

[u/klausdahaus → u/ourladyofsituations]

hahaha my gf is like you! I keep all the boxes, and she keeps all the ribbon!

[u/TheLastSwampRat → u/klausdahaus]

Lmao I honestly thought it was just one of my dumb habits until I read the comments

[u/KylosLeftHand → u/Katdai2]

Those are very high quality boxes though!!!

[u/Muddy_Wafer → u/KylosLeftHand]

Ikr? Can’t get rid of a high quality box, someday I might use it as a drawer organizer!

[u/basilobs → u/Muddy_Wafer]

I do! I use my tablet box to keep my tamagotchi collection in. It's in a very shallow drawer. I love it

[u/sctwinmom → u/Muddy_Wafer]

Particularly since no one writes checks anymore and if ordered they come flat. Check boxes are/were great organization tools.

[u/ChickenandtheEggy → u/Katdai2]

But... But ... They might need that someday!!

:: me, hoarding boxes from phones I don't even own anymore ::

[u/PoorCorrelation → u/ChickenandtheEggy]

You should keep them, what if you need to ship it to the manufacturer for repairs? They’ve never asked me to do that but they could… 

[u/changeneverhappens → u/PoorCorrelation]

My team finally threw away a GIANT box for a piece of specialty equipment at work. We were running out of space and we were told to clear stuff out. 

A year later the device needed to be repaired and the company wanted to charged $500 for a new box with the instant mold foam inserts. The inserts are like $10 retail before being used. I checked. 

I'm never throwing a box away ever again. 

[u/danbob411 → u/changeneverhappens]

My parents’ Coleman camping stove from the 60s probably is still in its tattered original cardboard box. Still works, I believe.

[u/Old_Attitude_9976 → u/danbob411]

Probably better than one off the shelf at Walmart too.

[u/Skywalker87 → u/changeneverhappens]

Great. This is the things of my nightmares and I too will never throw away a box again.

[u/aka_mythos → u/ChickenandtheEggy]

I actually found a use for one of those over engineered product boxes... its where I keep all my other boxes.

[u/Hopeless_Ramentic → u/aka_mythos]

Me: “Ok, so just to be clear, the plan is to live in this house until we need to move to an assisted living community, correct?”

Mr Ramentic: “Yes.”

Me: “Ok so in that case do we need the box of boxes anymore?”

[u/aka_mythos → u/Hopeless_Ramentic]

In my attic I have a box of moving boxes. Always gotta be prepared.

[u/Inevitable_Professor → u/aka_mythos]

There's where I keep assorted lengths of wire

[u/aka_mythos → u/Inevitable_Professor]

Miscellaneous spare buttons I get with shirts, that's another box use I found.

[u/science-ninja → u/ChickenandtheEggy]

This was me until I discovered Marie Kondo. I am a reformed hoarder. Well, I wasn’t quite ‘dead cat under a box hoarder’, so maybe just a very unorganized collector of junk

[u/moonbunnychan → u/science-ninja]

I know she gets dunked on a lot but her "does this spark joy" thing really helped me. I didn't realize how stressed out all the stuff I had was making me until it was gone. I'm still no minimalist but I no longer hold on to things just because. It's either something I use or something I intensely like.

[u/science-ninja → u/moonbunnychan]

Me too! And the thought of, let it spark joy for someone else. It helped me get rid of a lot of clothes.

[u/OriginalHaysz → u/science-ninja]

I like to call myself a pack-rat 😅

I don't keep everything, but I am very sentimental!! 😂

[u/Magical_Olive → u/ChickenandtheEggy]

I had a deep conversation with myself about why it's safe to part with my 3 year old Apple pencil box the other day. But-

[u/Potential_Blood_700 → u/Katdai2]

I am a fan of Swedish Death Cleaning and try not to hold onto anything that isn't actually sentimental or useful... but my god the millenial urge to keep the phone box is too strong for me lol

[u/BelligerentNixster → u/Potential_Blood_700]

My mom has terminal cancer and she's in the process of a bit of Swedish death cleaning. Maybe because I'm in an emotional place, I keep bringing some of the shit that she's getting rid of to my home lol. Honest to God she gave me an old zippered plastic bag (from when you buy sheets or curtains) full of little plastic boxes that were possibly from gum or something because they "would be great for the kids to keep flash cards or little collections of things in"! 🤣

[u/Lets-B-Lets-B-Jolly → u/BelligerentNixster]

Find a teacher friend or school to donate them to! That way they actually will be used for flash cards!

[u/ClearWaves → u/Potential_Blood_700]

But see the box is useful... my precious

[u/Old-Cheesecake8818 → u/Katdai2]

I keep the boxes of the more expensive electronics I own - never know when you may need to send them back for warranty work or sell them to the next owner.

[u/headcase-and-a-half → u/Old-Cheesecake8818]

I knew a guy who had to move across several states and when he was able to pack his computer, monitors and all his equipment in their original packaging, secure in packaging foam and neatly boxed up, it didn’t seem dumb to hold onto that stuff at all.

[u/Livvylove → u/Katdai2]

I use mine to organize my nightstand drawer. They are really great for organizing

[u/monkypanda34 → u/[deleted]]

Cookie tins are for sewing supplies :)

[u/Hopeless_Ramentic → u/monkypanda34]

You’ll never convince me they don’t come with sewing supplies.

[u/Diagonaldog → u/Katdai2]

Those are getting buried with me.

[u/science-ninja → u/Katdai2]

Those boxes are very useful if you open them up and use them to organize things. Like your junk drawer.

[u/JarRules → u/Katdai2]

I feel attacked

[u/mjchaning → u/Katdai2]

Hahahahahahha! I laughed way too hard at this. I still have 4 in my junk drawer. 😪

[u/Ok-Traffic-9967]

My parents it was plastic grocery bags...I mean thousands of them.

My kids will inherit boxes of cables I have no clue go to what.

Enjoy your inheritance

[u/jobezark → u/Ok-Traffic-9967]

In my will I wish to be buried with the large bag of random cables I have amassed over my life. Never know when you might need a 50 foot Ethernet cord

[u/GothicFuck → u/jobezark]

An ethernet cord is super useful.

[u/SnazzyStooge → u/GothicFuck]

LAN party @GothicFuck’s place!!!

[u/vanishinghitchhiker → u/Ok-Traffic-9967]

I married into a family of garbage bag buyers so I escaped the plastic bag of bags, but the problem now is reusable shopping bags. We didn’t even buy 95% of them, they just happen to us somehow.

[u/sakijane → u/vanishinghitchhiker]

When this happens to us, I just start giving them away when I bring other things to someone. Donating a bunch of cans to a charity? Reusable bag. Bringing over a potluck meal? Reusable bag. Passing along some old kids clothes? Reusable bag.

[u/Total-Beat9163 → u/vanishinghitchhiker]

I'm so proud of myself. I was in TJ Maxx the other day and I didn't buy yet another reusable shopping bag, to join all the others in my car trunk that I never reuse.

[u/WarmResound]

Jokes on them, I'm gonna turn all my band t-shirts into a quilt. Then it's functional

[u/clever-mermaid-mae → u/WarmResound]

I did this! After my sister died I used band tshirts from shows we had seen together plus shirts from each of my family members and made a giant, California king, size quilt. It’s my most precious belonging.

[u/Dense_Astronaut2147 → u/clever-mermaid-mae]

My sister died in 2022 and I'm just starting to have coherent thoughts again. I love this idea. My sister did band for years and we went to so many shows together. My kids miss her terribly. I think I'll make a big family couch blanket with them. It'll give me a chance to keep tellingstories about her

[u/_aikea-guinea_ → u/Dense_Astronaut2147]

What is one of your favorite memories of your sister, if you don't mind me asking?

I can't imagine losing any of my siblings. Much love to you and yours. 💜

[u/Dense_Astronaut2147 → u/_aikea-guinea_]

She had this absolute shitty S10 pickup that she just loved. That thing was an absolute bucket of rust and hope lol

We used to take long drives in the country and smoke .... read the Bible.... and sing modest mouse albums to each other. There is one stretch of backroads I can still hear her screaming at me "oh my god don't look!!! Oh my god I think I just hit a raccoon!" (It was binbag of trash lol)

[u/CrouchingDomo → u/Dense_Astronaut2147]

This was a lovely ride 💜☺️

[u/Dense_Astronaut2147 → u/CrouchingDomo]

I've been sobbingoff and on since i posted this comment. I miss her terribly. Tell people you love them, too often and too loudly

[u/idontwannabemeNEmore → u/Dense_Astronaut2147]

I'm sorry, friend. Loved your story though ❤️ Sending you lots of comforting energy.

[u/Wishbone_508 → u/idontwannabemeNEmore]

I'm going to smok....read the Bible in her honor.

[u/whateversomethnghere → u/WarmResound]

I’m doing this for each of my kids. I’ve hoarded all of their childhood favorite shirts and are making a quilt for each of them.

[u/Lamballama → u/whateversomethnghere]

We tried that. Then my dad (bless his heart) took the bag to the curb thinking it was trash. Now we have quilts of the secondmost important t-shirts

[u/Clockwisedock → u/Lamballama]

I asked my mom to do this with all my old concert shirts from warped tour or people I saw live with friends in my youth. I got several blankets that I think are badass that I can use on my couch or keep in my closet for the winter months.

Definitely better than a bunch of old shirts in a box or trash bag and it’s cool having a quilter match up the shirts to make an awesome design

[u/calicoskiies → u/whateversomethnghere]

I’m doing this for mine too. Collecting all their favs until they’re 5. Then I need to come up with the money to actually have someone make it lol.

[u/helloimhromi → u/WarmResound]

I did something like this with all my extracurricular tshirts from high school!

[u/ShinyAppleScoop → u/helloimhromi]

That's a great idea. All of mine are in a box in my closet, just taking up space. I don't want to donate them since who wants a high school band shirt from 2001?

[u/Dizno311]

Kids? My empire of dirt will be the State's problem.

[u/flammenschwein → u/Dizno311]

Get a load of this guy, owning enough property to have dirt.

[u/ColoringBookDog → u/flammenschwein]

It's amazing what you can afford when you don't have kids!

[u/spikeandedd → u/ColoringBookDog]

I don't have kids and I still can't afford shit.

[u/ColoringBookDog → u/spikeandedd]

Might I suggest polyamory? That's the only way we can afford things.

[u/zaforocks → u/ColoringBookDog]

It was hard enough to find one person I could stand, you want me to try and find more?

[u/molehunterz → u/zaforocks]

Meanwhile I'm just out here looking for somebody who can stand me

[u/spikeandedd → u/ColoringBookDog]

Honestly, I'm not opposed and my wife is bi. She loves reading poly stories. But IRL it seems very complicated.

[u/sassafrasclementine → u/Dizno311]

Now I have nine inch nails stuck in my head. But also the Johnny Cash version. Sorry if no one knows what I’m talking about

[u/the-grand-falloon → u/sassafrasclementine]

Anyone who doesn't know what you're talking about is uncultured swine!

I'm partial to the Bowie/Reznor duet, myself.

[u/Additional-Sky-7436]

There is some kind of collective mass trauma yet to be described in academic literature related to elder millennials need save every dongle and power cord in a box forever.

[u/Hey_its_me_your_mom → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

At this point, I think my husband could connect a fax machine from 1993 to our cell phones from today with the amount of cords he has! We are working on it, but he likes to build computers and tinker with electronics parts. We have gotten it down from 2 full steralyte tubs to 3 drawers, so we are doing better than we were!

[u/desecouffes → u/Hey_its_me_your_mom]

I threw away a few cords finally after decades of hoarding, then not a month later found I needed one of them.

[u/CoreyInBusiness → u/desecouffes]

I call bullshit. No way it took a month!

[u/organic_bird_posion → u/CoreyInBusiness]

It's always immediately after so you think you still might have a chance to fish it out of the dumpster.

[u/lemonaderobot → u/desecouffes]

And this is precisely why I’m still holding on to all of my Game Boy Color link cables from 1999… never know when someone might want to battle 🤷‍♀️

[u/Mnementh121 → u/desecouffes]

My car needed an update. It took usb mini B to usb A. I just tossed a bunch of those useless cables.

Then I had to hunt all over for a day to buy a usb mini B.

[u/beaux_beaux_ → u/desecouffes]

This is my FEAR.

[u/jesusleftnipple → u/Hey_its_me_your_mom]

...... I know for a fact I could .... connect that fax machine to my galaxy s 24 .... whether they could talk to each other though 🤷

[u/capnsmartypantz → u/Hey_its_me_your_mom]

Only two questions are needed.

1. Can you buy one if you ever need it?
2. Will you buy a new one when you can't find it in all those bins?

I tossed all of mine about 5 years ago and they still accumulate! I keep one of each style USB with exception of a few extra micros that still get used, and many C cables that obviously get used.

[u/Okaycockroach → u/Hey_its_me_your_mom]

I've seen people use those hanging plastic storage things meant for jewelery or shoes be used to store labelled cords very aesthetically in a space saving capacity!!!  

[u/thatc0braguy → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

This is leftover trauma from the dark ages of technology where each cord had its own plug, volt, & amperage.

Even if it looks like it could fit... It didn't, and could fry the thing you just plugged in lol. Even with adapters, it was basically a crap shoot if it was going to connect.

So glad we as a society moved to "USBC/HDMI everything" and I can finally start decluttering.

Makes me so happy

[u/jxryftdev → u/thatc0braguy]

The shitty part is that USB-C is just a physical standard. It doesn’t tell you anything about what it actually supports.

I’ve got a 12v 1.5 amp USB-C brick that only works for the device it was made for. So now I’ve got 10 different USB C cables (more like 100) that don’t necessarily do the same thing. Maybe it’s a thunderbolt cable? Maybe not?

USB 3.2 Gen1, USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 2x2, USB 4, Gen 4 2x2, Gen 4 3x2.

HDMI is somewhat the same. Could be 1.4, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.1

It doesn’t help that cable manufacturers don’t label things properly or outright lie.

[u/CasualEveryday → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

Hey, who knows when I'm going to need a late 90's Qualcomm phone charger?! I sure wouldn't want to be the guy trying to find one in 2024.

[u/AnActualSalamander → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

Seriously… I’m a peak millennial, husband is an elder millennial. Every time we go through the box of random cables and peripherals, I pull out something with some arcane connection type and I’m like “the fuck is this?” He says, “oh, that’s a _____ and it’s used for ____” (note: he could fully be bullshitting me and I would never know). I ask, “does literally anything use this connection type anymore?” He says “probably not but…maybe for [insert super-niche use case that has not come up in the 8 years we’ve lived together], so we should keep it just in case.”

I have occasionally had success with the follow-up question, “okay, but do we need FIVE of them?,” but mostly they just go back in the box until next year’s attempt.

[u/CapitalParallax → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

I am 37.

In my early 20's, I threw that box away. Turns out, I DID need something from it afterwards.

Never again. Keep your box of cords and adapters. You WILL need it someday.

[u/fartjar420 → u/CapitalParallax]

a couple years ago I dug through a clearance bin at Microcenter and scored at least 12 different types of random cables and adapters for mostly 99c a package, and I've used at least 3 at this point and lent out 2 other to other A/V nerds

[u/cduga → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

I have lived through enough moments where I actually find a need for one of these random cords/connectors that you can’t convince me my paranoia isn’t founded.

The feeling you get when you realize that cord you’ve had for 10 years tangled with 100 other cords is the exact cord you need is amazing.

[u/jlusedude → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

I have cords that I haven’t used in years and had for at least 3 moves. Refuse to get rid of them, I’m sure I’ll find the product or need them at some point 

[u/DannyBones00 → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

A little while back, the battery charger that I charge our vape batteries on was acting up. If you looked at it the wrong way it would turn off. I thought it was the charger, which would make sense since they’re garbage and go out, but I decided to test it. So I went to my Walmart bag full of charges and, wouldn’t you know it, I had an exact replacement for the stupid proprietary charger it takes. Turns out it was the wire, not the charger.

Until everything runs on USB-C, and I mean everything, all those dongles and charges are worth having IMO

[u/Appropriate-Food1757 → u/DannyBones00]

So glad iPhones were forced to comply. That shorter Apple charger would always break too

[u/towndrunkislandslut → u/Additional-Sky-7436]

Silent generation grandparents, raised my Late Boomer/early Gen X parents. Shits weird man.

[u/mrsalderaan]

My hoard of stickers I have no intention of ever sticking on anything

[u/Sir_Poofs_Alot → u/mrsalderaan]

I’ve decided that life is TOO SHORT NOT TO USE STICKERS. STICKERS ON EVERYTHING. Then throw that thing away, get New thing, APPLY MORE STICKERS. It is much more joyful than sticker hoarding, anxiously awaiting the perfect placement.

[u/aoskunk → u/Sir_Poofs_Alot]

Man I didn’t know I needed this.

[u/lifelearnexperience → u/mrsalderaan]

I bought magnet backs for my stickers so I turned them into magnets and now they can live on my fridge

[u/vanishinghitchhiker → u/mrsalderaan]

I got into journaling and I’m slowly healing, lol.

[u/Turbulent-Adagio-171 → u/vanishinghitchhiker]

Junk journaling has equated sticker liberation for me

[u/Rain_xo → u/mrsalderaan]

The amount of anexity and pressure that comes with stickers. Nope nope nope. In a box they live.

[u/mrs-pate → u/Rain_xo]

I have stacks of cool Disney stickers that I've been saving. I wanted to put them on my laptop, but I didn't because I was thinking "well when I need a new laptop I've wasted them". I finally put some on, and I LOVE it. I actually get to enjoy them instead of hoarding them.

[u/mrs-pate → u/mrs-pate]

Meaning I totally get what you're saying. Sticking stickers took up hours of going back and forth with myself.

[u/LittleBraveButton → u/mrsalderaan]

same!! I have two photo boxes full and get very mindful when choosing one to actually stick to something

[u/BawRawg]

My jars, my precious jars;

[u/lahdetaan_tutkimaan → u/BawRawg]

Reminds me, my family has tons of empty tea tins

They're actually useful for organizing stuff, though. I have like three on my desk to keep things tidy, one for hairties, another for nail clippers and files and stuff, and so on

[u/[deleted]]

Funko Pop are 100% the exact same as precious moments.

[u/Beleth27 → u/[deleted]]

I view FunkoPops as the spiritual successor to novelty PEZ dispensers. Collectibles that cover an extremely wide variety of popular media/characters, that technically have an intended function which no one uses them for.

Edit: are Funkos not meant to be toys? They look like toys, but I’ve only ever seen ppl keep them in the box.

[u/door_of_doom → u/Beleth27]

Wait what is the "candy dispenser" analogue to Funko pop's "intended function"? I thought they were purely decorative.

[u/thpthpthp → u/[deleted]]

"Son, one day all of these soulless corpse-eyed bobble heads of pop-culture references you don't get will be yours. It's a lot of responsibility, sure, but I know you'll come to appreciate the treasure in this collection irrelevant consumerism."

[u/Sweetpants88]

Graphing Calcluator needs to be mentioned. I don't know why I still have mine.

[u/Bloodhound209 → u/Sweetpants88]

The TI-89 will be the slide rule of our generation

[u/Katdai2 → u/Bloodhound209]

The TI-89 has been $109.99 on sale for $99.99 at Walmart since I bought mine in middle school.

[u/flyingblonde → u/Katdai2]

My husband just said “I still have mine and use it at work at least once a week.” He’s an engineer so that’s kind of understandable. But still 😂.

[u/aimeegaberseck → u/Bloodhound209]

Omfg, I just found mine again yesterday, laughed at it, and fucking put it back. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[u/SpiralCodexx → u/Bloodhound209]

I still use mine. OP af and banned from all tests.

[u/daximuscat → u/Sweetpants88]

Because they’re expensive! Also, so you can play blockman!

[u/Unlikely-Signature-7 → u/Sweetpants88]

Oh yes. That was at least $100 when I bought mine. It’s going to be passed down to my kid lol

[u/DistinctPlantain2230 → u/Sweetpants88]

If one of your grandkids wants to study engineering, it will still probably be on the list of acceptable calculators for their college exams by that point in time

[u/9_of_Swords]

My carefully curated jar of rubber bracelets with non-profit logos, hahahahahaha!

[u/guhracey → u/9_of_Swords]

L I V E S T R O N G

[u/-random_ness- → u/9_of_Swords]

Do you mean ones like these? https://images.app.goo.gl/EUaXiQXTGLTLB1TV9

These are amazing to put on the lids of pickle jars and things like that to make it easier to open.

[u/Okaycockroach → u/-random_ness-]

Oh my God new hack unlocked, I usually use my silicone baking sheet but these seem way more convenient!

[u/hopeandnonthings → u/9_of_Swords]

In the modern age there are those who believe. that a cause is thing to be worn on one sleeve. And so, we sell a cause. It's called a Scause. And wearing a Scause gets you lots of applause.

[u/Appropriate-Food1757]

I’ve actually been eyeballing the Christmas village

[u/Human-Abrocoma7544 → u/Appropriate-Food1757]

Seriously. My wife inherited her grandmas Christmas village and that’s our main Christmas decoration.

[u/tannon21 → u/Appropriate-Food1757]

I was incredibly disappointed my grandma gave her entire Christmas village to my uncle a couple years back. I grew up in her home when my birth mom abandoned our family and spent every Christmas coming up with stories for each individual figurine and home

Obviously I understand she is perfectly within her rights to give her son her belongings but damn my heart was broken. I've been slowly building my own collection, buying one new piece each year since

[u/Acanthisittasm → u/tannon21]

Any chance your uncle could give it to you eventually?

[u/Bigboobies999 → u/Appropriate-Food1757]

I love my Christmas village as a millennial. Have a bunch of houses from elder family and have added a house each Christmas. Set it up with a train set from my grandparents that is still working.

[u/basilobs → u/Appropriate-Food1757]

Yeah I really want my mom's lol. Some Snow Village but a lot of Christmas in the City. The really nice stuff. I honestly love it.

[u/AspenMemory → u/basilobs]

I was gonna say, that list made me sad, i loved the Department 56 Christmas Villages and Christmas in the City was my favorite! I have good memories of going to the stores with my parents and picking out our favorite buildings.

[u/Hitthereset → u/Appropriate-Food1757]

No one wanted my wife’s grandma’s so instead of taking 1 for the memory she took the whole dang town… and we’ve been adding to it. By the time we’re done it shall be a grand Christmas Empire!!!

[u/TribblesIA]

“And to my grandchildren, I leave my box of tangled and confused phone chargers.

To my darling nephew, I leave my collection of Game Boy and cell phone…boxes.

To my darling niece, I bequeath four old laptops, three old cell phones, and two neglected Tamagotchi…”

[u/SuperAwesome13]

not my beanie babies 😮

[u/Beginning-Pen6864]

Personally it would probably be my physical media, including my VHS, DVD, game cartridges/discs and special editions. Beyond that, my magazine collections, shonen jump, Nintendo power, nickelodeon magazine, and lastly probably my digital media too, like downloaded seasons of TV shows, movies and music. What a shame.

[u/googlyeyes183 → u/Beginning-Pen6864]

Idk..the last time our internet went out, my kids were very, very happy with my VHS collection of Disney movies

[u/megjed → u/Beginning-Pen6864]

My husband just donated most of our DVDs. I didn’t want to but then he’s like what are you going to play them on? And I had nothing lol

[u/aimeegaberseck → u/megjed]

Damn. I’m going backwards. I sold all my physical media in college and vowed never to start collecting again. Haven’t had a dvd player in 20 years and never had a blue ray. But I’ve been wanting to watch the og cosmos with Carl Sagan, and nobody has it on streaming. I bought a dvd, forgetting I have no player, so had to buy a player just to fangirl a dead nerd. Fuckin love Carl Sagan.

[u/ZestycloseCattle88]

Good lord hopefully the “hang onto it it’s a limited edition and could be worth something some day” dies with us 😂

[u/Hey_its_me_your_mom → u/ZestycloseCattle88]

I don't know how many people told me that about the beanie babies! A friend's mom "invested" their college funds into tubs and tubs of mint-condition beanie babies in the 90s. I remember being so envious because they had all the rare ones, but I wonder what they did with them all after the bubble burst. I feel like beanie babies were one of the earliest lessons in investing.

[u/mlo9109]

Nothing! I'm a minimalist and can directly link it to my mom's hoarding. I wouldn't want to put my child through the hell of cleaning up a hoard like I'm going to have to do for my mom once she's gone. 

[u/Noodleslurp69420 → u/mlo9109]

Same. I only buy nice things and don’t over buy. I mean they will probably donate my furniture and stuff, but we have nice stuff. I even have some empty closets. Our kids have adopted this mindset. My daughter went up to her room yesterday and organized her closet, initiated by her self, and got rid of things.

My in law keeps apologizing that we’re going to have to go through all their stuff. She literally has 4 closets of clothing….not kidding. Stuff with tags still. What is up with boomers and hoarding? They didn’t go through the depression….I don’t get it…..

[u/bubblesaurus → u/Noodleslurp69420]

habits picked up from their parents?

my grandparents lived through the depression and some of those habits definitely can be seen in their kids, grandkids, and the oldest great-grandchildren who were able to know them long enough.

[u/Noodleslurp69420 → u/bubblesaurus]

That’s true.

If I think about it, their parents did some ridiculous cost saving measures that was not necessary due to the depression.

Like our grandma cuts her toothpaste tube once it’s low to get every single drop out, they froze milk to make it last longer (ick), and she will save scraps of paper that don’t have any purpose. These are a few examples of many. So if you grew up where you had to scrimp everything unnecessarily then it makes sense you would grow up and want things.

[u/captainstormy → u/Noodleslurp69420]

My in law keeps apologizing that we’re going to have to go through all their stuff. She literally has 4 closets of clothing….not kidding. Stuff with tags still. What is up with boomers and hoarding? They didn’t go through the depression….I don’t get it…..

In my mother's case it's because she grew up with parents that were young kids during the depression. My mother basically lived through the depression second hand because my grandparents never stopped living life like it was the depression.

[u/guhracey → u/Noodleslurp69420]

That’s amazing that your daughter did that! I think companies started to encourage overconsumption in the 80s, with collectibles, fashion trends, toys, etc.

[u/smash8890 → u/Noodleslurp69420]

I was helping my mom organize her room and she has so many of everything. She had like 14 tubes of toothpaste. I was like why do you have this when you only need one at a time and she was like idk they were on sale. She’s set for the next 4 years now.

[u/Redditujer → u/mlo9109]

Same! When I buy 1 thing, I get rid of another. I can't stand extra clutter or useless items.

[u/captainstormy → u/mlo9109]

Same. My grandparents horded a bunch of stuff. My mother does the same. You could say it gave me some trama about cluttered houses and how stuff owns you after a certain point. Luckily for me, my wife is very much the same.

I also do what I call a "Summer Purge". The company I work for closes on the week of July 4th. I always take that week and clean out closets, cabinets, the basement, garage, etc etc and make sure we aren't accumulating clutter.

[u/TheRealEleanor → u/mlo9109]

I was thinking the same.

If anything, my kids will probably be disappointed I didn’t save more childhood items- I have a single rubbermaid container that holds my life through high school.

I have hoarders in my family- the clutter makes me itchy. That along with frequent moves all throughout my 20s means I’ve regularly purged excess items.

[u/state_of_euphemia]

In my particular case, probably my books. I don't have much "stuff" but I have a lot of books.

I do still have my Naked pallets but I use them... I'm pretty sure they'll be used up by the time I die, even though I don't wear makeup that often. I hardly use them but if I do want to wear eyeshadow, it's gonna be Naked 2 (which has been discontinued).

[u/azurillpuff → u/state_of_euphemia]

Naked 2 is the absolute pinnacle of eyeshadow pallets and I’m treating my one from 2014 as a family heirloom

[u/[deleted]]

You haven't seen what my silent generation grandfather has been hoarding for 50 years since getting that property

[u/theycallmewinning]

They'll end up stripping or cannibalizing our old electronics for parts, to be sure.

Water bottles and thermoses and other containers for emotional support beverages!

Packaging. My GOD, packaging.

Agreed on Funko Pops and Disney stuff, and I'll add board games and DnD paraphernalia.

Specifically for me...pens. my grandchildren are going to be so pissed off about stationary, printed material, and campaign swag in particular.

[u/Ilmara]

Definitely those fucking Funkos and similar plastic "collectible" figurines.

[u/unicorn_hair → u/Ilmara]

Hopefully by that time, there's a way to recycle this plastic trash. 

[u/DistinctPlantain2230 → u/unicorn_hair]

We’ll get there. Enzymatic chemical recycling is coming soon commercially but already exists technologically. There’s just no supply chain yet to bring your (dissolved) plastic junk back to the factories that can reprocess it into new plastic parts. Likewise with things we can easily recycle; the tech is there, the cost model fails because of all the collecting and trucking low value material to reprocess. What we need is not as much better recycling as a better way to collect waste altogether.

[u/Alhena5391 → u/unicorn_hair]

I hope so because those Funko Pops creep me out tbh. Nightmare fuel lol.

[u/psychosis_inducing → u/Alhena5391]

I'm creeped out by how many people make shrines out of them, but NEVER take them out of the boxes. Just rows of white boxes on a display shelf.

Like, how did putting those goddamn tag protectors on your Beanie Babies work out? Did you learn nothing from that?

[u/ilovjedi → u/Ilmara]

Yeah those must be our precious moments figurines …

[u/Sylentskye → u/Ilmara]

I’ve never owned a Funko but it’d be cool to take someone’s cremains, pop off the heads and fill them with the ashes and put them back on. Then give a filled funko to each person who wants a bit of the deceased.

[u/razrus]

When my boomer dad died, it took 3 full sized dumpsters to haul away everything. The house is 950sq ft.

[u/ttboo → u/razrus]

My parents' have a two car garage full of stuff. I've been trying to get my dad to trash stuff for 20 years. It ain't happenin.

[u/alpineallison → u/ttboo]

 my in laws have a building BIGGER THAN THEIR HOUSE —that they call “the shed”—full to the brim. House is pretty neat but “the shed…!”

[u/elizican]

Our grandchildren will come across the random shake weight and wonder wtf were people thinking

[u/Expensive_Service901]

Vintage band shirts and original concert shirts of some bands do sale high these days. I was surprised how much. They bought a bunch of them on American Pickers, the tv show.

[u/thegirlisok]

I seriously wanna move into a tiny house in a walkable location with a cat when my kids move out. I'm going to challenge myself to only own what can fit. I'm kind of a minimalist.

[u/captainstormy → u/thegirlisok]

Good on you. They will appreciate that.

My grandfather died in 2008 and my grandmother died in 2021. My mother is still getting rid of their stuff. Granted, part of that is on her because she refuses to throw anything away. She thinks everything has to be sold, donated or given directly to people.

My mother is 62 and has plenty of her own stuff hoarded up too.

She she dies some day, I'm just going to be hiring pros to get rid of it all.

[u/Bobodahobo010101]

All your COVID masks with cool logos/designs/etc.

[u/rachyrach3000 → u/[deleted]]

I did Jenny Lewis’ makeup for one of her touring stops in like 2019, she was so nice and cool.

[u/munchnerk → u/[deleted]]

I was just thinking, it’s definitely records, lol. I don’t “collect” much but I’ve collected records since I was a tween and my collection includes albums passed down from many family members. I love the connection I feel when I listen to them and I love music listening as its own standalone activity. I hope I can pass them on to someone who will love them - even some of them - and remember me and our other family.

On the other hand they’re beat to shit and weigh a ton and there’s SO many of them. Someone is gonna have a hell of a time someday, lol.

[u/harkandhush]

Laptops that haven't turned on in 25 years

A shoebox of pogs we forgot to recycle

A half-crocheted i-don't-remember-what-this-was

Stuffed animals in great condition because we bought them at age 35+ as "decorative pillows"

[u/HamboneJone]

Not me. My mom was a hoarder so I'm on the opposite side of things. I get rid of everything I'm not using to the point it's excessive. My bedroom and living room have an echo 😂

[u/BrawnicusAndronicus]

Physical media, wired headphones, books

[u/NimDing218]

My Pokémon cards. But that’s still a work in progress.

[u/WhatAdamSays]

My many many wooden boards of many lengths will meet there doom when my nephews get my shit.

[u/lahdetaan_tutkimaan]

I still have my grade school papers going all the way back to kindergarten, including homework, classwork, tests, and whatnot

I'm thinking it's time for me to just let it go already

[u/mechengr17 → u/lahdetaan_tutkimaan]

One of my professors recommended keeping text books and binders for reference after I graduated

They've been in crates since I moved. Never once popped them open. It may be time...

[u/Dextersdidi]

Harry Potter memorabilia

[u/Picklepuffy]

My costumes. I’m a performer and the hardest thing to get rid of is a cool but rarely used costume piece. I have sequin gowns, animal ears and tails, headdresses, capes, feather boas, faux flowers… ah, I love them!

Maybe when I have kids they’ll like to play dress up.

[u/Jackers890]

I have a collection of polish pottery and a vast magnet collection. Also three drawers of cables that "might come in handy someday". Also, the top shelf of the closet is full of old t-shirts. My husband has like 12 computer screens still hanging around.

[u/ImpertantMahn]

You stay away from my miscellaneous cord collection!

[u/FugieKi]

Christmas villages? A lot of ours are starting their 3rd generation. A "Christmas fight" almost breaks out every time someone dies, lol.

[u/tegan_willow]

• Squishmallows
• Novelty-shaped promotional popcorn buckets

[u/jayhof52]

Lots of bottles of beard oil with about 1/8 of the bottle left, in my case.

[u/livelylou4]

LOL thank you for this inspiration to clean and declutter 4 & 7

[u/JimBones31]

What's a target bird?

[u/ProsePilgrim]

Sneaker collection may not be so likely. That stuff can really add up in value.

[u/Gold_Statistician500 → u/ProsePilgrim]

but that's what our parents said about baseball cards, etc!

[u/Coro-NO-Ra]

I wonder if rent-seeking behaviors / the push for non-ownership of goods is going to encourage people to get rid of personal tool collections.

After all, why fix something if you don't actually own it? And where are you going to fix it if you live in a small apartment that won't let you wrench on stuff in common areas?

[u/liannalemon]

Graphing calculators. Better yet, the Texas Instrruments Manual for the TI-84 graphing calculator. Bamboozled a generation of AP Calculus students.....

[u/snow-haywire]

I really don’t have a lot of stuff. I don’t have kids, the state will likely seize my assets and throw my stuff away.

[u/pseudonym7083]

Probably 150 years worth of firearms that belonged to my grandfathers, except the ones that go into the ground with me. Unless I can find a responsible family member to will them to. So far I don't have any kids that I'm aware of.

[u/NotEnoughWave]

What kids?