If there is a nearby college, you may want to advertise to students who are setting up their first apartments. (?)

When you look for appropriate pricing of an item, look only at the “sold” listings, not the “for sale” items.
If you are willing to ship items, you can reach a wide audience of millions on eBay and Etsy. If you really want to sell these items, I suggest those platforms.
You can list an item for very little, but charge what you like for shipping costs. Then you might make a profit.
If you limit yourself to yard sales then how many people, realistically, will see your item? How many of them are looking for something like it? One or two people? In your reported experience, none. If your true goal is to sell these items…do something differently.
You will know an item is in the “right price range” when someone buys it. If you have to pay to store items you don’t want… you certainly can, but why would you? At a certain point you might ask yourself, is this healthy behavior?
All the best to you. Enjoy your new home.

The problem with listing all this stuff on the 'net is it may not sell all at once and may take a long time to sell piece by piece. Just get rid of it --- either find a consignment shop, estate sale place, or whatever, or donate the stuff (if you can even find a place to take it). If you can't get rid of it through the above means in one or two fell swoops then just throw the cr*p out. Seriously. Just cut your ties with it. Trying to rehome the stuff or selling to make pennies on the dollar isn't worth the time and stress. You've gotta let go of the stuff -- figuratively and literally.

My mom was a plate collector -- you know, those Norman Rockwell-type decorative plates. Nobody in my large family wants them, not one of us. She loved them and displayed them proudly, but in our eyes they're junk. That's the way it is. I'm sure I have lots of stuff that no one wants when I'm gone (my shoe collection is already spoken for, though LOL!). I have stuff I've tried to sell on consignment but they wouldn't take it, even donation sites wouldn't take some things -- {shrug}. They're just things, material objects -- it stings a little when no one else wants them, but once they're out your life you'll feel so much lighter and you can move forward.

I know what you mean about the collector plates like the Bradford Exchange and Knowles items. My mom had the whole set of "Wizard of Oz" character plates and she paid $25 apiece for them in the 1970s - that's $150. After she passed I sent them to a auction and they sold as a box lot for $2 !

I'm reading all this with angst. I'm not moving yet, but know that I will need to at some point as my age advances. Quite frankly, I like my stuff! I have the feeling that debodun feels the same.

Several years ago I repainted the kitchen, including the cupboards. All had to go into the garage on tables and into tubs. When I redid my kichen cupboards I only put back what I intended to use. Everything left on the tables/tubs was left up-for-grabs when they all came for Thanksgivng. Most got snatched up and the rest immediately went to a Charity. So, do you have family to whom you could offer all this?

I am reading others' advice and not looking forward to a future move.

Kate

I don't have many close relatives. Society has changed. Everyone seems to be downsizing. The older generation that collected are dying off - their collections are flooding the market added to the fact that most young people these days are shunning clutter and dust catchers.

I know what you mean about liking your possessions around you. They give me a sense comfort and being rooted.

"Everything left on the tables/tubs was left up-for-grabs when they all came for Thanksgivng. Most got snatched up..."

We've done that in my family on occasion. Have also done it with a treasure trove of old family photos.

When my mom passed my dad had a weekend where there was an "open house" for the family of all her stuff for the taking, we could all go through room by room, garage and attic, all of it. He made it clear whatever wasn't gone at the end was going into a dumpster. And he wasn't kidding -- soon after he hired a big dumpster, and my family cleaned out all the rest of it, into the dumpster it all went and was hauled away. And I mean DUMPSTER -- it was one of those big commercial jobbies. LOL! But actually no LOL -- my mom had a problem. She just couldn't bear to throw things out and she collected those sorts of things like plates. Which is more than likely why I have a deep-seated aversion to clutter and knick-knacks,

ETA: We actually have photos of my brothers standing on the pile at the top of the dumpster -- it was filled to the brim...

After my mother's funeral, my uncle's wife had a reception at her house. I brought a box of my mother's jewelry and thought my female relatives might like to have some. They looked at the box like it was full of cow patties.

I think you should get someone to help you. It is A LOT easier, with a difficult job, when there is another person to help

If I could just find someone to buy all the records. There are literally thousands of LP albums and older 78 RPMs. Not the style of music that's popular today.

For the records, does your library accept donations of old records? Have you googled collectors or suggestions of what to do with them? I might start there.
My mother-in-law sold her home a few years ago. It was a MCM in a desirable area of Los Angeles, and it sold in one day for roughly 100 times the purchase price. They’d lived there a long time.
My MIL had a home full of items she couldn’t bear to part with. She didn’t want to donate them, and wasn’t organized enough to sell them, although we tried to help. The buyers purchased some of the original MCM furniture, and most of the rest of the things are in storage, waiting for her grandchildren to go through it all and take what they want. It’s been three years, the grandchildren live thousands of miles away, and this seems unlikely. My SIL told me the monthly payment for the storage unit is more than the mortgage was.
I recently cleaned out my basement completely and donated a mountain of items. That felt good.
I still have a home perhaps too full of things I’ve collected and inherited over the years; I love my stuff too!! I’m not a minimalist:)
My own children are now settling into their own homes nearby and I’ll see what they want of it. I inherited some lovely furniture, art and other things from my parents, nicer than I could nave purchased myself, and I am grateful for it. Luckily, I’m not moving and intend to age in place (my home is not large) and I do have room…. but within the year, once my children have set up home, I plan to get rid of a lot of what’s left, primarily by donating it.

Records. Some of them have real value, most don't. Here's a site that buys 78's http://www.old78s.com/78s_we_buy.php but they are very selective.

Were your parents jazz fans? If they have old jazz records, they can be valuable.

How are the records stored? Can you easily identify them? If so, I may be able to connect you with someone who can evaluate them but they are in North Carolina so will need to do it from a distance. But be prepared to find out only a small number out of thousands are going to be purchased by a collector or reseller.

Unfortunately, mostly of the LPs are easy listening - you know like Mantovani, Wayne Newton, Perry Como, Bing Crosby. They are stored vertically in cardboard boxes. Here are a FEW boxes of them:

Ugh. That is unfortunate. That music was so popular, it's everywhere in thrift stores. Try posting a request on Facebook for someone who is in the reseller biz in your area. They might be interested in coming to take a look and purchase a few of them. At least you'd know the value of what you have. If there are any classical albums, sometimes if they are rare, they can bring 10 or 20 dollars.

Do you have an family movies of historical or national newsworthy events e.g. HIndenburg disaster? I know someone who buys that stuff. He also buys large lots of instructional films if you have any of that. Just like the albums however, the films need to be unique in some way.

There's a box of old newspapers (like from the 1930s) up in the attic I saw a while ago. Too hot now to go up there and hunt for it. After being up there for so long in the heat of summer, cold of winter and possible small rodent action, I'd be surprised if they were still intact. Besides it would cost a fortune to ship that big box.

There is a used record store in the town I live in that buys old records in good condition. Perhaps there is one in your town? Also, have you tried Replacements.com for your glassware/china? They buy and resell items to folks looking to complete/expand their collections, particularly of discontinued patterns. They are a reputable company that has been around for decades. If they were interested, you might be able to unload a lot of stuff to just one buyer instead of selling one piece at a time on ebay or other online marketplaces.

I live in the boondocks of upstate New York - Grandma Moses country - no record stores. I contacted one in Albany, NY - the Blue Note. They weren't interested in mine.

Replacements doesn't pay anywhere near market value added to the fact I'd still have to ship fragile glass.

"market value"

Well, "market value" is what someone will pay for it, so it's not below market value unless there are other people willing to pay more. Sorry, it's frustrating but true.

At this point, if Replacements would accept your things (I’d be jumping for joy at this solution) you would be way ahead. I imagine they can give you tips for packing the items for shipment- pretty much everything they sell is fragile, right? They’d know.
With all due respect, you have gotten so many suggestions here from kind and helpful people, but you seem determined to be negative about every suggestion. Perhaps your situation is truly as hopeless and impossible as you say. OK, then…what?

Like chinacat above, I don’t mean to be rude either, but I get the feeling you are unable to face the reality that:

1. Your things have little or no value.

2. No one wants your things.

So, what to do? Contact a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop or Sunday School class or some other group looking for a service project. Have them help you load ONE carfull of keepsakes. Move to your new house. DON’T GO BACK TO YOUR OLD HOUSE. Let the group empty out your old house - they keep what they could try to sell and throw the rest away.

I am 66 years old - not much younger than you - and I throw stuff away regularly so I don’t get in your situation.

I didn't mean to appear ungrateful. I probably should have delineated what I have done so far and what I won't do in the original post so others wouldn't duplicate my previous efforts or suggest things I won't or can't do. I was just hoping someone would come up with a way I hadn't considered. I did take some suggestions - one was joining NextDoor.

As info, Replacements is quite close to me in North Carolina. A manager of a local thrift store told me they have reps who are connected to thrift stores close by and also they scour the ones in the area routinely. Unless it's a very rare item, they don't have to pay much for items or they can't use them at all because most stuff is very easy for them to find very inexpensively. Unfortunately, most of us middle class folks have things that were special to our ancestors but very common to the mass market at the time. There's just no market for it now. But here's the link to their "How to sell to us" page. https://www.replacements.com/sell-to-us/ Debodun has so much stuff. Replacements may want something and you'll know you haven't given away something of value if they take it.

I feel for debodun as she doesn't even have the luxury of of being able to back a truck up to a thrift store and unloading it for a donation.

Regarding the newspapers, try those on nextdoor or facebook. Artists who use ephemera in their work are always looking for free items like old newspapers and photos. OMG, the family photos I've seen at estate sales. Boxes and boxes of them. So much stuff, no one wants.

How long do you have before you need to move out? You have an overwhelming amount of items to sort through and likely the cost of hiring someone to help you would exceed the value of many of the items. When I was helping my grandmother sort through her items, we would sort through a room a week. And it was a long week. We made several piles - keep, donate, trash, and sell. Selling was a lot of work and didn't yield much profit. So, we kept that pile really small and sold on Craiglist. We dropped the price every couple days. If no one is willing to buy it as the original price, it is priced too high. If we needed to rent a storage unit to store the items, that would cost more money than donating the items. It was overwhelming just to donate the items and we either scheduled a porch pick up (our local Vietnam Veterans offers this) or I'd donate to Goodwill. But we just did a few boxes every two days. That way we weren't tripping over the boxes.

For some sentimental stuff, we took lots of pictures and would keep 1 special item if it held many memories. And once we were done with all the original donations, we sorted through the keep pile one more time and ended up donating more. There was really too much left after it was all consolidated and it would have been overwhelming in her new space. After she moved there was a third purge of items, because she wanted to display her favorites and not keep in boxes or drawers. So, most things without a special place were purged. She seemed really happy when it was done because she could enjoy her favorite things in her new place and bought some new items that fit her new space better.

However, we had months and months before she moved. We worked on this for months and it was an overwhelming amount of work most days. If you're moving soon, that might not be practical.

Good luck! I do think it is important to remember that items which are priced appropriately will sell. If no one is buying, it isn't priced correctly. Just drop the price by 1/4 or something every 3 to 5 days until you find the right price.

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The house inspection is this Wednesday and if all goes well, the closing will be on July 23rd. I assume I can start moving anytime after that.

I had a date this morning with someone that contacted me through NextDoor. He sent several messages to confirm the appointment. I just received an email from him saying he couldn't make it after all.

Date? What? Like a date date or a date for something? My goodness Deb, you've completely changed the thread. :-)

Someone asked when I was moving.

@debodun, is your current house on the market? If you close on the new place will you be able to afford the costs of having the new house and your current house?

I know that you have been trying to sell your belongings for a few years, it may be time to stop messing with the thought of selling the items and call in someone and pay them to take it away. I’m sure your parents never expected their stuff to cause you so much work and they would be happy for you to free yourself of the problem.

I want to be completely moved out before I put my house on the market. People coming to look might be turned off by the clutter, And, yes, I can afford both houses, for a while.

Depending on what the housing market is like in your area, would the money you make on selling your items be more than the money you “lose” by not selling your house sooner and investing (or whatever) the proceeds of your house?

It's a shame, but a fact of life that nearly all "stuff" depreciates in value over time. From cars to furniture to keepsakes, very few items actually appreciate or even hold their value. And unfortunately we don't know what will appreciate until decades later. While our massive garage sale of my in-laws' wordly possessions yielded a tidy sum (nearing $3K), it's a bit sobering to think that a lifetime's collection of "stuff" was worth less than $3000.

If I were in your shoes, I think I'd have another go at an estate sale. Organize things well, make it all visible and browsable, advertise it well with photos, and price aggressively. In my experience, kitchen dishware, whether china or glassware or antique, sold at thrift store prices. I priced things at 25 cents to $1 and moved quite a bit of kitchen stuff, donating the rest. The glassware that wasn't "daily use" kind of stuff (punch bowls, serving platters, fancy dishes) sold very little. Price those at $1 and see what moves.

It is what it is. It's not personal, it's just the market. Focus on your new life in your new house with less stuff and use that to motivate you through the clean-out.

I'm sure it was a lot easier for me to sell off my in-laws' stuff than it would have been my own stuff, because my stuff comes with memories. If it's too hard psychologically for you to do, then delegating to someone else might be the ticket.

Good luck!

"It is what it is. It's not personal, it's just the market."

It's a hard truth, but repeat as necessary.

I would add to Weedy's comment - $3,000, while definitely nothing to sneeze at, would probably not be worth it to me for all of the time, effort, energy, and general f'ing around of selling the stuff, given it wouldn't be a guaranteed return - ymmv. Might it be easier, emotionally or mentally, to just have a group or company come in and take it all away at once instead of having to go through all the stuff on your own and individually? Like ripping off the band aid? And remember what Maddielee said too - I would like to believe that your parents would want you to live and not be suffocated by the stuff instead, I highly doubt that was their intention in acquiring it.

The year after my mom passed, I had a yard sale. When it was over, I had a dream that I was out setting it up and turned around and saw my mom standing on the porch. She didn't look happy and said, "What do you think you're doing selling my things?" This may have stemmed from guilt and the sub-conscious belief the house contents still belonged to my parents. I feel much less this way now, but there some thing I still want to retain. Estate sellers want to come in and make a clean sweep and don't want to be bothered with people who are hemming and hawing over things they haven't decided on whether to keep or sell.

"This may have stemmed from guilt and the sub-conscious belief the house contents still belonged to my parents. I feel much less this way now, but there some thing I still want to retain."

There are services that can help you psychologically deal with how you feel about needing to downsize and declutter, and I'm sure there are some that will work virtually (so you can use them regardless of where you live). My sister-in-law used a service like that to help her part with some of her things and reorganize, when they were downsizing. There are also books and videos that discuss not just how to downsize and declutter, but how to emotionally manage it.

Maybe try with putting aside 250 items you would really like to keep. Then you can reassess. I mean pick items that have only a decorative function. It is a START. Take pictures of stuff you like, but can part with, and you have the memory, but not the item. Envision what you would like your new home to feel and look like…it may be easier to dispose of items which you really have no place for in your new home.

Do you have a friend who can help you? Bribe with a dinner out…? it’s more fun !

All people I know are either old and physically incapable of helping, work, or have families to care for. A couple of cousins who wouldn't help me if I bought them a Ferrari.

You need to just throw it all away. It is clutter and chaos in your home now and that will not attract buyers. Nothing in the pictures stands out as remarkable or valuable. It is overwhelming, the sheer volume of clutter. You deserve to enjoy your life and simplify it so this emotional baggage is not weighing you down. You are moving on to a new phase in your life, so embrace that and let go of all this, without guilt or a second thought. You will come out ahead, emotionally, mentally and financially.

I would totally help you if you bought me a Ferrari. : )

But in all seriousness, what is the root of the issue? Is it because you need the money out of the sale of the stuff? Is it guilt or obligations to your parents' memories? Is it emotional attachment to the objects? Is it because you like the objects and you want to keep them (the old, "spark joy" thing)? I said this above, but it bears repeating: you really need to look long and hard at what is of most value to you: the stuff in this house or your future life in your new home. It seems like they can't really coexist.

Hire a student ?

A student of what? And they would need to actually DO something with the stuff -- sell it, donate it, or haul it away -- after sorting/organizing it. Which is the problem -- the getting rid of it all.

I have made several suggestions, along with many other people, but it appears the OP would rather discuss and rebut than declutter (the best solution I can see). The OP has made more than 35 comments on this thread, time which would have been better spent actually working toward a solution.

As I said before, I don’t mean to be rude, but here’s my last comment: ”The longest journey begins with one step. Get started.”

Hey ya'll. This is all part of working through the process. Deb's making progress. The fact that she's buying a new house is a big step if you've read her other postings.

Deb, have you considered grief counseling? I think it would help. Did wonders for me when my husband died. Folks were in my group who had had loved ones pass many, many years before. Unresolved grief will eat out your insides. Check with a local funeral home, church or senior center. Post on Next Door asking for referrals. Doesn't have to be a place you use services. All are usually welcome.

Deb, grief counseling really helped me when my husband died ten years ago; it helped our kids, too. For me, it provided a safe place to pour out all my feelings, and having that weekly appointment and knowing I would have that time set aside to talk about it helped to keep those feelings from leaking out constantly the rest of the time.
I’ll add that the dream you had about your mom sounds upsetting. My father was a psychoanalyst, and he told me once that “All of the people in your dreams are you.” That rings true to me still.
The only way out is through. One step at a time is all it takes. All the best to you.

Congratulations on your new place. I know it's frustrating that the market for vintage things is not what it used to be. There are 70 million baby boomers who are getting rid of things (and their parents' things) or who soon will be. Keep your eyes on the prize: your future.

Ask your real estate agent to refer you to estate sales pros who are currently active (I remember you looked a few months ago). Your new listing agent will have referrals, too. It's their job to close deals and that means emptying the house "broom clean" before or after it is put on the market. They will get it done because they get paid when the deal closes.

So many people have tried their best to help you with your dilemma but I sense you are not open to their advice. After you move, please, please try to get rid of the old house and furnishings as soon as possible or you may end up with two unsustainable dwellings. Only you can do this but help is available. Ask your pastor or priest for help, please. I hope you can do this.

Like I said before, I didn't intend to be off-putting, but I was just hoping that someone could suggest a way I haven't tried before or am able to do.

You are able to … let go, throw away, move forward, free yourself, if you choose to do so.

"I know what you mean about liking your possessions around you. They give me a sense comfort and being rooted."

Here's something you have not tried: close escrow on your new place, move only the possessions you choose, leave the rest for the real estate agent to deal with before it goes on the market. You may want to offer her a bonus to deal with the leftover possessions. A friend of mine and his brother did exactly that with their parents' house. It worked very well for them.