Hellobee Boards

Your plan sounds fine to me, but I love purging and hate clutter. I'm all about sentimental, but the one set of China I have from MIL is display only in our china cabinet and I think I've used it once? Maybe? If I had more than that set... I'd do exactly what you're doing and buy my own when I need it!

Nope, don't think you're being cold at all. How many heirlooms can one person have?
My mother hoards great-great everybody's everything and then complains about how she has too much stuff and is overwhelmed.
Anything truly sentimental that I feel bad about selling/donating I would see if there's anyone in the family or a close friend that would like it first but if not, away it goes!

I live in a 700sf city townhouse and have to be practical about the items I keep. I try not to keep anything that I don't use.

i think the one set that you have from grandma qualifies as heirloom! i would ask your sister (or any other siblings) about your mom and dad's china before you sell though, just in case! and definitely offload the ones you're already holding for your sister! 2500 sq ft is plenty of room!

I don't think you're being cold, esp if you don't want them! Maybe offer the other sets to your sister before you sell them? And also, tell her to take her own dishes, sounds like she has space to store them! And I say that as a person whose brother is storing a bunch of my crap including my grandparents' china (though to be fair, I live in a tiny apt in a different state, and he bought my parents' house where it was already being stored)

I care more about clutter than sentimental values so I'd definitely sell them. I'd probably just take a picture of them in remembrance or something.

I would check with your sister or other family members to see if they would like them first. But if you can't find anyone to take them, I would sell!

If you're at all sentimental about any of them, you could also considering keeping just one or two pieces from the sets you get rid of so you can still hand something down to your kids but don't have to keep entire sets.

It's totally normal in my family to have some random serving pieces and bowls that match nothing but that are special because they were heirlooms.

If no one wants any of it, there's nothing cold about it. I love doing periodic purges.

@Mrs D: In North Carolina. Good luck and don't feel bad about not wanting 5 sets of China. People just don't use China anymore!

I'd box 'em up and save them for the kids. Do you need the money? What will the money become?

I have no heirlooms of any kind, so that's where I am coming from!

I would love to have that problem! lol While I'm always envious of people who have heirloom/antique *anything* to pass down, I do see where you have way more than you would ever need, so I think selling a couple sets would be fine.

I only have one heirloom ring that has was passed down to me... most everything else that we hoped to pass on was stolen or lost in my grandfather's house fire.

Another vote for checking with family and then selling. I don't think it's cold hearted, and besides, you could always think of it this way: do you think your deceased family members would rather see "their" china sitting boxed up and unused and unloved at your house, or used and loved by someone else?!

I love buying odds and ends of china pieces (platters mostly, and serving dishes) and I like the idea that many families have enjoyed the pieces before me!