What are you going to do with all that junk? | Canada Voices

Last week, The Globe wrote about buyers who doubled their money in a few short years after investing in a Birkin bag.

While many of us don’t have a five-figure purse stashed somewhere in our closet, we may have invested in other items that have risen in value. Art, first-edition books, mid-century barware or vintage jackets.

If there are no heirs eager to claim them, however, it can cost thousands to keep these things in storage – which itself is now a booming industry thanks in part to the great stuff transfer.

The good news is a lot of people might want your old stuff. The bad news is it can be hard separating sentimental value from market value.

This week the Milk Bag newsletter reported that estate sales have transitioned from a speedy way to get rid of stuff after the three Ds – death, divorce and downsizing – into practically a full-on sport.

Online resale platforms such as the RealReal reached record-high sales this year, while eBay revenue saw a 15-per-cent year-over-year bump to US$3.13-billion in the second quarter.

But the items that buyers want are concentrated in a few categories, including 1970’s dresses, pendant lamps and leather banquettes. This may be surprising to generations that spent a small fortune on mahogany dining sets and matching glass buffet cabinets.

To put it bluntly, “what people perceive to be valuable isn’t necessary valuable,” said Hillary Doukas, managing director of Le Grotte & Co., a Toronto-based business specializing in estate sales and downsizing.

“A lot of older generations coveted crystal or silver plates, and now it sells for peanuts,” she said. Another hard sell: pianos and oversized furniture, no matter how shiny the veneer or the level of craftsmanship.

Anything dubbed mid-century modern is a notable exception. The style, often characterized by teak, vinyl and plywood moulded into geometric shapes is in high demand among younger buyers.

Beyond this, adult kids living in condos generally don’t have the space for – and often don’t see the appeal of – the Edwardian dining sets their parents carefully saved.

Pauline Duhart, who operates Simply Home Downsizing in Toronto, and charges between $600 and $3,000 for her services, routinely sees seniors struggle to rehome these items.

Her clients are similarly baffled when they learn they can’t make a buck on the Royal Doulton statuettes they bought for hundreds of dollars each in the 1980s. “That exact same figurine might sell for just $25 to $40,” she said.

So what else is selling?

“Gen Zs are really interested in niche hobbies right now,” Ms. Doukas said. “Sewing machines, art supplies, easels, anything paint-related, sewing books and board games.”

Another unexpected draw are brooches, she added.

The ornament your grandma would wear to special outings is now the accessory of the year among men and women alike, with resale site Poshmark seeing an 11-per-cent spike in search demand in June and July.

When it comes to original art and antiques, Ms. Duhart will often refer clients to an auction house. (Downsizers like her can often provide an initial appraisal, or refer a client to someone who can.)

For items that appear valuable but involve some uncertainty, she often recommends an online auction service such as MaxSold.com. On that site, multiple items are typically listed for a short period all at once. People bid and pickup usually happens for everyone at the same time.

A full-service online auction package from a platform such as Maxsold will generally set you back as much as $2,000 plus commission of 30 per cent or more. The platforms usually also offer DIY options that are cheaper to set up, though not without commission fees.

While garage sales can feel more appropriate for items of less value, the extensive time and emotional effort they demand generally isn’t made up for by the weak sales, Ms. Doukas said.

Facebook Marketplace is often the easier alternative. If you don’t want to do the work yourself, she suggests asking kids or grandkids to list items on your behalf, with a cut to sweeten the deal.

Professional Facebook Marketplace sellers are also a thing. “They’ll come to the home, take the photograph and measure,” Ms. Duhart said.

When tossing is the only option, there is more you can do with a beloved item than put it to the curb.

Furniture Bank, based in the Greater Toronto Area, offers removal services for a fee. It pledges to redistribute items to a family in need and provide a charitable tax receipt.

Freecycle.org resembles a neighbourhood Facebook “Buy Nothing” group – where people promote old Tupperware, children’s’ toys and anything else they’re giving away – but lets users broadcast beyond their local communities.

The site also allows for bartering. “You could say, ‘Okay, I’m getting rid of this piano for free in exchange for a bottle of wine,’” Ms. Duhart said.

For photos, mementos and documents that hold sentimental value but little else, digitization services such as Toronto-based Digital Treasures convert those scattered snapshots, videos, film reels and cassette recordings to online formats.

Have you recently downsized or gotten rid of old items of value? What did the experience teach you? Drop me a line at [email protected]

Mariya’s consumer reading list

Merchants may be passing along the cost of BNPL to you

As consumers grow to rely on buy now pay later, retailers are paying more to offer the financing option. To offset the costs, they may be raising prices for all customers– not just those using the service, one advocacy-group report found.

When helicopter parenting clashes with a youth employment crisis (WSJ, Paywall)

While Gen Zs make up about one-fifth of the adult workforce, their parents are often the ones applying for jobs, engaging with recruiters and – yes – even showing up for virtual interviews.

Do you care how much your ideal partner makes?

According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2026 Planning & Progress study, the average ideal income for a life partner among American singles was US$139,000 a year. Meanwhile, the rise of prediction markets has made excessive gambling the No. 1 financial red flag in a relationship.

In the social sphere

Social media: A total of $1,200 plus interest. That’s what the tax alone could cost you on a $10,000 TFSA overcontribution left in your account for one year, financial planner Jason Heath writes.

Watch: The Globe asked six people in their 50s to share their skin care routine and how much it costs.

Money-free zone: Are party games getting out of hand? From spelling bees and PowerPoint presentations on the biggest historic (or personal) fails, to dressing up like your favourite subway station, party games are reaching new levels of absurd – possibly with good reason.

ICYMI

Globe and Mail stories from the last few days