Our Vintage Goddess Helps with Family Treasures

Dear Vintage Goddess,

Death in the family is always a difficult thing.  Going through my mother's belongings has been both painful and illuminating.  I never realised how many beautiful vintage pieces of clothing and accessories she had, hidden in the old closets.  I am loathe to throw them out but I don't have the heart nor the strength to sift through it all to see what can be salvaged for resale or what would be great for the local high school drama department's costume collection.

What are my options?

Thanks for your help,
Sally


**********************************************************************************************************      Dear Sally,

So sorry to hear about the loss of your mother.  It's difficult enough to deal with something so devastating without having to worry about "the stuff" as well.  My suggestion is to wait a little while - as long as it's possible.  Then open yourself up to help from a good bunch of friends and family to sort all the things.  A lot of the items will be obviously ready for charity.  But those things that look to have value, take them to your place and slowly look for people like myself for assistance.  We are more than happy to make house calls to help with all of your belongings.  The world wide web will be the best guide to sourcing local vintage dealers.  Trust me, we all know each other and we can easily spread the word as well to get all the items figured out. 

Best thing is don't rush.  Take as much time with this as you can manage.  Remember that sentimental value is different from resale value.  Trends often dictate price so quality may not be the deciding factor.

Best regards, your Vintage Goddess...