100 Items You Will Not Want After Grandma Dies
Here are 100 things you probably won’t want after Grandma dies, with a wink and a nod to the generation that never threw anything away. When Grandma passes away, her house becomes a time capsule, a museum of memories, treasures, and things she “might need someday.” Sorting through her belongings can make you laugh, cry, and sometimes scratch your head. While every item tells a story, not everything needs to stay.
I’ve been decluttering again, yes, even my little tiny home. Mark and I really don’t want our family to go through all our stuff once we’re gone. Some of the items hold a lot of significance for Mark, but I doubt the girls would be interested in many of them. The girls have their own stuff. I have never liked dusting; in fact, I hate dusting. There, I said it. This may be why I’m not a fan of things on lateral countertops or tables. I love clean and orderly countertops. Simple and clean works for me. That’s why I’ve counted on Mark to perform the dusting duties for years.
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100 Items You Will Not Want After Grandma Dies
1. Kitchen Clutter
Grandma’s kitchen was her kingdom, but some of those relics can rest in peace.
- Dozens of mismatched Tupperware lids, none of which fit any container you can find.
- Rusty cookie cutters, every shape of Christmas joy, now slightly out of sync.
- Chipped teacups, each one with a story, and a sharp edge to prove it.
- Expired spices from 1983, nutmeg doesn’t age like fine wine, Grandma.
- Yellowed recipe clippings, she swore that “Jell-O salad” was a family classic.
- Plastic Butter Tubs: She saved every single plastic butter tub to use for leftovers.
- Dented aluminum pans, they’ve seen more holiday dinners than you have birthdays.
- Old coffee percolator, still smells like Folgers and nostalgia.
- Worn-out oven mitts, the burn marks tell tales of a thousand casseroles.
- Antique gadgets, though no one knows what they do, they look “important.”
2. Living Room Leftovers
The room where no one could sit on the “good couch.”
- Faded artificial flowers, they haven’t been dusted since Clinton was in office.
- VHS tapes, homemade “Wheel of Fortune” recordings, naturally.
- Bulky entertainment center, designed to hold a TV that weighed 300 pounds.
- Porcelain figurines, tiny ballerinas, forever pirouetting in dust.
- Crochet doilies, because every surface needed protection from life.
- Stained recliner, Grandpa’s throne, complete with mystery crumbs.
- Framed art prints, pastoral scenes that hung in every grandma’s house ever.
- Dusty candle holders, never lit, just admired.
- Lamps with frayed cords, one spark away from joining Grandpa.
- Piles of old magazines, Reader’s Digest wisdom, and 1992 recipes galore.
3. Bedroom & Closet
A time capsule of fashion, perfume, and polyester.
- Outdated clothing, elastic waistbands, and shoulder pads ruled supreme.
- Costume jewelry, plastic gems, but pure gold in sentiment.
- Old perfume bottles, “Evening in Paris,” and a hint of mothballs.
- Mismatched pillowcases, none of which actually match any sheet set.
- Broken brooches, she always meant to fix them “one of these days.”
- Sewing patterns, for dresses she never quite got around to making.
- Worn slippers, the comfiest pair, and the stinkiest too.
- Old makeup, because rouge and powder never expire, apparently.
- Knick-knack boxes, each hiding one earring and a secret or two.
- Faded afghans, made with love, and yarn no longer sold on Earth.
4. Bathroom & Vanity
A shrine to beauty routines from another era.
- Expired lotions, “Moisturize, dear. Dry skin shows your age.”
- Hair curlers, the original torture devices of beauty.
- Half-used soaps, perfectly shaped like seashells and just as helpful.
- Powder puff sets, for that classic cloud of lavender dust.
- Dried nail polish, every shade of mauve known to the world.
- Empty pill bottles, saved for “organizing things,” whatever that meant.
- Rusty tweezers, and somehow, still sharp enough to hurt you.
- Brand new, decorative-only towels were never allowed to be used.
- Broken combs, survivors of decades of perms.
- Plastic floral arrangements, so realistic you’ll sneeze anyway.
5. Garage & Basement Finds
Where time and cobwebs stand still.
- Dried-up paint cans, in every shade of “beige” known to man.
- Rusty tools that “might come in handy someday.”
- Broken brooms, handles perfect for absolutely nothing.
- Old light fixtures, removed in 1978, are still waiting for “someone” to fix them.
- Bags of mystery hardware, bolts, screws, and possibly a fossil.
- Boxes labeled “Christmas lights (maybe)”, spoiler: they don’t work.
- Expired cleaning products, probably now toxic weapons.
- Stacks of jars showcased her canning potential in every aspect of life.
- Cracked garden pots, each one “too good to throw out.”
- Unused extension cords, tied in knots tighter than family secrets.
6. Memorabilia Overload
The paper trail of a life beautifully lived and over-documented.
- Greeting cards, from everyone, for every occasion, ever.
- Calendars, each date marked with birthdays of people you’ve never met.
- Church bulletins, because you never throw away the Lord’s program.
- Vacation souvenirs, snow globes from every state but your own.
- Duplicate photos, ten copies of Grandpa squinting at the camera.
- VHS home movies, no one owns a player, but no one dares toss them.
- Newspaper clippings, “Local Woman Wins Pie Contest” twice.
- Travel brochures, for trips they never took but dreamed about.
- Handwritten lists, half grocery, half existential notes.
- Expired warranties, she was always “being prepared.”
7. Office Odds & Ends
The paperwork corner — organized chaos at its finest.
- Dried-out pens, but don’t toss them; one might still work!
- Old checkbooks, from banks that don’t exist anymore.
- Rolodex cards, “Call Mabel (if she’s still around).”
- Envelopes of unknown keys, none of which open anything now.
- Empty notebooks, filled with potential and one grocery list.
- Outdated phone books, “You never know when you’ll need it.”
- Paperclips in rusty tins, organized by “small” and “bent.”
- Typewriter ribbons, for the typewriter you already donated.
- Random receipts, for every $2.49 purchase she ever made.
- Rubber bands, now fossilized into tiny brown rings.
8. Sentimental-but-Difficult Stuff
These are the ones that make you pause, cry, and smile through the tears.
- Wedding dress, yellowed lace, pure love sewn into every stitch.
- Old Bibles, filled with pressed flowers and family secrets.
- Family photos with no names will haunt you forever, leaving you wondering, “Who are these people?”
- Baby shoes, tiny reminders of generations gone by.
- School report cards, “Linda talks too much in class”, are timeless.
- Family china, beautiful, breakable, and no one wants to wash it.
- Needlepoint samplers, patience stitched in every loop.
- War medals are an honor you can’t put a price on. (These would be cherished).
- Handmade quilts, warmth from hands that are now gone.
- Love letters are proof that romance once lived in pen and paper.
9. Outdated Tech & Media
When “modern” was 1985.
- Cassette tapes, mixes labeled “Car Songs 1991.”
- Record player, that skips every time your heart does.
- Rotary phones, you’ll never forget that dial tone.
- Old alarm clocks, set permanently to 6:30 a.m.
- Film reels of family picnics and laughter.
- Typewriters, clackety memories of a quieter world.
- Flip phones: “It still works, dear!” Technically, no.
- Remote controls for TVs that have long since been donated.
- Cable boxes, every generation’s e-waste.
- Broken radios, but “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore.”
10. Miscellaneous “Why Did She Keep This?”
Because Grandma never wasted anything. Ever.
- Bread twist ties, saved in bulk, for reasons unknown.
- Plastic grocery bags, a lifetime supply stuffed under the sink.
- Dryer lint, “for crafts,” allegedly. Or make fire starters.
- Empty glass bottles, “You could use these for a project someday.”
- Broken picture frames, “Just needs a little glue.”
- Single socks, partners lost to the ages.
- Expired coupons, some dating back to 1995.
- Unused stationery, because she wrote letters, not texts.
- Avon collectibles, all in their original boxes, of course.
- Mystery drawers, packed with trinkets, tape, and time itself.
Final Word
Cleaning out Grandma’s house is like sifting through history. Every cracked dish and faded photo tells part of her story. You won’t want everything, and that’s okay. Keep a few treasures, let go of the rest, and remember: love isn’t in the things she left behind, it’s in the memories she gave you. May God bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Grandma Nostalgia Stuff Depositphotos_2418065_S, Vintage Papers Clocks Depositphotos_374528166_S
Oh Linda, this list is a treasure in itself! I found myself laughing and visualizing so many of those things in my mind. When my Grandma passed, all I really wanted was a pair of hen and rooster figurines she kept in the kitchen. They are in my kitchen now and make me smile each time I look at them. I am “lightening the load” in our home, and it feels good to do it! Have a blessed day and keep the posts coming!
Hi Lori, you made my day, thank you for your kind words, my sweet friend! I can almost visualize the hen and the rooster figurines in your kitchen. Great memories!!! Love it, Linda
I recognized a few items there that I’m guilty of, but want to say that every receipt saved is stored by year and at year 8 they get tossed into the recycling bin. Never know when the IRS might decide you need a closer look and I’d love to dump a box of receipts on their desk if they decide something is in question. 🙂 And our vacation knick-knacks are shot glasses, so even if nobody cares about Prince Edward Island or Las Vegas’s Mob Museum, at least shot glasses can be used for their original purpose.
But those dusty porcelain dolls or figurines can easily be sold if they aren’t chipped like the teacups. Might not be worth a lot, but you can never tell….
The bag of plastic bags? Definitely prepping material, but once you have a contractor bag full of them you can recycle the rest unless you plan on opening a post-disaster trading post. 😛
And if the alarm clocks are wind-up, they might be worth taking apart and spraying liberally with WD-40 to see if you can bring them back. I have three wind-up alarm clocks for a grid down disaster where medicine needs to be given on a rigid schedule. Manual egg timers are great, but for taking meds every 4, 6, 8 or 12 hours, nothing beats an alarm clock.
But yes, as we age we need to remember to get rid of things that have no earthly use anymore or we’re just leaving literal junk for our relatives to deal with once we pass on…. I just hope if I pass unexpectedly that folks find the “easter eggs” I have hidden in what looks like junk that have actual value. My wife and sister have been told of these items and I left a note in my safety deposit box, so I’ve done what I can while maintaining some OpSec.
Hi DMWalsh, I agree, some things we know are valuable but our kids or grandkids might not realize the worth of them. I have a red Grain Maker Wheat hand grinder sitting on my kitchen countertop, I sure hope it goes to a family that wants her. What I’m afraid of is some of the things we bought as preppers are now triple the price we paid for them. I hope my kids don’t donate them. Well, they will probably will, I’m the only prepper in my family! LOL! Linda
Linda,
Pat and I are starting this project now and will probably be working on it until we pass. Unfortunately, we are both hoarders or similar so we have enormous amounts of stuff to go through. And, our only daughter and SIL are minimalists and want virtually nothing. I think we need to just have a 40 cubic yard dumpster dropped off in the driveway. LOL!! Of course, a lot of things we have stored are for preparedness and we certainly will not get rid of those. The daughter will just have to deal with it. HEH!!
Hi Harry, I totally agree with you! Our kids will have to get a dumpster and back it up on the drive way! LOL! I can almost 99% guarantee none will want my preps, and for sure not the Thrive Life food storage. Mark and I are going through stuff again (we got rid of a lot of stuff when we moved). We are not going to the grocery store these days except for $100 or less each month. We are eating our Thrive Life freeze dried foods. No meals, just fruits, meats, vegetables, cheeses, and milk. We have a large variety and the food tastes great because there are no chemicals in the cans. The bonus is I have enough chocolate to last my lifetime! LOL! Linda
Thank you for putting together your nostalgic list. A heavy-hearted subject for me as the last surviving member of my family after just losing my dear mom just recently. I saved her chipped cups & made a mosaic table which I adore. The cookie cutters are in a giant mason jar with fairy lights. One day at a time eh? Thanks again.
Hi Dee, oh my mom made a mosaic table with chipped cups, oh my gosh, I loved that table! It was little, like a side table it was perfect! I’m sorry about your mom, that’s so hard. I bet the cookie cutters look awesome in the mason jar! I love that!! Linda
Yep, Mom was more than a bit of a hoarder. AND I never toss a bag of (what looks like) junk or jump mail without going through it, because she tended to just toss everything in at once.
I had just one of my grandfather’s brass spurs– which, since I ride sidesaddle, I could and did use– but it’s only a few years since I found the other, in the bottom of a bag of clear-up-in-a-hurry trash and little boy toys (from my older brother). Now used daily. There have also been things like the attic finds that I put on eBay–the glass eye still in its box, or my childhood clockwork Popeye that brought $500. Unless you are really in a time crunch, do some checking on what things could be worth…
HI Rhonda, I totally agree, you were blessed to find those brass spurs! Love it! I would hope our kids know what is valuable and can sell them on eBay, that would be awesome. I’m glad you found those items that could be sold and not donated by mistake. Love it! Linda
Oh my gosh, I was laughing so hard at this. Luckily I use and enjoy my mom’s old tea cups and saucers (none are chipped) and a few of her kitchen items made it into my collection. Unfortunately my grandma’s ivory crochet hooks and a few other precious things she left were lost in a house fire.
Hi Alice, you made my day! I felt like we could all use a good laugh. It’s so true when we help people move and pack their stuff. I don’t do it much anymore since we moved up north. But the stories I could tell (without names, of course) we all have stories would make us all laugh. It is fun humor we all need right now. Linda
Yep, this sounds a lot like me. Unfortunately, I am a bit of a hoarder. My house looks pretty bad, but that is because I still haven’t decluttered and cleaned up after a huge deferred maintenance “remodel”. I had the foundation removed and redone with 3 feet of clearance under the house, (it was crumbling and with only 3 inches in the front and about 18 inches in the back) new metal roof, new windows (old ones were original 1945), new hardy plank siding (the kind that is part cement) as the house had been resided with plastic! YUK! And insulation as what there actually was, was so compacted it was basically useless.
Covid just hit and I was delivering 50# bags of dog food and cat litter; my mom had major health issues that needed attending to, I got type 2 diabetes from stress at work, along with adrenal issues then thyroid issues. So when I was instructed to move everything away from the windows as they had lead paint, while the house was about 6 feet in the air, the house got really messy. I was out of the house for a bit over a year while the work was done and then lived with my mom for several months while she recuperated. Unfortunately, she never fully recovered and had to go into a foster home for adults. Thankfully she loved her caregiver (I was still working then so I couldn’t bring her to my house).
SO…..my house is “still recovering” as well. I still haven’t put all the furniture back as my health issues required little work. So things have gotten out of control. This post has really made me stop and think about what I will be leaving for my daughters. One is a minimalist and doesn’t have a great desire for a lot of sentimental items. The other one is too much like me and wants everything!
So Now, with your post prompting me, I will undertake to go through and give away or sell the excess of moms house (dad passed away 10 years before), and MY stuff that I’ve held on for far too long.
THANK YOU!
I apologize for the LONG comment!
Hi Carol, wow, I’m sorry you got Diabetes type 2! I can’t imagine having all that stress with your mom, work and your house having issues. Do your daughters live close by? Could they help you sort through things? Or a good friend. Doing it alone is so hard!! Never apologize for a long comment, I love them, Linda
Linda, thank you for the thoughts. Both of my daughters live far away. My oldest lives in Los Angeles, about 17 hours away. The youngest lives closer, about 5 hours, but has issues with fibromyalgia and can’t really help without having severe pain. But she runs a tiny store and can’t get away very often, especially in summer when the lodge has guests (AND firefighters! This year she had to actually evacuate as the fire was only 1 mile away).
I think maybe I will be able to do it, just REALLY slowly. I couldn’t sleep last night as I was thinking and actually drawing out, a plan for the living room; where to put everything. Because I adopted 2 cats during covid and have tall cat towers and short ones too, plus litter boxes!
But as I said, your post really motivated me and I do plan to begin getting things done. As usual, I have a domino effect that needs to be taken into account: the shelving that needs to be cut down ( I had 2 spots in the house that when they blew insulation went directly into the house as there weren’t any inside walls, so they had to build them making the shelves not fit without cutting down), The new TV that needs to be hung in a house where I have NEVER been able to use nails as the wood has ‘petrified’ (1945-for 26 years!!!), The large room sized rug from my moms house that I want upstairs, but have too much stuff to move it up there, etc., etc., etc.!!
Hi Carol, it is hard to have to ask for help, I understand that. Hopefully, someone will offer to help you. Linda
The missing Tupperware lids are dating the missing socks.
I am guilty of making a manager crazy at Lowes, when I returned a 9 year old garbage can with a broken wheel….. complete with the original receipt AND the 10 year warranty!!!
The rest is all clean out…. with exception of my husbands 200 pens.
Hi Chris, the 9 year old garbage can, wow and you still had the receipt! You rock, girl! The Tupperware lids dating the missing socks, good one! I have the giggles now! Linda