What is a realistic value?

Off topic but follows the family heirloom discussion. When I was in high school and started working on cars my grandfather gave me a 1/2 drive snap on socket set that he had left over from a gas station he owned at one time. I still have them and use them all of the time. Don't know if anybody in the family will want them and all of my other tools and machines when I am no longer able to use them.

And then I have what we call "The Print." It is a lithograph of a portrait of a lady that was hung in my grandmother's home for as long as I can remember. Have no idea of how old it is. I always thought it was some long lost relative. My aunt grabbed it before my mom could get it when gramma downsized and moved into assisted living. When my aunt downsized my mom grabbed it. I now have it. My cousin and I asked our respective mothers what was so special about The Print. We got the same answer. Oh it's just a print. Isn't it pretty. There has to be more to the mystery as to why it was so special. We will never know. I think that my daughter has her eye on it. Some day she will be the keeper of The Print.
 
mickri said:
Some day she will be the keeper of The Print.
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Really off the OP's original post, but I found it tough to decide what to keep and what to throw out of my parents house after they both passed away. We've been cleaning out the house that my parents had built in 1964. They didn't throw out much of anything. Proof of point? I was cleaning out a closet 3 months ago and came upon a banker's box of papers. In it was their income return from . . . 1964.

My brother-in-law made a good point that stuck with me. I got to the bottom of a bedroom closet, there had been a double row of banker's boxes stacked 6 high. The last box had a bunch of random ads from magazines, recipes my mom cut out, pictures of nature, etc. There was also a shoe box with my mom's high school diploma from 1956, my dad's HS diploma from 1954, BS in Industrial Education from Michigan State in 1960, and one of his master's degree diploma from 1961. I had trouble throwing them out, so asked my sister if she wanted them. The bro-in-law asked "Where did you find them?" Location is above, I won't repeat it. He said, "Oh, if that's where you found them, they must have been very important to them!" I got the point and threw them out. Still haven't been struck by lightening, must have made the right call.

On the other hand, my dad was the oldest of 3 boys. His mom passed away on 12/31/1939 after his youngest brother was born 11/18/39. She happened to have appendicitis while she was delivering, the docs didn't realize it as she was naturally having labor pains. Her appendix burst somewhere around that time. She went a week or two with high fevers, they opened her up and she was full of gangrene. Penicillin was not readily available at the time, so she passed away from the infection.

My dad and his next younger brother spent every summer up to graduating high school at their maternal grandparent's farm. When they passed away, my dad took a leather coin purse that had been his grandfather's. My dad had fond memories of heading into Mason, MI with his grandpa, grandpa opening up the coin purse and handing the boys some change to buy a malt or candy. My dad kept the purse on top of his dresser in the bedroom. Maybe not an elaborate presentation, but it meant a lot to my dad. It was important to my dad, so I kept it (picture below).

When I pass away, I do not expect my kids to keep it. Frankly, it was important to my dad, but it's not important to me. I kept it out of respect for my dad. I was interested in computer programming in college (google Bruce Hansen TRS-80 or Bruce Hansen Erector set) and collected Erector sets. Because I was interested in something doesn't mean my kids have to be also.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled thread! I hope the OP finds room for two lathes!

Bruce


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