Getting Younger Generations Interested In Heirlooms

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show
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Find out why the younger generations don’t seem to like antiques and collectables and what you can do to get them interested. Our certified appraiser will also answer your questions about your collections.

Featured in this Show

  • Why You May Want To Turn Grandma's China Into A Bird Feeder

    The days of families passing down family treasures from generation to generation are behind us, says certified personal property appraiser Shirley Baumann. Younger people no longer seem interested in taking their parent’s old wedding china.

    The antidote to young people thumbing their noses at the idea of becoming the keeper of their ancestors’ things? According to Baumann, try repurposing those old heirlooms.

    Baumann is the owner of two businesses, Baumann Auction Services and Heirloom Appraisal & Estate Services. She recommends using family heirlooms in new and unexpected ways.

    For example, place a Victorian painting in the middle of a modern room, or screw an antique doorknob onto the door of a house’s contemporary facade. People can also use pianos to great decorative effect, said Baumann. “The old upright pianos — they take out the piano works,” she said, “and make them into either a desk or a bar.”

    That means that, even if you can’t play a single note, you can still brag about your grandmother’s piano to dinner guests.

    According to Baumann, “upcycling,” or the art of changing the function an object serves, is another very popular practice right now, said Baumann.

    One creative upcycling idea: Use old china to create a bird feeder.

    “Maybe it’s hard to think of your grandmother’s china being used as a bird feeder in the garden,” said Baumann. “But again, if they’re entertaining on the patio, they might say, ‘See my bird feeder? That was my grandmother’s china!’”

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Jill Nadeau Producer
  • Marika Suval Producer
  • Shirley Baumann Guest

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