I love antiques. I love vintage things too but not as much as the old stuff. You just can’t find the quality and craftsmanship today as the heart and soul poured into a piece of furniture made 100 years ago. So when my mother-in-law wanted to get rid of her grandmother’s Duncan Phyfe couch, love seat and chair I quickly said I would take it. It was all in pretty rough shape. Rats had built a home in the love seat, the chair had no cushion, all three pieces had seen better days. Sad to say they went from a formal sitting room to a warehouse to my shed where they stayed for years. I tried my best to make the space under and on top of them useful but they really were just taking up space. The couch actually got some stage time in a play at the local high school. Even got a bit of TLC for the show. But the time came when I finally decided I could let them go. My mother-in-law didn’t care what I did with them. So I tried Craigslist. No luck. I needed to do some major purging in preparation of my sister moving down and needing storage space so I decided to bite the bullet and have a garage sale. Ugh!!! So much work!!! Love going to garage sales. Hate having them. I moved the Duncan Phyfe pieces out to my driveway and just put a sign on them saying “Make an Offer”. Had a few customers that were curious but not serious. Let’s face it, you gotta have the right decor and room to have 100 year old Duncan Phyfe. They were not designed to lay down and watch TV. This furniture was the Sunday afternoon preacher came for supper or the very nervous man about to ask his sweetheart’s father’s hand in marriage. In other words… not comfortable. Back to the garage sale. A lady came and tears started rolling out of her eyes. She had a very similar couch that had belonged to her grandmother but had to get rid of it. I didn’t ask for any more details. So I let her have it for 10 bucks. I didn’t really want to make a lot of money from it. I just wanted it to have a good home and to be loved. So my point of this story is that if you are in a dilemma about letting go of something, be it a family heirloom or something just sentimental to you, there is someone out there that is looking for exactly that item. Today it’s so easy to post on Craigslist, Ebay and other online sites to find a new owner. I know clients that battle with the guilt of a trinket left to them by a family member. They really don’t want it, don’t like it and more importantly don’t have anywhere to put it. So I am here to give you permission to LET IT GO. Let it go to a new home. Someone that will love it and appreciate it.