Insider’s Look at What It Means to Clean Out an Estate

The wealth being passed down from Baby Boomers isn’t just dollars — it’s decades’ worth of ‘stuff.’ As we enter what many call the Great Wealth Transfer, the children of Boomers are discovering that a big chunk of what they inherit comes in the form of physical objects: collections, vintage items, and sometimes things nobody quite knows what to do with. 

Our Co-Founder, Heather, discovered this firsthand after losing her mother and having to sort through SO. MUCH. STUFF. 

What’s Actually Being Inherited 

According to a recent Bloomberg article by Chris Rovzar, as much as $90 trillion in assets will change hands over the next few decades. But alongside financial assets lie a mounting inheritance of physical belongings. We're talking about antique furniture, sterling silver flatware, model trains, Hummel figurines, cut-crystal glassware — even miniature pianos. 

Some of these items carry deep sentimental value. For others, not so much. The result? Many heirs feel buried under a mountain of ‘stuff’ they didn’t necessarily ask for. 

Why There's So Much ‘Stuff’ 

Collectors never stopped collecting. Boomers who built their collections over their lifetimes didn’t always see them as clutter. Their passions were real — and they hoped their kids would appreciate them too. 

As we age, many of us may want to downsize. But instead of letting go, we hold on to beloved items or leave the bulk to the next generation. Matt Paxton, star of both Hoarders and Filthy Fortunes, and Advisor to Artifcts sees this daily as he and his team help families downsize and somehow deal with all the ‘stuff.’   

We are also great at avoiding tough conversations. Not all families talk about what to keep and what to let go of. Without clear plans, decisions fall to the children — who are often under emotional stress. 

The Impact on the Next Generation 

For many Millennials and Gen Xers, dealing with their parents’ estates isn’t just a financial task — it’s deeply emotional work. Rovzar describes cleaning out a parent’s house as “upsetting, stressful and deeply sad,” but also cathartic when you find unexpected treasures like a long-lost recipe or beloved childhood memento. 

On the practical side: 

• Storage is becoming a challenge. Some families use storage units to hold inherited objects, which can be costly. Self-storage is a $59 BILLION dollar industry in the US alone.  
• Selling isn’t always easy. Vintage doesn’t always mean valuable. Many items have limited resale markets.
• Keeping the legacy feels heavy. Not every object has a clear inheritor, and not all heirs want what their parents collected. 

What Can Be Done — Thoughtfully 

Do you find yourself or your loved ones staring at the oncoming ‘stuff’ tsunami and not sure what to do? We asked experts across the organizing, downsizing, and photo management industries on how to navigate this transfer of stuff: 

Have conversations early. Parents and children should talk about what matters, what doesn’t, and what to do with sentimental vs. practical belongings. 

Prioritize what to keep. Not everything needs to survive for another generation. Choosing key heirlooms can help reduce clutter while preserving meaning. Check out our guide to Swedish Death Cleaning to help you purposefully choose which possessions to hold onto and which possessions to rehome or let go of altogether. 

Our Co-Founder Heather kept these vintage hot cocoa mugs after her mother passed--not for the financial value but because of the memories. 

Be realistic about disposal. Items that don’t hold value may be donated, recycled, or sold. A professional estate sale service can help. Learn more about estate sales and other online options for selling items in our Everything You Need to Know Before Heading to Your First Estate Sale ARTIcles story. 

Document provenance. If a piece has real historical or monetary value, keeping a record helps with future decisions and may make it more meaningful. It can also help your heirs not be “the ones” who accidentally donate a Picasso to Goodwill.  

Why This Matters 

This isn’t just a story about stuff — it’s about generational legacy, memory, and how we value our lives through objects. As wealth moves from one generation to the next, what we inherit isn't just bank accounts; it’s a tangible piece of who our parents and grandparents were. 

For many heirs, sorting through these items is more than a transaction. It’s a way to understand their loved ones, decide what to carry forward, and gently close chapters in a responsible and emotionally respectful way. 

As you look around your home — or your parents’ if you happen to be heading home for the holidays— notice the items that hold meaning: 

• The broach worn on a wedding day
• The tool passed down from a grandfather
• The ticket stub from a once-in-a-lifetime concert
• The odd little figurine that always sat on the mantel 

Those keepsakes aren’t just things, they’re experiences, memories, and connections waiting to be captured. Take a moment to Artifct those items, capture the story, the history, and all the little details that make you smile, laugh, or remind you of your loved one(s). Give future generations the context they need — not just the clutter, because the real inheritance isn’t the ‘stuff.’ It’s the life stories and memories behind it. 

Still with us? Extra credit if you use our “In the Future” field to tell your heirs what to do with the item when the time comes — keep, donate, sell, bequeath, or “as you wish.” Lift the weight of uncertainty before it ever lands on their shoulders. 

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Who doesn’t love the board games, flag football, and annual viewing of movie favorites like Miracle on 34th Street, The Grinch, and Home Alone over the holidays with your family?

Get ready to make some new traditions, have fun with your family, and avoid awkward conversations like, “Have you seen Aunt Dot's new hairstyle?” Instead, you'll get to enjoy more of those, “I never knew that about you!” moments! We’re putting a spin on those traditions of togetherness with Artifcts, to help you AND your family save and share the memories and laugh-out-loud stories from holidays past and present. 

New Family Memories and Traditions with Artifcts 

We asked some of our most avid Artifcters, “How do you Artifct with family” and distilled the rather humorous stories we heard into a step-by-step process anyone can do whether you're hosting your crew this holiday season, or traveling across country (or next door!). Bonus, not only can these steps be used during your next holiday gathering, they also work great for you next family reunion too. 

#1. CREATE YOUR FREE ARTIFCTS MEMBERSHIP

If you're going to use Artifcts to preserve and share the memories and stories, you're going to need an account. Sign up free in 30 seconds, start to finish. Already have an account? Fabulous! You can skip to step #2.

#2. DECIDE ON A THEME

Give your family a focus for all those stories and memories. Here are some ideas to get you started, but we also offer free checklists to inspire you. Some families even send a link to the checklist/theme they choose ahead of the family gathering!

• Recipes. Request modern family favorites to expand your repertoire. Or stick to oldies but goodies that have been passed down through the years. Make sure you include those "secret" ingredients too. 
• Photos. “Oldest” and “funniest” competitions could be fun. One person told us last year they used, “Rarely do you see so many of us together,” types of photos and it was a blast. So many long-forgotten photos, and so many family members. Go for it! 
• Family treasures. Maybe they’re family heirlooms or sentimental pieces created by your kids. Maybe they're mementos purchased while traveling and make for a good story. One family told their loved ones to each bring a cherished item to be Artifcted after Thanksgiving dinner. The result? A virtual timecapsule to be enjoyed for years to come!  
• Going, going, gone. This one made us laugh and came from a reader after our recent “Epilogue: Family Keepers” story. The idea here is that if you are holding on to family heirlooms, antiques, or similar items, and you don’t really WANT to hold on to them, Artifct them to let others know so they have a final chance to call “Dibs!” 
• All things sports. This final example was from a family of running enthusiasts. Maybe your family is made up of musicians, artists, or travelers; same idea applies. This family Artifcted photos, running bibs, and race medals from the year, including videos of each of them crossing the finish lines. Personal best in a 5k? Awesome! 

Keep the memories, but maybe not every last running bib from the past year. 

#3 ADD FAMILY MEMBERS TO YOUR ARTIFCTS "NETWORK"

(This step is optional, feel free to skip to step #4)

You need only each person's name and email. You can make it easier by filling in this template and then returning to your Account Settings > Content & Network > Network and clicking “Import” to add them all at once.

Don't have their email addresses? Text, call, or post a message wherever you and your family communicate to ask them to create an account on Artifcts.com and then send you their screen name. You can easily add them that way too.

#4 CREATE AN INVITE-ONLY ARTIFCTS CIRCLE

Create an Artifcts Circle (we have a help video, too!) to easily unite and organize all the Artifcts your family creates and shares. Add each family member to it by: (a) selecting from your list if you completed step #3, (b) typing in their email address directly, or (c) emailing or texting them a link from your circle - they will have a week to accept the invite and you can always send a new link if needed.

• • • You can choose, per person, to let them invite others or to make another person an “admin” who can add AND delete others. 
    • In the “About” section, describe for your family what this circle is for, e.g., “Let’s gather up and share favorite recipes for the holidays.”  
    • Then click to invite them and leave a comment, e.g.:

“Please create a free Artifcts account so we can swap recipes this year and not lose them in email or texts! Tag them #Thanksgiving2025. Bonus points if you add a funny short video snippet or audio file! Don’t forget to click share and choose this Circle or we can't see it. Call me if you need help.” 

You can always edit the Circle details, image for the Circle, and members, so don’t worry if you forget something (or someone) or have a change of plans.

Our Co-Founder Heather's Artifcts Circle from Thanksgiving 2022. 

#5. CREATE YOUR ARTIFCTS & PICK YOUR MOMENT

When will you set aside time to share and reminisce about all your new Artifcts from your family? Maybe as the dinner is cooking or perhaps after dessert, you each take a couple of minutes and share the Artifcts you created and added to the Circle. You may discover new details, photos, and related stories you’ve never heard before!

Best yet, once your family starts Artifcting and sharing with your new Circle, they can contribute all year long! Next year you can pick right back up or choose a new theme to capture your family's history.

Togetherness and Remembrance this Holiday Season 

We want to acknowledge and talk about another facet of the holidays: grief.  

We know that the holidays can be an incredibly challenging time for many of us. We’re facing them with loved ones missing for the first time or perhaps facing the end soon. Artifcts can be a powerful way to spend time together capturing memories and stories for now and later, for you and for all your loved ones. It can also make it easier to decide what becomes of all the keepsakes that we ultimately leave behind one day.  

Our free Life Preparedness and After-Loss Support Guide may offer a helpful starting point. You may also find inspiration in some of our past ARTIcles by Artifcts such as Gift Your Loved Ones a Why and The Three Things I Wish My Mother Had Artifcted.  

Consider taking the time to watch the recording from our panel discussion about new traditions for the holidays as we process our grief. Our guests, Rachel Donnelly, founder of My AfterLight and Professionals of After Loss Services, and Garrick Colwell, of Kitchen Table Conversations, brought diverse and deep backgrounds to the practical and emotional aspects of grief. 

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

For parts of the United States, sweater weather is officially here, and with it comes an increasingly frenetic pace of to-do's as we approach the holiday season. Old St. Nick is not the only one making a list and checking it twice—our co-founder Heather has already started a list of recipes (and ingredients!) needed to pull off a family Thanksgiving feast, and we know she is not alone.  

Here at Artifcts, we want to help you reclaim the joy (and meaning!) that goes along with the holidays all season long. Our starting point? Our kitchens, and more specifically with our cookbooks and recipes, because chances are the recipes that we make and love are not solely about the ingredients, but about the memories, traditions, and family stories that make the holidays so special.  

Why it matters: cookbooks, recipes, and memories 

It might surprise you that in researching this story we discovered that the average American family owns at least 15 cookbooks, and that three in ten women have a cookbook collection, according to Morris Cookbooks, the largest cookbook publisher in the US. Informal online discussions meanwhile suggest many households own dozens—or even hundreds—of cookbooks, far surpassing the “average.”  

Why does that matter now, especially as we head into the holiday season? Because recipes aren’t just instructions. Researcher Eleonora Sava highlights this point in her 2021 article titled, Family Cookbooks—Objects of Family Memories. Sava describes recipes and cookbooks as objects of memory as they record more than ingredients and steps. According to Sava, cookbooks capture handwriting and family tastes, and link generations through the act of cooking.  

And as the holidays approach—when families gather, when traditional dishes make their annual appearance, when memories of past celebrations resurface—the meaning of a recipe goes far beyond the kitchen. A dish becomes a link to a grandparent, a holiday table, a childhood kitchen smell, or a moment of togetherness.  

So how can you best preserve those family traditions in an organized, shareable way—especially heading into the holidays? Hello Artifcts! 

Artifcts allows you to capture not only the recipe itself, but its origin, stories about the person who made it, the holiday or event it was tied to, notes (handwritten or digital), and even tangents like family anecdotes, ingredient variations, or why it matters to you. With Artifcts, a recipe becomes far more than a page in a cookbook—it becomes a shareable, searchable, multimedia keepsake. 

Click the image to view Matt Paxton's family cookbook that he Artifcted. 

How to Artifct your recipes to preserve traditions, stories, and memories 

Intrigued? Want to give it a try? We’ve compiled the below step-by-step guide to help you begin Artifcting your family recipes and preserving your culinary heritage ahead of the holidays: 

1. Gather your recipes and the accompanying keepsakes 

• Pull together all the physical and digital items 
• Don’t forget handwritten index cards, printed family cookbooks, scraps of parchment with notes, old magazine cut-outs, even photos of the dish or the family moment. 

2. Photograph the key items you want to include in the Artifct 

• Don’t worry, you can always go back and edit it if you forget something! 

3. Add the story behind each recipe 

• Who cooked it originally?  
• When/where was it typically served? (Holiday dinner each December, Sunday brunch, etc.)
• What makes it special? The ingredient twist? The aroma? The family joke tied to it?
• Write (or record video or audio) short anecdotes: “I remember the year the turkey caught fire and we still served this cranberry relish…”
• Photograph: The dish itself, the handwritten card, the cook in action, the table-setting from past years. 

4. Organize, organize, organize 

• Use Categories (Home → Recipes and Occasions → Holidays)
• Create custom tags to easily sort and search, e.g., #MomsRecipes, #FamilyFavorite, #Handwritten, #Thanksgiving2025, etc. 

5. Share and invite contributions 

• Privately share recipes with relatives (near or far) via link or invite.  
• Give loved ones “Editor” access so they can collaborate and even add variations or their own memories, if you want them to. 

You might discover after Artifcting your family recipes you may be willing (or able) to downsize and declutter your cookbook collection. Consider retaining the cookbooks you actively use, the sentimental ones, and let others go (donate, recycle, give away) knowing your family’s tradition lives on in your Artifcts collection. This is especially helpful ahead of holidays, when you may want to free up space, reduce clutter, simplify your kitchen/library area—and keep the heart of your culinary heritage intact  

Why Artifcting wins vs. pure cookbooks 

• Shareability: Traditional cookbooks are fine for the in-house chef, but sharing them across generations, branches of the family, or geographically separated relatives is harder. With Artifcts, you can privately share with cousins, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews, invite contributions, and access from anywhere. 

• Context & story: A cookbook often gives you a title, ingredients, steps—but rarely the story: “why Grandma always added nutmeg,” or “how this dish saved the day when the oven broke on Christmas Eve.” Artifcts preserve the memory, not just the mechanics. 

• Searchable & customizable: You can tag by holiday, ingredient, dietary restriction, chef-in-the-family, etc. Over time you build an archive that you can browse by event or person—far more flexible than a static bookshelf. 

• Space & organization: If your cookbook collection is growing unwieldy (shelves overflowing, dusting stress), Artifcting gives you a chance to digitize key recipes + stories, reduce physical clutter, and still keep the heritage alive. It’s a win-win: fewer books, more meaning. 

• Legacy and future-proofing: Physical cookbooks may fade and get lost; handwritten cards may deteriorate. A thoughtfully maintained digital archive ensures these traditions aren’t lost, even if a physical book is damaged or thrown out. This matters especially for holiday-linked dishes that may only appear once a year. 

A very memorable Artifct, complete with an instructional video from Grandma herself!

Final thoughts 

Family recipes are more than just good food. They are the threads that weave together generations, holidays, kitchens, stories, aromas, and memories. As Sava noted in her article on family cookbooks: “The family cookbook becomes an album of memories… the handwriting may summon the image of the person who wrote that recipe.”  

By taking the time now—before the holiday rush—to Artifct your cherished recipes, you’ll be gifting your family a legacy of meaning as well as a well-curated digital archive rich with stories, photos, and flavors. It’s he kind of heirloom that can travel across generations far easier than a shelf-full of cookbooks. 

So, pull out your recipe box, gather those favorite dishes, invite your family to tell you the “why” behind them—and get started preserving your traditions, one recipe at a time. 

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.