A couple of weeks ago, I sold part of my childhood. I grew up reading the Hardy Boys and owned almost the entire series. At my mother’s suggestion, I stored the books away in a box because they “might be worth a lot of money someday.” I actually envisioned passing them down to my son some day, rather than expecting any kind of huge windfall. But at this point, it appears that our daughter will remain an only child and she has no interest in the Hardy Boys. These books have moved with me three times, and had been in our storage unit for the last four years. After 35 years, it was time to let them go.
The amount I received for them for is not important. The value of anything is determined only by what someone is willing to pay. Both buyer and seller were happy with the transaction, so it’s all good. I have some money in my pocket and someone else is going to read the books. They weren’t doing anybody any good sitting in a box. Was I really going to hold onto them for another quarter century to pass down to a possible grandson?
The process started
My wife and I are both looking around at our stuff and asking ourselves why we are holding onto some of the things that are either packed away in storage or cluttering up our house and whether those things will be worth more to someone else than to us. We are using free local classified sites to gradually sell a few items a week and stashing the proceeds in a separate fund that will go towards a major household purchase.
It was cathartic to watch my old Hardy Boys books leave the house. I admit that I am a little sad, but having the cash in my hand made the transition easier. I am even looking forward to liquidating more of my “treasures.” For the right price, of course.