That’s not crazy cslinger.
I have heard horror stories of how people can be when someone passes. When my grandmother asked me what I want when she dies I said I want her garbage can. When she asked why I told her that nobody would argue over it. Didn’t get a trash can but I did get some nice Brown & Sharp and Starrett micrometers and rules that grandpa used to make a living.

My father left us when I was 7 to be with his other family (mistress). He have 2 other sons, which are younger than me. I have not spoken nor seen my father for about 10 years before he died. My older sister still communicated with him all those years.
He was a cop for 20 years. I asked my sister if she can ask the other 2 sons if I can have his badge. That was all I wanted that belonged to our father. Never got his badge.

When my mother was young her uncle handmade her a cedar chest. As a kid I remember opening it and loved that aroma. I have it. Must be about 90 years old now and the smell is mostly gone. I wonder if I sanded the inside if it would come back.

Even though I am deeply sentimental there are not too many things I wanted family heirloom wise. One thing I did get is an Audemars Piguet watch that my grandfather (mother's father) picked up in Europe after WW2. He later passed it on (while still alive) to my father who wore it daily for many years. The back is engraved "Max 1945", "Ron 1975", "Adam 1993"". The last is when my dad died at 53 yoa and my mother gave it to me. I wore it for my wedding in 94 but now it sits in a box. I don't know if it will ever be worn again but I will leave it to my daughter to do as she wishes with it.

Only one that I can think of. It’s a little cast aluminum racecar that my dad was given on his second birthday. I think it’s an Audi, but I will have to look when I get home.
I’ve had it since I was a young kid. I’ll pass it on to my nephew or maybe one of my niece’s kids.
I just hope they will hang onto it the same way my dad and I have.

A rocking/reclining loveseat. The color - the closest thing to it would be mauve - isn't the greatest, but I have put it to good use.

I inherited my grandfather’s WWII S&W Victory model & I have his Rolex. And I took some books from each grandmothers homes. My mom is the collector and things have meaning to her, my older brother and I didn’t get that gene.and I’m ok with that.

Don’t know which of my boys I’m going to give that pistol too, but the other one will get the Rolex.

I’ll probably give my chiefs anchor ring to the younger one.

quote:

Originally posted by Schmelby:
Must be about 90 years old now and the smell is mostly gone. I wonder if I sanded the inside if it would come back.

Yes, it would.

quote:

Originally posted by Schmelby:
I wonder if I sanded the inside if it would come back.

Yep. Sure will. I just did my grandmother's last year. It was her mom's so probably 150-160 yrs. old. Smelled like new after a very light sanding. Some heirloom Hudson Bay blankets live in it. Nary a moth hole in any of them.

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:

quote:

Originally posted by Schmelby:
I wonder if I sanded the inside if it would come back.

Yep. Sure will. I just did my grandmother's last year. It was her mom's so probably 150-160 yrs. old. Smelled like new after a very light sanding. Some heirloom Hudson Bay blankets live in it. Nary a moth hole in any of them.

Thank you sir and Mr. PHPaul too. When I get up the gumption I'll give it a go.

Maybe not heirloom, but I have a cuckoo clock that was my grandmother's, that was in the room I stayed in her house when I visited. Wanted it for years & got it when she sold everything & moved to CA to live with my aunt.
Crummy cell photo from the broken camera on my old phone. Haven't gotten around to hanging it back up since we moved.

Also have her S&W Model 36.

To top it all, found out Saturday that she's moving back to TX this month!

My dad has his grandmother's dining set [table china cabinet, buffet]
Betting that goes to my sister, as it's not my wife's style & would just sit in storage if we got it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P250UA5,

My Mom gave me the only two things I was interested in before she passed. One is a little cast iron coin bank and the other a small square cast iron frying pan for making egg sandwiches. These two items are dear to me.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
clock that was my grandmother's

I have my grandparents' grandfather clock, purchased in 1973. I can still smell their house sometimes when I open the cabinet.

x2 Things I can think of.

Stevens Double Barrel 16GA my granddad taught me to shoot clays with.
Really old beat up Vice I found out in his barn after he passed.

When I commissioned my father (USN Retired) gave me his Navy Officers sword which I wore during my career. It will go to my son.

My father was in the 12th Armored Division in WW2, He sent home a small wood crate full of
souviners from Germany. A couple of Daggers I guess, weren't long enough to be swords.
A whole bunch of medals, Nazi flag, a small belt of 50 BMG, a bunch of other stuff I can't
remember, and then two pistols, a P38 and a 9mm not sure what it was. My brother has it. I've have over 100 books on WW2
and have guns. He has no interest in either. Mom had a ring that appraised for 27k twenty five years ago.
Brother wanted to sell it, I tried to get him to send it to Mr.Troung, who I would trust. He sold it for a
rediculously low price. I Never said a word. I know of families destroyed over this.

My parents were married in the 60's and my dad was active duty Army stationed at Ft. Bliss. He bought their wedding rings in Mexico and after their divorce my mother kept them. This was in the days when precious metals were plentiful right across the border, coins were still silver etc.

In the 80's my mom had three of the gold rings melted down and made into a cross with three of the diamonds off the rings mounted to the cross. She also got a nice gold necklace to go with the cross. I always wanted that and fortunately got it from my mom before she got dementia. My step siblings stole everything worthwhile after that so i got it just in time, a few years before she passed. My mom and dad both remarried (my dad married one before my mom and twice after) but this cross and necklace will be handed down. Its the only worthwhile thing i got.I wanted my dads masonic ring when he died but his sister stole it and everything else of value after he died.

I've got a couple of old firearms I'll pass down, hopefully I'll have grandkids some day to give them to. If not, I'll probably pick a kid from church and give the stuff too. I'll find someone who will pass it on.

quote:

Originally posted by trickedtrix:
I have my grandmother's guitar, a 1963 gibson hummingbird

That is a nice one.

I have a watch my grandfather gave and one that was my father's. Those are good keepsakes.

I have a few things.
A couple of nice F&N rifles with french walnut stocks with ivory and ebony inlays. A '74 Winchester. Some other nice guns.
I have my dad's 1961 Rolex Pepsi GMT that he got in Hong Kong on vacation when we lived in Saigon. He paid $150.00 for it.
Have my mom's wedding ring which my wife wears after some modification.
A bunch of fancy dinner plates etc. that we never use.
A few silver platters and chaffing trays that stay locked up and never used.

I created this family heirloom when I located my grandfather’s flag in dad’s garage when we were moving mom and dad from the house to an apartment. I carefully folded my grandfather’s military honors flag, then made a display case. Later I acquired the flags from my father-in-law and my dad, after they passed, then put them all in matching black, presentation cases. I think that together, it’s a pretty impressive display; I hope that my kids or granddaughters will value them as well.