7 things Boomers keep in their basements that their kids will throw out the day they inherit them

Ever walked into your parents' basement and felt like you'd entered a time capsule?

Last spring, I helped my mom organize her basement after my dad's health scare made them realize they needed to downsize. What I found down there was basically a museum of things they couldn't let go of, items they were convinced would be "valuable someday" or that held memories they couldn't bear to part with.

As I sorted through boxes of old magazines and broken appliances, I couldn't help but think about how many of these treasured possessions would end up in donation bins or trash bags once they're no longer around to protect them. It sounds harsh, but it's the reality many of us face when dealing with our parents' accumulated stuff.

If you've got Boomer parents, chances are their basement is packed with items they consider precious but you see as clutter. Here are seven things that probably won't make the cut when the time comes.

1. Complete sets of encyclopedias

Remember when owning a full set of Encyclopedia Britannica was a status symbol? My parents still have their 1985 edition taking up an entire shelf in the basement, gathering dust and probably housing a few spider families.

These heavy volumes were once the gateway to knowledge, representing thousands of dollars of investment in education. For many Boomers, throwing them out feels like dismissing the importance of learning itself. My mom actually got emotional when I suggested donating them, saying they represented all the homework help she'd given us kids over the years.

But here's the thing: when was the last time anyone cracked open volume "P" to look up Paraguay? We have the entire world's knowledge in our pockets now. Those encyclopedias are basically expensive doorstops at this point, and most libraries won't even accept them as donations anymore.

2. Boxes of National Geographic magazines

Speaking of printed matter, how many yellow-bordered magazines are stacked in your parents' basement right now? I found boxes dating back to 1972 in my parents' house, each one carefully preserved like it might fund someone's retirement.

The attachment to National Geographic makes sense. These magazines represented adventure, culture, and a window to the world for a generation that couldn't just hop on Google Earth. Plus, they're genuinely beautiful publications with stunning photography.

But unless you're planning to wallpaper your apartment with vintage African safari spreads, those magazines are heading straight to recycling. The harsh truth? Complete collections that Boomers think are worth hundreds of dollars typically sell for about $20 on eBay, if they sell at all.

3. China sets that have never seen daylight

In my mom's basement, there are three complete china sets. Three! One was her mother's, one was a wedding gift, and one she bought herself because it was "too beautiful to pass up." Combined, they've been used maybe five times in forty years.

For Boomers, fine china represented success, sophistication, and the ability to host proper dinner parties. It was an investment in a lifestyle, a way of showing you'd made it. My mom still talks about her china like it's going to be fought over in the will.

Reality check: Most millennials and Gen Xers eat dinner on the couch watching Netflix. We're not hosting seven-course meals that require different plates for salad and fish. That china is probably getting sold at an estate sale for a fraction of what it cost, or donated to someone who actually throws dinner parties.

4. VHS tapes and DVDs in massive quantities

Found a wall of VHS tapes in my parents' basement, including every Disney movie ever made and recordings of TV shows from the '90s. Plus about 300 DVDs they started collecting when VHS became "outdated."

These collections made sense when buying a movie meant you could watch it whenever you wanted, a luxury compared to waiting for it to come on TV. My dad was so proud of his movie library, organized alphabetically and everything.

But streaming killed physical media for most of us. Those Disney VHS tapes they think are collectibles? Unless it's a specific rare edition, they're worthless. The DVDs might fetch fifty cents each at a yard sale if you're lucky. Most will end up in the trash because thrift stores are overwhelmed with them.

5. Exercise equipment that became expensive coat racks

The basement tour wouldn't be complete without encountering the NordicTrack from 1992, the ThighMaster, and that ab roller from an infomercial. Each piece represents good intentions and the hope that this time would be different.

My parents have a treadmill that's been used approximately twelve times since Clinton was president. But throwing it out would mean admitting defeat, acknowledging that the dream of getting back in shape has sailed. So it sits there, holding old Halloween decorations.

When inheritance time comes, that equipment is getting hauled to the curb faster than you can say "Billy Blanks Tae Bo." Nobody wants to inherit your parents' failed fitness dreams, especially when it weighs 200 pounds and requires disassembly to get it up the stairs.

6. Collections of anything and everything

Beanie Babies. Commemorative plates. Spoons from every state. Coins. Stamps. Baseball cards. Figurines. My parents' basement has collections that would make a museum curator weep.

Each collection started with love and excitement. Every piece was carefully chosen, catalogued, preserved. My dad spent years building his coin collection, convinced it would be worth something significant someday. He'd show us each new addition with such pride.

Here's what actually happens: The kids who inherit these collections have no emotional connection to them and no idea what anything's worth. Most collections get sold in bulk to dealers for pennies on the dollar, or they sit in boxes for another generation before someone finally admits nobody wants grandpa's thimble collection.

7. Old electronics and cables for devices that no longer exist

The ultimate basement archaeology experience involves finding boxes of cables, chargers, and devices from the dawn of the digital age. Old cell phones, answering machines, tape recorders, and approximately 47 different types of cables that connect nothing to nothing.

Boomers keep these because technology was expensive and throwing it away feels wasteful. What if you need that parallel printer cable someday? What if VCRs make a comeback? My dad has a box labeled "computer stuff" that's basically a graveyard of obsolete technology.

These boxes of tangled mysteries are getting tossed without a second thought. Nobody's going to spend hours sorting through cables to figure out what that weird three-pronged thing connects to. It's all e-waste bound.

Final thoughts

Looking through my parents' basement that day, I realized something important. All those items they're holding onto aren't really about the objects themselves. They represent dreams, achievements, memories, and a life well-lived.

That china set isn't just dishes; it's the dinner parties they hosted as newlyweds. Those magazines aren't just paper; they're rainy afternoons spent traveling the world from their armchair.

The challenge for those of us who'll inherit these basements full of memories isn't just deciding what to keep. It's finding ways to honor what these items meant to our parents while being realistic about our own lives and spaces. Maybe we keep one special plate from the china set, or frame a favorite National Geographic cover.

Understanding why our parents cling to these things might help us approach the eventual clean-out with more compassion. And who knows? Maybe it'll make us think twice about what we're storing in our own basements for the next generation to puzzle over.