Morning TV thought

[rootbeer1]

What gets me about the BBC TV show, Cash In The Attic:

Typical British family needs some money for some semi-vulgar purpose -- trip to a theme park, fancy night out, videogame console, etc.

So the TV show crew comes in and combs the house for anything of value to sell, to pay for that purpose.

"This diamond ring your late grandfather used his life's savings to buy, which was originally owned by the family of Winston Churchill, and which saved your grandmother's life when she was trapped in a car underwater and she used it to cut through the glass, and which was celebrated in a 1950s TV documentary, Diamond Ring of Destiny -- it'll fetch at least 40 pounds at auction! You're well on your way to that Playstation Plus!"

So many of these families get rid of unique family heirlooms for a pittance, to pay for consumer goods, or transitory things like Eurodisney trips, or spa weekends.

Wankers.

Comments

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

I would agree, and add my own complaint--I don't like the phony drama they try to create. "Oh! That piece didn't fetch nearly what we expected! Can we still make enough for the dialysis machine for Kitty?" I haven't seen any episodes in which they didn't make enough for whatever their goal was. Maybe not as large a total as hoped for, but certainly enough for what they wanted. They also do this on the home makeover shows--can they complete it in time? (Although I'll admit I've seen real drama on the home makeover shows when the owners hated the makeover!)

[pharmbear.livejournal.com]

Man did you capture THAT one correctly.

Pratts and twats....each and every one!

[fuzzygruf.livejournal.com]

Usually it's not that extreme, although I believe some people come to their senses when the camera crew leaves. They show up at auction and say, "Oh, we decided not to sell that."

Some people hold onto way too much "stuff" way too long. I like the Clean Sweep way of getting rid of stuff, where they at least discuss why some things should be let go. Now if I could just implement that around my place! ;-)

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

When I'm getting rid of items around the house, I ask myself one question: Is this unique and irreplaceable? If it is, then I'm not getting rid of it. (Not unless I hate it.)

When we moved out here, we had so many books we needed to get rid of ... and, for us, getting rid of books has a very high degree of difficulty. We wound up getting rid of many "popular" books that were likely to remain in print or be otherwise available. We also had to disabuse ourselves of the notion that "getting rid of a book" meant we were passing judgment on it, like we'd condemned it and would never be able to read it again.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

What they don't show you is all the crap they are hanging onto. This British people all have way more heirlooms than they know what to do with. (My favourite British expression for nouveaux-riches is "the kind of people who buy their furniture". SNAP!)

Everything Right is Wrong Again..

[sonoranbear.livejournal.com]

We've really come full circle starting with the Antiques Roadshow and ending up.. well.. here.

Bleargh!

Value

[poodler.livejournal.com]

But if these things have no sentimental value to the owners then they should be sold so that someone who values them can better appreciate them.

Re: Value

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

It's the owners who value their Playstations and spa trips over their unique family history that I find myself resenting. I think what pushed me over the edge was some George Gershwin sheet music personally autographed to the family's grandmother, who worked for Gershwin. As far as the family was concerned, this bit of precious family memorabilia was only valuable in that it got them closer to EuroDisney.

Re: Gershwin

[poodler.livejournal.com]

Well, YOU wouldn't sell something of such family value but that shows your committment to family. I think that it's great that people let go of what they don't appreciate, so that those of us who enjoy these things, including museums, can "touch" them. I get more bothered when a museum, college or library sells a rare painting, manuscript, document which was left to it by someone who felt such item/s was/are important enough to safe keep said item/s in said institution. My feeling is that the institution has a duty to safe guard a donated item (or decline acceptance in the first place) and instead rely on fundraising campaigns to raise $$$.

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

Those families should appreciate their family history. That they don't is just a sorry reflection of their priorities.

[metacub.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I see what you mean. I do enjoy it, though, 'cause I think of it like Antiques Roadshow, but with a bit of a voyeuristic glimpse into their houses and histories. Some of the stuff people have sitting around is remarkable.

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

I enjoy it too, but I'd like to see more families saying, "Sell THIS!? No way! What do you think we are -- CADS?!"

[metacub.livejournal.com]

Ah, people acting sensibly. Where would the entertainment be then? Silly man. If you want to get annoyed by people acting stupid and still making money out of it, watch Property Ladder on TLC. It follows people flipping houses, and they're always ignoring the host, going over time, going over budget, not planning things properly, not getting the right inspections or permits, not shopping in advance, and still making money because they happen to be in California. Grr!

[sfmini.livejournal.com]

I can see your point.

However, sometimes it's not the item, but the memory that is the important thing.

I had enough family heirloom furniture to furnish my 5,000 sf house back in Georgia. What it amounted to is that I was maintaining a museum for several generations of my family, at great cost.

I gave what I could to family, they didn't want much of any of it. When I moved to SF I took two plates, a small table and a clock. I sent the rest to an estate settlement company to dispose of. It wrenched my gut.

In the end I find it's the memories in my head that keep me grounded to my heritage, not the items.

For what I got for the stuff I could have taken a month off and gone to Europe. I think that my family would agree that would be more important than to hang on to a bunch of things.

Besides, isn't going to EuroDisney a trip to Europe? LOL

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

Obviously you placed great emotional store in these family heirlooms, since it was a wrenching experience -- which is all I ask! It's these families who matter-of-factly dispose of these items that irks me.

[sfmini.livejournal.com]

I agree.

[daved010.livejournal.com]

can I sell their stuff for a spa weekend for me?````````````````

[abearius.livejournal.com]

The difference between immediate pleasure and "belonging," either to a tradition or to a community or to a family is pretty starkly represented here.

Hmmmm.

[alpenhorn.livejournal.com]

Honey, you are watching waaaaaay too much telly. You aren't talking back at it yet, are you? We'll really start worrying when you say it is answering back. Anyway, those folks should not be wasting money on such frivolous shopping sprees. Hell, don't those Brits have a Costco nearby???