Memories or dust collectors

I was gifted these by my ex MIL, a lovely lady, these belonged to her mother, when we helped clear her house out, MIL brought them home in a huge box of trinklets. I have them simply because I love them, when the split with my 1st husband happened, I tried to give them back, but MIL knew I loved them and wanted me to have them, they will be passed on to my daughters. I have tried to find out what they were used for, I know they were made along the France Germany border at the start of 1900's, probably as candle reed holders.

This was given as a wedding gift in 1973, I have always loved it, it does get used often without the handle, which I keep just because they belong together. I have nothing else from my 1st marriage, it's a bigger size than my dinner plates. 

This delightful little statue was a 21st birthday gift to me in 1976, I have always loved it, unlike other gifts this has survived many moves and sits in my cabinet. A friends parent got it for me, haven't seen the friend in over 40 years, his parents I suspect are no longer with us. I love the simplistic style of the children, very old fashioned now. 

These little county dishes were every where in the 70's, I started collecting them on trips around the country, they were cheap, but very useful as a memento, I had quite a collection, but as with so many things, they ended up in a box, I did keep my home county, nice memories.

I very recently sorted all my Aynsley china, Little Sweetheart, this is just the bits I had left, I had given my sister loads, I collected these over 10 years, now I see them as dust collectors, they are in a box in the attic, other than the vases which have been used, the rest is in perfect condition. BUT no one wants them anymore.

Mum collected brass items, loads were passed to my eldest brother. Both of us come from bigger families, I was 1 of 9 children, hubby 1 of 7 children.  My mum outlived my dad by a couple of decades, and in her final years lived with my younger sister, so loads of her things were passed on, my sister has kept the rest, I do have a small pot mum loved, sadly it was damaged before given to me. I have my dad's old red driving licence, as shown here,  and his walking stick, he did not own much. Most of the things in my childhood home, I would never had wanted, these days photo's are scanned and shared, but we don't ever get to see all the albums mum kept, my sister promises to find them but never looks.

These things above other than the two clown pots won't be wanted by anyone, our children have less clutter than we did, very few ornaments, what they have, has to match their décor. At some point I think charity shops will stop taking all the trinkets people no longer want, I am sure the market for them is shrinking, I know I am happier with so much less in our lives. We are using our best crystal glasses, and when our everyday dinner service needs replacing, we will use our best set, I see no point is leaving it in a cupboard, I grew up in a world where there was a best set for everything, these days I want to enjoy our stuff.