How To Organize Your Memorabilia

Out of everything we organize, from kids’ tiny toys to large dusty garage tools, memorabilia is one of the biggest challenges we face with our clients. Memories pile up over the years, but we’re here to remind you that your memories don’t live in bins in your basement. Follow these tips when you’re ready to tackle your sentimental items; we promise they will help! 

Make a plan

When you wrap your mind around needing to go through your sentimental items, decide how much time you can dedicate to the task. Some people like to carve out a full weekend and really dive in; others know they might lose steam after an hour. Break it up over a few weekends if you need to. Take one box at a time. Whatever works for you; just make a plan to see it through.

A great tip we use for sentimental sorting is to decide how much space or how many bins the memorabilia you keep is allotted in your home. Buying a few sentimental boxes like these can result in easier decision-making. If you only have two boxes or live in a small space, you can only keep so many things.

Ask yourself the right questions

Instead of “Is this worth a lot of money?” try “Could this be more useful to someone else?” 

Instead of “Could I use this someday?” try “Would my kids be happy I kept this?”

Always ask “Is this worth the space this item is taking up in my home?”

It’s easy to hold onto things due to feelings rooted in guilt. Try keeping items that you see as only adding value to you and your family’s lives. 

Digitize

We always recommend digitizing physical photos, but this process can be really helpful when you’re dealing with sentimental items. Snap a photo of an item you’re ready to part with and save that to preserve the memory. Artwork from when you were younger, old letters, favorite collectibles - all can be digitized and saved. Rather than sorting these photos chronologically, maybe you create a “sentimental” or “favorites” folder on your computer, so you keep these memories separate. If you need help digitizing your photos, we love working with Everpresent to delegate this task!

Another option when it comes to kids’ artwork is to send it off to a company like Plum Print where they scan and design a book filled with artwork that you’ve gathered and sent off to them. That way you have a quality photo of the artwork that is then condensed into a coffee table book that can be shared with others.

Display

My favorite thing to recommend to clients is to keep the memorabilia you do choose to hold onto in a special place. Why are we always storing these bins in basements and attics? Although that makes sense because we aren’t referencing these every day; keeping only a few, nice-looking sentimental boxes makes for a great display in our homes. Frame old photos and letters, refinish your great grandfathers’ desk, and put these meaningful items to use!

The goal when organizing your memorabilia is not to get rid of everything, it’s to only keep what is meaningful and valuable to you.