If you have ever heard that young people do not want anything their parents own, here is a gentler truth. Plenty of things boomers have loved for decades are drawing a second wave of fans among younger adults, sometimes to the surprise of everyone involved. That is good news for anyone who has been keeping a collection for years. It also means you can be pickier. The real goal of decluttering is to keep what you love and let go of what is only taking up room. Here are six favorites that cross the generation gap, along with the clutter in each category that you can happily toss.
1. Vinyl Records
Record collections have survived every format change, and now the whole country seems to be spinning them. According to Luminate, a music data company, vinyl album sales grew from 13.1 million in 2016 to 49.6 million in 2023. In its survey of people who bought vinyl at independent record stores, 41 percent were under 35, the largest single age group was 35 to 44 at 20 percent, and 24 percent were 55 or older. In other words, the crowd flipping through the crates spans generations. Keep the albums you actually play and the ones with real sentimental value. Let go of the warped discs, the scratched ones you stopped playing years ago, and any covers damaged by water or mildew. Duplicates of common albums can go to a used record shop, and a soft brush and a proper sleeve will keep the ones you keep sounding good for years to come.
2. Midcentury Modern Furniture
Furniture is where the generations differ the most, which is exactly why this one is interesting. Reporting in The Philadelphia Inquirer found that younger buyers have little appetite for heavy, dark traditional pieces but are hunting for midcentury modern design. The article describes an Arne Jacobsen red chair and ottoman that sold for over $3,500 at a Briggs auction. Teak sideboards, simple lamps and clean lined chairs from the era are the kind of pieces to keep or sell. The same article reports that grand pianos, floral china, heavy dark dressers and Hummel and Lladro figurines have lost value. If you are holding on to pieces like those only out of duty, you have permission to let them go. Take photos of anything sentimental first, then donate or sell. A local consignment shop or estate sale company can tell you quickly which pieces have a market.
3. Vintage Pyrex and Tupperware
Those colorful mixing bowls in Grandma’s pantry have a following. In a consumer report from 10News, appraiser Dr. Lori says Pyrex is a mainstay with collectors, with patterns like turquoise diamond, snowflake and Cinderella especially sought after. Another expert, Nicolas Martin of Flea Market Insiders, says 1970s Tupperware has a cult following, and describes it as popular with nostalgic millennials. The report cites social media data showing about 41 percent of people using a vintage Pyrex hashtag are under 35. Asking prices on resale sites can be high, but remember they are listings, not guaranteed sales. Keep the pieces you cook with and love. Pass along or sell the clean, complete pieces, and toss anything chipped, cracked, badly stained or missing its lid. A cabinet with a dozen good pieces is far more useful than one stuffed with forty mismatched ones.
4. Jigsaw Puzzles
A table with a half finished puzzle on it is a sight in homes of every age. A survey by Ipsos for Ravensburger, conducted in November 2018, found that 48 percent of American adults puzzle at least once a year, and that 34 percent of adults 18 to 34 puzzle at least monthly, compared with 10 percent of those 55 and older. Then 2020 arrived. AARP reported that puzzle makers saw sales up 300 to 370 percent compared with a year earlier, and quoted toy expert Chris Byrne noting that puzzles have long appealed to seniors. Both generations clearly enjoy the quiet challenge. Keep the ones you would do again. Toss puzzles with missing pieces, torn boxes or bent edges, and trade the rest with friends so each puzzle finds a new table. Before you pass one along, count the pieces and tape a note to the lid, which helps the next person trust it is complete.
5. Knitting and Crochet
Handmade crafts are not just for grandmothers anymore. In 2017 reporting from Business Journal Daily, Jenny Bessonette of the Craft Yarn Council said knitting and crochet were especially popular with millennials. She also noted that in the council’s 2014 survey, knitters ages 18 to 34 made up 15 percent of respondents, while ages 55 to 64 formed the largest group at 32 percent. The craft truly spans the generations, and it makes a lovely way for grandmas and grandkids to spend an afternoon. Keep the yarn you will use, the needles you love and the project in progress you really want to finish. Say goodbye to tangled scraps, half finished projects you have no intention of finishing, and pattern books you have outgrown. Donate good yarn to a school, library or senior center, where it is likely to be put to use right away.
6. Film Cameras
Before smartphones, boomers captured family life on film, and the old camera in the closet may be more interesting than you think. According to a piece in Fortune by Rotem Rozental of the USC Roski School of Art and Design, 35 percent of the 42 million active film camera users worldwide in 2025 were between 18 and 30, citing Market Reports World. It also cites a 2024 Ilford Photo survey in which over 30 percent of respondents were between 25 and 34, and says online searches for analog photography rose 41 percent in 2024. Keep a working camera you enjoy and a few favorite prints. Let go of the broken cameras, the drawer of dead flash bulbs and the stacks of blurry duplicates. Scan the best photos so they are safe, and label the backs of the prints you keep with names and dates for the next generation.
