Is It Wise To Sell Those Aged Linens?
Can you remember all those ancient bed sheets, blankets or table linen that you found in the attic? The ones that your grandma left for your Mom? You know the ones…they smell kind of moldy and the colored areas are a little faded? They’re not junk. If they look really old, they’re probably antique heirloom linens. That’s right and if the truth be known, they’re incredibly valuable to some people. Those droll old antique linens for sale may be treasures worth some significant cash.
It’s extremely rare to find linens such as these being produced these days. Those old linens were, for the most part, made by real human hands. That is, the fabrics were spun on a spinning wheel, the embroideries were made by hand and sewed onto the fabric by real hands and the hems were probably also sewn in place by real hands, one stitch at a time and often, with love.
Most of the old linens were actually stitched together, one separate stitch at a time, by a real person. This would be considered agonizingly slow in today’s terms, though these seamstresses were really quite fast at hand stitching. The making of linens for the home, in days of old, may have taken weeks or months simply because the demands on a woman’s household labors were so high. The threading had to be spun and then cloth made by a loom. Afterward, patterns had to be cut out and hems and decorations placed onto the fabrics. All done by hand.
The one thing all of these antique linen fabrics have in common is their quality. If they have the durability to last from your Grandma’s or great-Grandma’s day until the present, they are resilient and hardy heirloom fabrics that were obviously given extremely loving care. Quality antique linens and fabrics should be celebrated and, if they are still in good shape, they should be used from time to time, but not for what you think.
It should be understood that when this delicate linen is left to the open elements, though for just short periods, the fibers within the fabric begin to deteriorate and crumble. There is a chance that the heirloom linens will continue to survive if they are placed in plastic bags, in a dry location and removed from exposure to sunlight. They will not be in the kind of shape that would allow the bed sheets to be slept on but at least enough quality to be able to be lovingly observed and appreciated.
Any table linens such as antique table cloths or napkins, if well preserved, could be used for their intended purpose. However, a problem would definitely occur if these linens were spilled upon and stained by either foor or drink. Therefore, the best use for these old, delicate and precious linens would, most likely, be that of objects d’art. Let everyone gaze upon them and think of their ancestors and the hard work that built the bed sheets, napkins, table cloths or what have you. Their practical use as tools of the dining room might be a costly mistake if any type of damage is done to them while in use. Cleaning antique linens can be quite complicated and if they become stained, it becomes even more complicated.
To make you understand, more fully, the reason this is claimed, we can say that antique fabrics, of certain ages, can demand very exorbitant prices if they are in good shape. The term “good shape” generally means unstained, well preserved and clean. The prices that these heirloom fabrics can demand are seriously lofty, however, if they become soiled in some way by contemporary foods or wines, then that value drops significantly. It might be a good idea then, to avoid the use of your grandmother’s linens or sheets as napkins, bed sheets or even table cloths for practical modern purposes and relegate them instead to your personal museum.
If you know some stories about them, and can prove some of those stories with, say, old letters, pictures or documents that actually show or mention your antique linens, you may be able to acquire some very hefty prices for them, if, that is, you even want to sell them.
The vast majority of people do not sell or auction off their valuable old linens as these are a reminder of whence the family came and they would rather pass them on to the next generation, hoping that they will also treasure the emotional value rather than any financial worth. For many, the value achieved by proud family history is more valuable than monetary gain. The choice is yours: family treasures or monetary gains. This is a tough decision for some. For others, there’s really no decision at all.
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