When downsizing includes disposing of your antiques, there are plenty of experts to help and plenty of surprises.

  Twenty-four hours before moving, Anne Dixon sat, weeping, amidst four wooden boxes crammed with antiques, a wobbly stack of artwork, seven giant trash bags and 78 years worth of memories.

  “There’s a lot of good pieces here, but I can’t fit them in my new place,” said Dixon. “My family doesn’t want them, and I can’t bear to throw anything in the dumpster.”

  Downsizing from a sprawling Victorian home where she and her late husband raised five children, Dixon joins an increasing number of seasoned citizens opting to reduce the complexity of their lifestyle. Within Chester County alone, dozens of retirement facilities offer options for seniors searching to simplify their life. And people of all ages are downsizing and simplifying.

  Like Dixon, many face heart-wrenching choices separating precious possessions to take, trade for smaller pieces or sell outright. Fortunately, local expertise abounds.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

  “We’re seeing a growing number of customers who need to downsize to move to retirement communities,” said Scott Chalfant, manager, with his father Skip, of H.L. Chalfant Fine Arts and Antiques in West Chester. “Letting go of beloved things that have been in the family a long time is very difficult, so we do our best to help sellers understand the value of antiques, which are often worth more or less than they think,” Scott explained.

  “They’re welcome to bring them to us or we’ll go to their homes to offer information on period pieces we’ll take on consignment. Or we’ll put together appraisals to help them determine what to sell or keep.

  “Generations interpret antiques differently, some for the dollar value, some for sentimental value. But, no matter what the value, letting go of things that have been in the family for years is extremely hard for most everyone.”

The Upside of Downsizing

  Nestled in the heart of the Main Line, The Antique Store of Wayne owner AnnMarie Palumbo-Parks advises those on the move which antiques to save, give to siblings or sell.

  “I suggest they start early, sorting what to keep before bringing family members in. We’re receiving several calls a week from downsizing seniors who bring in furniture, artwork and antiques for our opinion on what to do with collections.

  “Favorite pieces should be valued by a certified appraiser in case a family fracas results in the value being contested in court.” (Yes, it happens more often than you think!)

  Sellers also trade in large items for more manageable pieces.

  “People want to scale down without giving up a lifestyle they love,” said Palumbo-Parks. “The drop-leaf dining room table is a perfect example of minimizing without sacrificing when that big dining set won’t fit. And, because they still want lovely artwork and lighting, they often buy beautiful pieces on a smaller scale.”

Surprise Treasures

  Noting a definite increase in downsizing seniors, Frazer Antiques expert Eileen Breen evaluates precious belongings ranging from “five sets of china to valuable furniture and art.

  “People want to sell a room or a house full of furniture, depending on where they’re moving. They often bring pieces with sentimental value that have meant the most to them, and it breaks my heart to have to tell some of them the monetary value.

  “But others come in with pieces they think aren’t worth much that turn out to be quite valuable,” adds Breen, who frequently works with and advises Hershey’s Mill residents moving to assisted living facilities.

The Times They Are A’ Changing

  Tapping into 35 years of experience, William Bunch, William M. Bunch Auctions, understands the physical, emotional and financial distress seniors experience reducing collections of precious antiques and artifacts. “A large number of my clients are downsizing as they move to retirement centers or smaller homes,” said Bunch, who is “part advisor, psychiatrist and hand-holder” counseling seniors with beloved antiques too cumbersome to fit into smaller homes.

  “Young people today don’t collect Hummel figures, and you can’t go by ‘Antique Roadshow’ values any longer. The market for antiques has changed considerably and many things aren’t bringing the dollars they were just a few years ago.

  “Over the years, I’ve dealt with several generations of families asking what to do with antique collections. I tell the truth, but often I have to be gentle.”

Hidden Treasures

  “Helping people moving into retirement centers is now the largest part of our business,” explains John Turner, president of Boothwyn-based Briggs Auction.

  “We go to their homes to offer professional advice on items they can’t take. The competitive bidding at auctions works very well in favor of people with valuable items to sell.”

  Briggs adds that seniors are also on the hunt for lovely scaled down antiques and artwork that will better fit smaller spaces.

  Underscoring how seemingly ordinary items can be overlooked, a bookcase used for storing canned goods for over 50 years, found in a Philadelphia basement, brought a whopping $83,600 at a Briggs auction!

One Hand Helps Another

  Representing Lifestyle Transitions, which provides information on retirement planning, Sheree Richnow offers seniors on the move evaluations of what to keep, sell or get rid of.

  “We provide everything from soup to nuts,” said Richnow. “We assist in staging the house for sale, help with packing and unpacking and advise which items might be sold either privately, at auction or on consignment. Items not sold can be donated to our local Domestic Violence Center,“ said Richnow, “so there’s really a place for everything,”

Everyone Profits

  Helping seniors sort through a lifetime of precious possessions offers a double bounty, says Krista Friederich, Director of the Berwyn Surrey Services for Seniors Progressions Shop, which recently sold an 1840s corner cupboard and sterling English teakettle, c. 1731.

  “It’s a trickle down effect,“ said Friederich. “Sellers take home 60 percent profit and the shop keeps 40 percent, and I’ve seen business really pick up now that houses are selling at a swifter pace.”

From Soup to Nuts

  Offering a unique combination of auction house/real estate office/moving and storage company, Sanford Alderfer Auction Co., Inc. smooths the way for seniors on the move, promises Margaret Zook, Life Transitions Coordinator for the Hatfield-based organization. A former retirement community CEO, Zook underscores the shift in trends that have affected how younger people furnish homes. “They aren’t interested in collectibles. They want to be more mobile,” she explained.

  Zook recalls the woman who brought in a stunning set of china for 25: “I suggested she host a huge dinner party and send everyone home with their place setting. That seemed to work well for everyone.”

What Really Matters

  Renowned author and personal family historian, Ellie Kahn, underscores the difficulty of turning loose things of sentimental value, from tchotchkes to exquisite antiques.

  “It’s not just the loss of the object that has an impact,” said Kahn. “It’s the connection with the past these objects symbolize.”

  Her advice:  “Keep what gives you the most joy.” Good advice for life, too. -CL-