You might have heard of the so-called trillion-dollar wealth transfer. That’s the estimated amount that baby boomers will pass down to their heirs — mostly their millennial children — over the next two years.
It’s expected to be the largest intergenerational passing-down of wealth in Canadian history.
But not all of the wealth is delivered by cheque: it also takes the form of the massive collections of stuff that boomers have accumulated over their lives, from furniture to collectibles, tools and tchotchkes.
As they’re being handed down to the next generation — whether they’re wanted or not — it’s prompting some awkward conversations about where your prized possessions may go, and whether they’ll translate into a high price at an auction or estate sale.
“Often the conversation is emotional. I would say it’s exhausting. It’s funny … and it’s sometimes sad as well,” Kelly Smyth, who lives in Oakville, Ont., told Cost of Living.
Smyth recently helped her parents downsize from …