You’ve got boxes and bins filled with lovely paper memorabilia and ephemera that you’ve collected through the years. There are some sweet memories from childhood, teen, and young adult years, and maybe even some travel adventures attached to those things.

But now, do you really need to keep hauling that stuff around from house to house? And what will your family do with it when you are gone? You need an action plan.

So let’s help you clear out some stuff while also thoughtfully curating the memories that those things hold! I have two goals – to help you gather memories and curate them while also helping you prepare your home for when you are no longer here. Give your kids and grandkids a lovely gift of having already thoughtfully decluttered and curated so that they don’t have to make those hard decisions during an already tough time. 

Before we start, though, let me clarify what I’m talking about when I say ephemera.

First, there is paper memorabilia.

I would define paper memorabilia as paper stuff you’ve collected through the years that is connected in some way to events in your life. These things can range all the way from a paper napkin from a favorite restaurant to a boarding pass for your first airplane flight.

Secondly, there are magazines. No definition needed here. You may have stacks of National Geographics or just a single Tiger Beat magazine from 1970 that has Bobby Sherman on the cover.

How in the world do we end up with paper memorabilia stuffed in boxes, drawers and closets and continue to haul it from home to home? 

And how can you declutter all that paper without accidentally losing the memories and reasons why you kept it in the first place?

Here’s how!

GETTING STARTED – DIVIDE AND CONQUER

As you might have already done with your books and bookshelves, you’ll need to consider dividing your paper memorabilia and magazines into these 3 categories:

1. Those things you treasure and want to keep, including for future generations
2. Those things that you no longer want, but someone else would enjoy and can be given away or sold
3. Those things that you no longer want or you don’t believe would bring enjoyment or value to someone else

I’ve created a simple flow chart app that you can use over and over again to help you go through the Divide and Conquer process of making decisions about what to do with your household object when decluttering. It’s free to use! Use this form to get access today.

And now, as I like to say – It’s time to make a mess!

Of course we need some guidelines. Depending on whether you are going to work through this process quickly (over a few days) or need to spread it out longer – choose a good place to sort and store your paper memorabilia and magazines.

Depending on how much stuff you have, find some boxes and/or bags and start the sorting process. I’ve elaborated on each of the 3 categories, so keep reading. 

CATEGORY ONE – THE STUFF YOU TREASURE

To sum up, the Stuff You Treasure category of paper memorabilia and magazines will be those things that are: 

1. Precious enough to you to keep in your home and occupy some precious space, and
2. Will be left in your home after you’ve died for your family to either keep or give away, but with them still knowing why those things were precious to you.

But what if there are some pieces of paper memorabilia and magazines that you treasure but you don’t have the space or desire to keep them in your home?

Additionally, paper memorabilia and magazines are pretty fragile in the long term. Even if you want to hang onto something, it might fall apart after a few years in a hot attic or damp basement.

If you enjoy traditional scrapbooking, that’s a fun option to curate your paper memorabilia for you and future generations.

But here are two other good options for preserving your paper stuff and the memories that it holds.

First option – Frame it
When you have something really precious, like that concert ticket to the Fleetwood Mac concert in the 70s or the branded napkin from the restaurant the night you got engaged, framing it will be a perfect way to both protect it and keep it visible for you and your family.

But even if you plan to frame this memorabilia or the cover and/or cut out article from a saved magazine, please go ahead and take advantage of the second option, too. Why? Because the memories connected to that framed paper don’t need to get lost. Families need to know the backstory of the things you keep.

Second option – Photograph it
As with your books that you want to keep, I believe this is the perfect solution. You’re going to take a photo and write some words about your treasure and the memories it holds.

Taking a photo isn’t too complicated. Find a solid background that will give your memorabilia or magazine cover the best chance to be photographed clearly. Place it in a sunny spot and just take its photo. 

I’ve got an ebook coming out very soon that will give you more help with taking good photos of your objects, but for now you can get good results with your smartphone’s camera and a sunny spot.

Write down those memories to go with the photograph. After you take some photos and before you forget about it, open up a Google or Word doc and write a few words about the memorabilia or magazine your photographed and why you loved it. That photo and your written memories can be added to your Family Story Collection for your enjoyment and for your family when you are no longer around. Learn how.

If you also want to display the photo of this memorabilia, take extra care with your photo’s lighting so that you can get the best possible result. Putting this photo in a frame will give you the chance to relive the memories connected to this memorabilia every time you walk past it on your wall or desk.

CATEGORY TWO – STUFF TO GIVE AWAY OR SELL

This category is for the paper memorabilia and magazines that you believe will bring value to someone else. 

Give to Family Members – Once you’ve captured and curated the memories and you’re ready to let go of these papers or magazines, make sure and check with immediate and extended family members who also might have connections to the memorabilia. 

For example, I had two uncles who served in the military during World War II. My mom was their baby sister and they both ended up sending her all sorts of amazing things during the war. One of the things I found clearing out my mom’s house was a newspaper from England during the war. 

The headlines and articles in the newspaper are so profound and really give you an idea of what it must have been like to live in the United Kingdom and Europe during this war. I’m planning to photograph and write some memories that my mom told me about that time and then send the newspaper to my cousin who is the daughter of one of those uncles. I want her children and grandchildren to have this part of history from their grandfather’s life.

Donate to a Museum or School – If you don’t know anyone who would want your memorabilia and it has a local historic connection, check with a museum or school to see if they would want it.

Selling – There will always be a market for collectors of historical memorabilia, so test out eBay for your historic memorabilia.

Vintage magazines like National Geographic, Look, Life, Vogue and teen magazines can be sold also on eBay as well as through Etsy.

Scanning for Digital Downloads – Got a vintage Sears Christmas Wish Book? There’s a market for those pages on Etsy! The same goes for many magazines from the 1990s and earlier. The sky is the limit here on what vintage magazine and catalog scans people will buy.

Scrapbooking and Junk Journal market – One of the groups of people who are looking for those scans of magazine covers and pages are those who enjoy traditional scrapbooking, creating collage art, and the newer hobby of Junk Journaling. To find out more about Junk Journals, read this article from the always wise Martha Stewart – READ.

CATEGORY THREE – THROW AWAY or RECYCLE

Even with your best efforts to give away and donate paper memorabilia and magazines you don’t want any longer, you’re still going to need to put some in the trash. 

But wait! There’s the option to recycle. For most paper goods, there shouldn’t be a problem with your city recycling center receiving paper-only memorabilia and magazines.

But just in case, these recycling rules will give you an idea of how to prepare.

• Anything hard – like metal or plastic – will need to be removed. 
• Most paper recyclers won’t recycle moldy paper or cardboard of any kind.

Are you ready now to start digging into those boxes of paper memorabilia or get rid of a stack of old copies of Reader’s Digest?

As always, my advice is to take your time and make this process as joyful if possible. Congrats on taking the steps now to downsize a bit and be more intentional about what you are keeping in your home.

Can I ask a favor? If you take a great photo of something special or end up framing some memorabilia that is connected to a milestone, I would love to see it and hear the backstory!

You can either DM me on my social feeds or, if you want, tag me so that everyone else could see it and be inspired.

Here are the accounts you can tag me in – 

Instagram @roseandbirdstudio  

Threads @roseandbirdstudio

Facebook @roseandbirdstudio