Americans reveal what they do and dont prefer to inherit from a loved one: survey

A statue of Abraham Lincoln, a butter knife made of solid gold and a talking fish — these are just some of the things Americans say they’ve inherited from a loved one.A new survey of 1,200 US respondents conducted by Talker Research on behalf of 1-800-GOT-JUNK? asked people to name the most interesting possessions passed down and saw Roman artifacts, “a jacket from a well-known ’70s country music outlaw” and “a giant garage-sized painting of a dog” named.One respondent said they received “a bale of cotton signed by John Wayne.”The results emerged as part of a wider study into how Americans accumulate items and organize their home, which found that, when it comes to inheritance, most take a less-is-more approach.In fact, the majority (51 percent) of Americans would rather inherit a select few items from a loved one than everything they own.Nearly half of Americans surveyed (49 percent) say they’d actually rather inherit nothing at all than have to deal with a relative’s belongings.Just 20 percent of those surveyed said they’d choose to inherit every belonging a relative has over selected or special items handed over with notes and proper connection from the former owner.“Our research shows that inheritance is often less about accumulation and more about connection,” said Brian Scudamore, Founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

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Never miss a story.“The items people treasure most tend to be the ones with a story behind them, whether that’s a handwritten note, a shared memory or a piece of family history.”The results emerged as part of a wider global study, which also saw respondents from Canada and Australia surveyed and showed people place much more significance on sentimental value than on simply acquiring more stuff.Tha...