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AirTalk

Fur Coats, Problematic Souvenirs And Gaudy Jewelry: What’s Your White Elephant Of A Family Heirloom?

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 21:  Used fur coats are displayed at B.B. Hawk on March 21, 2018 in San Francisco, California.  San Francisco supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to ban the sale of fur to become the largest city in the United States to prohibit sales of new fur coats. The ban goes into effect on January 1, 2019.  (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Once a luxury item, fur coats have largely fallen out of favor.
(
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
)
Listen 18:56
Fur Coats, Problematic Souvenirs And Gaudy Jewelry: What’s Your White Elephant Of A Family Heirloom?

Sometimes the things left behind by your deceased loved ones can become sentimental keepsakes, reminders of the happy times you shared together or the markers of a proud family legacy. Or sometimes, they’re just awkward. 

In his recent Wall Street Journal piece, “The Awkward Family Heirloom: No One Wants Grandma’s Fur Coat," Ray Smith dives into the generational divide that makes millennials feel uncomfortable with inheriting fur coats. 

But fur is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to family heirlooms. Racist or sexist antiques, ugly ceramics, puzzling paintings, tacky jewelry, unwieldy collections, ashes -- we want to hear about them all. Call us with your awkward family heirloom story: 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Ray Smith, fashion reporter with the Wall Street Journal, where his recent piece is “The Awkward Family Heirloom: No One Wants Grandma’s Fur Coat”; he tweets