America's attics, basements and garages are filled with treasures

America’s attics, basements and garages are filled with hand-me-down home decor and household goods waiting to be discovered. With prices rising and supply chains at a crawl, this may be a great time to take them out again and put them to good use.

America’s attics, basements and garages are filled with hand-me-down home decor and household goods waiting to be unearthed. With the COVID-19 pandemic potentially turning into an endemic, many activities such as garage, attic and basement sales have returned this spring or are about to return. A New York woman recalls how her friend gifted her with a set of tools her dad had used for decades — they were in near-perfect condition. The woman gave them to her own sons. "It’s become the most beautiful spot to sit and watch the sunset every evening." Old things can become new again — as long as someone has the eye, and the time, to make them so.

Pieces of crystal or china — investments, actually — were passed down from parent to child to grandchild. And blankets and rugs were also handed down from generation to generation.