Baby Boomer Stuff Avalanche: Grandma’s Silver vs. Your Spare Closet

KEY POINTS

•Aaron Terrazas, a Seattle economist, asked his retired parents to only gift edible items.
•Baby boomers are expected to transfer $100 trillion in wealth plus massive household junk.
•Estate attorneys report uncomfortable family meetings discussing who wants what inherited stuff.
•Tax specialist warns giving valuable items pre-death can trigger costly capital gains taxes.

Seattle’s 40-year-old economist Aaron Terrazas tried turning his parents’ trinket tsunami—travel souvenirs disguised as love letters—into a culinary-only gift policy. Spoiler: Mom and Dad 'mostly' obey, but enforcement is more reminder than iron fist. Baby boomers prepping to pass on $100 trillion also plan to gift mounds of stuff nobody asked for, with estate lawyer Kevin Martin dreamscaping 'beautiful meetings' that usually spiral into familial soap operas. Meanwhile, in sunny California, Jeff and Elaine Karr call their niece and nephew 'rent-a-kids' while Elaine hoards a needlepoint from her late mother, awaiting ghostly permission to ditch it. Tax man Gerry Beyer throws a wet blanket on premature gifting with a cap gains horror story involving a $100 art purchase now worth $25,000—sell before death, and you’re taxed on the entire family wealth gain like a greedy IRS reunion party.