THE TRAPPINGS OF LIFE:

I have been an auction fan most of my life. As a child, I lived with my family in a new subdivision that backed on to a hayfield where outdoor auctions were held every other Saturday, rain or shine. Not wishing to date myself, I will reveal that this took place during the time when a child of eight or nine could wander independently among the old tables, wobbly chairs, commode sets, and iron bedsteads; could reach out and touch a ragged quilt or thumb through a photo album filled with brown and grey images of frowning and stern dead relatives of someone or other. (Atkinson, 2012)

Although the physical labour of disposing of personal items like clothes, food, and medications has been completed, the task of formally appraising the contents of Emily’s home and subsequently selling every item begins. This chapter details that process and illustrates the challenges inherent in liquidating the possessions of a consummate collector. Emily and Rob went overboard with accumulating items they thought would eventually appreciate in value. The executrix is left with a chore of turning these items into cash for the estate, as the ultimate goal is to pay the beneficiaries the monies they have been promised. The liquidation of household items by an executor is a common occurrence in estate management. The writer takes the opportunity to share this albeit extreme circumstance with the reader.