WINE & FURS: CMFTO’s 5th Annual Clutter Challenge (Luxury Edition) April 25, 2019 Tags: Clutter Challenge, Decluttering, Home Editing, Moving, Tips & Inspiration

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For our final installment of this year’s Clutter Challenge, we are addressing wine and fur. We have combined these two categories, because they require similar elements for proper storage. And, if not stored properly, their value can drop significantly.

Wine

When we go into a client’s house, we often see collections of wine in various states of storage. The best temperature for wine storage is between 50º and 60º with 65% humidity and the bottles lying flat or at a slight angle to ensure the cork is covered completely by the wine. 

Wine that is stored improperly can easily be ruined. The difficulty is in knowing whether that has occurred, as it’s not until the bottle is opened that it becomes obvious.

Wine consultants are easily able to asses and value a collection for private sale, and many auction houses include wine sales throughout the year or offer online solutions.

Fur

Fur can be a temperature-sensitive item. While current furs are constructed in a way that requires less maintenance, older furs are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations in storage. Stored improperly, older pelts  tend to dry up rendering them unusable.

Buyers, however, are still interested in furs because they can be transformed into:

• a reconstructed fashion item, such as a vest or jacket
• decorative items, such as throws or pillows.

Maintaining your fur properly will support its value over time, but, like art and jewelry, fur is still subject to fashion trends.

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CMFTO Clutter Challenge: In Summary

As with most everything we have addressed in this year’s luxury edition of our Clutter Challenge, fur and wine are subject to trends. Not only for resale value, but also for sharing with family. As we’ve seen, personal taste is subjective and also generational. Items that used to be handed down to the next generation aren’t often wanted or appreciated anymore. 

We feel the best way to address the luxury items in our lives is to enjoy them. If we can’t enjoy them, because of a life-change or lack of space for proper storage or display, then it’s best to follow these steps:

1. Share them with family and friends. Identify what you no long want or need, and make a list. Invite your family (and friends) over to go “shopping” in your home. That way, your treasured item can live on in their lives.
2. Hire a certified appraiser. Whether it’s for art, jewelry, or silver, an appraiser is the most important step in valuing your luxury items. You can’t make decisions without the proper knowledge. Compile and store the necessary paperwork for easy access.
3. Contact local auction houses, consignment stores, and donation organizations to learn about their parameters and guidelines. From there you can decide how you wish to address letting go of your various items.
4. If this feels overwhelming, hire CMFTO to address everything for you. We work together with you to sort through your various collections and connect you with the right buyers and appraisers for all of your luxury items.

Another year of our Clutter Challenge has come to an end. We hope you have found this information helpful and informative. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

All my best,
Claudia