Tight Times Force Sentimental Sell-Offs

With money tight, many are seeking to part with collectibles they’d hoped to hold onto—and reaping smaller rewards than they’d expected, the Chicago Tribune reports. “I wanted my daughter to have some sort of family heirloom. It can’t be that way right now,” said a woman selling her Beanie Babies collection, which she’d hoped would help with college tuition, for just $100.

“One can make the safe assumption that a lot of people are liquidating what they can get rid of, even if it is sentimental,” said an eBay manager. Collectibles postings at the online auctioneer jumped 8% in the fall—but the figure was accompanied by a 12% drop in transactions last year. “I am disappointed,” said a man who sold sports memorabilia. “But being a father is more important than holding on to figurines.” (More collectible stories.)