The legacy we leave behind speaks to our character for years to come. While the countryside estate and granny’s meat pie are symbolic of your family’s heritage, it’s the timeless treasures your children and their grandchildren will remember you by after you go.
Take these five cool heirlooms that can be purchased in our lifetime, and enjoyed by generational lifetimes to come.
The Old World Timepiece
Your kids today are all about digital time telling – the Apple watch, their smartphones, the timestamp on a Snap. All which makes the old fashioned timepiece a more valuable heirloom.
Patek Philippe staked the claim, “you never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation”. Truly instilling a sense of fulfillment (and a brilliant marketing concept) when a part of your legacy is represented by their timepieces.
Keep it simple, but don’t buy into daggy, fast fashion trends. There’s a reason timepieces from Vacheron Constantin and Breguet have been around for over 200 years.
A Vintage Sports Car
When you look past the awful drum brakes and dodgy electrics, a vintage 60’s sports car makes an exceptional heirloom for the next generation. Especially as we move towards driverless cars (and planes, if you checked the news today). The look and feel of the Jaguar E Type V12 Convertible, “the most beautiful car ever made”, will never be replicated by a later model.
If you’re budget doesn’t call for a Jag, there are plenty of classic alternatives for you to pass down:
- Vintage Aussie: Monaro’s, GTO’s an Valiants
- Distinctly British: MG, Triumph, Austin Healey, Aston Martin.
- Euro-style: Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo
- American Muscle: Mustangs, Chargers, Corvettes
Furniture & Art
Antique’s Road Show taught us that the best and most valuable interiors are family heirlooms. Believe it or not, your grandfather’s handcrafted pedestal desk with leather Captains chair is intrinsically valuable. And an heirloom that’ll surely be appreciated by your grandchildren rather than a cheap buyer on Gumtree.
Not only is furniture more affordable than a vintage Patek Philippe, it’s backed by years of countless tales. Like the time you ravaged your son’s mother on that same couch, and nine months later there he was. Priceless really.
And even though your children don’t really “get” your surrealist art collection right now, still leave them your collection of Salvador Dali originals. The collections you love and pass down are equally rewarding as heirlooms, and serve as a worthwhile investment for your grandkids in the future.
The Holiday House
Nothing’s more meaningful than the places your family came together to enjoy the holidays at. Where days were filled by massive feasts and relaxation surrounded by the people who love you most.
Whether it’s the multi-family cottage in Jackson Hole, your seaside abode in Capri, or your great-grandfather’s handbuilt log cabin in the bush. These are the heirlooms that everyone can reminisce on and relate to year by year even after you’re gone.
Hand-Me Down Wardrobes
While I wouldn’t wear my Nonno’s’ get up from the 20’s, the heir to the Fiat fortune Lapo Elkann did. And recycling Gianni Agnelli’s double-breasted ensembles made Lapo the fashion icon he is today.