Bebe, thanks for writing this. Millennial here, and I understand where your daughter / daughter-in-law are coming from. In my own case — probably not unlike many millennials — my lack of interest in "stuff" is primarily just about my lack of residential stability by age 37. I'm the family historian, so clearly I care about it... and yet I live in a series of overseas sublets as an economic migrant. My parents' generation and older have a lot of heirloom furniture and knick-knacks. While I don't want it all, I would like some. Especially the oldest things.

But where could I put it?

Even the prospect of putting it into rented storage is unthinkable; not only can't I afford a larger, more stable home/apartment for myself, I don't even have the money for a storage unit... or for movers, or a truck for transporting the heirloom furniture to any space of my own. So I hope my older relatives don't die anytime soon. Mostly because I love them, of course. ;) ... but also because, if they did die soon, I simply couldn't take the heirlooms, and all of that family history would vanish.

Long story short: many of us do want stuff. We just can't afford the stable homes, the expanded living space, the storage rentals, OR the moving costs to take it.

At least, that is, until the economy (and our student loan burden!) improves. ;)