Well I don't personally don't keep any. Well I do have some of my mother's old costume jewelry from the 50's but being a man I just don't wear any on the other hand my wife has a whole bunch of the stuff squirreled away. She has items from childhood, middle school, high school, university, travels in Europe, single life, early marriage, birth of children, you name it and she has a piece of jewelry for it. She also has a milk crate sized container of jewelry from her mother that is from a life time of collecting. So I would say that for my wife nothing ever goes away, away just packed away. If my sons are astute enough when she passes away they should make a rather tidy sum off of the jewelry.

 I have a mishmash of stuff I got before I got into making jewelry.  Most of that is inherited, either from my mother or my mother-in-law.  Some of the former is valuable and some of it really cool antique stuff she had inherited.  Sometimes I think I should pass it on to someone who would really appreciate it more.  Only a few pieces are really "me" anyway. I also have some inexpensive costume jewelry, but I never wear it anymore because with the exception of my everyday earrings and my wedding and engagement rings, I feel if I am wearing something, it should be something I made.

 I've also had passing thoughts of cannibalizing material from these pieces, but so far I've  chickened out.