That's too bad that your family heirlooms haven't been as treasured as they should be. Sometimes some family members just don't know how valuable such things can be. Something very similar happened on my mom's side of the family, and it has left some bitterness between my mom and her brother. When my grandpa passed away (grandma passed several years before he did), my mom's brother swept in and sold off everything he owned without even asking my mother if she wanted anything first. It was very sad and very rude of him to do such a thing because there were a lot of family heirlooms my mother would have liked to have. There was also a painting of my grandfather that someone had done that I would have liked to have, but alas...nobody knows where it went
I definitely think it would be worth it to get these special items and give them to someone who would appreciate them.

**hugs**