Achievement-Based Sentimental Value as a Catalyst for Heirloom Gift-Giving

Heirlooms are often created out of objects laden with sentimental value. This research asks whether specific subtypes of sentimental value are stronger catalysts for heirloom creation than others. We find that objects associated with achievements are perceived to be more suitable as heirlooms than those associated with enjoyment, even when controlling for the overall positivity of the association. Process evidence suggests this happens because heirloom creators (i.e., givers) have a primary motive to inspire their offspring to strive for accomplishments in their own right. In this regard, such heirlooms appear to be less about creators ensuring their personal achievement legacies are never forgotten, but more about creators leveraging their achievements to motivate the creation of larger, collective legacies by their families by those in following generations. Such findings have implications for both firms wishing to extend the life of the objects they produce and heirloom recipients who may stronger connect with the underlying intentions of the original possessing ancestors.