Odds are, there are some items in your home that provide absolutely no practical benefits. Most of us have a drawer with old ticket stubs, broken phone chargers, and dead batteries. Even if you know there’s no good reason to hang onto those things, it may still feel like something is stopping you when it comes time to throw them away.

That reaction is more common than you might think. Researchers who study possessions and memory have found that objects can become closely connected to important experiences, relationships, and parts of our identities. In other words, the thing sitting in your closet may have value that has very little to do with what the thing actually does. So why do we keep things? Find out more about the science behind sentimental clutter and how it may be stopping you from enjoying meaningful objects.

Sometimes the Object Isn't Really the Point

Most event tickets now require digital passes, so for many people, ticket stubs are a thing of the past. Still, lots of people have old stubs from movies, concerts, festivals, and other events that they attended years ago. As a physical object, it's not particularly impressive. It's a small piece of paper with some printed information on it. It can't reproduce the concert, recreate the atmosphere, or bring the people you were with back into the room.

However, you’re probably not keeping the entertainment that you enjoyed. Instead, you’re keeping a tangible reminder of the joy that you experienced during it. Research on possessions and memory suggests that meaningful objects can serve as physical links to particular people, places, and experiences. A souvenir can help bring a memory to mind, while the memory can simultaneously give the object its meaning.

An Old Shirt Can Become a Time Capsule

Research shows that clothing can be an especially powerful reminder of the past. An old letterman’s jacket might remind you of high school, while a t-shirt can take you back to the first time that you saw your favorite musician in concert. These sentimental objects certainly have some level of power, but they may not provide any practical use for your daily routine.

Even if an old clothing item doesn’t fit anymore or has become faded and stained over the years, it can be hard to let go. Getting rid of it might be significant because you’re not deciding if you need another shirt. You’re deciding whether you’re ready to let go of a physical reminder of a specific period in your life. That internal pull is why some objects survive long after their practical usefulness is gone.

Objects Can Carry Other People's Stories, Too

Sometimes we’re not attached to the item, but rather to the person who owned it before we did. A grandfather’s toolbox, a parent’s recipe book, an old photograph, or a child’s favorite toy can all hold tangible connections to people who aren’t around anymore.

Studies on the emotional attachment to possessions show that many people keep items that they feel keep them connected to people from the past. For instance, you may not have a distinct memory of using your grandfather’s toolbox, but if you remember that he was always working on things around the house, keeping it may feel like you still have a small piece of him with you. When it comes to these items, the sentimental value is less about the item and more about the person that it reminds you of.

An Object Doesn't Have to Be Valuable to Be Important

Perhaps the most interesting thing about sentimental items and why we keep possessions is that an item doesn’t have to be valuable to be important. Many people tend to think of an item’s value in terms of how much it’s worth monetarily. However, everyone has a different way of valuing items.

A photograph that would be worthless to a stranger might be priceless to a family. A mass-produced toy might be irreplaceable to the person who received it as a child. A faded shirt might mean more to someone than an expensive piece of clothing ever could. An item’s value isn’t about what a stranger would bid for it on an online auction site. Instead, it’s about what it means to the person who owns it.

The ordinary, often forgotten items in your house might seem useless to the casual onlooker. However, they often hold deep, personal memories that you want to cherish for years to come.

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