I have a couple of items from my dead grandparents, and it's a connection.
It's a tangible connection that feels more real than something intangible like memories.
As for my dad though, I have no idea. He recognizes that it's a problem, but can't stop. It's stuff like plastic ship models, or stuff he wants to buy on eBay - postcards from defunct airlines that he used to fly on.
I have told him that he has so much stuff, that it would be impossible for me to recognize the $1,000 model boxes from the worthless model boxes, and that when he dies, I'm just going to have to wholesale the lot for probably a penny on the dollar.
I told him him that the people who will pay money for plastic model kits are the same age as him, and if they all die around the same time or before him, there will be no one to buy the model kits.
People take this offensively and insist someone must have wanted an old chest of drawers or something if only put it on facebook marketplace and work with interested parties and assist with them obtaining it - but those people dont realise how much they are asking of someone who is dealing with loss.
Yes, which I am thankful now that I only have a couple of items and haven't had to make the choice of what to keep or not.
Also, 90% of the time that the act of hoarding ruins the objects hoarded so everything becomes trash anyways.
I can also attest to this.