Calgon...take me away

My mom saves EVERYTHING! The plastic bags that comforters come in...she saves those. Empty butter containers....she saves those. In the past month I have thrown away about 15 garbage bags full of junk from my parents basement. It's a fragile balancing act down there. She has things stacked up so that if you move one thing...everything falls. We also took about 6 boxes/bags of stuff to Good Will. It hasn't even put a dent into what is down there. I walk in that basement and am on the verge of a panic attack because looking at everything is so overwhelming. I don't know what area to work on first. There isn't even room to move. I can't get my mom to understand that she doesn't need all that stuff. She thinks its all valuable. In the last 20 years....we have enherited stuff everyone who has died from our family. Furniture, antiques, clothes...you name it, when have it. My mom has not been able to go down the basement since she went into the hospital...so all she hears is trash bags being lugged up the steps, and comments that she'll have nothing left by the time we are done. Honestly....I hope she is right. I am all for keeping things of sentimental value....but you just can't keep everything! Frank, my former neighbor would go nuts if he went in that basement. He doesn't keep anything!!! Right Frank???? I miss you guys!!!