I am posting this because my wife and I are trying to thin down our "stuff". Right now if we decided to move, a moving company would be rubbing their hands with glee, provided they had a pot handy.

Attachment to inanimate objects. Ridiculous, isn't it? Well, maybe not if that object has a connection to a person and a time in your life that you remember fondly.

I've just loaded my car with a bunch of stuff we have decided we should let go to the local charity store. Yes, we did talk about these things, it wasn't a case of my wife standing with hands on hips saying, "This **** has to go". But as I placed certain things in the car, I found myself tearing up a little. There was a big doll that my first wife used to put out at Christmas, a pair of ceramic parrots that I've had for years that wife#2 wanted to paint, but she never seems to have the time.

Most ridiculous is a HP V40 combined printer/fax. It's as old as the hills, slow, and I'm not certain you can get drivers to run it on a newer computer. I think my dad bought it for me in about 2000, so maybe that's the connection.

Anyone else have issues getting rid of "stuff".

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Release the Kraken

I am attached to precious little as the Pearly Gates Placement Center lacks a U-Haul drop-off.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

No longer hard to get rid of stuff. As I age, more things have no real or sentimental value anymore. And I come from a family of accumulators.

Years ago, right after he leased a storage unit, a friend told me he had just paid rent that was several times the value of the contents he placed in storage. That sums it up for many of us - a perverse attachment to what is often little more than junk.

Is that called "Collecting S&W Handguns"?

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Bill

I didn't know we were talking about guns here. There are always exceptions to the rules.

My wife is like that. I have around 5 items of which I will never let go, a sterling rosary I got in 4th grade, a 10kt ID bracelet belonging to my father and my wedding ring, my grandfather's rosary and a picture of my grandfather all of which I can carry with two hands. The rest of it-meh let it go. My memories are in my head-the items are just triggers. If I had to, I'd let even these five things go

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Forum consigliere

My church has a coat drive at Christmas, they go to a town in Maine. Sent some of my old Army uniforms, windbreakers, black top coat with liner, I outgrew them-the right way, pumping iron. Went through my closet, anything that was too tight in the chest-you're getting a new home, someone else can get use out of you. Dropped TV about 28 years ago, my TV and VCR went to a shut in.
Bought a beautiful near mint 1974 Raleigh Sports 3-speed at a garage sale a few years ago, only paid $30. Got it home, looked at it....it was the 23 inch frame, which is too big for me. Gave it to a friend who is the minister of a church, he gave it to a fellow who needed a bike to get to work.

He with the most toys dies like all the rest.

My wife and I have been getting ready to move from Maine to Arizona. We've been in our present house for just shy of 32 years. The last 6 months have been non-stop runs to the dump and Goodwill. We keep asking the question "do we really want to pay to haul this across the country?"
Now that the move is on the horizon we will be thinning things out even more .

Have more than a couple items that were my grandparents, and remind me of precious few good childhood memories. They have little to no monetary value, but the memory's they bring back are priceless. It would be easier to try and steal cash money from me.

Used to work with a feller who said
"if you can't move with all your stuff
in a taxicab, you've got too much."

When his girlfriend started talking
about settling down, he called a taxi.

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Ubi Est Mea

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

My last move was 10 years ago, post divorce. I got 3 days notice from my realtor that my house, of 20 years, was selling and the new buyers wanted occupancy on signing day. A whole bunch of stuff was pitched and given away in a real hurry, not much time for mulling over or remembrances. I still had to rent 3 of the largest storage units to hold all my "stuff" until I could take occupancy of my new home. A friend took all my guns and stored them in his reloading room. The size of my new home has limited the amount of "stuff" I can accumulate, but someone will still have a real job when I pass.

Yeah, I would guess I'm the hoarder of the bunch here...it can be tough getting rid of stuff...we (spelled me) have way too much stuff (spelled junk)...

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Life Member GOA and NRA

I'm a collector of all kinds of stuff. Most of it, small stuff like patches, insignia, books, manuals, ect. Then there's the stuff, tools that I inherited when my dad died...

I'm starting to think that I don't own stuff anymore, it, in fact, owns me!!!

I have an old, 35+ year old, top loading, wired remote, VCR! For some reason, I can't get rid of it.

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Thread Killer.

I tend to save things. But my wife and I are planning a move in approximately 2 yrs. So I’ll need to start getting rid of stuff. I had a sump pump discharge line break a few weeks ago. No real damage but some stuff got wet. Tossed a lot of stuff. Donated a lot of stuff. Maybe it was a blessing. Got me motivated to ditch more stuff. I also informed my son I had 4 big totes of his stuff that needs to go. He didn’t trust me to sort through it. I don’t blame him. My new attitude is, if it can be replaced I can probably let it go. With the internet nothing is hard to find nowadays

I pity the poor soul that has to sort through my junk. Throwing something away is a last resort, and then only if it's broken beyond repair, which I'll never get around to. Simplest solution is when things get too crowded in one storeroom, add another storeroom. Who knows, someone might need a Dodge or Chevy distributer adjusted, and presto - problem solved. Just this morning I uncovered three Dearborn space heaters that I haven't used since the 70s.

We moved in 2013. We had 4 garage sales in about 1 1/2 years before the move. We sold $10,000 of our "worthless stuff". Some of that stuff made it in the save and sell pile many times. I do remember and miss a lot of it but we're glad is gone. Good luck in your move

Guilty. I might need this multi-tap 100VA transformer some time.

Emotions are complicated.

I think we're all attached to something. Doesn't have to make sense. I won't judge.

I guess we all wind up with to much stuff. We moved about 11 years ago and got rid of a lot then but it is hard to tell now we did. We are not getting any younger or healthier so the urge to move things along is stronger. I lean towards giving stuff away is anyone wants it.

What little "stuff" I have is still being used to fix, mow, cut something. The other 95% of the stuff in the house belongs to that other person who shares the house--90% of that stuff has never been used. And then there is the son's stuff . . .

Who said: If I can't take it with me, I ain't going!

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Old computer stuff. Vintage computers, media, manuals etc. I guess I hang on to it because it was from back when this stuff was actually fun.

Not the guns, but a lot of unnecessary gun stuff. Reloading tools that don't get used, empty cartridge boxes that I justify keeping because I use them for my reloads.

And books. For some reason I can't throw away books.

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Common sense isn't so common.

As Steve Martin said in The Jerk: "This is all I need. And this. And this . . ."

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That's gonna leave a mark.

My tools and my sporting goods! The only sentimental item I can think of is my fathers ski equipment including handmade boots from the 50s

My wife and I are not quite in that league.

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Release the Kraken

Are you my long lost brother? Especially the books thing.

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Release the Kraken

You must have been looking around my basement.

My parents were Depression babies. I suspect it's the same for a lot of people here. I won't speak for anyone else, but I think there is a feeling that everything should be saved, because there might be a need for it someday and it might be impossible to acquire a replacement for one reason or another.

And for me, there is probably some vanity involved. I just took a look in my closet and found a full length black leather coat that I bought back before 1985. It's a size 42. I haven't seen size 42 in decades and I probably never will again at the rate I'm going. But it's still hanging in my closet.

I could probably go on all night about stuff I've been saving for one reason or another. I'm planning on sticking around for a long time but maybe I need to consider making it easier for whoever will have to deal with this stuff eventually.

The front closet is getting stuffed. Maybe seeing this thread will give me the impetus to clear it and the other closets out. There is a mission store over by Gettysburg that is glad to get good things to sell.

I worked with a who said" YOU ACCUMULATE FOR THE FIRST 50 YEARS YOU GET RID OF ITEMS THE NEXT 50 YEARS". I will soon be 1/2 way through the second 50 years and I have not been a success in divesting myself of much.

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SWCA 1932 SWHF 135

I had a dr years ago tell me that we we spend our time accumulating wealth and then spend that wealth trying to buy a little more time. I think he nailed it.

There is one inanimate object that I am permanently attached to. It's made by Boston Scientific.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Built my house 47 years ago. Got married again 26 years later and had to combine two households . . . . move ? You gotta be kidding me. I shudder at the thought . . . gun collection, reloading equipment and supplies, tools (inherited my dad's as well as what I had accumulated - he did shop work all of his life) grew up in a time where we did our own car repair with everything that went with that - bicycles and toys the kids had that we saved for the grandkids for nostalgia's sake, still have my woodshop and all those tools, studio/sound equipment and instruments . . . . we worked hard but the Lord indulged me. He gave us plenty so we could share with others - I never forget where it came from. Now, at this age the inevitability of this journey impresses on me that none of the "stuff" is 'mine'; I just get to use it for a while. One day soon it will all 'belong' to someone else, and eventually wind up in a landfill or pile of rust and dust. At the end, I don't expect to be asked what I had . . . just what I did with it. Though we enjoy the 'inanimate physical stuff', what we dread losing or letting go of are the memories of the experiences and people associated with them. Especially those who have gone on before us. I have more family, friends, shooting, hunting and fishing buddies on the other side than I do here.
Some would say what we're talking about are 'first world problems' . . . maybe so . . . but in the scheme of things it's the same whether we have much or little.

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Qui plantavit curabit

When I met my wife 9 yrs ago she looked in garage asked why I had 5 motorcycles and all those ATV things????? When she first met my son who was in his early 20s at the time he told her “ dad is kinda like a hoarder but with really cool stuff”. I guess that fits. But I’m down to one bike, one ATV and one side by side.

My 87 year old mom keeps everything, and still buys more. She asked me once what I would do with her stuff if I outlive her. Told her I'd let the family get what they wanted, then rent a dumpster. Some of her stuff is high dollar, but people aren't into stuff like that these days. She has 3 massive grandfather clocks too.

Mom passed Dec 13th at 90. She lived in a large house with my sister. My sister says she will have to live to 90 as well in order to weed through all mom's stuff.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I just opened the front closet.

There are a half dozen down coats dating from the early ‘70’s with one from Holubar - the first climbing & light weight gear store in Colorado. I’ve lost enough weight in the last year to be able to fit 4.

Beside the down coats are three sheepskin coats. I never used them.

Then there are the various one layer coats from three Barbors to a couple of GoreTex.

I’m having trouble closing the closet door. I think I have to move some stuff to the guest room closet.

We’ve been living in our house since 1985, move? Naw the way I see it death will be the easy way out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I started taking a look into my front closet. I found some coats that I haven't worn in years and years and can't get into anyway. I found some coats that I can get into but I don't remember buying. Chances are they were my dad's from when he died eight years ago. They are wearable so I guess I'll keep those in honor of him.

Meh, I don't care. The second the lights go out my stuff becomes somebody else's stuff. Doesn't matter one bit "how I feel about it." Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

Being a hoarder, an accumulator, can bring happiness to others. Rudy Vallee bequeathed a huge collection of theater memorabilia going back to the 1920s to UCLA, they jumped for joy. Years ago a neighbor told me her son was upset because some of his McDonald's Flintstone mugs had broken. I gave him TWO sets.
I bought a Raleigh Twenty folding bike from the nearby Trenton Bike Exchange. It was donated by a previous owner whose health was failing.
He had extensively upgraded it, Sun aluminum rims, leather saddle, upgraded brakes. And I got his maintenance records and list of upgrades.

I have family photo albums of people I don’t remember that I’m saving for people I haven’t met yet .
Strangely attached to that burden , don’t know where to put them when I expire

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the rules? there are no rules

4 letters: EBAY! I use to toss a lot of stuff but in 2001 I discovered that somebody..somewhere..wanted it,and were willing to pay.
Now I don't feel bad parting with old hood scoops and carburetors from days gone by as I'm making others happy by adding to their collections, and cash for me to buy more.

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Remain Viable

It's a family addiction. Sitting in the garage is an outboard motor. It's a small thing, made in the '50s I think. My brother bought a boat in '77 and it came with it. When he bought it he was told it didn't work, but if he took the boat, he had to take the motor too. It was placed in the garage. It then went through 4 moves, being stored in the garage until it was time to move again. It has sat in this garage for 40 years. That is one 3 cubic foot space in a 3 bedroom house. Plus a shed and a storage unit. I might have some clutter.

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The best I can with what I got

In the early 80's, had a tenant that was a retired carrier Navy Officer starting in WWII. He told me that there was family stuff (Cloths, Forniture, dishes and the like) and personal stuff (Photos, Keep sakes & mementos).

At that point in his life he had moved 26 times, his personal stuff all fit in one shoe box!

My wife and have moved only 3 times in our marriage of 46 years. When we married, into the farmhouse almost 7 years later, and into the Condo 30 years later, that was almost 10 years ago.

One of the problems when starting to downsize is your kids wanted certain things but want you to store it forever! We started taking trips to visit the kids for a weekend or a week and always took a full-size pick-up load to them. Sometimes with a warning, sometimes without. I let them decide what to do with it. The largest exception to that is the youngest son lives in NJ and I still have his guns (about 7 long guns)

Rules that can help. Before a move remember that nature abhors a vacuum!

1) Draw a scale map of the new place and figure out what furniture goes in what space. My wife made paper cutouts (dolls) to scale and moved them around the map to figure that out. Include your storage shelves, cabinets and bookcases! Helpful hint: Before the movers arrive I placed a post-it on every item as to the room it went to. (the foreman told me that probably saved 1 to 1.5 hours of their time at $150 an hour for the crew!)

2)You have allotted space for your stuff, trim it down until it fits!

3) Don't use the garage as a holding place until you get around to it! I did that and it took almost a year before the wife could park there.

Things household movers won't move: Guns, gunpowder, ammunition and items over 700 pounds. They were not responsible for particle board furniture (So they weren't careful with the one piece we had- and it got broke!)

There were 4 pick-up loads of guns I put is storage before we put the house for sale. But just the 26 cases of shotgun ammo were a real chore! The reloading supplies were much worse. (close to 100,000 bullets and same for primers, over 150 pounds of powder. Boatload of brass)

The gun safe was empty but weighs 750 pounds, they were going to refuse but the door comes off and that's around 40%. Most reloading "Tools" are in 2 filing cabinets and LOCKED!

For me the loading bench was the big problem! I went from a dedicated room with 17 running feet of bench to a bench of 5 feet between the two cabinets. From 2 progressives, 2 bullet sizing presses, and 5 assorted single and turret presses to 1 progressive, 1 turret, & a mounting plate for 1 single and 1 sizing press on a 5' bench. (I sold or gave the rest away) It was traumatic! (my friends thought it funny, but those that laughed didn't get any of the goodies!)

I talked to Half Priced Books about books they estimated they would pay 10% of printed value, when I took in what would be almost $2000 worth of books, instead of anything close to $200 they offered $5. I said I would burn them for heat first, but took them to Goodwill.

Lastly, be careful on allowing others to help you pack stuff! Things that I wanted to keep got given away and thing I wanted rid of were in boxes marked for keeping! (Goodwill got several thousand dollars of antiques that way)

Dring lots of fluids and eat regularly; AND DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!

Ivan

Yes, Ebay and Craigslist are your friends.
When I retired from the Reserves in 1998 I gave away all my uniforms to people still serving, I figured I would not be wearing them again.
Then there is the satisfaction that comes from getting rid of things with bad connotations and memories. One woman told me she and her 2 siblings got rid of everything of their father's, they turned him into an unperson. She remembers selling his golf clubs, he preferred an afternoon on the links to spending time-and money-with his kids.

Probably watched your first porn in the comfort of yer own home on it!
And that 35+ estimate is probably closer to 50

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Forum consigliere

Somebody said that one way to look at getting rid of something is to decide if you would buy it today.

And his, "special purpose".

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213th FBINA

I'm a more or less empty-nester (hoping the nest is going to be more empty in the next year or so) with more junk and more house than I need and my 63rd birthday approaching. I'm going to start shedding "stuff" in the next couple of months in anticipation of down-sizing. How much I jettison is going to depend on whether I buy a smaller house in the next year or two and work until I'm 70, or whether I retire at 65, in which case I'm not going to keep much more than I can fit in a couple of suitcases and move overseas. More and more the whole Kwai Chang Caine "wander the earth" thing is starting to appeal to me.