General Chat

Hello Rose ,
I'm a hoarder , I can't help it , it's in my blood . From the " family tree " point of view , I'm very pleased that I come from a long line of " hoarders " .
I have in my possession various original birth , death , marriage certificates ( one marriage one dated 1859 ) , if my dear old G.Grandmother hadn't have been the " hoarder " she was then I wouldn't be where I am today ie forever seeking the answers to the family tree ....lol
Both my parents where " hoarders " of the highest order and I think I did well not to stuff my home to bursting with their stuff when they passed away .
And as a Mum of four I have felt obliged to keep all their school work / models / art creations etc etc etc .
Good luck with your de-cluttering .....lol..... I wish I could do it sometimes but my genes won't let me : )

Liz, lots of reasons for hoarding, some is just down to an eye for pretty things, or bargains, especially freebies.!

I identified one of my failings as an attraction to 'colour'...so if I saw a vase , it wasn't actually the vase that attracted me but the colour itself. So I decided to look for the colour only in something I actually need, or probably better still do some painting lol...either walls or pictures ( or tapestry with silks...great colours!)

LOLOL Carol, don't even look at what's for sale !! ;) ...there was a very nice purple glass vase i was tempted by...and some interesting bits of furniture and............ lol

Rose, I thought I was the only one lol now I know many others are here just like me, sentimental hoarding is a killer !!! My son is terrified I will die before I sort most of the stuff out but mine has gone to extremes as you know, with ocd coming into the equation. I do hoard more than just sentimental things tho which causes rows here too.

I used to look on Freecycle and Gumtree but collected more stuff, some free and some cheap so stop myself going there now. I daren't sign up to ebay, as I would be tempted to buy even more stuff. I rarely look there but if I do find something I like, I get my son to bid for it, he won't do it if he thinks it's something I will just hoard lol

Good luck with the sorting folks,

Lizx

Oh Rose why did you mention lobay have spent the last 4 hours on there, seen lots more clutter to buy!
Carol

I have had a good laugh at this thread, my OH does not throw anything away he has fishing gear that must be at least 30yrs old but will he throw it away NO.

I de clutter all the time with my things but the house still gets filled up with things he buys but won't throw anything away

Jane

I haven't heard of Lobay either but then I don't dare go on Ebay. OH does as he deals in broken mobile phones as a hobby, buys and sells but doesn't make a lot as he then has to buy the parts to mend them. still it is recycling in a way and it keeps his brain going.

here you are Chris

"UK Local Ebay Bargain Finder - Ebay Local Search Tool Search ebay UK for bargains in your local area, find local collection only bargains to win ebay auctions at bargain prices, local ebay bargain finder!

www.lobay.co.uk/

Rose you make a lot of sense, yes better to see where it goes rather than the tip. Jill (have to confess don't think they make glass cabinet big enough) did have one when children were young, since then husband had put up glass shelves which also collect a lot of dust, think I will have to do a Quentin Crisp.
Carol

never heard of Lobay. Do tell.

HI Ann. iI put it on 'Lobay' which is Ebay local to your area, (eg within 10 miles of Telford) and pick up only.

I advertised it as a job lot of 15+ boxes, and D took some photo's of assorted bits from them. It went for the starting price, so not a great deal but I would much rather that than 'dump' anything...I can't do that lol, I recycle as much as possible.

PS...I specified "sorry can't split" on the description.

I hang onto bits and pieces from mum and dad - and even some old blue water glasses that were my nan's. I've never used the water glasses but I do use mum and dad's old tea service on high days and holidays. If it breaks I will have the memory of it and it's lovely to use as it brings back so many memories.

Jill

(Carol - put it in a glass cabinet or glass fronted cupboard - cuts down on the washing/dusting)

About 10 yesrs ago I did a couple of boot sales and got rid of a lot of odd bits of china. I still have more than the two of us need but can'r face selling on ebay and having to pack it all up and send it. Did you sell yours as a job lot Rose? You said boxes!! How did you work out the postage?

I have made another trip to town on the bus this morning with another 2 bags of books, that is 8 carrier bags full so far, and still more in the loft.

tina, I know what you mean but your first sentence made me chuckle. 'I love de-cluttering! The only thing I fail with is the children.'
My sister had the same problem when her husband left and left all his stuff in the loft and garage. Even before the divorce she gave him an ultimatum, "move it or I sell it."

I am a hoarder but am being strict with myself, trouble is, I don't mind giving it away but can't throw it knowing it is going to landfill.

It's very difficult Carol, I think if keeping it clean and dusted has become a chore it really rather cancels out your pleasure in it? If you look at a piece and think 'that needs dusting' rather than 'I love that piece' maybe it's time to let it go? I had a lot of china, mum's and grandmother's, and some of it I really didn't like, just kept it because 'it has always been here'.

I was prompted to the conclusion last year really, that when I die most of it would go in a skip or at best to the charity shops, so it might as well go now lol while I can decide where it goes to, and know that someone somewhere may have the pleasure of it.

Well Rose this is a dilemma I am facing at the moment. Would not call it clutter but do have rather a lot of china that I have collected over the years, getting to the stage that I am finding it harder to keep washed and dusted. All my children have implied that they will not keep it, so should I sell it now and share the money. Oh but everytime I try I think that piece was my dads/nans and cannot do it, perhaps next year lol
Carol

I love de-cluttering!

The only thing I fail with is the children. The boys are both teenagers and I have kept every book / drawing / junk model etc the have made. They both also have treasure boxes with special things in - first shoes, birthday cards, teddies - all sorts. I am hoping that when they are all grown up I will be able to rationalise all this stuff and keep really important important stuff but lose a few of the unidentifable drawings - but I won't hold my breath lol.

My biggest irritation is my husband. He left 18 months ago but I still have crates full of his junk stacked up at the back of the garage. He was and probably still is a terrible hoarder of complete junk. Much of the stuff in the garage came from his parents house (when they wanted to de-clutter) 20 years ago and has not been needed since. As soon as the divorce is completed there are going to be a few ultimatums!!

Tina x

When I read the first message, initially I thought I wasn't a hoarder but as I read further I questioned myself. I don't know whether I dare admit this but I have a, very large stainless steel teapot which was bought to use in 1955 at my grandparents golden wedding....in the days when people drank tea and didn't get a few crates in. Have I ever used it?....nope. Will I ever use it?.....maybe. Is it taking up a whole shelf in one of my kitchen cupboards ?....yup...and not content with that bit of metal. I have the three cake tins which my mother used for my wedding cake in 1971 - 12"-9"- and 6" and do I bake?- nope. Will I bake? nope, but I just can't throw them out. -jle

Hi Gwynne, Most of my de-cluttering is to make room for D's eletcronic/PC stuff :)

But i do have a bit of sympathy with the 'wood issue' ( and nails and bits lol) , you never know when you might need a good bit of wood ;)

When we moved here, i was desperate for some shelves in the storage cupboard in the hall, looked in DIY store but i would have had to buy larger and cut down and very expensive for the width I needed...
then I thought to look at the old cobbled together
cupboard that had been left in the garage ... decent wood shelves that i cut and put in, just the right width front to back :))

Morning, Rose.

I wish 'imself would declutter. I had a massive sort out when we moved but he clings to junk and it really gets on my nerves.

Spent yesterday with his brother's family and he's just the same. Sis in law and I had a good old moan about them while they protested about how important their "treasures" are.

No one needs that many bits of wood.

Gwynne

I have my brother's teddy , which became mine, then D's lol, and my soft toy horse made by my mum, and a dog, and two dolls lol. and a bag of D's soft toys from when he was little, the 'nice' ones which were special.

Emma, very satisfying shredding lol...as is pruning in the garden :)