Your possessions - what do they mean to you?

[Moemg]

. Men tend to collect things that most women don't know about or understand...like guns, tools, military memorabilia, etc. It's not easy knowing what to do and how to handle the husband's stuff. Please think ahead a little.

My husband also had an extensive collection of circus trains and memorabilia . We had discussed it so I knew exactly what to do with the collection . He also had a small autograph collection including Babe Ruth's that I had to dispose of . I did a lot of research before I sold that .

 

[citrine]

All that matters is the cat....no emotional attachment to anything else.

 

[VaCollector]

As my avatar indicates, I AM a collector and so am somewhere in between the minimalists so amply represented here who are constantly purging themselves from things no longer needed and those from the hoarder realm that so amaze us on TV.

My favorite Uncle was the collector who initiated my love for "stuff"....as a kid I started with coins and have grown from there....to the point where maybe 15 to 20% of my NW is in "stuff" with a large portion of that a direct result of my inheriting my relative's collections. After listening and watching them tell the stories about many of the pieces in each collection, a lot of my memories are attached to the items. For me, it is not always the item but the memory attached to it....the story....the history....the sacrifice that they may have made to acquire it....

I actually enjoy having it around and would be overwhelmed to have to decide on a moments notice of "what to grab" to take with me....even understanding that most of it could be replaced eventually, the memories attached to a lot of the collections are irreplaceable.....

I hear many of you mention that family pictures are at the top of your lists for "what to grab in case of a disaster" and would have to say that while they are important.....I'm not really sure that I would grab them 1st....and to be quite honest....it is making me take another look at where I place my values....

But then I have a great BIG box of photos just sitting in the DR from when I cleaned out my Mom's condo....and I have taken some time to look at many of them....wondering if SHE had ever had (or made) the time to do the same....staring at pictures of folks who are a mystery to me...with the knowledge that there is no one left in my family who can even tell me who they might have been....time to purge (I know).

After reading other posts here ~ especially the Saturday Purging post....I have begun to think about what must eventually become of everything....who better to dispose of things than me....although I am certain that an estate auction will be painless to my DW, it would be a shame to have her sell that "old 1899 $1 bill" for $50 at a garage sale and think that she has done well when its value might be 100 times that.....

I regularly discuss who to contact in the event that I'm not breathing in the morning and that should help in the process.....but then again....why even make her think that she'll have to go through that?

Ok....that's it....gotta go now....let's see.....what to sell 1st?....hmmmmm

 

[DangerMouse]

Possessions are like anchors – they just hold you down. We too have learned from frequent moving – including one where we lost everything. Stuff doesn’t enable, it limits choice.

Michael, thanks for that quote. I agree that having stuff does limit choices, you just worded it so nicely.

 

[DangerMouse]

For those of you who enjoy watching Hoarders, there is a show on the History Channel called American Pickers that you might like. It features 2 characters who drive around locating items of value that they can sell. They normally just stop randomly at old farmhouses to see if they might have anything and you would be surprised at the volume of stuff some of these people have. Likeable characters and it doesn't give the sensation of having to urgently purge some of your personal possession like Hoarders does.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I'll look for that show, DangerMouse. One of my favorites is Antiques Roadshow, but that usually features top of the line antiques (an old Tiffany vase or a Stickley table or a Philippe Patek watch, for instance, seems to always be valuable--well, duh, they were top of the line back then, so what a surprise! My ancestors would have passed down the dimestore imitation versions if they'd even had those).

My parents tossed all of my things that were at home while I was away at college when they moved out of the country, so I don't have old stuff and really don't care about much new stuff. DH on the other hand has some old family items that we do treasure, but I make him throw something away whenever he brings something new into the house.

 

[MichaelB]

For those of you who enjoy watching Hoarders, there is a show on the History Channel called American Pickers that you might like. It features 2 characters who drive around locating items of value that they can sell. They normally just stop randomly at old farmhouses to see if they might have anything and you would be surprised at the volume of stuff some of these people have. Likeable characters and it doesn't give the sensation of having to urgently purge some of your personal possession like Hoarders does.

So now we have Antiques Roadshow, American Pickers and Hoarders to watch. Stuff is truly important to our culture. Speaking of which,
YouTube - George Carlin Talks About "Stuff"

 

[Amethyst]

With those vitals, she'd look like an upside down thermometer! They all think they need girls who look like the current pack of starlets. But no fear, they end up marrying us normal gals or our normal-sized daughters - that is, if we let 'em

I heard some fellow long ago saying he wanted someone who wore a size zero or size two and not over 98 lbs and maybe 5'7".

 

[FIYes]

I am not good about clutter and allow too much stuff to accumulate around the house. I fall into the "it is still good and may still have some use" line of thinking. However, a few years ago the smoke alarm went off at my house and I grabbed my purse, car keys, and the cat. Turned out the smoke alarm was not a harbinger of a problem, but the one thing I opted to save when confronted with a potential crisis was the cat.

 

[youbet]

Most of my clutter is stuff that enables activities. Workshop with lots of power and hand tools. Kayaks. Amateur radio equipment with antennas outdoors and shelves/desks full of gear indoors. DW is a rosarian and has 2 sheds full of rose stuff and her quilting goodies take up quite a bit of space.

Yep, it's a lot of clutter and most would have to go if we downsize to an apartment. But tossing it involves no longer being involved with a hobby "hands-on." That is, it would mean having fewer activities and experiences.

We have little emotional attachment to any of this stuff. Oh, I'd cringe at tossing some of my dad's hand tools and a couple pieces of electronic equipment I built back as a teenager. DW would probably like to hang onto a quilt or two that has sentimental value like the one she and her mom made together. But mostly, it's just activity enabling stuff and we'd miss the activities.

 

[the babe]

Well we don't seem to have a lot of clutter, but as posted, old photos take up a lot of space. Having said that, I have so many frames in a bin that I keep thinking will someday have a photo in them....Nope, never gonna happen as I am not one to put the family on display too much.
I'm getting rid of them nextime I go to Goodwill.
We have lots of tools here and at the cottage that my sweetie uses. We are thinking of getting rid of "stuff" so that we may move to Merida, Mexico in the next year.
That will certainly mean getting rid of at least one house. Hopefully not the cottage because the summers are wonderful there on our little island. But the main residence...it's a goner.
I quilt so my sewing machine is a keeper, I don't have lots of fabric as I use what I have. The workshop tools are another matter. They are being itemized and all extras are going to be sold.
It's only stuff. I have an old gent that I pick up to take to bridge. He is living alone now, has a 4 bedroom house that he has trouble maintaining, is lonely, can't cook much for himself, but can't leave his "stuff".. so very sad.

 

[BUM]

I like having nice things, but I HATE clutter. Once I've "enjoyed" something I usually have no problem getting rid of it. (Do not mention this to my hubby. )

Right! Get it. Use it. Pitch it! I hate clutter too (Closest I've ever gotten to divorce court was pitching DW's stuff out).