RomanceClass.com Forums Romance Organizing and Cleaning What Do You Hoard?

We were discussing this in another thread and I thought it was important enough to start a main thread about.

What is it that you seem to hoard in your life?

I have many bins of fabric, that I expect "someday I might use". Like five giant bins! I am finally taking steps to donate that fabric to family and friends who can actually use it.

The entire house is a mess, that's just one example.

I was collecting tons of corks and am making a concerted effort right now to USE them all in crafts and to get rid of them.

Books. I hoard books. I have 13 boxes packed of books. Most of which I haven't even read.

There's people who buy books, then there's me, who stalks the libraries and sees when they have their clearing out sales. Then I come home with another box of books for only a few dollars!

Oh I can relate to that completely! I used to be a very avid book hoarder. We had book shelves filling every room, stacked with tons and tons of books. I am surprised the floors didn't begin to buckle.

I had to be VERY harsh with myself and start giving away books to libraries. I reminded myself I could go borrow them any time I wanted to. And this way other people could read them too.

Now that being said we still have MANY bookcases left in the house. Four in my bedroom. Three in Bob's room. Another 3 in James' room. Three in my office. So obviously the problem is not gone. It's a slow process. So for example I have webpages on Philip K Dick (an awesome sci-fi writer) and I get questions on his books fairly often so I keep those as a reference library, and I love to read them. So I probably won't let those go. I have a lot of wine books that are a reference library for my wine site. We have every book by Robert B Parker ("Spenser for Hire") and I have a large set of pages on those books. I have a lot of classics - Jane Austen, Bronte, Frost, that sort of thing. I re-read those so it's unlikely I can let those go.

So I still have work to do.

I have started, and am being somewhat successful at clearing hoarding nests.

Books were my worst problem for a long time. We moved six time in six years so I did get rid of a lot of my books.

I have finally convenced myself, just because I have had it a long time does not give it value; it just means that it is old.

Of course there are those things that have a value of some kind, but that is not what I am speaking of.

I managed to get rid of about 90% of my Christmas decorations. I gave them to my kids and grandkids. Honestly they meant more to them than to me.

Books!!! Cable wires (I dont know why)

SHOES. Not nice workable shoes...But my on's outgrown shoes...I cant bring myself to throw them out...

And old bills. I just have them everywhere, inbetween books, on the desk, on the moniter, kitchen table, everywhere you look, there are unopened cell phone bills :S

Perches....This is weird, I dont know where most of them came from, or why I have them, but I have a box of perches...wood ones, branch ones, rope and cement ones...One made out of mineral, and plastic ergo dynamic ones.


My son has a collection of pom poms, and random jigsaw puzzle pieces (another item I have no clue of the original source)

That's a brilliant idea - BLR - let others care for your items and you can go visit them whenever you want!

428pm - We have a whole shelf set full of wires and cables. We're both in the computer industry so we always think "Oh that might come in handy sometime". I think it's time to dump them all on the floor, figure out what we REALLY need in there and give away the rest. Just how many audio plug cables can one household need?

I have a solution for the bills. Get this scanner -

http://www.amazon.com/NeatReceipts-Mobile-Scanner-Digital-Filing/dp/B001CQFRPO

(that's a non-affiliate link)

I *love* mine. You just sit there sending bills into it one after another, receipts, you name it. Then you can have them all in your computer forever, and get rid of the paper copy. I only bought mine a month or so ago and I am just happy with it.

You sit there watching TV, mindlessly feeding in the receipts, and it auto sorts them all

that is some kind of cool

Niki and Lisa, I totally hear you about the book hoarding. But I have really been doing better over the years by reading things, reviewing them, and then either selling them or donating them away.

Something funny is that books are a sort of form of currency among RVers and at RV parks. I really enjoy trading books I've read for books I want to read, all free. And when I meet nice people RVing I ask if they want any of my stack of 'already reads'...and they usually reciprocate with theirs.

About the rest of my hoarding, let me think on that and add another post. I have so many areas of hoarding I have been working on clearing from my life.

Lisa, what i do with my corks is full up a quart zippie, write Crafting Supplies on it with a sharpie, and drop them off at Goodwill. They are happy to take them and sell them for like 2 dollars for the bag.

I mention this b/c as a wine drinker, you are NEVER going to use up all your corks. I just add my corks to a pretty clear vase - it is pretty as decoration - and when it is full, I bag em and donate them.

As for fabric, I hope making me some prayer flags will be helpful! lol.

But really, those can be bagged, or taped with masking tape into bundles, and brought to thrift stores too. The craft sections of thrift stores are so much fun to pick through. I know lots of people who head straight to the craft sections to see what they have.

Let me just say that if any of you fellow book hoarders look to sell your books, and you have any that are even vaguely philosophical or theological I will buy them from you!

I have a 10 book long list and building on Amazon. *drools* Buying used is so awesome, apart from buying a book for $2 and spending $4 on the shipping. I just bought 2 books, even though I have 4 books here that I have yet to read!

Lucky I'm gonna be a scholar/teacher. Gives me an excuse to hoard unhealthily. =)

I hoard all sorts of things.
I think that I was brought up on the 'waste not want not ~ it might come in handy some day' philosophy.
But books! I have thousands! (Literally thousands!)
I love my books!

I was thinking about this thread - I've made great progress!

I took out all the multiple big boxes of fabric and compiled it all down. I sent a BIG box of fabric off to my friend Susan who makes doll clothes who doesn't have a fabric store near her. So she'll be thrilled when she gets that

That just left me with two little boxes of big fabric pieces, that I can hopefully use soon for projects!

I also made a huge dent in the cork pile with all my winter projects. I have only a few left and I can use those up quickly! So the corks will be all done.

I took 2 giant Rubbermaid containers and put all the review books in my office into them to start working on passing them along to editors. I think I had 300 books, all just waiting to get sent out! So I am making myself handle 5 of them every day. I figure that will set me a goal I can reach, and work my way through them.

I am working very hard on de-hoarding

Lisa - that is great. I find that when I am in the "git rid of it" mode I should really go with it. Because when the mood passes it is hard to start again.

The only thing that will keep me going or start me again is the feeling that I get from de cluttering my life. I think we all are stuff gathers if we don't make an effort not to be. Probably because there is so much "stuff" available.

Yeah how awesome, Lisa! You've really been working your way down your to do lists! That is so cool you used up all your corks in fun gift projects. How neat!

I think 5 books a day is realistic. Doing them all at once would be overwhelming and really not the best use of your time. And eventually the pile will whittle away.

Susan will be thrilled at her gift of fabric!

What are your next categories to work on? So you've got corks, books and fabric under control.

PDM, I totally hear you about thousands of books. I keep bringing them to used book stores, trading them in at RV libraries...I will attempt to see about selling them on Amazon next. But still it is very very hard to part with books. I love them so!

BLR, we are totally stuff-gatherers and I would love to hear what you think about WHY we do this. is it some genetic compulsion?

Woot! Go Lisa! =P That's so cool. To be able to de-hoard and condense items!

I know my family (dad, mom, brother, me and hubby) moved into this wonderful house a few weeks ago. And it's got SO much storage space. BUILT IN BOOK CASES!! Can you believe it?? Oh I swooned when I saw those. I'm still working at setting a day to go down to the local library and donate my 3 boxes of old kids/teenager books... but have been working like crazy around the holidays, so you know how that is.

But.. I'll never get over it. =P I've been buying at least 2 books a week or two. I'm selling at least 7 now though on Amazon.

I highly suggest selling Jilly. It's a nice feeling to get money for the books you know you'll never use again.

[quote=jilly] BLR, we are totally stuff-gatherers and I would love to hear what you think about WHY we do this. is it some genetic compulsion? [/quote] I am pretty sure we have instructions to pick it up and take it with us. When we were nomadic we were limited to what we could carry. The decision to keep or not keep becomes just a matter of what we could carry and what is or isn’t important or useful. As we became more agricultural and built more and more permanent homes we had more room for the “neat stuff” we would find or make. The rest is history. :grin:

at the end of six months i have the philosophy if you havent used it ..get rid of it. Unlesssss its something to use in case of power out emergency or water or something of that nature ..natural disaster thing. Other wise it all goes

It is amazing when you realize that just because you have had something a long time does not make it of value, it just makes it old. If it did not have value to you to begin with (ie. special gift, childs creation etc.) then don't fall into the trap of it gaining value just because you have had it a long time.

Yes exactly BLR. One thing I do is take a photo of it. That way I can treasure the photo as a memory. I can then pass the actual physical thing along to someone who will love it and care for it.

Of course that being said, I had this model of a Mustang car I'd made a number of years ago. It was in the "to donate" pile. So I got some cloth and cleaned it up so that it would be in good shape to donate. Once I got it all cleaned and nice looking, I wanted to put it on a shelf in my office Still, better that it's being admired and enjoyed, vs dusty and abandoned in a back closet.

I think shows like Antiques Road Show and the big ebay stories lead everyone to believe that old=treasure.

I have all these 1942 dentistry books to unload, but i am afraid to just donate them. In the back of my mind I feel they must be worth something. As just an example.

BLR, i think you are right, and we do have internal instructions to pick things up and take them along. Stoopid thumbs.

Jilly - have you looked the dental books up on Amazon? Are they in there? Why not list them with a high price and see if you get any emails about them?

I will take a look at doing that, and look into Abe Books as well, I think.

Every time I move (which is a LOT) I have to face the things I hoard. I am confident that I now have enough ideas to get the books under control. The next thing I am looking into is my antiques. There was a period of about five years when I kept buying them from thrift stores with the intent to sell them elsewhere for profit.

Somewhere along the line I realized I LOVE to buy things but am terrible at selling. I don't enjoy it at all. So now I have all this stuff. It feels wasteful financially to just bring them to goodwill.

Sigh. I am hoarding books again. I don't think I should be traveling with so many in the RV...but it makes me feel better to have them around. I love the idea of having so many wonderful choices to enjoy and learn from.

Ah but keep in mind that MANY books are available on the web now. SO you can read them - and they're not taking up any space!

All the classics are at your fingertips!

True. But it's a thing. I like actual books, their physicality. Also, with many parks, bandwidth and connections will be an issue.

Ah but once you find books you enjoy, you simply put them onto your computer! Then you have them all the time!

Yes I understand having physical books But you don't need thousands of them, just your favorites

I 'hoard' books. I have thousands. I do so love books, but they can take up a lot of space. I love the computer, but I can't read a book from a screen.

I don't have books I have read around, except special cases like LOTR. These are books I have yet to read or use as reference.

Also, i am just not going to put books on the computer. I hate reading in the computer. I sit here all day long for work and NO way will I sit here for my time off. :-)

i am like PDM, and Giles in Buffy and Picard in Star Trek - give me books, not more of this infernal machine. :-)

I know that having this many books in the RV is an issue for over weighting, but my plan is to read things, then sell them/give away to RV park libraries.

So as i read things, they will pass from my life, unless I need them for reference.

Along these lines, and I know this is weird, but I can't use the computer like others do for rote tasks. I need to have printouts or a manual to refer to - switching between computer tabs is mentally draining and frustrating for me. I am sure it's part of my brain chemistry. At least I know this about myself! :-)

I agree that it can be hard to read from a monitor - but how about the Kindle? Where it's just like holding a page in your hand, but it's easier to read and turn the pages?

I don't really know much about Kindle, but I like to sit on my settee and curl up with a book. I do read articles, etc, online ~ quite a lot, actually, and even books sometimes ~ but if I want to really study them and digest them, I print them off to read on paper

I do love to curl up and hold something page-like in my hand. I guess for me the Kindle is easier than a book - especially a thick book - because I don't have to hold the heavy book or manage the pages or turn them.

I have thought about the Kindle and I do think it's a super neat idea. maybe you can bring yours to the gathering and I can try it out?

LOL. I've been avoiding this thread! But I may as well jump in here!

I am a semi terrible hoarder. I have this thing where I keep things in case something happens to the original thing. Lately though, I have run across some things that have either gotten broken in the process of moving things around, or it's become obsolete, or just plain started to dessintigrate! (sp).

I hate to let go of books that I really loved. Sometimes I loan them out and then I never seem to get them back. I read constantly. I used to take them to Half Price Books, and sell them, but it's almost not worth the time to do that. One time I took 75 paperbacks and hard cover books, and I got $7.75 for them.

I DO trade with a few people. So that is good, but not very often. I have visions of someday having a very large bookcase and that would be my "library".

I so have yard sales and do quite well on them. Usually I have them when I have no apartments to clean, as there are certain times of the year when people simply do not move, like between Nov. and Jan. However this year I've had work through these months, and things are building up! When people move, my boss lets me have things a tenant leaves behind, and when he has evictions. I've gotten very picky about what I will keep to sell now. If it isn't completely intact and clean and nice looking, I won't keep it.

In among these things, I find things that I want, even though I probably already have that item. This is where my hoarding comes in! Vacuume cleaners are one thing! At this time I bet I have 5 or 6 of them. They work, unless they might need a belt but they take space to store. I guess this would be a good thing to keep, since I use them in my job.

For years, even though I live in an apartment, I would buy seeds. No place to plant them but I miss having a veg garden and my own flower beds! I still have many of these seeds but I don't buy them any more!! haha

I am pretty sure I brought my Kindle to past gatherings but certainly I can bring it again!

I am all for keeping books you love. I do have several full shelves of books. It's keeping giant piles of books, with ones you just don't read, that I think can be released. Just think - someone else might adore that book and read it weekly, if only they had a copy!

I never looked at your Kindle. You don't have to bring it if you have to many other things to bring, though! :-) I don't want to make your luggage any bigger. :-)

Tweetymom, I do love HalfpriceBooks. You don't get much cash but the credit for new books is much better.

If I was cleaning out other people's apartments I would be so bad - I would want to keep everything! But you can also decide what you do not need and bring those things to charity thrift stores. :-) I enjoy doing that. I can't give money to charities but I CAN give STUFF. lol

That is so very true - we all have something we can give to charity, whether it is stuff or time!

Re: charities. I have accumulated stacks of magazines! New ones, old ones, old ones even still in the wrapper. Initially I keep them thinking I should read them, but truthfully I only read a very few. I have tried to give them away, and you'd think more people would want them, especially the (older) new ones. But my friends are not having that!

My point is, thank you for reminding me that they exist, and as far as charities, in the past I have had the idea to take them to places that keep mags in their reception area. Or to places like AA recovery and detox hosp. At the Austin State School, where I worked for 4 years, many years ago, the residents or clients (I'm not sure of the politically correct term now days) are challenged in various ways, and they LOVE magazines. I wonder if they would have any rules about bringing those in.

I had some of those things with letters and numbers on them, used to change signs and I gave them to a church. All I wanted was $5 for a big box of them, but they asked me if they could have them, and I was glad just to be rid of them, and to do a good deed at the same time.

That's so very true Dinah, there are lots of places that would LOVE old magazines even to cut up for crafting projects. Sometimes you just need to think outside the box a little!

Dinah, that is something I have done too, brought magazines to dentist/doctor/clinic waiting rooms. It's a super easy solution and people surely must appreciate more options.

Also I'd try senior citizen homes.

I have canceled all of my magazine subscriptions I think - but then we went to a bookstore today and I bought 8 issues. Two on yoga, three on Buddhism, one on "recycled item crafts" and one on polymer clay. So I figure I'll read them all, then forward them along to the matching BellaOnline editor to share the knowledge

Good on you, lisa for cancelling your subscriptions.

Are there ways to get your magazines on your kindle?

What is the recycled items crafts mag like? that sounds interesting.

I don't like the idea of getting Kindle magazines because generally you pay full price but you can't share them with others. If I'm going to pay for them then I want to share them

I was thinking of you when reading the recycling one. It may find its way to you

That would be very cool. :-)

I just found out i can use the Kindle app for free on my iphone. I have not done it yet, but it's nice to know i have the option to never be without a book!

That is very cool about the free Kindle app Jilly - you can download TONS and TONS of books!

hehe - i just downloaded my first book from the Amazon Kindle app - and it's about hoarding! :-)

I was just looking around an realized I hoard office supplies. I kind of have a love affair with them. I am going to work on using things up!

Right now I am hoarding my recycling. I have a huge lean to area for my green station, potting bench and tool area.

This area is a mess and I am working to clean it up and make it a joy to mess around in. While I do this and the myriad of other things i need to catch up on, my recycling is just piling up (i don't have curbside).

So I need to set aside time to sort things, put things in the right bins, put them in my car, and set aside a day to drive to the recyclers that pay me cash money for my efforts.

This day might not happen for a month, though- so many other things to do. I hope i can sit down with my calendar and work this out.

I hoard books. I used to read one or two and then trade them in for the credit and then buy a couple more but the trade in value got so crappy that I guess I just started keeping them so now I have dozens of piles of books six foot tall plus I have a huge bookshelf full of them. I also hoard computer parts in boxes in the attic.

'Books' seem to be a popular choice for hoarders

I have been using PaperbackSwap.com for my books lately. I highly recommend this route to trade out old books for new ones. It's one to one for a book.

Yes definitely I also highly recommend Paperbackswap.com. You cycle out the books you've already read, knowing they are going to a good new home! If you ever want to read it again, you just request it from a member and it shows up at your door.

I am still working on my "book problem". My office has stacks of books all over the floor. I am making progress though. I just have to get Penguin to stop sending me piles of free books. I've called them at least 8 times already and left messages. I've sent them tons of email messages. I just don't get why they are ignoring my requests.

I think they are ignoring you because you are doing such a bang up job of disbursing the books for them to people who will publish reviews.

I am salivating over the thought of all those unwanted books in your office. I have this fantasy of shopping in there.

BOOKS!!! Thankfully, I just got an Amazon Kindle 3 - which can hold up to 3500 books on it at a time and if you run out of room on the Kindle you can remove it from the Kindle but always download it again if you want to. I'm in love.

LOL Jilly you already get my paperbackbook credits Free books drift their way into your life!

I'm using a book right now as a placemat under my bowl of soup. That's how bad it is.

OK, must think positive and encouragingly. Right this moment I will email 5 editors about 5 books.

...

OK done. I have 6 books by my desk with orange stickies on them, with who I offered them to and the date. Hopefully I'll get some replies soon!

MW1 - I have an original Kindle and I really enjoy it. It sits right on the treadmill so I can easily read things while I walk! It works MUCH better in that regard than a magazine or a book does.

My problem is if I'm not on the treadmill that I have so many books piled all over that have to be read that I can't "waste" my reading time not reading one of those. The key really is to make progress on these book piles.

I do have the Kindle app on my iphone and I really enjoy the idea that i can have any book i want (almost), at any time. I do like reading on my phone. I do not find it too small at all.

LOL, Lisa, you are right. Free books do find me! I love having your PBS credits. Good on for for emailing about five books.

One thing I have a problem with is papers. I am always holding onto random papers and brochures and article ripped out of magazines, just in case i need them.

I did want to add that I have spent the last few days organizing which books are going to stay here in Serenity (my RV) with me. I am pleased that I made a lot of extra space for myself by moving excess books into the house and out of my RV living space.

Dear Jilly -

That is wonderful that you are organizing your world! I find it makes me much more serene to have my world organized. It is easier to find things, I am not tripping over things, and I have a better sense of being able to reach my goals.

For papers, I highly recommend you get an easy to use feeder scanner. One you can just stick papers into one after another. It makes it incredibly easy to scan everything while you watch a movie and then you recycle the paper. You have all that valuable information in an easy to search and use way.

books, books and books. i would extend that to budgies too but mom says "no more livestock in the house...6 are enough!!"

That is an interesting idea on the feeder scanner. I have heard you mention that before. At some point i will look into that - it would make my life easier.

Livestock, hehe, baby blue. I could easily end up a pet hoarder if i am not careful.

baby blue - how wonderful to see you.

I also find it hard to get rid of books, so I guess that is hoarding.

I have gone thru a spell here lately of riding my life of clutter. I have been working on the premise that "just because I have had it a long time does not make it valuable, just old" it helps.

I conceptually like the idea of tons of pets, but realistically I like to have only 4 of a given pet. That way I can give a great deal of individual attention to each one. I do also have a 24 hour a day job plus a full time college coursework load though, so I'm sure other people might have more pet playing time than I do!

I am very much trying my best to reduce the clutter in my house, to donate as much as I can to charity.

I think i have to admit i was hoarding pets around the time when I ran a popular fish forum. I had four dogs but multiple dozens of fishes.

Caring for that many fish tanks was extremely time consuming. I kept my fish clean and happy but i also wonder if i was a little insane with my fish obsession.

I may be biased but I think many people keep lots of fish and you count those by the tank-load. I.e. if I had a large saltwater tank with 30 fish in them - almost required in some cases because the fish need a school to feel content - then I would consider that one big pet. I wouldn't consider it 30 pets.

Ah, but i had something like 30 or 50 tanks!

Hmmmm. OK, 50 tanks is far beyond what I was imagining. I would have to say that 50 tanks is a bit more than what the average pet owner has.

A lot of those were single-fish tanks. My bettas were single fishes and i had dozens of those. My killifish was also single. I had my south american cichlid tanks, my guppy tanks, my goldfish tanks and some mixed tropical tanks. My isolation tanks were single tanks that ebbed and flowed with quarantined fishies.

I miss my guppies - I was breeding a very interesting variety and i loved the constant babies. And I miss my goldfish tank, which had freshwater clams and apple snails in it. Those were awesome.

I know better than to have fish now. My life is not stable enough. And there is no room in the RV.

The two cats and one dog is probably as much as I should have, but i would like to have a large dog. And another kitten to replace William.

I have to be really careful not to add more pets to my little brand of crazy. Maybe if the Oklahoma thing happens I can have the large dog and some more cats. Plus chickens! And maybe two fish tanks...

I did adore fish tanks when we had them, but we only had four I think. A really big salt water one, a medium size fresh water one and then two smaller ones. They were very relaxing and serene.

With our hours and schedule we would not do well with a dog. Who knows when we will be awake or asleep or at home. We need I think to stick with cats and birds, who can use their rest rooms on their own.

Jilly, what Oklahoma thing????

BTW you dont want chickens unless you have acreage.

BLR, we expect to have some decent acreage in Oklahoma. The OK thing is percolating around in my husband's family. he wants to get his mom, me, himself, his sister and our niece there. The goal is to look for some property and create a sort of family compound. We would all have our own cabins and lots of both privacy and communal space.

Chickens and ducks are definitely on the list of things we want there, as well as various gardens, compost bins, and an art/yoga studio.

I am thinking I will also have my AZ home just for me, I can use it throughout the year or not.

This is all very experimental.