[nONIE]

So he made me this deal. If I go home and start cleaning out the attic, the cellar, the barn and the house, and then sell the house, We can spend more time in TV Yaaaaaaaaaa!

Where do I begin???? :dontknow: I have been a collector and horder for almost 40 years,any suggestions would be very much appreciated! :

[Peggy D]

Nonie,

You have my sympathy. This is not an easy task. They say if you haven't used it or
worn it in over a year, you don't need it.

As others have said-- they're just "things"

Good luck

[mom2five]

Call one of those Television shows on HGTV that are about organization. Maybe they cand get you started and we can see you on TV too.

I have a similar project waiting for me back home. Time to downsize but I am really dreading the process.

[pm10]

I'm working on the same thing, Nonie - only on a much smaller scale, I think. Good thing we don't have a barn, cuz it would be full of "stuff" too. I'm finding it hard to throw out things that have even a little bit of sentimental value. But I'm offering everything to our kids, and they don't seem interested in much of anything. So I guess I'll hook up the chuck wagon, too!!
But if it means being in TV more, I'd say go for it!

Me Too! We should go to each other houses and do the cleaning out. I can throw out stuff that I have no attachment to...

[Mikitv]

:'( :'( :'( : ??? ??? ??? :dontknow: :dontknow:


Nonie,

I sympathize with you since I have a 41 year accumulation and I too have collected. As we have moved about I have kept many things in boxes that I have hardly looked at. Then there are all the cabinets, drawers, closets, you get the idea.

Last summer in preparation for selling our house I started going through those boxes and stored items and made a lot of critical assessments. If the kids didn't want it, I couldn't sell it or donate it then time for it to go. I have to downsize 4300 sq feet of space so it was time to put away the emotions (so hard) and start pitching. I filled a 3 1/2 car garage for my sale and over two days I sold a lot of things. Priced them to go and made over $1000.00. Even with all that I still have more to go through.

Easier for my husband because he doesn't have the emotional attachment I have but I don't want and won't have the room for a lot of this stuff anymore. Once I started going through it, enjoying the memories and being realistic I could get rid of it.

Focus on the move to the next adventure in your life. Don't bring a lot of excess baggage you won't really need.

Sorry to go on so much and now I will get back to more sorting and packing.

Mik

[njgranny]

Very slowly. Seriously, we're cleaning out about 45 years of junk. My hard part is getting my husband to part with things. He wants to give all this stuff to our kids and friends (who don't want most of it) and that slows down the clean up while you wait to hear their answer.

I basically started going through each closet and storage space in the house. We've been filling up our recycle bin like mad and even using the neighbors. So much paper work that I kept, etc. I'm putting pictures and sentimental things into plastic bins and storing them in the front closet. When we move, we can just put everything in the closet into the pod.

I'm so glad that we don't have stuff stored anywhere but in the main house (no basement) and sheds (tools, lawnmowers, etc.) My girlfriend hired a dumpster when she moved and was merciless throwing stuff away.

My son's two brother-in-laws want the tools so they're going to clean out the shed for us. Hurray!!!!!!!!!!

Another option is to find someone who does clean outs for the barns, etc.

I like the idea of the clean up show.

Good luck. It's hard, and I get tired much quicker than I did when I was younger (for some strange reason

[Mintjulep]

Oh Nonie,,, it's so hard, I've been working on it for awhile.

One thing that has helped me is to have a good friend go through things with me.
She puts a whole new spin on something I may think is great.
My friend says, 'Oh gosh, surely you're not thinking of keeping that'!!!
Then I take a second look and think, 'Yeah, she's right'.
And have gradually gotten rid of alot of things.

Try to do one area at a time so that you can handle it at a easy pace. If you have alot and do not care to keep the items then the easy way is a auction. They will come in and take everything but understand it will be sold by the box lot which usually will bring $5 to $10 dollars. If you want to do the work then have a garage sale with a large sale. Antiques can be sold by calling a dealer--they want you to price the item and the usual offer is 50% of what they can sell it for. Alot of antiques malls do not require you to have a tax number so you could pack up the best and display it in a rented space. Usually cost around $160 to $200 a mo. to rent. They will sell it for you! Depends on the mall, location, etc. Some charge 10% of what you sell. Good furniture can go to consignment and they usually take 50%. Furniture only brings 10 cents on the dollar at auction!
Have family come in for anything that you might want to keep in the family. You can always rent a storage unit to store the best of the best but also expensive. It is a major undertaking for everyone , myself included. I have downsized twice and need to do it once more ----!!! :dontknow: :dontknow: A well advertised garage sale would be the best and have it in the Spring or Fall.

[SteveFromNY]

We are in the middle of doing exactly the same thing. I'm trying my best to abandon my pack-rat ways and be sensible about what I take. We are breaking apart the house and sending it to either a condo up here or our house in TV. I am using a few guidelines that are helping me.
1) Decide what you really (I mean really) need in the new place. We are taking very little furniture to either place. Other things like dishes (I can't believe how many we have) we are tossing. Sentimental items (pictures, old cub scout uniform, cards from the kids) we are keeping and putting them in the attic (perpetuating the pack-rat). Also, we are using a POD for the move or our stuff to TV. If it won't fit, it isn't going!
2) Ask the kids, relatives, neighbors, if they want any of the rest. Even giving something away makes me feel OK because it's still in use. Most of our stuff really doesn't interest anyone though, but it means so much to us.
3) Take a long look at what you are "stuck" with, and ask yourself this hard question: Once we are gone (and I don't mean to TV), what will our heirs do with this stuff? If the answer is toss it, bite the bullet and get rid of it now. Save yourself the trouble of moving it around, save them the trouble of going thru it.

Good luck to you....it is an unsettling, stressful situation and I know what you're going thru.

[nONIE]

Thankyou, thankyou, so much. Such fantastic suggestions and ideas! sounds like you are not strangers to this awful task. I am so sad to be leaving TV but knowing I will be back for longer periods of time will inspire me to dig right in when I get home. I wouldnt want my kids to have this chore in front of them anyway so one way or another it definitely needs to be done.

I am so thankful for all of you that are so ready and eager to help each other when the need is there. I will put all your great ideas to work soon especially the one about calling in a dumpster or 2! LOL

may all your cleaning out days go as smoothly as your helping mine to be. :-*

[Peggy D]

Worse yet is Hubby (Nick)--the garage. OMG--talk about a pack rat!!
Motorcycle parts, car parts, tools, tools, tools--did I mention the tools!?! And he keeps bring more stuff home. His excuse--"I might need it someday..."

He's been warned--this "stuff" isn't going to TV!!!

[nONIE]

Peggy,

your hubby and I have something in common. I am a great believer that I may need this junk someday and the funny thing is I will remember what I have and go rummaging for it when I do need it and then Im so happy I saved it!! Its a disease I swear!!

The truth of the matter is we can do very well without it, its just stuff, and its amazing how little a person really needs to get by and be comfortable.

My sister in-law and hubs had a huge beautiful house with all the trimmings. Her bout with Cancer made her realize how insignificant all these things were so she sold the house and everything in it and moved into a 19 foot trailer in Arizona and her and hubs are happy as larks!! Now this may seem a little extreme, but it just shows to go ya its not the house or the furnishings or the accumulated junk that brings you happiness.!

I think Im hijacking my own thread! :redface:

One thing I have found out is that the beautiful China that we all wanted does not sell ~~~~~~~~~~~~kids do not entertain the way we did. Sterling silver will sell at a high price but a set of Silverplate sells for about $75.00. Do your homework before you sell by going to the Antique Malls and flea markets. Sometimes people throw out articles that are very popular with the 20 and 30 years old. I find that many people try to buy back their childhood with the games and toys. Go to the library and look at the books out on Collections that are "IN" right now. Things that do not sell are rocking chairs, infant toys or furniture, linens (unless top notch).Tablecloths from the 50,s do well --$18 to $35.
Go to Ebay and put your item in Search before you sell it. Go to completed auctions to find out what it sold for in the past few months. That is the best place to find information and also sell. Maybe someone can sell the item for you in your area. Also they take a large chunk of the auction price plus the fees. There are certain books that sell well --Dick and Jane, Hardy Boys, etc. Do not print out a Ebay form on what it sold for as 95% of the people will not buy it at a garage sale.
If all else fails then donate it to Goodwill, Churches, Salvation Army, etc. The memories and emotions and feelings for the "stuff" is the worst part so I would probably "pack rat it" with a family member. I have several boxes of my sister,s things that she could not part with when they bought a Motor Home to travel and live in. It has been three years now and she never even asks to look at her things when she visits. She does know that her treasures are safe and that she can look at them or give them to her children when she if off of the road 040 040

[Village Kid 2]

Nonie,

This is so hard to do. I have downsized twice in the last few years already and am in the process of doing it again for the TV move. And I had my parents house of 40 years (and they never threw anything away) to do a couple years ago.

My simple rule: if it doesn't fit in the TV house, it has to go. I have given away furniture to friends who have liked something, I keep bringing little household items to the office and they magically find a new home with someone, have taken much to Goodwill, and actually thrown out very little. Family treasures I have started giving to young family members at Christmas or other special occasions.

Just remember, we can't take "things" to the grave. And remember Kris Kristoferson's lyric, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." Think how nice it is to be FREE.

VK2