Getting ‘rid’ of STUFF! (?)

This is a timely thread, I just finished looking around in [one of] our storage rooms...in dispair. My wife is a crafter / quilter, which is code words for "pack-rat". :ROFLMAO:
It will be like pulling teeth to get her to get rid of her stuff. Turning 70 next month- it's not like she can put this off for another 30 years...
Hahaha. Hangs head in shame 😖
I had 7 plastic bins filled with fabric . 😬🤣😂😅
Three sewing machines. 😝
 

Charity shops around here aren't taking donations. I guess with people not getting out like usual, they aren't selling.

I inherited my mom's possessions and included in that were things she took out of her mother's home when grandma went into assisted care. Then in 2011 my father's sister passed and his brother passed in 2016 and I got to clean out their residences. I have been slowly chipping away trying to sell at yard sales, but it is a low, laborious process. Not to mention the "garage sale types" I have to deal with that think nothing should be over 10¢, even if it's a Ming vase. I don't know what effect the pandemic will have on the garage sale season this year. Our community-wide sale was postponed from May to September last year.

One thing that sticks in my mind was a beautiful knotty pine end table I took from my uncle's. I started at $20 and no interest. I dropped to $10 and nary a nibble. Even at $5 I didn't get any response. I finally advertised it for free just to get rid of it and got 10 PMs on it. I told the man that came to get it what happened and he said he wasn't surprised. He only looks at the FREE items, so I suppose most people do the same.
 
Bags are kept in the closet to sort by three different charities. Once it’s in a bag, I never look again.

There’re also bags of bags in the garage. They couldn’t be recycled. Some places are finally taking them. Yippee. Before March 2020, I only used cloth bags. Since the cashiers no longer touch these, I pay for the plastic. If it’s a store that doesn’t bag for you, I use cloth but am thinking of getting bins.
 

Oh, Do I ever want to get rid of STUFF! Guess I'll wait until Spring or Summer and sell it or give it away. A LOT of my favorite things have been stolen! STUFF just weighs you down! Holds you, keeps you entrapped!
I speak, of course, EXCEPT for books!
 
I looked at a storage unit, for $75 for 5X10! So, not going to do that! Still have all that stuff!!! Ever wonder what our folks did with all their family albums, and their heirlooms?
Do any of you wonder ‘How did we get so much STUFF?’

Did you donate some of it?

Did you sell it on kijiji or Craig’s list ?

Did you give it away to friends or family?

Did you have a garage sale?

Did you take stuff to a consignment shop?

Did you do all the above ?


How did you manage this or did you?

It might seem like a trivial question but I wonder how people downsize with this problem in question(!)(?)
!
 
I also have 3 sewing machines. Crazy thing is, they all do the same thing.
Actually my first sewing machine just did regular straight sewing. My second sewing machine does beautiful embroidery patterns that I used while making coats for our doggies ( I will add pictures later ) and the third machine is a serger.
That’s for heavy duty industrial type sewing like for making tents, coats and jackets. All VERY different machines but HEY..... I was REALLY into seeing.

Then there’s painting, woodworking, pyrography, jewellery making, keyboard and saxophone playing. I just have too many hobbies. LOL! 🤪
 
Actually my first sewing machine just did regular straight sewing. My second sewing machine does beautiful embroidery patterns that I used while making coats for our doggies ( I will add pictures later ) and the third machine is a serger.
That’s for heavy duty industrial type sewing like for making tents, coats and jackets. All VERY different machines but HEY..... I was REALLY into seeing.

Then there’s painting, woodworking, pyrography, jewellery making, keyboard and saxophone playing. I just have too many hobbies. LOL! 🤪
I coveted machines with embroidery capability, but alas, never had the *extra* money. I wouldn't use it now, so just as well.
2 of my machines were gifts I received 15 years apart, the 3rd brought to me by a granddaughter asking me to hold onto it for her until she found a place (rental). That was 5 years ago. She didn't find a rental while she was employed and now she's unemployed, so still holding onto it for her.
 
Well, here is what I did before I moved out of my house with full basement and 2 car garage and then again after 8 years when I moved 2 states away:,

Got rid of anything that was true trash.
Had a huge garage sale-disappointing.
Sold furniture through consignment shop
Sold antiques to antique dealer
Called Salv Army to take furniture.


Latest time once Covid restrictions were in place:
Gave things to neighbors
Donated craft supplies and fabric to senior center.
Put free items in common area of complex.
Paid truck to come and take items away
Made multiple trips to donate in new location once I had moved.
 
I coveted machines with embroidery capability, but alas, never had the *extra* money. I wouldn't use it now, so just as well.
2 of my machines were gifts I received 15 years apart, the 3rd brought to me by a granddaughter asking me to hold onto it for her until she found a place (rental). That was 5 years ago. She didn't find a rental while she was employed and now she's unemployed, so still holding onto it for her.
There’s a lot of great many men who can sew well. Oddly enough this sewing machine that can do embroidery was on sale when Sears was still around and it’s the only one I’m planning on keeping. It’s a great machine. I won’t show you the dozens of coats I’ve made but will show you have nice it embroiders. There’s about 15 or 16 different patterns and it’s a true pleasure to use. My man purchased it for me as a Christmas gift one year.

Note: for some reason I can’t upload any pictures. I’ll try some other time
 
I speak, of course, EXCEPT for books!
I’ve STILL got boxes and boxes of books. I’m not talking about novels, I’m talking about big books. Books about gardening, dogs, Do it yourself books, Art books about painting, card making, pyrography, woodcarving etc., spiritual books, my husbands fishing books, greenhouses. Books about health and exercise as well as books that I used for my education in nutrition.

I’ve spent the last week sorting out books. We have some boxed up to take to the library when it opens and some to give away to the local high school but I have to admit that I LOVE my books. Paperback novels I could easily give away but these are good hardcover books with beautiful pictures in them.
 
I went through the "stuff" dilemma when I downsized to my apartment, after almost 30 years in my house. I had a lot of stuff as it was, then 20 years ago, Rick moved in and added more stuff to the mix. After Rick died, I donated some of his clothes, gave some away, kept some to wear.
I did a couple major clean outs prior to move. .got dumpsters. Filled two of them. I gave away more stuff to friends...Ricks tools, and things. Sold my big freezer and window AC. Mostly I just threw out things. You never realized just how much stuff you have until you are downsizing,
Rick had hundreds (yes hundreds) of CDs. Got rid of most of them, my cousin who was helping me clean out asked if he could have some. Bet he took about a hundred. Donated some, threw out others.
 
I started downsizing/de-cluttering 20 years ago when my first wife was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and have continued that process ever since. At this point, I am in the final stages. I no longer have my own home, as I live with my SO in her home, and I gave her what furniture I had left. I could probably fit all of my earthly belongings into my car, should I need to find a place of my own. I find it absolutely liberating. If less is more, then nothing is everything!
 
I threw a lot of things out this past year and didn't bother to donate them because I had no way getting to the places to donate and that's about it.

The things I threw out weren't worth anything anyways. Felt better after that.

I still have some more things to get rid of, books for one thing and some old coats that may never fit me again.
 

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