Getting ‘rid’ of STUFF! (?)

I had started collecting uncirculated silver proof sets each year for my two grands started the year they were born. They are grown now and from their behavior, I don't think they will want them so I need to see about selling the 2 collections. I have a suitcase of coins I have collected and will try to figure out how to get rid of them.
 

I have never been the type to keep a bunch of "stuff", so there won't be a lot of clutter left when we pass on. The kids can take what they want of the household items, our sons can divvy up the guns and their dad's massive tool collection. I'm leaving my jewelry box and it's contents to my only granddaughter so she can enjoy the stuff or pawn it. I'm not sentimental about "things."

My mother-in-law is a world-class collector and her house will be a nightmare to sort out when she passes on. Not a "hoard" but a LOT of stuff. Even her attic is full of God-knows-what.
 
C'est Moi said:
My mother-in-law is a world-class collector and her house will be a nightmare to sort out when she passes on. Not a "hoard" but a LOT of stuff. Even her attic is full of God-knows-what.
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My parents were pack rats [it runs in the family] and I inherited a whole house and two outside buildings full of "stuff".
Some of the stuff they bought and sold at flea markets after they retired. It was rather overwhelming... so I hired
professionals to conduct an estate sale. They did ALL the work, cleaning, displaying, selling, etc and charged about
30 percent of the proceeds [25 to 30 percent. I forget the exact amount.] The night before the sale, I did my last
cherry-picking and found some more things I really wanted to keep that had been packed away. After a three day
estate sale during which I did absolutely nothing but watch, I collected about $9000. Needless to say, I will never
again consider someone else's stuff a burden. I have told my heirs to look at my treasure hoard the same way.

.
 

On one of those Hoarder shows I saw, the daughter of the hoarders begged the Dr. to do anything possible to get the parents to get rid of the hoard because she didn't want any of it and dreaded the task of being forced to get rid of it after they passed.
 
Just for the record here.
While I definitely need to unload some STUFF, I am FAR from being a serious hoarder.
There’s one bedroom full of stuff. It’s specifically all in there so that it doesn’t clutter up the rest of the house.
I’ve watched some of those hoarder shows :holymoly: and we don’t come anywhere even close to that. OMG!
Some of those shows are REALLY scary stuff.

Nope. I’m more of a contained ‘hoarderer’ and needed to differentiate.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to add coloured stickers to help organize.
example : red for donation , green for garbage, blue for garage sale etc.,
 
SeaBreeze said:
Sorry, just had to post George Carlin's stuff routine....Warning: Language. I usually give my stuff away to goodwill type charities, or salvation army...they have picked up some furniture from my driveway in the past. Some things I'll put out with a free sign, and they'll be gone in a few hours. Junky stuff I just throw out in the trash. I have sold a few things on craigslist years ago, teak CD cases, good down winter parkas, and my car, all smooth cash transactions. My mother in law gave me a fur jacket that I never wore, I did sell that in a consignment shop.

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I really enjoyed this George Carlin clip. I’ve always found him funny. Thanks
 
RadishRose said:
On one of those Hoarder shows I saw, the daughter of the hoarders begged the Dr. to do anything possible to get the parents to get rid of the hoard because she didn't want any of it and dreaded the task of being forced to get rid of it after they passed.
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Read post #25 By KingsX .....I agree with him.

Why can't parents just make it easy on those poor,poor kids?

Sell off all the "stuff" the parents know the kids do not want...put the money in the kids bank accounts [assuming they actually have one]....sell the house , place the money also in the aforementioned account...or a large manila envelope perhaps..keep just enough to purchase a used handgun ..go to the funeral parlor & pick out a box.....take said box to a graveyard, hire a backhoe to dig appropriate hole,...place said box in hole...place self in said box....place the aforementioned gun to ones temple & pull the trigger.....AFTER mailing the aforementioned manila envelope to the current address of the kid(s).......I mean come on people....do they not have enough stress in their lives , keeping up with the Kardashian's ? Must you add to it ? ...........<sarc>....of course.

I have heard some stories that are almost that cold.....I can't be disappointed by the kids I do not have....I think that's a good thing.
 
Someone I know bought a mobile home from a woman who was moving to a senior apartment. Was being sold ''as is'', meaning the trash/stuff was piled high and there were aisles through the mess in all the rooms. Friend bought anyway and made some money selling some of the stuff at the flea market, but I'd say 80% of the rest of the stuff was just trash. I can't believe people living in such a place. My ''stuff'' is mostly paper (I seem to feel I have to hang on to every receipt and statement and articles and lots of photos) and a lot of craft stuff from when I thought I could become rich selling on Etsy.com. Otherwise, the rest of the house is actually minimized with shelves 1/3 empty and cupboards and closets neatly organized. Wish I knew why I need to save all those papers.
 
RadishRose said:
On one of those Hoarder shows I saw, the daughter of the hoarders begged the Dr. to do anything possible to get the parents to get rid of the hoard because she didn't want any of it and dreaded the task of being forced to get rid of it after they passed.
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Again... this attitude really aggravates me. If my heirs don't want to deal with my "stuff"...
they don't have to deal with my money either. There are lots of charities out there who
would be happy to inherit both. Like me, they know how to make money from the "stuff."

.
 
rgp said:
Read post #25 By KingsX .....I agree with him.

Why can't parents just make it easy on those poor,poor kids?

Sell off all the "stuff" the parents know the kids do not want...put the money in the kids bank accounts [assuming they actually have one]....sell the house , place the money also in the aforementioned account...or a large manila envelope perhaps..keep just enough to purchase a used handgun ..go to the funeral parlor & pick out a box.....take said box to a graveyard, hire a backhoe to dig appropriate hole,...place said box in hole...place self in said box....place the aforementioned gun to ones temple & pull the trigger.....AFTER mailing the aforementioned manila envelope to the current address of the kid(s).......I mean come on people....do they not have enough stress in their lives , keeping up with the Kardashian's ? Must you add to it ? ...........<sarc>....of course.

I have heard some stories that are almost that cold.....I can't be disappointed by the kids I do not have....I think that's a good thing.
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So true, the entitlement mentality is disgusting.

My only child died young, so I have my choice of heirs and its not too late to change my will ;)

.
 
When I worked, I happened to be 'down-town' Allot of police activity in a location near where i was. Talked to an officer friend of mine, he said an old lady had passed away in her little apartment.

Some time passed, spoke with my friend again, he reminded me of the incident. The woman had no relatives that could be found. The city cleaned out her place.
They found $80,000 + dollars literally in her mattress .
 
terry123 said:
I had started collecting uncirculated silver proof sets each year for my two grands started the year they were born. They are grown now and from their behavior, I don't think they will want them so I need to see about selling the 2 collections. I have a suitcase of coins I have collected and will try to figure out how to get rid of them.
Click to expand...

I sold some on eBay a few years ago and made a small profit.
 
rgp said:
When I worked, I happened to be 'down-town' Allot of police activity in a location near where i was. Talked to an officer friend of mine, he said an old lady had passed away in her little apartment.

Some time passed, spoke with my friend again, he reminded me of the incident. The woman had no relatives that could be found. The city cleaned out her place.
They found $80,000 + dollars literally in her mattress .
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A lot of people who have the collector mentality are also good at collecting money.

God knows how much hidden money might be thrown out with unwanted "stuff."

Me, I make my collected money work for me by investing it so my money collection grows even bigger.

Btw... don't get the wrong idea. I'm not an extreme filthy trash hoarder like you see on TV.

My treasure collections have value.

.
 
KingsX said:
God knows how much hidden money might be thrown out with unwanted "stuff." .
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Years ago I read about an old guy who lived in a ramshackle place and went through trash cans and people/relatives used to bring the ''poor old guy'' food and donations. When he died relatives went to clean out his place and found empty coffee cans stuffed with money. I think it got to a million or so, can't remember. It HAS to be mental illness, to have all that money and live in such deplorable conditions.
 
PVC said:
Years ago I read about an old guy who lived in a ramshackle place and went through trash cans and people/relatives used to bring the ''poor old guy'' food and donations. When he died relatives went to clean out his place and found empty coffee cans stuffed with money. I think it got to a million or so, can't remember. It HAS to be mental illness, to have all that money and live in such deplorable conditions.
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As opposed to "normal" people who live in McMansions and are always broke and in debt ??

.
 
PVC said:
Years ago I read about an old guy who lived in a ramshackle place and went through trash cans and people/relatives used to bring the ''poor old guy'' food and donations. When he died relatives went to clean out his place and found empty coffee cans stuffed with money. I think it got to a million or so, can't remember. It HAS to be mental illness, to have all that money and live in such deplorable conditions.
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I agree about the mental illness. People with OCD can be affected quite significantly but I know there are other illnesses affecting these people.
To have $80,000 or $1,000,000 stuffed in hidden places doesn’t sound like a normal rational thing to do.
Its actually very sad because most homeless people suffer from mental illness.

What might be surprising is some of these hoarders could potentially be sitting on a fortune.
Some people have antiques and other collectibles that are worth mega bucks. Sadly most people would dismiss most of it as junk. I could understand why some parents would feel hurt and/or offended if nobody wanted it.

I can also see the other side though. As a child of a hoarder I bet that stuff is the last thing they want to see regardless of what it’s worth.
 
I am fortunate to have had my 34 year old daughter visit for 3 months. She did a lot of things free for me out of the goodness of her heart but then I also I paid her by the hour to purge and organize everything, go through old paperwork, clear out 5 closets, 2 attics, garage, fix this and that including 3 toilet tanks where the water was running because the plumbers never fixed the chain & stopper right.

She practically bound-and-gagged me as she loaded the car for Goodwill, the dump, and sold stuff on some local neighborhood website.

She compromised a lot and bought plastic bins with wheels that fit under my bed for the "beloved" Christmas stuff I wasn't ready to let go of. One of the hardest things to let go of was a beautiful 9' artificial Christmas tree in the attic we had used for a decade. It was in pieces and had to be assembled and disassembled every year. I literally cried (how silly was that) but I finally gave in. She sold it on that online neighborhood site along with other Christmas stuff.

I grieved the loss of the artificial 9' tree until I saw a new fresh Christmas Tree Lot go in across the street the very next day. A super cute polite young man delivered a fresh 6-7' tree and set it up at no charge (I tipped him well though). My 2 girls and myself watched him while the fire roared, Christmas music played, and we talked and laughed as he stood on a ladder asking if the star was crooked, and turning it as he asked which side was the best side...he had fun too and said he has volunteered at the tree lot for the past 4 years because he enjoys the people so much.

I was so happy with the fragrant pine tree and the fact that I didn't have to disassemble it and lug it back up to the attic! I was truly relieved...a nice Christmas present. My daughter was so right.

She sold a bed and turned that room into an art studio which I love love love! My art stuff used to be in every nook and cranny around the house. Now it's all organized in that one room. One corner of the garage is organized for antiques only and I will send pics to a few local dealers and sell to the highest bidder.

I kicked and screamed but we compromised. We got along so well because she was very patient and understanding with me (well, not exactly at first...it was a growth journey for us both). All of the stuff I couldn't let go of she put in a section in the garage for me to go through and some paperwork and clothes in my bedroom to also go through in my own time....but we agreed on a deadline...3 months when she gets back from Europe she'll help me wrap up all the loose ends. God help me lol.
 
Lara said:
I am fortunate to have had my 34 year old daughter visit for 3 months. She did a lot of things free for me out of the goodness of her heart but then I also I paid her by the hour to purge and organize everything, go through old paperwork, clear out 5 closets, 2 attics, garage, fix this and that including 3 toilet tanks where the water was running because the plumbers never fixed the chain & stopper right.

She practically bound-and-gagged me as she loaded the car for Goodwill, the dump, and sold stuff on some local neighborhood website.

She compromised a lot and bought plastic bins with wheels that fit under my bed for the "beloved" Christmas stuff I wasn't ready to let go of. One of the hardest things to let go of was a beautiful 9' artificial Christmas tree in the attic we had used for a decade. It was in pieces and had to be assembled and disassembled every year. I literally cried (how silly was that) but I finally gave in. She sold it on that online neighborhood site along with other Christmas stuff.

I grieved the loss of the artificial 9' tree until I saw a new fresh Christmas Tree Lot go in across the street the very next day. A super cute polite young man delivered a fresh 6-7' tree and set it up at no charge (I tipped him well though). My 2 girls and myself watched him while the fire roared, Christmas music played, and we talked and laughed as he stood on a ladder asking if the star was crooked, and turning it as he asked which side was the best side...he had fun too and said he has volunteered at the tree lot for the past 4 years because he enjoys the people so much.

I was so happy with the fragrant pine tree and the fact that I didn't have to disassemble it and lug it back up to the attic! I was truly relieved...a nice Christmas present. My daughter was so right.

She sold a bed and turned that room into an art studio which I love love love! My art stuff used to be in every nook and cranny around the house. Now it's all organized in that one room. One corner of the garage is organized for antiques only and I will send pics to a few local dealers and sell to the highest bidder.

I kicked and screamed but we compromised. We got along so well because she was very patient and understanding with me (well, not exactly at first...it was a growth journey for us both). All of the stuff I couldn't let go of she put in a section in the garage for me to go through and some paperwork and clothes in my bedroom to also go through in my own time....but we agreed on a deadline...3 months when she gets back from Europe she'll help me wrap up all the loose ends. God help me lol.
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You're fortunate indeed, Lara to have such a daughter. Promise you won't give her a hard time when she comes back to finish up? She sounds like a wonderful gal!
 
Thank you. I promise to do my best :eek:. It's hard to let go but then comes the relief of not drowning in stuff. I reread what I wrote and thought how ridiculous I sounded to have cried over the loss of an artificial tree lol. I think it was a culmination of a lot of stuff I had to make a decision about, some with sweet memories...but in the case of the old tree, a new fresh evergreen tree arrived with new sweet memories...and it was prettier than ever.

Whenever you have someone help you throw out a lot of your stuff, there will be casualties...meaning something important to you may get thrown out by mistake...like my brown paper grocery bag that had my 2017 tax deduction receipts in....oh well, life will go on won't it. Why didn't I use a nice clean folder for that? I have some. My fault completely. I found most of my deductions I needed in my bank statement anyway.
 
Lara said:
Thank you. I promise to do my best :eek:. It's hard to let go but then comes the relief of not drowning in stuff. I reread what I wrote and thought how ridiculous I sounded to have cried over the loss of an artificial tree lol. I think it was a culmination of a lot of stuff I had to make a decision about, some with sweet memories...but in the case of the old tree, a new fresh evergreen tree arrived with new sweet memories...and it was prettier than ever.

Whenever you have someone help you throw out a lot of your stuff, there will be casualties...meaning something important to you may get thrown out by mistake...like my brown paper grocery bag that had my 2017 tax deduction receipts in....oh well, life will go on won't it. Why didn't I use a nice clean folder for that? I have some. My fault completely. I found most of my deductions I needed in my bank statement anyway.
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No. Not silly at all. I truly enjoyed reading your post and had this long post written out and my phone battery died and I lost it all. Anyway, the Christmas tree part was especially touching. You expressed how this was handled, what it meant to you and the bonding you shared with your daughter very well. I truly ‘got’ what it meant to you to get this all done.
The only thing I’m wondering about is if your daughter could come and do mine.,:hatlaugh:
 
I have been getting rid of stuff for many months. My clouset has gone from over crowded to very spare. I have one more sack of donations I am filling, then that's it; I'm going shopping. I'll shop the thrift stores for something unusual or hard to find. Something peculiar to my taste, if I can find it. If not I'll buy a few items new. It's fun, it's a change of pace.
 

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