Why do people collect/keep valuable but meaningless things? (paintings, free time, price)

[djf863000]

I collect angels and fairies and anything that look cute on a shelf. I also collect pins.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by christina0001

...if they like these things so much, they should keep them. I don't even own a house yet, and already I am depressed at the amount of space being wasted on other people's junk.

I agree with you completely about the guns. No guns, no accidents. Put your foot down: no guns. Period. Just say it; don't negotiate it. It's your home, not theirs, so you and your husband get to make the rules, not the parents.


"If they like these things so much, they should keep them." Christina, don't you see -- they love you and your husband more...
Tell them how much you appreciate their GIVING AND LOVING NATURES.
And tell them you don't YET have the space for COLLECTIBLES.
You look forward to the day when you WILL have lots of room for HEIRLOOMS and COLLECTIBLES.
Right now, you are SORRY to have to REFUSE, but you MUST.

Christina, we teach people how to treat us -- by how we let them treat us. Don't negotiate and don't sound abrasive; just calmly say what is.

Don't even hint by your tone of voice or your facial expression or the words you use, the idea of "junk". I wouldn't like your junk. See? "Junk" is an entirely personal opinion. So is "clutter". It's not your place to judge others; just be yourself and enjoy your life in your way, and let others enjoy theirs in their way. You want people to give YOU that freedom, right?

[pigeonhole]

My wife is a "messie". She collects all kinds of paraphernalia that she deems useful or antique, like tools, old cans of paint, old furniture, flowerpots, second-hand clothing , books, tupper/silverware, toys, racks of paper or tissue, old pepper grinders, etc.
I have to rent a garage where she can store all her things, but that's not nearly enough, now the bedroom has been transformed in a storeroom (she keeps the key, allows no one to enter it), and we sleep in the livingroom (we have only one bedroom), she stacks things also in the toilet, in the kitchen, in the hallway, in the garden, everywhere, you name it.
I think she badly needs counseling, what do you think ?

[Jaxson]

Originally Posted by JBrown

Hereafter we're renting a dumpster and clearing out the house as quickly as possible.

When our grandmother passed we held a one day sale at her condo after we had taken what we wanted. Then what was left we let her neighbors come and take what we didn't want. We didn't have to move anything, rent space to sell stuff or pay to have stuff haul off. We donated what was left and they came and hauled it all away. No big ticket items to squabble over she had already sold that stuff when grandpa died so we all got what we treasured and it was a blessing to others what we didn't want.

[Inoxkeeper]

Originally Posted by allforcats

I agree with you completely about the guns. No guns, no accidents. Put your foot down: no guns. Period. Just say it; don't negotiate it. It's your home, not theirs, so you and your husband get to make the rules, not the parents.


"If they like these things so much, they should keep them." Christina, don't you see -- they love you and your husband more...
Tell them how much you appreciate their GIVING AND LOVING NATURES.
And tell them you don't YET have the space for COLLECTIBLES.
You look forward to the day when you WILL have lots of room for HEIRLOOMS and COLLECTIBLES.
Right now, you are SORRY to have to REFUSE, but you MUST.

Christina, we teach people how to treat us -- by how we let them treat us. Don't negotiate and don't sound abrasive; just calmly say what is.

Don't even hint by your tone of voice or your facial expression or the words you use, the idea of "junk". I wouldn't like your junk. See? "Junk" is an entirely personal opinion. So is "clutter". It's not your place to judge others; just be yourself and enjoy your life in your way, and let others enjoy theirs in their way. You want people to give YOU that freedom, right?

I have lots of guns...it's my right as a American citizen and will allow me to protect my family if the need ever arises. What will you do when the bad guys kick down your door? Don’t kid yourself into thinking it could never happen. Check out the link below and tell me if you think treating the guy calmly and non-judgementaly would have worked for the homeowner. In case you need a tip note that the local Sherriff thought he would have been killed by the bad guy if he hadn't defended himself.

Herald-Citizen Online Edition - Cookeville, TN

You should never tell someone to disarm themselves, certainly not an older person; you're setting them up to be a victim. If children are in the house it’s easy to teach them to respect firearms. Believe it or not target shooting can be a lot of fun.

Don’t let your fear of firearms cause you to be a victim!

[Luke9686]

They're not always meaningless, even if they are just stuck in a box.

[montanamom]

I have an aunt who collects those dolls they sell on the Home Shopping channel. Personally, I hate to go to her house, because I think it's down right "spooky". There are baby dolls everywhere, many are life size/child sized. She has them all over the house "looking" at you as you walk through. She can tell you about each one, and will, whether you're really interested or not. Apparently, these dolls are done by different designers (Marie Osmond, etc) and are "going to be worth a lot of money one day". She spends a fortune on these dolls, this money could be going into a mutual fund, or something that actually will be worth something for her, she's in her seventies and not that well off. The only people who are going to get rich off these spooky dolls, is the people selling them on the Home shopping channel.

I don't know how my uncle puts up with living with these things all over the house.

[MusicFreak]

Originally Posted by CRock

Great thread. I am about to make a big move and downsize, a lot. I have been stressing over my "stuff". I guess I am a bit of a pack-rat. I have lots of things that belong to departed family members I have held onto for sentimental reasons. They have traveled with me from attic to attic. The only time they are handled is when I move. I have managed to purge a few times via yard sales and eBay. One persons junk is anothers treasure you know! By the end of April my move will be complete and hopefully I will be rid of lots of "stuff"!

Sounds a little like me. I do have a lot of MUSIC stuff/collections/LP's/Shirts etc. That isn't so much of a problem though. For me, a lot of things have a sentimental value, and/or just a happy memory connected to it. My husband is the one with less things. Unless YOU are the one with all the "stuff" and the feelings and emotions attached, it is hard to explain.

Did you happen to keep your Wedding dress? Yearbooks from School?
Photographs from years ago? A tassle from Graduation? A drawing from
when your child was 5? Those are precious memories for some...and some want
to keep them alive by KEEPING them, not just the memory in their mind.

I think it is just the way some people are. Some of us like to keep things around that made us happy. Some don't need that. As for taking things from your husbands parents, does he want them at all? If not, then I guess being honest is the best way to go.

I have about 3 tubs of old record albums...Hub doesn't want to move them again, but I think I can actually get rid of some, and keep some around.

[bobmulk]

Is this question truly that difficult for you to figure out??

[kshe95girl]

As always, the true $$ is in the eye of the beholder, is that so hard to figure?