Hoarders and Collectors

[qbman1]

That's good news Sue. As Gill said, it does make it easier to part with things if you know they are going to a good home where they will be treasured again

[suespud]

It is very good.



Now ..does anyone want any old..very old.. tatty,, well read scottish poetry books....

[Capt Black]

An uncle's gold watch eventually found it's way to me. I got it serviced, put a decent strap on it and now wear it most evenings when cruising.

When Mum goes, there'll be all her Russian matryoshka dolls, which will be MINE. Captainess Black dreads the day...

[Delboy]

Our children have told us when we go, they are going to get a skip to clear our Bungalow

[Admiral of the Humber]

I am sure that Miss AOTH is looking forward to inheriting my 40 year old (and still growing) collection of Hull FC programmes.

[Dark Knight]

some poor bugger is going to get my comic and graphic novel collection
the main issue is who gets all the porn videos/ DVD's

[Dancing Queen]

DK

[Admiral of the Humber]

You Dirty little man......

....I'll take them off your hands

[Gill W]

It is very difficult to dispose of your parents or other loved ones possessions.

When my parents died I brought home the nicer things, and had the rest collected by a house clearer.

Over the last few years I've been generally de-cluttering my life, so I've sold most of the remaining stuff from my parents on eBay. It pleases me that someone else is going to enjoy the stuff, and it makes it easier to let it go.

I'm going to have another sift through the remaining few boxes very soon, as I feel that the time has come to let more things go, so I hope to be left with only things with great sentimental value.

What I have learnt in the last few years is that you don't need 'things' to remember your parents, all you need are your thoughts and memories.

I am learning that Gill. Its just touching some of the things that I know my mam collected, then handled and treasured has made me reluctant to part with them.

BUT......the lady from the Museum has been and took nine pieces of the glass collection and my mam will be credited for them in the display unit when it opens in June.
We will also get a invitation to a preview night to make sure we are happy with the display.
The lady also gave me the name of a collector who would be interested in a lot of the rest of the "stuff"

Excellent news regarding the glassware. Thousands of people will enjoy them, and you can go and have a look at them when you want.

I know what you mean about handling the objects that were treasured. I am keeping the most loved objects, and things which were personal. For example, my mum went to a jewellery making class. My dad was a carpenter, so he made her a box to store the jewellery she made. I loved to play with that jewellery as a child, so I feel that I'll always cherish the jewellery and box.

The thing I struggle with is getting rid of papers which have their hand writing on. I think the paperwork will remain in my loft for the next 40 years or so!

[suespud]

Gill I have two old brown suitcases in my hall (very in at the moment) full of paper work like that.
Love letters from my mam to dad and dad to mam...some school work belonging to her.
A shopping list written by my nana, a list of all the medication my mam was taking wriiten by my mam, in the last few days of her life to give to the macmillan nurses.

My grandfather and his brother had their own aeriel photography business in the 1950s.
I am now the owner of most of the photographs they took and all the business paper work.
I have pictures of the small plane they owned and the stuff that went with it.
That is part of our family history.
These suitcases will never be thrown out.

[Silver_Shiney]

When I had to clear out my parents' home a few years ago I could not believe the amount of clutter they had accumulated. The few personal "treasures" were easy to deal with but the junk...oh, the junk! I knew they were "careful" but it was clear that they never threw anything out. We found probably every toaster they had ever owned, every little bit of cable, wire and electrical fitting that had, at some time been replaced, piles and piles of wood, bits of glass....I could go on all day! I am sure that they were all kept because "they might come in handy one day"! Quite what they old chap thought he would be able to do with 7 non-working toasters, I can only speculate !

Anyway, once it was all sorted I vowed that no one would have the same problem with me and I set about clearing out anything I had been keeping "just in case". I had a field day on eBay and actually raised enough for a 7 nighter on Oceana !

Trouble is, we have gradually slipped back into bad ways and the clutter is mounting again. Is it human nature....or am I turning into my Dad ?!

Or are you saving up for another 7-nighter?

[Silver_Shiney]

If anyone finds anything to do with George Müller or the Ashley Down orphanage from the 19th century, please let me know! The museum is always looking for new material.

[Gill W]

Love letters from my mam to dad and dad to mam...
.

while they were courting my mum lived in Essex and my dad lived in London, so they wrote to each other all the time. I don't know what happened to the letters my dad wrote, but I know my dad kept the ones my mum wrote for many years, but they did have an attempt at decluttering and I think most of them went at that time.

However, one remains, and it is fascinating to read. My mum's voice comes through so clearly, and she was still the same person I always knew, even before I was born (if that makes sense)

The photos are another story, I intend getting them into some sort of order this year.... it may take some time.

[melsea]

My father was the hoarder in our family. My mum died in 1989 and we had a fair bit of my mums for years it took a while to feel he could let go. I had a conversation before my dad died about all the stuff he had in loads of boxes, he said while he's here they stay and when he goes we can do what we liked. As it happened myself and my elder sisters are little hoarders although I have become less so. As my father was living with me at the time my parents stuff was in our attic and it took many years for me to come to terms with it all and begin to go through it all. In fact it was good I hadn't been too rash to do anything about it. I found things that belonged to my sisters. I had three piles one each for us all, then I gave them their things my father kept of 'theirs', things like Christmas cards, birthday cards etc, yes I know it took us by surprised. In amongst it all I found letters written by our parents to each other and ones from other members of the families long since dead. I will be compiling them soon. A whole history we know nothing about. I also sorted through crockery and glassware which I offloaded to my sisters as I was ready to part with them. Over years I too accumulated stuff and I came to a point on my life where I could throw, sell it or keep it, most has gone now.
I am glad we were not to rash as I know I would have regretted it.
I must say though my sisters have become the hoarders. I was in photography and I have a huge collection of photographs and slides which are now in the attic!!!! Help!!!

[suespud]

I adored my nana who died over 20 years ago.
She was a real old battle axe and at times had an acid tongue.
She wasnt a cuddly type of grandmotherat all.
She did have a hard life, widowed very young and always gave the impression she didnt care much.
Of course I loved her regardless of all this.
But when we emptied her home I was very moved when we found a small shopping bag stuffed with every card, gift label, pictures my kids had drawn for her.
The announcements of my engagement/wedding/births of my children,the articles written about my sons and newspaper clippings about them, had all been cut out, stuck onto a card and placed in envelopes.
I cried buckets when I found all this, just felt so sad and think its such a shame that she never let the "softer side" of her character be seen.