Self confessd Hoarder

Oh yes I'm a hoarder of craft bits and enough wool to knit a scarf to tie round the world! I can't resist buying odd balls or bags full from the charity shops.
My other weakness is blue and white China and pale blue vintage glassware. Trouble is my cupboards are full to bursting with items waiting to be put on display! All purchased from charity shops or car boots so not a fortune to buy.

Since turning 70 I am trying to be less of a hoarder. My husband suggests a one in one out habit especially with clothes. Cutting back on ornaments and trinkets to cut back on cleaning. My biggest concern is a garage full of goodness knows what. The task for clearing seems too great.

Try to keep a charity bag on the go.

Massive hoarder here! Also, I'm an enthusiastic taker-up and dropper of hobbies, so there's stuff in all nooks and crannies (usually hidden, as my extreme lack of commitment is embarrassing). The violin I never learnt, the 12 month writing course with 11 months unopened, the language tapes,fitness stuff beyond imagining, crafts galore. I know exactly what will happen when I go. Very-organised-and-minimalist DD will order in a couple of skips, socially-conscious DS will bring in a local charity with a big van, and there'll be a stand off at the front door as very-much-like-me DD stops them getting rid of anything, and loads it all into her car.

I think I'd better start sorting it all, for the sake of future family harmony.

I am also a hoarder of craft stuff and also have lots of books,some new,some very old.I cannot bring myself to part with them and have a sneaking suspicion that my daughter will enjoy sifting through it all when I am gone.
If your hoard brings happy memories or gives you comfort then I think you should keep it.It is part of your life history.

My husband's parents were hoarders, especially his father. When they both died it was very difficult for him to have to dispose of things which, useless and unusable as they were, had been kept through several house moves 'in case they came in handy'. It took time, money (he had to get a house disposal person in) and was emotionally wearing. I felt it would have been kinder had they taken a few tough decisions for themselves.

I helped a friend clear a deceased relative's flat a few years ago . When we opened a kitchen cupboard we discovered 20 bottles of Aludrox indigestion medicine that she had been ordering on her repeat prescription but never used ! I have a mother aged 93 who is still in the large family home with every room and a cellar stuffed full of both my mum and my Dad's possessions .He died ten years ago but my siblings and I have just left it all to do a massive clear out when the house is eventually sold as it would distress my mum too much now . My DH is an appalling hoarder but I have a twice yearly cull now to try and keep things under control !

My parents in law have moved three times in the last ten years or so and each time they've had a drastic clear out of books and other things they had been holding on to. So my major concern is for the contents of my father in law's study as a lot of his work (yes, he's still working almost full time in his eighties) is highly confidential. Even if some of the paperwork can be returned to the various commissioning organisations it will still need sorting first and I'm dreading it, I think we'll need an industrial shredder. My mother in law's only passion is music so I think her music scores can probably be donated to her musical friends and hopefully she will dispose of her grand piano in her will.
My teaching materials and lesson plans are what might cause my family a headache to sort, but I can't get rid of them as I'm still using them so maybe I'll leave a note that they're to go to a charity that offers English lessons.

Difficult one this...... I had son 2 empty my very full loft whilst I was away and not let me see a single item. Have to say haven't needed anything that might have been up there but have had the occasional 'wonder what happened to???' That soon passes.

I still have a couple of items made by my FinL and inherited by my husband. They are beautiful and I cannot part with them BUT they are a burden of sorts. I neither need or use them and I have very happy memories of him without 'stuff'. Explain this if you can, ladies.

I think de-cluttering is an act of kindness. I did my Mum's and I honestly wish I had given the keys to a complete stranger. It was a heart wrenching experience as well as physically demanding.

Since having to clear my FIL's house of the National Collections of Jubilee clips and polythene bags, I am trying not to leave the same problem to my children. So each spring and autumn I sort the items I have not touched in the last 6 months and try to dispose of something. This time it has been candles - I have kept half my collection, the rest to a charity shop to make it seem worthy.

I have mixed feelings about hoarding as I am really trying to de-clutter but do still buy new things. I have my sons at home and they have lots of clutter. However, I am now thinking about stuff I inherited and other old things - will my sons just dump it when I'm gone? Should I just get rid of some of it now? I've realised some things I keep just because I've had them a long time - it makes it seem difficult to get rid of them.

My FiL hoarded jam jars with rusty nails and screws in. My MiL had a stockpile of BioTex - to which she was allergic! Me, I can't throw away plastic containers. I think it comes of being a war baby, brought up on (proper!) austerity.

Some very lovely and useful responses there and I have taken them all on board. Thanks everyone. Even though I won't be here to care what happens, I simply can't leave my lovely offspring with this problem to sort out. So I am adding to my hoarding collection, huge plastic storage bins and placing labels( of which I have loads)of my chosen charities and at least that will make things simpler for them and I can still carry on with these hobbies of mine. And now that they will all be nicely labelled it will make it easier for me to find when I need them.

Now!! Where on earth am I going to store all of these plastic bins???

Oh mamamags how I relate to your post I used to have my own craft shop and did workshops which I loved, due to health probs had to give up 7yrs ago, I now have double garage full of craft 'stuff' also a large purpose built shed full of craft 'stuff' and I craft from my dining room which is also full of craft 'stuff'.
Thing is I haven't been able to craft for over 6 months but I still get pleasure from buying the 'stuff' and I can't throw anything away, the guilt I feel when parcel is delivered is unbelievable but in my heart I want to get back to my old life

mammamags
Try not to buy any more. (easier said than done, I just sent for some more)
I know it's tempting but you could do something with all your stash even if you can't manage to use it yourself.
DD 'inherited' lots of fabric which she knew she would never use so she got together a group of ladies and they make cotton quilts which will go to a charity for African orphanages.

Keep your best machines and sell the rest?

re the plastic bins um er

I have moved twice in the last 5 years, first from a large 4 Bedroom House with large Garden to a 2 Bedroom Park Home with Garage, we disposed of a great deal then & continued sorting through boxes after we had moved

After DH died I got rid of everything in Garage (saved on rent), DD's OH took all the tools. I moved to a 1 Bedroom Park Home, when I moved everything had to go into storage as I hadn't bought anywhere to live. With DDs help we sorted through boxes etc before anything came into new home (as far as possible), sold what was in good condition, Car Boot (DD again), Charity Shops & Bags. Books were the hardest to part with but I hadn't enough room for all of them, mostly to Charity as difficult to sell

I have a large collection of Lilliput Lane Cottages & Giles Books, Annuals + other related bits - DD has already told me she will sell them . I have boxes under my bed with bits & pieces that hold memories which I go through occassionally trying to decide if I need to keep them.

DM has got rid of some furniture & possessions that she knows we don't want & she no longer needs/wants. I already have large Silver Tray which I bought for my Parents Silver Wedding Anniversary, DD & I have a few items which we will inherit, everything else sold or given away to Charity Shop or tip

No I have a clear out every so many months.

If all the books I have on Kindle were in hardback or paperback, I would need at least one new bookcase. So the Kindle has saved me from the effects of hoarding.

I am an embarrassed hoarder though if I ever need to fix a toy or a screw goes missing I'm Nanny Fixit and can always find the part I need. I also love making things and adapting furniture and it is rare for me to need to buy anything in. My mother begged me not to let my brothers bin her collections of threads and bits and bobs and I made sure everything was passed in or recycled but when I told my DD that I was doing my best to sort and chuck my collections she said, "Don't worry Mum. I'll get those house clearance people in and they can take the lot"

Please do consider the charity shops before throwing to the tip..especially crafty stuff, also wool any wool shape size or form it flies off the shelves within minutes.You wouldn't believe some of the stuff we have on the shelves .I think! who the heck would want that? but yes...someone somewhere usually does even the smallest thing.

Like you mamamags. At present I have joined forces with a likeminded friend and we have formed a small enterprise. We hold the occasional market and are creating a website, enlisted for Facebook,Etsy and Pintrrest. That way we can continuing doing what we like, earn a bit of money and hopefully keep a handle on the clutter in our homes!

I decluttered before we moved to France but it seems to have recollected. I do feel bad about my children havoihavoing to sort it out but I will tell them to take all the crafty stuff to the local school.

I used to do card making and although I have free cycled a lot there is still a cupboard full that I can't bear to get rid of yet. 2 of my granddaughter's love going into my workroom and making things. I also knit mostly for charity now but sometimes for my 4 grandchildren and I still keep buying wool that takes my fancy and hoard it. I have several large bags stuffed full with wool which I keep trying to use but there is always some being added. I have told my daughter to give it to the charity shop when I no longer am able to do these fantastic hobbies.

No! not the tip.
Even odd balls of wall from the charity shop can be useful for knitting toys, squares etc.

The only things I have ever regretted sending to the charity shop are some of DF's books.
The rest is gone and forgotten.

Like many previous posts, I had to clear out my mum's 3 bedroomed house - in America - with just a few days off of my job here. Needless to say, I had to hire a skip and just dump so many lovely and useful items. The Salvation Army was the only charity that would pick up, and even then, only certain items. It was heartwrenching and I learned a valuable lesson. Some boxes and pieces of furniture were sent to my daughter, which was good, as I got a sense of what she thought was worth keeping and what was not (some were surprises to me!)So with that in mind, I have been consciencely (sp?) decluttering ever since I retired. I think I have mentioned on here before, that Save The Children have made many trips up to my 2nd floor flat to pick up bags and boxes of 'things' which has been a godsend as I don't have a car.

Freecycle?