My friend/neighbor and I had lunch together today since it was her day off. After lunch we answered an ad on Craigslist for FABRIC. Oh Man, I do not understand how anyone would possibly invite another into their home when it was in the shape of that house. The producers from 'The Hoarders' would have a field day there. I'm not kidding. The woman said it was her sister's estate. A better description would be her sister's 'garbage/junk'. You could not walk through the house. You had to walk over, around and dodge things - then she pointed to an area that had boxes piled all over with a tiny space between the piles of boxes. She had no idea what was in the boxes other than fabric. If we were overweight, we would not have fit in the little aisle to the boxes. I didn't even want to be there but didn't know what to say. I just wanted to get out of there. Finally, I told her that there was so much that I was overwhelmed and it would take more time to go through the boxes than we could devote to it. She said after the holidays she would be available and we could come back. She thought we were overwhelmed with goodness instead of disgust. It wasn't just the area of her sister's stuff it was the whole house. I think I will stop looking on Craigslist.

That is so sad. I know it's an illness, but still it's sad.

please remember hoarding can be a symptom of mental illness quite often due to being deprived as children---it takes allsorts to make up a community

I am so claustraphobic I don't think I'd have been able to go in! You do have to feel sorry for people like that. I also worry about all my fabric when I go to that great LQS in the sky--will my DIL toss it out or try to sell it?

As long as the home did not smell I would have gone thru each box. I used to clean for our local housing authority when some would move or pass away so I'm not phased by a whole lot. I have seen some pretty bad stuff.

I know what you mean. I sometimes have the same problem at thrift stores. Hopefully someone will be able to rescue all that fabric.

Sometimes people have to overlook how other people live (or have lived)...hoarding is a sickness. The person is probably trying to make some headway into the mess and she thought giving away the fabric would be a start. If you could stand it, I'd call her after Christmas and go get it. You could then give away what you didn't want to others... :D

I know hoarders have an illness and I think they belong in a controlled supervised environment but no one wants to pay for that.

I suggest you give her a call after the holidays & see if she will meet you at the local McDonald's parking lot or other public place with her boxes. That way you won't have to 'see' how she lives & in turn you will be helping her begin to weed out.

Sad -- but man, I wish I lived there!! I'd LOVE to go thru a place like that... :) :)