Went to an antique store last Monday - and some garage sales the weekend before

A shocking realization - just about everything for sale is something that someone else no longer wanted, had space for, or had any use for. Didn't matter if it was expensive or not when it was purchased - sometimes it just becomes clutter to an owner.

Have you received (or given) stuff that was in the "Thanks, but you REALLY shouldn't have!!!" category?

I have been the receiver. I am a minimalist and do not desire a lot of possessions, but have friends who are hoarders and believe everyone "needs this" (smile).

I'm trying really hard to minimize. I'm just so sick of "stuff"
.
A funny quote from George Carlin:

"Home is where you keep your stuff while you go out and buy other stuff".

Love it!

STUFF IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO DUST AND i DON'T LIKE TO DUST. i WANT IT BIG SO YOU CAN DO IT AND GET IT DONE.

My sister does this all the time she has a small storage area that she attempts to clean out annually that she calls her regifting stash.

Oh I am sure I have given stuff and for sure I have received such things. I figure they can do with it what they want and if I received such items,after using it for some time I pass it along to some one who would enjoy it more. I have a lot of clutter. I like my junk dust and all. We have been in situations that we might loose everything due to fires and I was so glad I was able to get back in to my place filled with my junk. It is home.

I too have a lot of stuff. A bit of junk tho not too much. A lot of inherited things. My kids don't want it. Hopefully my grandchildren will !

I love George Carlin's routine about "STUFF"

It is so very true!

I don't buy or have much personal stuff - but what I have is either sentimental or I made it myself. Years ago, someone gave me a real china cup painted with beautiful colors. I thought it was so exceptional, I kept it behind a piece of glass so I could see it often and it couldn't get broken. One day I needed a special gift for someone and couldn't buy the appropriate thing. I wrapped it up and gave it to her. I have no idea how she really felt about it, even though she said it was awesome. Whatever the fate of that cup, I still see it in my mind. Maybe none of us would buy much stuff, if everything we did buy was exceptional and meant something. Some people get greater pleasure from the act of buying/spending than from what they get. Maybe that's the real difference found in stuff.

I was talking to my sister about going to garage sales -

neither of us need any more "stuff" - our Mom had SOOOOOOO much stuff - but the hunt is soooo much fun!

thank goodness I removed myself from all that gift-giving many years ago. Told everyone I do NOT want any more stuff. For adult's birthdays and Christmas I make a donation in their name to a charity, and they get a card telling them that.

I am trying really hard to de-stuff,,

but, I am a born collector and just went through my Moms stuff, and brought home a bunch of her stuff.

My folks lived way below their means and still had tons of stuff...

So, I am trying to look at everything in my house and determine if it is just stuff, or stuff I really, really want to keep.
Even though I am getting rid of some, I still have a lot of stuff..

cant help it....

George Carlin was so funny.

I don't like a lot of 'stuff' around my home. I like open, airy, uncluttered surroundings. I have a friend who has a ton of stuff everywhere but it looks adorable the way she keeps everything decorated. Lots of work on her part dusting & washing all the little knick knacks.

My apartment is "stuffed". My Mom is downsizing and I am hoping for some sentimental pieces but I am coming to the realization I am going to either move from apartment to a home (scarry to me - the commitment part of it) or rent a climate controlled storage unit - my kids don't want it/have room for it either. So I think the "I love that but no thanks" reply is forthcoming.

If you have ever had to clear out someone else's "stuff" after they have passed, it gives you a whole new perspective on what is and is not important to keep.

Now when I have any doubts about an item, I picture my sister looking at it and rolling her eyes (she's good at that) as she cleans up my house after I am gone.

I can relate to the eye rolling part - I perfected it! But my Mom's decorating style is at a different end of the spectrum from me and my kids are opposite of us both. So how do you make an on the spot decision that works long term for all? I am only asking because this is a very real place I am at right now. When does it become "just stuff". I appreciate that bearisgray began this topic, I hadn't realized how much this issue bothers me and very interested in following this, thanks all.

It's just too much stuff.
It'll hang you up, dealing with too much stuff.

From the Delbert McClinton song.

And I don't remember the title by the lyric by Jimmy Buffett built lots of self-storage, Calypso poet shortage.

In 2003 we got our stuff down to a small travel trailer and a 10x15 storage. I have filled the house again but a least it's an 1800 SF house instead of 3200 SF that we left in CA.

A friend used to say that her stuff had stuff LOL

I only want the good stuff :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

No, seriously, MIL sends stuff home with DH saying it was Grannie's. Well sorry - IT"S BROKEN! It's not even stuff, it's trash. I quiet dispose of it.

Me too!!! My parents inherited from their aunts,uncles, and even grandparents, Now that my parents are gone I have a 3rd of it all. I could open up an antique shop! No junk though, a few cherished nic nacs but mostly furniture.

If you love it its not "stuff" if you don't its "stuff". I don't give anyone anything anymore I just send cash. Unless its something they asked for.
My DGD just got her first car and she got seat covers for it as a graduation gift. But she picked them out. I just paid and shipped. They are happy because its what they wanted I am happy because they are and I know its not getting shoved in a closet.
I have moved so much that I have given away or sold bunches of stuff. I have very little furniture or kitchen things and I have my sewing things which are also getting weeded out. Tired of packing it. I would like to get down to just what I can load in my car and go . :-)

We did really well. At one time in '92, we lived in 2400 sq ft, just the 2 of us. Moved to 945 sq ft and managed to keep the clutter monster under control for a pretty long time. But now, it's over whelmed me. Part of it is the fabric that I already own and keep trying to tame, some of it is the books I love and keep trying to sell or give away, some of it is the art work we inherited on top of what we already own and just don't have the wall space to display anymore. How do you find out if it's valuable, short of going to Antiques Road Show :D . And they've already been thru Atlanta.

This is what I do when I get rid of stuff. I drive it to a junk store I do not frequent. That way I won't buy it back. LOL

After Katrina, I met an older couple who had lost their entire house in Mobile...everything. Said he could replace everything they really needed. What made him mad was that they do longer had a house full of stuff for the kids to go through some day.

Check online for similar things. That's what I do. I think Antiques Road show has an online appraisal I think I heard them say something about that on one of the shows?

I like my "stuff", but I woke up one day and said enough is enough. I began to "let go" and am trying to declutter. I still go to yard sales looking for fabric and yard art or garden stuff.

I am a minimalist who is trying to raise minimalists... My son is getting a week of basketball day camp from my parents, money from my inlaws and a sleep-over from one of his aunts (the camp and sleep over were his idea). NOT STUFF... he is getting memories and some money to use to make more memories. Memories are better than stuff!

If it's furniture you can look for a company name underneath. It usually is accompanied by a model or serial number. You can also google said like items.Go to ebay and call up simuliar items and you can get an idea of it's worth.

Oh heck yes - we've got stuff that was given to us and couldn' say no. Thank goodness we live in a converted business building and have a huge 2nd floor (5000 square feet) we're able to use as storage....but that's no excuse. Goal for this year: get rid of the stuff we haven't used in a year or more.

I ve been donating a lot of stuff lately [past 3 yrs]knowing I'd be moving to Missouri but for now I'm just moving my brother into the city til I sell then I'll move up town with him but I will not move it if Its not being used Well gotta go I being rushed out

trying to downsize my stuff not my home. have been a collector too many years, hard to get rid of stuff that still like ,but don't want my children to have the job. They would shke their head and say "gee, mom sure loved collecting.

We have "stuff" that was acquired when family members of DH passed away. They have been moved from one home to another and sat in the basement for the last 6 years. For some unfathomable reason he can't seem to part with them. Our children have no desire to have any of it. We can't use it. It isn't valuable in the sense of having monetary value. I would so love for it to just disappear because when I actually do need something from the basement I have to move or look through this "stuff" to find what I need. I have 4 tables down there that used to belong to his mother. We have 1 table upstairs and never use that. There must be 5 lamps in the basement. When it gets dark enough to need a lamp I turn on the overhead light. I live by the theory that if I haven't used it in a year it needs to go away. Time for a garage sale! Ann in TN

I am trying to cut down on "STUFF"
a car load went to Miracle Hill yesterday.
2 more closets and book shelves to go.

I am tired of moving 4 things to get to
the one that I want.

May try selling some of the "STUFF" on this Board later.

J J

I have lots of craft stuff, and would love to get rid of it, but keep thinking that my baby GD might enjoy using it when she's older. I'd hate to have to repurchase....seems rather wasteful. I also keep thinking, well maybe I'll get time someday to make cards again, or scrpbook again, but I really just want to quilt. What would you do? Suggestions?

I am NOT a collector of much. Unfortunately, I share a classroom with a teacher who has things strewn all over the walls and counters and tables and shelves and anywhere else she can put things. It is actually a big stressor for me to have all that clutter and stuff surrounding me! Probably why my stash is so small...

Clutter stresses me.
When we were put on an evacuation alert last summer, it surprised me how little I really cared about enough to carry away. Anything else could be replaced.

We live on a rural property that was undeveloped land before we bought it, so every human influence is ours. When we load up the truck for a garbage haul, my husband often looks at it and comments "and to think, we carried all of this stuff ON TO our land and now we have to take it away again."

I seem to be on a never ending quest to pare down and get my own possessions in order. I have collected clothing, books and papers. Right now, I have one wastebasket each for paper to be recylced and items to be shredded. A separate box is always available for donations.

Dad saved everything, having gone through the Great Depression and graduated from high school in 1933. My bio-mother also graduated with him, but passed things on for others to use. My step-mother had extensive teaching supplies and loved to collect things. Then there were the things inherited through the death of family members....

I have helped clean out the apartment of a hoarder, and it is no picnic. I still shudder to think how that person existed and the heartache she had of not knowing what to do with everything from her parents and grandparents.

Yes,I do ask my children to not give me gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Their present to me is keeping in touch with one another and their presence is a gift -- especially when we live so far apart. Skype, Facebook and phone are great:)

With this said, I think I need to try on some summer clothes and see what I want to keep!!!!

I moved from a house to a condo 3 years ago, when I moved I had a storage box, would go bring a car load home, sort through it and donated 90% of the 'stuff', finally last month got rid of the storage box and have the last of my 'stuff' to sort through,,, feels good.

Very true! Love it. Re: George Carlin quote.

Me too....I have a lot of books and fabric on top of all the other "stuff". I've been decluttering some, but I need to do it seriously!
I've almost quit going to yard sales and thrift stores, though I must say I have gotten good at leaving empty handed!! :lol:

Just read that 70 % of stuff American buy is really just stuff and not needed! Makes you think about purchases, really. I mean food, shelter, clothing, how much do we really NEED.