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Anyone else got this problem? Every so often I feel that I should have a clear-out and reduce my vast collection of stuff to a more manageable size. After all, I've got books and comics that I haven't looked at in decades, so what's the point in keeping them? Especially as it might well be eons before I ever look at any of them again.
However, I find that, when I begin to go through things, memories and associations suddenly start springing to mind at the merest glance of seemingly long-forgotten possessions that have lain hidden for years, and I find myself unable to bear the thought of parting with anything.
How do the rest of you deal with such a situation?
6 comments:
It's a tricky one, certainly...
Think I have a rule where anything I've acquired since the beginning of independence (as in, stuff I've bought myself over the last ten years or so) is free to go, but anything from childhood or otherwise gifted to me isn't going anywhere.
Luckily, I live on my own and have a fairly organised storage system so a clearout hasn't had to happen - yet.
I suppose there's always going to be some regret that you let something go or at least a risk of such. When the mood for a clear out takes hold it's quite merciless and usually prompted by some change of circumstance or outlook, even those items most fervently coveted can fall victim. It depends on what you're priorities are and how they relate to the rest of your life.
Offering advice or opinions on the subject is unwise I think because no one ever understands a person's acquisitive motivations. If you were to ask for advice almost of it would be the same -get rid of it all- but it's a course action that no ever follows through completely, everyone has at least a few things they hang to, even if it's just a few snaps in an album.
I agree with DSE about advice. It might be easy for me to say, "You've already read The Wind in the Willows, so there's no point in keeping it," but maybe that book was a gift from your late grandmother or something. I have no problem parting with stuff that I bought myself, but I'm sentimental about toys and books that I received as gifts when I was a child. When I sold or traded my comics collection to a dealer, I reminded myself that those comic books would now be available to collectors who wanted them. Similarly, when I donated children's books and comics to a charity, I consoled myself by remembering that they were being passed along to a new generation of kids who, hopefully, would treasure them. -TC
In my experience it comes down to priorities and interests and as has been mentioned already, no two collections are alike because no two collectors are alike so it is hard to give advice here. I've found that certain interests come and go and the items acquired during that 'phase', for want of a better word, become expendable further into the future, but there is a certain core part of the collection reflecting interests that don't change that would never be parted with! Also many of the items I have had for the longest period of time aren't going anywhere any time soon - too many memories attached as well as it's own value for what it is, be it book, comic, vinyl record, action figure or whatever.
Believe me, every single thing you get rid of, at one time or another you WILL regret! I regret so much now I'm older, so my advice is DON'T DO IT! - Find the room, make the room, anywhere, but whatever you do, don't subject yourself to years of regret!
Don't know why I overlooked replying to your comment, JP, but better late than never. That's kind of how I feel, but just for reasons of space, I know I'll eventually have to make some hard decisions.
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