My father is sorting items in his huge houses, 2 of them, to sell, give away or dump as a hopefully previous step to downsizing, which took me to think about how much stuff of my childhood sits there wasting space, stuff I could try to sell or give away, because after my parents die I don’t plan to move back there: I’ve made my life elsewhere and down there there are no decent jobs.
The items: A huge collection of 300 or so music CDs and 50 vinyl records I bought between ages 15 and 25 of my favorite bands back then. I don’t believe I’d get even 2 bucks a piece, not even for the vinyls (no special editions), my library with 250 or so books I bought and received as presents during my childhood, including a complete encyclopedia, clothes that are already too small for my physique.
I moved out 10 years ago and I’ve rarely visited. Those items are more something I remember than something I need: I digitized the music library years ago, the books I like I can get online or I already have them, I could save some clothes that fit and toss the rest, I could also use my old bed and study table, because those things are actually useful. I don’t even have a CD or a vinyl player (my father does).
I know that stuff is only stuff and when I die, it will all remain here on earth and most probably be sold or destroyed, but I I just can’t bring myself to throw them away, even though I know it’s the logical choice as a previous step to sell that old house.
Moving the stuff in with me makes me a hoarder, so no. Plus I don’t have that much space. And what would I move the stuff in with me for? It would sit there in boxes wasting space.
What worked for you?
Donate it to a library, shelter, thrift store, or similar. It gave you joy, but now it doesn’t. Let someone else have the experience.
Go through the counter argument, what would it take to keep it?
From what you’re saying, you’ll likely need to rent a storage facility for that. They’ll advertise low rates initially, but I’d expect to pay over $100 a month unless you constantly move the stuff across different storage facilities. Then, if you move out of the area, you’ll need to bring this with you.
Once you have a cost to keep it, it will be far easier to justify getting rid of it.
Personally I keep books and CD’s. I have lots from my teens and early adulthood. I like them, and I also like having a library that my kid can look through as he gets older. Clothes and furniture I’m not sentimental about though. Only keep what you’re actually going to use, sell, donate or throw away the rest.
I also digitize what I can. Then I separate what I actively use from the rest, separate those items into categories, pick out one or two (or three) of my favorites in each category, and donate the rest to a thrift store in hopes someone else can make better use of them. Still not foolproof though, on the shelf next to me is a keyboard and bin of cables that I haven’t touched in ages.
i’d honestly rip CDs and vinyls and keep them on a spare drive. host them on slsk or smth, you’'ll never know if someone might want it.
I keep things that are meaningful. Things don’t have to be used to serve a purpose.
I would go through regularly and part with an item that held least significance. And repeat monthly till I pared it down to a small collection.
Donate books to literacy place, or drop them randomly in the little libraries (if your city supports those citizen made structures).
CDs are a dollar at the thrift store, but if you have an artists set you might get a fan on Craigslist or kijiji or marketplace that wants them.
Here’s an alternative view, one that perhaps you haven’t heard:
You are living in a world that has become less stable or secure every day. A world with rampant inflation no matter how it’s measured. Guarantees of survival from government have been eroding away steadily and with the advent of llms those same guarantees from private business are already gone.
Family is a safety net you still have access to. Property and possessions held by family empower this safety net.
Consider having a serious and painful conversation with your dying loved ones regarding how to preserve the family and ensure that wealth paid for by the lifeblood and sweat of its members remain in control of the family for as long as is possible and further the needs of the members of the family when disposed of or used.
Trash. Generally I’d say recycle, sell, or give it away, but there are times the best thing to do is just to throw it out
The word “worked” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
If your goal is to justify throwing things away, there are whole self help ecosystems built to help you to toss it all, from self transformation regimens to grief processing and everything in between. Find one you like and read, listen and engage about it on social media till you believe what it says then just throw all your stuff out.
You could also not do that and listen to your CDs and records, read your old books and either store your old clothes to give to your kids or use them as patch material for clothes that do fit.
It’s a question of forgetting your past or integrating it into your present.
