Hoarders

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Hoarders

If most of it is collectibles, call Antique Archaeology, the guys from American Pickers. It sounds like he might interest them.

they pay wholesale , some of those offers would get the baseball bat from me

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Hoarders

I can only say what worked with a family member in my family - they collected because it was good deal and they would make money off the deal. I pointed out to them that the money does them no good in the ground (as I'll sell everything I can't bury with them), then once they sell a few carefully chosen things (the ones that will be the greatest loss) they tend to be less attached to everything else.... ;) but it is hard to do.... requires relationship and trust between the parties.

[goBIG_or_goHOME]

Re: Hoarders

Absolutley we have looked into scraping what we can. That is the easy stuff for him to let go. As for the value and taking things to a flea market.......we have been down that ally. He has tried to sell them, but he gets offended when someone offers him $30 for something he paid $50 for 15 years ago. Different times, and he don't understand that. Putting him at an auction or at a flea market has been a disaster. We go into them saying ok, what don't sell we are tossing, and he is good with that, until the day comes where we actually have to pack it up to toss it. Then it becomes........i might know someone who might know someone who might be interested in this. And the crap gets moved back to the house! Most of the things left aren't junk they are collectibles and that is what is making them hard for him to let go. That line in the sand keeps moving!

Best example of today.....
We came across two bottles of wine that were dated 1993 and there was a celebration tag on them that was for some lady who has been dead for at least 6 years. We wanted to toss them.......He on the other had wanted to look up family that lives more than tow hours away to see if they might want them before he tosses them!!! Give me a break! put the shit in the garbage and lets move on to what matters!

[daved931]

Re: Hoarders

I hoard toy cars, real cars, car parts, car literature, coins, gold, silver, cash, photographs, music, and many other things. Do I have deep-seated psychological problems? Have we become such a throw-away society that we no longer value thrift, frugality and conservation? Get a grip; they are his things and he has every right to enjoy what he has. Maybe you can learn from him. On the other hand, if he is no longer able to pay his bills on his own and needs your help to do so, it sounds like it's time for him to cash in on his wealth. Have you been able to research the value of his collectibles?

I think the bigger concern is that, as these folks age, they get closer to death and leaving us as the surviving family with the challenge of cleaning up the mess.

Better to clean out as much as you can and get the family member(s) into a smaller more manageable place or a place that offers an easy transition to lifelong care (i.e. house to apartment to nursing home).

As I mentioned on the first page of this thread, the OP may have to have his family member seek counseling as this may be a more deep seeded issue than just holding onto old magazines.

My father promised me that he had no intention of "cursing his children" with left-over junk. He isn't wasteful, but he doesn't dwell on sh*t he doesn't need.

[Gary 351C]

Re: Hoarders

I tell my wife that for the price of a coffin she can buy an old 40 ft shipping container and bury me and all my crap in one shot. ;D

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Hoarders

that is why there are so few family heirlooms ...sensible old timers get rid of the junk
my mom got all of my grandparents furniture ...beautiful and relatively new stuff ...good thing my parents have 3 houses ...well one house [cabin ..shack ] has an outhouse and no hot water
nice ethan allen furniture in it though
you go in my brothers house , he has ALL of my parents excess furniture from selling the big white house ..he didn't have to buy anything