Author Topic: Don't Collect Stuff  (Read 1561 times)

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Offline Kavik

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Don't Collect Stuff
« on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 14:24:45 »
Don't collect stuff.

For practical things, you can only use one thing at a time and maybe use one or two things as backups or spare parts. If something sits in a box because you don't use it, that's space you could be using for something else. The money you spent on that thing could be growing in an investment.

For decorative stuff, if it's on display, that's ok, but, like the practical things, if it's in a box, toss it into the trash or sell it (if you can quickly. Don't hold onto it forever thinking it has value).

For sentimental things that are useless, take a photo of it and then throw it away.

-------------------------------------------------

Personally, since I am the youngest child of the family, I ended up with all the hand-me-down clothes and other stuff left behind when siblings moved out and didn't want the bulk (but still somewhat retained ownership of?). This has resulted in my owning basically every piece of clothing, every toy, every knick-knack, and every video game that my family has ever owned in 40+ years. Since moving out on my own several years ago, I left behind a lot of it at my parents' house, but I still have a considerable bunch of junk in my orbit that I have brought along for the ride. I have recently been going through my garage and attic and throwing away all the crap I've kept in boxes and bins since moving into my house, and last year I donated a ton of clothes I never wear. If something is difficult to throw away, I snap a photo before throwing it away. I'll probably never look at the pictures, but it, at least, satisfies any psychological hang-up I have. It also keeps a record of what I've thrown away if I ever go searching for it in the future and wonder where it is. There comes a point where the joy of being free of this crap and of having more space outweighs any joy keeping the stuff brings (or any anxiety getting rid of it brings).

A lot of stuff is still at my parents' house, and I have been throwing away a ton of that too. But then there comes the "collectible" stuff, like glass figurines and lamps and vases. This stuff probably isn't actually worth much, even to the right people, but I'm not sure if I should just throw it all away. This stuff never should have been collected in the first place. The only idea I have for it is to rent a booth at a local antique shop and sell it for dirt cheap until it's all gone. But even then, it would maybe yield a couple hundred bucks over the course of however many months it takes to sell them.

Anyway, don't collect stuff, even if it has a theme or hypothetical purpose. It just ends up being an anchor that you have to drag around with you wherever you go and that you have to store indefinitely. Yes, I'm a hypocrite, but that's the point. I know how it ends up and I'm trying to fix it and to say this as a warning.

Keyboards are definitely one of these things I am trying to whittle down to the essentials. In the past few months, I've been using one of my original mechanical keyboards almost exclusively (Quickfire TK I bought in 2013. It's just easier to move around and I don't care about scratching it, and I'm caring less and less about the minutiae of switch feel), so it makes an even greater case for downsizing. But selling these things is hard.
Maybe they're waiting for gasmasks and latex to get sexy again.

The world has become a weird place.

Offline pixelpusher

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #1 on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 14:34:44 »
Noted.  I could easily buy more than what I have and keep storing it away.  But lately I've been thinking about long term.  What would someone do with all of this stuff if I die in a car crash or something?  It's a big burden.  I have to balance that out with enjoying life.  This is my one and only past time/hobby.  I don't spend money on clothes or decoration or cars.  We sometimes travel, but that's about it.  It's a balancing act, I suppose.

Offline noisyturtle

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 15:05:27 »
Selling off old toys and tcg cards has essentially paid my rent for the last two years, so I would beg to differ. Quite frankly I am shocked how much '90s-'00s toys and collectables are currently going for but am glad this generation is both nostalgic and flushed with money 'cause it works out for people like me.

And even though those items were sitting in a box in a dark closet for decades, I still regret selling them by some measure.

Offline Olumin

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #3 on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 15:18:47 »
I’m not sure I should be following advice on how to spend my money from someone with 800 posts on a keyboard forum.

...

...

Ill think about it.

Offline Kavik

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #4 on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 15:45:16 »
Selling off old toys and tcg cards has essentially paid my rent for the last two years, so I would beg to differ. Quite frankly I am shocked how much '90s-'00s toys and collectables are currently going for but am glad this generation is both nostalgic and flushed with money 'cause it works out for people like me.

And even though those items were sitting in a box in a dark closet for decades, I still regret selling them by some measure.

Where have you been selling stuff? Maybe I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that '90s-era stuff is basically worthless since that's when everyone realized things are collectible and thus they became even more mass produced and collected. I have some Beast Wars Transformers and Gargoyles (a few still in the packaging) that I'm not sure what to do with. Most of my other stuff is so disparate in theme or in bad enough condition that it's definitely not worth anything.

I’m not sure I should be following advice on how to spend my money from someone with 800 posts on a keyboard forum.

...

...

Ill think about it.


Well, I'm actually telling you to save your money, and not blow it on stupid stuff like me (and my family before me), so I'm not sure why you're distrustful.

What's the saying? "A fool learns only from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others." (Supposedly by Otto Von Bismark according to the Internet, but my dictionary of quotations doesn't list it, so it may be apocryphal)
Maybe they're waiting for gasmasks and latex to get sexy again.

The world has become a weird place.

Offline noisyturtle

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #5 on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 15:55:23 »
Selling off old toys and tcg cards has essentially paid my rent for the last two years, so I would beg to differ. Quite frankly I am shocked how much '90s-'00s toys and collectables are currently going for but am glad this generation is both nostalgic and flushed with money 'cause it works out for people like me.

And even though those items were sitting in a box in a dark closet for decades, I still regret selling them by some measure.

Where have you been selling stuff? Maybe I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that '90s-era stuff is basically worthless since that's when everyone realized things are collectible and thus they became even more mass produced and collected. I have some Beast Wars Transformers and Gargoyles (a few still in the packaging) that I'm not sure what to do with. Most of my other stuff is so disparate in theme or in bad enough condition that it's definitely not worth anything.


Specifically the Dinosaucers, Zoids, Dino Riders, Power Ranger Zords, Star Wars vehicles, and Inhumanoids all fetched fairly high prices for me on eBay
And don't even get me going on current Magic The Gathering and Pokemon card prices, holy crow! If I weren't struggling so much financially I'd of been able to buy a fairly nice used car with what I'd made off my old collections.

Online tp4tissue

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 16:17:21 »
Collecting is fine, it's no different than going long on stocks.

But if your goal is to say, most STUFFS are bad stocks/ low performing,  that is surly true.

Offline Olumin

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 07 May 2021, 16:31:22 »

Well, I'm actually telling you to save your money, and not blow it on stupid stuff like me (and my family before me), so I'm not sure why you're distrustful.

What's the saying? "A fool learns only from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others." (Supposedly by Otto Von Bismark according to the Internet, but my dictionary of quotations doesn't list it, so it may be apocryphal)

It’s a Joke.

Offline Sintpinty

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 08 May 2021, 08:16:03 »
Don't collect stuff.

For practical things, you can only use one thing at a time and maybe use one or two things as backups or spare parts. If something sits in a box because you don't use it, that's space you could be using for something else. The money you spent on that thing could be growing in an investment.

For decorative stuff, if it's on display, that's ok, but, like the practical things, if it's in a box, toss it into the trash or sell it (if you can quickly. Don't hold onto it forever thinking it has value).

For sentimental things that are useless, take a photo of it and then throw it away.

-------------------------------------------------

Personally, since I am the youngest child of the family, I ended up with all the hand-me-down clothes and other stuff left behind when siblings moved out and didn't want the bulk (but still somewhat retained ownership of?). This has resulted in my owning basically every piece of clothing, every toy, every knick-knack, and every video game that my family has ever owned in 40+ years. Since moving out on my own several years ago, I left behind a lot of it at my parents' house, but I still have a considerable bunch of junk in my orbit that I have brought along for the ride. I have recently been going through my garage and attic and throwing away all the crap I've kept in boxes and bins since moving into my house, and last year I donated a ton of clothes I never wear. If something is difficult to throw away, I snap a photo before throwing it away. I'll probably never look at the pictures, but it, at least, satisfies any psychological hang-up I have. It also keeps a record of what I've thrown away if I ever go searching for it in the future and wonder where it is. There comes a point where the joy of being free of this crap and of having more space outweighs any joy keeping the stuff brings (or any anxiety getting rid of it brings).

A lot of stuff is still at my parents' house, and I have been throwing away a ton of that too. But then there comes the "collectible" stuff, like glass figurines and lamps and vases. This stuff probably isn't actually worth much, even to the right people, but I'm not sure if I should just throw it all away. This stuff never should have been collected in the first place. The only idea I have for it is to rent a booth at a local antique shop and sell it for dirt cheap until it's all gone. But even then, it would maybe yield a couple hundred bucks over the course of however many months it takes to sell them.

Anyway, don't collect stuff, even if it has a theme or hypothetical purpose. It just ends up being an anchor that you have to drag around with you wherever you go and that you have to store indefinitely. Yes, I'm a hypocrite, but that's the point. I know how it ends up and I'm trying to fix it and to say this as a warning.

Keyboards are definitely one of these things I am trying to whittle down to the essentials. In the past few months, I've been using one of my original mechanical keyboards almost exclusively (Quickfire TK I bought in 2013. It's just easier to move around and I don't care about scratching it, and I'm caring less and less about the minutiae of switch feel), so it makes an even greater case for downsizing. But selling these things is hard.
But can i still keep my Double Dragon II Cartridge? That game is special to me.

Offline jamster

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Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 08 May 2021, 12:02:09 »


Personally, since I am the youngest child of the family, I ended up with all the hand-me-down clothes and other stuff left behind when siblings moved out and didn't want the bulk (but still somewhat retained ownership of?). This has resulted in my owning basically every piece of clothing, every toy, every knick-knack, and every video game that my family has ever owned in 40+ years.

This sounds vaguely nightmarish :)

I realised I'd done the common "leave crap at my parent's house" thing. Last time I was there, pre-Covid, I manage to throw so much of it out. Vaguely sentimental stuff- my first surfboard, an 80's stereo, my earliest camping gear. So much bulky, useless crap just taking up space in their house.


Offline Lanx

  • Posts: 1915
Re: Don't Collect Stuff
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 08 May 2021, 15:49:30 »
yea collecting is silly, i'm pre-planning a move soon, so i was checking out my storage and i found my box of kinesis and model m's in boxes, just takes up space