Hoarding - A New Start

Goldiegirl

I've had quite a productive day.

I tackled my family history research notes. I started working on my family history about 5 years ago, and when I started, I wrote copious notes on anything I thought might be significant, printed loads of things from the Internet, and all the birth, marriage and death certificates were all in their envelopes from when I had ordered them.

So all envelopes have gone to recycling, and certificates have now been files in clear plastic wallets so I can refer to them easily.

A lot of my research notes had been acted on, and are now on my family tree. I was quite impressed that most of my original hunches were correct and related to my family. So many notes and papers have also gone to recycling.

Everything has now been stored in one box, and it's all in a neat and tidy order.

Tracing my family tree has been fascinating, but I do sometimes wonder if I've been hoarding ancestors! :rotfl:

Also went through another load of 7 inch singles and prepared more batches for selling on eBay. I've only got the 60's to review now. I've managed to actually sell some batches, so the records are leaving the house. I only do one batch a week though, as they weigh a ton to carry down to the post office.

Also been thinking about jewellery. Jewellery is one of those things that I've never thought it was possible to let go, but now I'm wondering. Some things have too much sentimental value, like a bangle my nan gave me, and a silver locket which was my first 'grown up' piece of jewellery, not to mention things for 18th and 21st birthdays.

I wear the more recent pieces of jewellery, mostly things I've been given in the last 15 years, so I'm keeping them too.

But there's some things that COULD go. Nothing dripping with diamonds or anything, but a couple of gold chains, that I don't wear anymore and, as I can't remember when I got them or who bought them for me have no sentimental value.

They are not heavyweight things, only H Samuel, so probably no scrap value. Just wondering whether I could let them go to eBay.

Has anyone else let go of jewellery, or is it one of those things that you have to keep no matter what.

I'd be interested to hear any thoughts or experiences, as it's always helpful in the decision making process!

sjprmc01

Beginning to feel like an alien in my own home I'm usually away all weekend for work but done overtime today have it booked in for tomorrow and wed I hate when I don't get to see what's going on/have control over the house.

Don't know why I bother so much I'm sure I wouldn't have done much in the house anyway.

I've been as productive as I can be in doing a washing and hanging it to dry before I left the house this morning to do other bits and bobs

Tomorrow morning before heading for work around lunch time I will be sorting out sharing dds room as much as I can with their new storage boxes in place. I also collected a tall chest of drawers from my mums today it was my brothers but he moved house and no longer had room for it. It will be very good as my bedroom IS swop idly lacking storage. Now I will have a proper place for my tops instead of storing them on an unsuitable shelf where they get all dusty

I will keep the shelves for now as they will house some of my toiletries stash but when I can manage to wind that down a bit the shelves are going

blossomhill_2

Goldiegirl - H Samuel or not, the best way to sell them will be by weight - that's the refreshing thing about selling gold, it's a commodity and not subject to some person haggling or sucking their teeth and saying there' s no demand for it thesedays - they weigh it and pay up
I took mine to Hatton Garden as I was in London anyway - I prefer silver so have very little gold but boy was it a pleasant surprise, I'd braced myself for not getting much but walked out with nearly £2k

So I see no reason to eBy it, just get it weighed and pocket the cash with no sellers fees, paypal fees, think of it as money and you wouldn't sell money on eBy. The main exception is stuff with big or high carat gemstones, they are best sold as jewellery, not as gold

Good luck

sevenup01

Morning! Life is so not fun right now. There just never seems time to do anything. Yesterday i took some shopping over to my eldest daughter that she had left here but i discovered more left in my shopping trolley last night. this week i have promised my youngest daughter (5) that i will sort through all her toys and we will take the baby ones to the charity shop. I really need to do this as her toys are currently piled on her bed and she is sleeping in my bed with me:o

GreyQueen

Morning all.

Sevenup01, there are days (weeks and months, sometimes) when the whole world seems to feel like you're crawling uphill trying to push a marble with your nose.

Y'know, that feeling that you're not getting anywhere, you're never going to get anywhere and running away and living in a yurt in the woods seems incredibly seductive.

These times do pass. I find that with decluttering you seem to go in fits and starts, and there's often a fair bit of drudgery to be endured before you suddenly see the light of day/ the carpet/ the back wall of the shed.

The secret is to plug away at it bit by bit and not to be disheartened. All things pass, inc homes awash with toys.

I'm a little ticked at a couple of freecyclers just now, one has had to let me down for what seem to be reasonable-ish reasons, and the second isn't communicating for nearly 24 hours. I'll wait until 9 pm tonight and then message them it's off if I haven't heard from them; it'd make it nearly 48 hours since I gave them my address and phone number and hours of availability.

Feeling a bit grrr but what can you do? Both these people were first out of the trap when the offer was listed. Howsomever, if the current person doesn't come through, I shall move to the next one. Yawn. I'd hoped to hand this item over at the weekend as it's a bit complicated with work, otherwise.

Ach well, here's a lesson; getting rid of stuff can be a PITA. Shop less and shop more carefully in future and then this may not arise................:rotfl:

wannabe_sybil

M.E. wrote: »

Wannabe Sybil
Your scarves sound brilliant. Many MSE knitters also knit for LovingHands.org.uk which takes many items for charities including Operation Orphan and many local ones too, Loving Hands will be having a stand at the Farnborough Craft Fair and I have sent LovingHands some pretty knitted scarves to put on their stall.
www.lovinghands.org.uk

Thank you - I read this before OH took the scarves to leave at the cs but I have saved the link. I am abandoning the idea of ebay and will just knit what I like. I like knitting blankets in as much as casting on 250 stitches, knitting until I run out of yarn then casting off counts as knitting a blanket, and I plan to donate them to the Salvation Army, as I know where there is a shop. The one I finished yesterday (which I plan to keep for me is probably about 7 foot by four foot - I got a bit giddy! Lovinghands will give me ideas and targets.

Falls - a superstition says that your soul is shaken loose when you fall and it takes it a while to settle back in. Speaking after all the dislocations and accidents I have had, I think it is a good way to describe it, and it is very unnerving. Just the shock, even is there is no damage, can seriously knock you back.

Not much happening today. hugs to all

whitewing

I was a bit upset when my aunt decided to sell my Nan and Grandad's wedding rings as I had been thinking that DD never knew my grandparents. (The rings weren't worth much in monetary terms anyway). But then I thought about some of the discussions we'd had on here, and felt there were better ways to honour their memory. I recognised that I had had "aspirational sentimentality", where I was mourning the family that I felt I should have had, not the actual family situation I did have. I could have kept the rings but didn't need to in the end and don't regret it at all.

My other relative has sold some old necklaces etc by auction and got a little more than expected. Again, is relieved to have finally done something with it.

Byatt

Oh Whitewing, what an amazing post. "aspirational sentimentality", wow, I've never thought of it like that...

goodness, "mourning the family I felt I should have had..." resonates with me...but again, never gave it concrete thought...

I've hauled my SAD lamp out and I'm now bathing in a white glow.

Bigjenny

Goldiegirl or anyone with gold to sell try this firm http://www.hattongardenmetals.com/

I can highly recommend them, have used them twice with excellent results, there a calculator on the site to give you an idea of how much your gold or other metal is worth.

There is also a thread on MSE with good reviews.

HTH

Goldiegirl

Blossom hill and whitewing, thanks for your thoughts re jewellery.

The items I'm thinking of have no sentimental value at all, so I think it'll actually be quite easy to let them go. There's a jeweller at our local shopping centre that takes gold for cash, so I think I might end up taking them there.

I still have my dad's signet ring and my mum's engagement ring. I'm happy to keep them for the time being, but maybe some day I might want to release them.

My mum's wedding ring is probably lost. At the time she went into a care home, she was moved around quite a bit. I think her wedding ring was put in a safe in a care home in Southend on Sea. When she was moved, I had so much on my plate I didn't have time to go and retrieve the ring, so for all I know it's still there. But it goes to prove I didn't NEED the ring, and I have no desire to go to Southend to find it, so it can stay where it is.