Are you a hoarder?

[TOOL MASTER]

I am and proud of it...you know the minute you throw something away you'll need it.

 

[nit2wn]

To some, a little. Both of my parents were hoarders to the point of almost show worthy. I had my work cut out for me when they got in bad health and went to a nursing home. Being the only kid, I was flat overwhelmed and basically just had huge bonfires and literally filled up the trash can every week. That experience solved any future problems of that for me. As long as it's organized to where it's useful to you, have fun. I always use the cost of storing it vs. how hard it is to find at the local stores and the likely hood of ever using it.

 

[empeg9000]

I am a little and I sometimes have a hard time getting rid of things. MY father was for sure. I finally donated my hockey gear. I played it all through school and as an adult for a while. I am 42 now and I have played hockey in ten years. It was time. I get dumb attachments to things. I have a lot of things right now that I want to purge and I am not sure if I want to try and ebay or just chuck it. Some of it I know I could get 20 here or there but I am not sure if I was to deal with the hassle and shipping.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I used to keep a few things, things that maybe I could use. Now, if it's metal it goes into the scrap, everything else gets trashed.

 

[tylerae40]

I started this thread over on the HAMB and we got a great response. Yes i am a hoarder and proud of it. I keep collect everything steel. Nuts, bolts, washers, tools, car parts, scrap steel- anything i can use again. I have at least three sets on doubles of all my normal spanners, doubles of sockets, at least 12 ratchets and at least 6 ratchets that are stuffed. I am a hoarder and proud of it

 

[TOOL MASTER]

I started this thread over on the HAMB and we got a great response. Yes i am a hoarder and proud of it. I keep collect everything steel. Nuts, bolts, washers, tools, car parts, scrap steel- anything i can use again. I have at least three sets on doubles of all my normal spanners, doubles of sockets, at least 12 ratchets and at least 6 ratchets that are stuffed. I am a hoarder and proud of it

 

[diggerrick]

No - I'm a pack rat!

My in-laws are terrible hoarders. My wife talks about while growing up there were aisles throughout the house to get around and the rest was piled with their "stuff".

Now she really doesn't develop any attachment to material things, and if she hasn't used it in 6 months it's gone.

I make sure she uses me at least once every 6 months.

She just doesn't understand my attachment to my toys and tools. She has made it easier for me decide what I can really do without and get rid of some of it though. It took me many years to realize if I pitch it and need it later, I can buy another one.

 

[Full Size 66]

I am not to a fault. I usually get rid of stuff then wonder what I did with it. Mostly I organize things and constantly go through my junk and weed out the stuff I know I will not use or will go bad. This condition is as bad as hoarding because you can spend a bunch of money replacing stuff or product...

 

[ambenz]

If I don't use it in 3 years or think I woun't use it in the near future, it goes into the garage sale pile! If I can get cash for it and will be useful to someone else, it's worth keeping. Having said that, I also think what would it cost to store it.

 

[Capt Chrysler]

After watching TV.

I have learned.

It's all in how you stack it!

So I bought 42 foot of pallet racking good for 8250 per shelf. And a forklift.

Now the wife says tag it and ID it. I say na it's ok. Her reply. You want me to sell that pile for junk price?

She picked a 440 6 pack engine setting on the shelf. After 30 years she knows how to hurt a guy, FAST!


Capt Chrysler

 

[demographic]

I'm not a hoarder, I'm a Maximalist

 

[5lima30]

To some, a little. Both of my parents were hoarders to the point of almost show worthy. I had my work cut out for me when they got in bad health and went to a nursing home. Being the only kid, I was flat overwhelmed and basically just had huge bonfires and literally filled up the trash can every week. That experience solved any future problems of that for me. As long as it's organized to where it's useful to you, have fun. I always use the cost of storing it vs. how hard it is to find at the local stores and the likely hood of ever using it.

I try not to be a hoarder. My sister and I had to spend 2 full weeks 10-12 hrs a day cleaning out my mother's house after she had to go into assisted living. Thats why I say the BEST gift you can give your children is don't leave a piles of **** for your kids to have to go through and dispose of!

 

[billybudge]

I am and proud of it...you know the minute you throw something away you'll need it.

Yes, I try and keep or grab anything that might come in handy one day, I,ll ave it, hoard it all up,because you know as soon as you throw it away, you will need it, and the amount of money I have managed to save over the years with my modifications, well to be honest probably none, but it was worth it,

 

[Stuey]

I prefer to consider myself a compulsive buyer and inventorialist.

 

[dwilliams35]

That's one of my goals: for my heirs to be obligated to just do a six week garage sale, followed by a junk dealer taking three weeks to clean up the rest with a D6.

 

[crewchief888]

i collect what i think is usable junk

if i dont use it within a year i scrap it, or give it away.

we've been going through stuff around the house over the past couple months, and have had 2 yard sales. after the 2nd one, i took a truckload of stuff,( that nobody had an interest in), to goodwill and donated it.
i have a pair of hipoint mx boots, and a pair of baseball cleats to a guy that i work with for one of his kids.
after the next yard sale, whatever is left will probably be headed to goodwill for donation.

 

[R6 Racer]

I conceder myself a hoarder, I am always "picking" something up & storing it away. If I don't have a plan or reason for having it I will either not pick it up or get rid of it. So I don't think its that bad of a problem, my SOWMBO on the other hand......
The good thing (I guess) is that I am also **** retentive. Everything has a place, is labelled with what it cost, what I want to use it for & what I think it's worth to sell.

It's a sickness
Steve

 

[von zipper]

2ps! Pack rat,and picker!! Found some real good stuff (coke coolers) on the curb because they didn't have the plug! I fixed em!

 

[ihredo4]

Am I a hoarder? That's like asking me do I eat to live or live to eat. My answer is yes. To me a hoarder will tell you its in the house. A collector will tell you WHERE in the house.

 

[brwbier]

Am I a horder? Well, I had to build a bigger garage.
Brwbier

 

[Cuda]

I consider a hoarder as one who holds on to junk.
Non of my stuff is junk.
Therefore, no I am not an hoarder!

 

[bczygan]

Finally, a thread about me!!!
I have seen some videos about hoarders...............they were all amateurs compared to my wife and I. For the last few years the only rooms usable were the bathroom and part of the bedroom. All others were full to the ceiling and to the door. Most still are. I just cleaned out the living, dining kitchen enough to get into them. Yard is the same. I have 7 sheds, all full, and stacks of materials under tarps. All this on a 40x100 lot full of trees. I also have 8 camper and utility trailers and 2 motorcycles on it. I would post photos, but lots of areas are not accessible. I have another lot with 3 boats and 13 trailers and 2 more sheds on it.

 

[studlyrs]

I am an anti-hoarder. If I haven't used it recently or don't plan on using it...I get rid of it. I can't stand stuff cluttering up my house or garage. There is a great feeling to cleansing and de-cluttering.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I'm definitely a hoarder. It's a constant fight to keep it under control.

 

[Teach]

Not sure...there's twice as much now, but no ****, just NOS or good used.

 

[I can fix anything]

I consider a hoarder as one who holds on to junk.
Non of my stuff is junk.
Therefore, no I am not an hoarder!

 

[ozyborn]

I consider a hoarder as one who holds on to junk.
Non of my stuff is junk.
Therefore, no I am not an hoarder!

That is so correct. I do not buy tools I will never need. I buy tools that I need, may need, might use someday, to get a spare just in case, because they look cool. They key is to have a large enough garage to keep them in. If you start running out of room for your tools that means you need a bigger garage.

 

[May Pop]

YES And its non of you damn business!

 

[LawnDart79]

That's one of my goals: for my heirs to be obligated to just do a six week garage sale, followed by a junk dealer taking three weeks to clean up the rest with a D6.

Yep, me too!

 

[TLCDino]

If I had more space, I would save everything. Luckily my little 20 x 20' shop/garage keeps me in check.

Imagine if I had out buildings...

 

[PhantomEB]

I am an anti-hoarder. If I haven't used it recently or don't plan on using it...I get rid of it. I can't stand stuff cluttering up my house or garage. There is a great feeling to cleansing and de-cluttering.

Same here, I hate having stuff thats not either practical to keep around, useful to keep around or is just sentimental in some way. I love having a nice clean place at all times, never know when someone is gonna drop over.

 

[willy3486]

I try not to be a hoarder. My sister and I had to spend 2 full weeks 10-12 hrs a day cleaning out my mother's house after she had to go into assisted living. Thats why I say the BEST gift you can give your children is don't leave a piles of **** for your kids to have to go through and dispose of!

I went through the same thing when my dad died. I tell people my dad's family all have junk but are broken down in two groups. The ones who lay it anywhere like my dad was and the ones like me who have junk but keep it out of sight. about 5 years before my dad died he got sick. I got to thinking about his stuff and told my wife when something happened to him it would be all put on me to clean. When he passed away I was laid off and I started to clean up my parents place. My mom wanted me to sell what she could and I told her to put the money in the bank and not give it to my deadbeat sister. My sister will bleed you dry if you let her. I was laid off but I still would not accept any money from her. I knew she would need it down the road.

I started cleaning that place up,I worked about 4 days a week and 12 hour days. And I was correct I had to do most myself. I had a aunt who come over a few times and one of my sisters boys who brought a notepad to take notes on what I sold and how much. It was so bad I put the scraper blade on a tractor and was backing into the weeds. When I hit something I stopped to see what it was.The big barn was 100x100 and about 1/3 was piled 6 to 8 feet high. Some places were so thick with scraps of wood I had to use a wheelbarrow to get it out. After 3 months I had it about 40% cleaned up. My mom let it slip out she was giving all the cash I made to my sister. I have always tried to be respectful to my parents but I went off then. We got into a discussion and I just told her I wasn't going to kill myself cleaning the place up for her to give all the money to my sister. I told her they wouldn't lift a finger and they lived right there. All they want to do is either drink it all up or smoke it up in pot.

Anyway I quit cleaning it up because I wasn't going to do it all myself while that bunch of trash at my sisters house did nothing. My mother made a big deal out of finding a relative to clean it up in exchange for my dads old truck. That didn't work out well ,she made the guy bring back the truck so the brother in law would have a vehicle. Anyway after that the place is sitting and a lot of that stuff is going to waste. So after that escapade I look at stuff in a different way. I still keep a lot of stuff. But what I try to keep is fairly good and can be gotten rid of easy. I also will sell stuff easier now. If no one will buy it I then give it away or throw it away. I just got through cleaning up some stuff for my wifes brother who moved recently. I also cleaned up a bunch of scrap he had thrown in a gulley. I plan of keeping the good pieces of metal and hauling off to the scrapyard the rest. He also gave me a lot of air conditioning stuff when he retired and moved. . I have them on craigslist but if they don't sell they will be scrapyard bound. So anymore I see if I can have a real use for it but if its junk that will never be used it is gone.

 

[Teach]

I went through the same thing when my dad died. I tell people my dad's family all have junk but are broken down in two groups. The ones who lay it anywhere like my dad was and the ones like me who have junk but keep it out of sight. about 5 years before my dad died he got sick. I got to thinking about his stuff and told my wife when something happened to him it would be all put on me to clean. When he passed away I was laid off and I started to clean up my parents place. My mom wanted me to sell what she could and I told her to put the money in the bank and not give it to my deadbeat sister. My sister will bleed you dry if you let her. I was laid off but I still would not accept any money from her. I knew she would need it down the road.

I started cleaning that place up,I worked about 4 days a week and 12 hour days. And I was correct I had to do most myself. I had a aunt who come over a few times and one of my sisters boys who brought a notepad to take notes on what I sold and how much. It was so bad I put the scraper blade on a tractor and was backing into the weeds. When I hit something I stopped to see what it was.The big barn was 100x100 and about 1/3 was piled 6 to 8 feet high. Some places were so thick with scraps of wood I had to use a wheelbarrow to get it out. After 3 months I had it about 40% cleaned up. My mom let it slip out she was giving all the cash I made to my sister. I have always tried to be respectful to my parents but I went off then. We got into a discussion and I just told her I wasn't going to kill myself cleaning the place up for her to give all the money to my sister. I told her they wouldn't lift a finger and they lived right there. All they want to do is either drink it all up or smoke it up in pot.

Anyway I quit cleaning it up because I wasn't going to do it all myself while that bunch of trash at my sisters house did nothing. My mother made a big deal out of finding a relative to clean it up in exchange for my dads old truck. That didn't work out well ,she made the guy bring back the truck so the brother in law would have a vehicle. Anyway after that the place is sitting and a lot of that stuff is going to waste. So after that escapade I look at stuff in a different way. I still keep a lot of stuff. But what I try to keep is fairly good and can be gotten rid of easy. I also will sell stuff easier now. If no one will buy it I then give it away or throw it away. I just got through cleaning up some stuff for my wifes brother who moved recently. I also cleaned up a bunch of scrap he had thrown in a gulley. I plan of keeping the good pieces of metal and hauling off to the scrapyard the rest. He also gave me a lot of air conditioning stuff when he retired and moved. . I have them on craigslist but if they don't sell they will be scrapyard bound. So anymore I see if I can have a real use for it but if its junk that will never be used it is gone.

Lousy situation, guy. I think more of us have been though similar stuff than you might think, though.

 

[28HopUp]

I am an anti-hoarder. If I haven't used it recently or don't plan on using it...I get rid of it. I can't stand stuff cluttering up my house or garage. There is a great feeling to cleansing and de-cluttering.

I'm not a hoarder; I'm just lazy and organizationally-challenged. My Mom is a hoarder worthy of any television show. So I am genetically inclined to follow her example. But I have learned to de-clutter and stay organized. It IS indeed a great feeling to reclaim yourself by getting rid of "stuff".

 

[StingRay]

I've watched that show and I certainly don't fall into that category. I do however have lots of stuff. It isn't as organized as well as I'd like it but I'm working on it. When I get overwelmed with stuff I get ruthless and start loading up for a trip to the dump or scrap yard. I always get more but I try not to let it get out of hand. I have a few too many vehicles right now and am feeling an itch to downsize by a few. Can you have too many tools? I don't think you can be a tool hoarder. That's a non existing concept LOL.

 

[VWandDodge]

My parents were raised during the Depression and they are pack-rats like no other. Each ******* that the other hoards/collects/gathers/stores junk, but neither will part with any of their stuff. My dad is so lazy about cleaning his workspace that the garage is always, literally knee high in piles of ****. If he couldn't find any of his tools inside of a few minutes he would go to HF and buy more. I swear he has enough hand tools that my three brothers and I could have complete sets that mirror each other. My oldest brother once commented that when they both pass we'd have a hell of a time trying to unload all of their junk. It is because of my dad that at the end of any workday on a project all tools are cleaned and put away. It irritates my son to no end because he always wants to drop everything, clean up, and eat; meanwhile, we're spending a good 15-20 minutes putting everything away. I am also bad about retrieving the same tool three or four times while working on a car or whatever project I'm on because I cannot stand a cluttered work area -- again, due to my father's lousy habits.

Years ago, back when I was married, my mother would always hand **** off to the wife or me. I got really sick of it and flat out told her I was NOT loading my vehicle to look like the Beverly Hillbillies for an 800 mile drive home. As usual, she made a snide comment and my response was that I did not want to haul junk I was going to toss into the trash anyway. She got pissed, but at least she quit trying to unload stuff onto us.

My parents also were upset when they discovered I exercise a 3-year rule -- when I'm cleaning and come across certain items I ascertain if I've used it in the past three years or there is a chance I may be using it in the next three years. If the answer is Yes, then it's put up; otherwise, it's disposed. Freecycle has been an absolute gem for me in being able to get rid of usable items guilt free.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Amen on depression raised parents. My dad died 2 years ago and I got to clean the house out. Five 20 yard construction dumpsters not counting all the stuff my sisters, their kids and me brought home.. For example he had gotten some metal file drawer boxes about 12x14x36 (100) of them stacked and bolted them together and organized his stuff. He was so proud. I went down and half way down on the top row was a drawer with a typed label "Basketballs that won't hold air", whats really bad is there were 4 of them in there. He eventually saw the humor and did throw them away but nothing else in the 65 years he lived in that house. He also didn't believe in credit and paying anyone interest. When he died we found more CD's and accounts at banks than we had ever known about. He never bought anything he could not pay cash for except a house and he paid it off in 4 years back in 1952. Frugal but generous, ran his own business and did his own paper work, he ran adding machine tape through 4 times, front, back, end for end and front and back again. I miss him every day but glad We finally got the house cleaned out. His sister and one of his brothers was the same way from what I have heard. Only seen the brothers house once and his office was stacked to the ceilings like my dad's. His only son is having to clean it out now, no living brothers or relatives to help.

 

[mattwgrizwald]

YES I am a hoarder my wife tries to keep me in line with for every one thing i bring home ,I have to get rid of three . It works one out of three times

 

[ptschram]

I am a recovering hoarder.

Hoarding is one of many sings of ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder. When I learned this, I spoke with my doctor and began taking ADD drugs. Since then, I've been screened by a social worker/psychologist and two more physicians.

With very careful medication management, I'm finding myself to be much more productive and far happier, but I do still sometimes as though I'm being overwhelmed with what stuff I still have-and then, I grab a trash can and get to work (after taking my meds and feel better about it.

It is absolutely amazing the feeling of relief I'd have walking into the shop the day after a cleaning day. Now, I've got it almost to that point everyday, but it's a constant struggle.

Sadly, I really wish that in the mid-60s, the school counselors had recognized the different manifestations of autism and not treated me like a genius-but I can still look at a pile of bricks and tell you how many there are, how many are missing and how long a wall you can make with varying heights. Phone numbers are not a problem for me and it's a damned good thing I make much of my living with part numbers as I have most of the Land Rover microcat memorized. No, I do not read phone books for fun.

 

[Rixter58]

I wrestle with this every day of my life. Both of my folks were hoarders so it is in my genes. I'm making progress, but truth be told.....at the rate I'm making progress, I need to live to 150 to whip it.