Featured How do you cope

when great treasures keep coming along but your space is limited? Do you just sell your older things as you go along or pile up junk until people call you a hoarder?
When really nice things come along, do you feel like some of your previous buys start to lose their shine compared to the "new" and exiting thing?
Is it possible to avoid the temptation of that delicious table, especially when it means you'll have to get rid of the other one you just bought 6 months ago?

What do you do with all the impulse buys that felt warm and nice to get at the time, but afterwards you realized you have no space for them, or that they might not be just the perfect thing for you right now?
Sometimes it's just nice to buy something. (I have problem, don't I?)

How do you avoid the downward spiral of just always replacing your things with something "better" instead of living with them? See, that's what happens when you are a hoarder but also tidiness-obsessed at the same time.

Once (if) I've managed to get a few furniture essentials, I'll have a no-buy month. Or two or three.

 

I have just had to resist buying them. I am sublimating by buying small stuff that can be quite expensive enough anyway.

 

Hi,
I lived in a 450 sq ft condo. The movers came and moved me into my two story 3 bedroom farmhouse with full cellar and walk up attic and a two car garage with an attic. The entire house was filled including the attic and cellar and garage. They were simply stunned. What they did not know was as they removed stuff from my condo, I moved stuff from the condo next door, the basement storage area and back yard. I had a nine piece metal furniture set in the yard of the condo. I had a full 12 piece dining room set, two sofas etc.
greg

 

I have some things I can't resist, but if I buy a new item I sell an older one that is not in as good condition or is not desirable. That way I am not adding to what I have, I am upgrading

 

Hoarder here. Well maybe not completely, I can still see the floor.

 

I struggled with it today. I hit an antique mall and stumbled across a Chalet Glass Candle holder. They are not overly common and the price was good on this one. Right now, simply too much glass in our collection (and the Mrs is getting more for Christmas) I had to pass on it. I need to make room and really want to sell some of the more common pieces I have to make room for better pieces

So, to answer your question, I have decided to stop buying glass until I can get rid of some (Unless I find a Tiffany Inkwell - I'll make room for that)

 

I've been trying to purchase only smaller items that don't take up a lot of space. I have lapses when I see a really nice piece of art pottery for a good price but that don't occur too often since a lot of pottery I see is damaged, really common, overpriced, or has some other type of imperfection that dispels my interest in trying to buy it.

 

Over the past few days going to and from work I pass an older cape cod style house where the occupant is in the process of moving. The front yard, side yards, and driveway are just packed with boxes full of items, all the way from the house to the sidewalk. I, at first though they were having a yard sale due to the sheer volume of stuff on their front yard but then saw the moving truck near the garage among the heaps of stuff. It is really lucky for them that we haven't had any rain since all their furniture and other items have been sitting out in their yard for the past three days. Looks too organized for a hoarder, but still I was shocked when I first saw it.

 

New stuff goes in its place. Old stuff becomes inventory if I no longer want to use or display it. In particular, I rotate a lot of art on my walls. I no longer am actively collecting much for myself. I have become pretty picky and my taste has become pretty expensive. Consequently, I don't find much any more that I must have and can afford for myself. I am constantly buying but 99.9% is for resale.

 

If you are a serious collector then I think you are constantly striving to improve your collection, I do move things on when I buy something I better, The last two years or so a lot of things have been sold, the money realised goes towards nicer things.

Having said that I still have some items bought in my early collecting years that I can't part with.

 

All our buys are inventory for sale.

Just may take a while before we get around to trying to sell them!!

 

Oh, wow, I guess I learned to appreciate from afar......I have only a very few of many different things......unlike my Mom......if she ran out of room, her answer was simply to buy a bigger house....much to my father's chagrin!!!! So I swore Not to go that direction.....we couldn't afford to anyway!!! Have no children, 18 nieces & nephews.....only about 2 or 3 of which appreciate ANY of it !!! Small collection of Steiff animals anyone???

 

I found it really hard to be in the business because I had such a hard time letting go of things. I've been so good for the past couple of years. No yard sales, no auctions. My downfall is the local Swap Shop at the dump. It's a small cottage - people bring things they don't want and you can take anything you want for free. Free is hard to beat. I have gotten the most amazing antiques there. My husband has a rule - for every item I bring home, I have to get rid of something. I just get rid of brand new things that I pick up at Ikea or someplace and don't like anyway, so he hasn't figured out that I'm keeping all the good stuff. As cluttered said, I can still see the floor!!

 

I collect jewelry, so it fits in plastic baggies in plastic shoe boxes. I have two floor to ceiling Ikea book shelves perfect for storage....I need another one, but they are against the back wall in our pool room. Furniture? I upgrade and get rid of what I don't need anymore, thrift shops or curb. Since I don't spend a lot on it, it's easy to do.

 

I don't "cope", I up-size....................

 

I try and sell more things than I buy. Ideally - large things.

 

For the last year....I have not been buying anything and really trying to purge
Since EB is useless lately for selling ...Goodwill and Salvation Army are reaping the benefits...

My house is too small...I am tired of either storing (ie tripping over stuff) or dusting stuff...it just is time to clean out....and then we will see....

 

A good rule is, if you doubt even little, whether or not to buy it, it's better not to buy the thing. Then there are those things that you just can't be without and there's no question about it once you've figured out the authenticity and such. Then you buy, or live in regret.