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Post by spindrift on Mar 13, 2009 8:58:54 GMT
I suppose that Collectors of stuff might be considered greedy? Yes, I think so. I mean collectors of fine art and not match boxes...although the same principle might apply.
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Post by spindrift on Mar 13, 2009 9:03:23 GMT
Actually, collecting stuff can be an addiction. A friend in Switzerland, who is a collector of antique Caucasian carpets/fabrics - has at least 600. He has them all rolled up and stored away and gets some out for exhibitions and sales. But mostly these treasures are unseen and forgotten. Over many years some moths have inevitably got into the stuffy confined quarters and moths are next to impossible to eradicate. Infected carpets are unsaleable. So it's a vicious circle of greed. Someone wants something so badly, acquires it, has momentary satisfaction looking at it because it's now HIS, puts it away and forgets about it. Gradually it becomes unsaleable and will finally be put on a bonfire somewhere. It's shocking.
He has now turned his attention from carpets to modern art. Slowly his new collection is growing. He is 80. I say' stop buying things, you have too many possessions'....but my words mean nothing to him. He's in the grip of a fierce addiction.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2009 9:34:48 GMT
Nearly all collections of anything are hidden away and useless, since so few people have the space or the inclination to show their "treasures."
I do know someone who collects antique perfume bottles, but at least there is a display case for them in one of the rooms.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2009 9:48:51 GMT
I think there varying extremes. I've known some collectors who fall into the extreme lot and many others that are less afflicted so to speak and can control it better. I have been a collector of certain things at different times. I can't afford much so I am forced to limit what I can and cannot have.
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Post by Kimby on Mar 13, 2009 20:21:37 GMT
At least antique carpets are worth collecting and having around. What I don't get is the people who collect beanie babies or moo-cow creamers and can't get enough of them.
(I just collect junk, mostly paper. Nothing of value. So if moths get into MY collection, or it all burns up in a fire, no big loss to the world.)
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Post by lagatta on Mar 17, 2009 2:45:05 GMT
Oh, I'd love those gato glasses, being lagatta. As in Gato negro y Gato blanco?
I have some stemmed glasses, but they are smallish and short-stemmed. The high ones get broken right away - even without drinking too much the friends gesticulate at table - that is part of the fun of a dinner, no?
I do have a friend who has a very serious hoarding problem. Public health was called, and we had to help him get rid of lots of "files" of paper. He still is renting storage space.
Casimira, I've worked on housing issues and indeed it is complex, but I do have the poor family problem. I do a lot of culls, but still have clothes I never wear.
The food isn't a problem, but I do have a need to have staples in my cupboard - tins of fish, pasta etc. That is also because of our great ice storm that caused problems similar to your flood disasters.
All of this in a small city apartment. But I hoard much less that I used to - think the friend set off an alarm bell!
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Post by gringalais on Mar 18, 2009 18:44:00 GMT
Oh, I'd love those gato glasses, being lagatta. As in Gato negro y Gato blanco? Exactly, I see you are familiar with them. Mine have white cats on them.
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Aussielover
member
Offline
Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate's life for me.
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Post by Aussielover on Mar 19, 2009 11:08:46 GMT
I am definitely a collector. Not so much a hoarder, but there are things that I really don't need, but collect nonetheless, such as
Designer handbags. Why do I need 25 or more handbags? Vintage dolls. I have four Mary Hoyer dolls (in addition to heaps of others). Why do I need four of them? They're like my "children." I fuss over them, do their hair, touch up their face paint if it's really bad, dress them... aargh! I swear it's an obsession because I miss my kids. Vintage costume jewelry. I'm not kidding - I bet I own 60 vintage costume rings. I can't possibly wear them all. Why do I have them? And don't get me started on brooches and necklaces. Vintage clothing - some that no longer fit. They're in great shape and well made, but I can't stand to part with them.
I keep telling myself that these are all "investments," but then when I think of selling some of this stuff on eBay, I shudder and put it off for another several months.
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Post by Kimby on Mar 20, 2009 17:54:43 GMT
Aussie, you need to start a business renting costumes/vintage clothing. We have one here called "One Night Stand" They make a killing at Halloween, but also do well for specialty events like "high tea" where most of us don't have suitable attire. They collaborate with the university drama department, sometimes providing wardrobe items, sometimes taking surplus wardrobe items off the drama department's hands.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2009 18:06:33 GMT
There are designer handbag rental services in France. Maybe you should start one, Aussie.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 21, 2009 16:45:29 GMT
My problem is accumulating stuff that "might be useful". Some things are logically going to work out, but others are mysterious crap that I can't seem to throw away. I am completely incapable of throwing away a glass jar.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2009 19:28:22 GMT
I have gotten over that, but mostly because so many of the 'quality' yogurt brands here are sold in little glass pots. There is absolutely no way (or reason) to keep them all. At least I am able to put them in the glass recycling bin, which reduces guilt.
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Post by auntieannie on Mar 22, 2009 17:00:36 GMT
I have left most of my hoarding at my parents and now I try to only have the minimum, although moving to a bigger place has made me buy a second-hand sewing machine (I need to re-learn how to use it) and my friends have decided to leave our workshop stuff at mine. BF keeps moving stuff from one attic to the other. And I keep dreaming of leaving in an almost empty house!
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Post by rikita on Mar 22, 2009 22:23:54 GMT
my cousin had a good method - he kept going on about how unimportant possessions are to him, and how empty his place is and thus how free he is - while leaving his possessions at places of other people (like, he lived with my brother for a few weeks when between apartment, and then my brother was stuck with lots of his useless stuff that was crowding his place)...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2009 22:29:25 GMT
One of my problems is for every thing I get rid of I acquire two more. People throw away very useful things here and I just can't (well,I am better..) pass them up. Just came back from a ride and almost acquired a tabletop that I don't need.
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Post by spindrift on Mar 22, 2009 22:53:09 GMT
I've become good at resisting most things. I can walk away from anything now. It has taken me years of practice to do this.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2009 22:59:22 GMT
I already had a lot of practice during all of the years when I could not afford things I desired. I just walked away from them. Now that I can buy most things that I want, I sometimes have to push myself to do so.
I did manage to buy myself a new toy last week -- a 1kg netbook, for being able to access the internet when I am travelling. My 2.5kg laptop just seemed to have become incredibly heavy for carrying around. How we change! I used to marvel at how light the laptop was.
So the electronics are beginning to pile up.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2009 23:05:05 GMT
I hate seeing perfectly good things go to the landfill,people here are terrible about recycling. It's laziness. There are a couple of places in town where you can take things,The Green Project does great work. The problem is you have to take it there. I have a couple of friends with pick up trucks that will cruise on trash nights (students are the worst for wasting) and pick up serviceable items and take them somewhere or find homes for them.
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 22, 2009 23:06:51 GMT
You need that netbook! As much as you travel, 5 and a half pounds is a lot to lug around.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 22, 2009 23:09:02 GMT
I am definitely getting a netbook as soon as I can afford it. My laptop is heavier than yours, and I just couldn't see carrying it along with my bag when I was in Amsterdam a month ago.
Do you have problems typing on the little keyboard? I don't have big hands, but they are short and stubby. I didn't seem to have any problems typing on the keyboard of a friend who was in Amsterdam, but another keyboard I tried was annoying.
Cyberjunk is a minefield. I still have my mac classic II.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2009 23:15:52 GMT
I'm still getting used to it. I have taken it to bed with me to test (!) and didn't have too many problems, but it won't go on its first trip until next month. I also bought a miniature travel mouse to go with it -- not wireless but with a retractable cable. That way one doesn't have to worry about battery problems. (I don't like the touch pad on laptops even though I can use them if I have to.)
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Post by lagatta on Mar 24, 2009 1:15:30 GMT
I have a very small mouse - it says "mini optical mouse" but it doesn't have a retractable cable, do I need that? I hate the touch pad, because I'm more familiar with Macs and it is a struggle to remember how to cut and paste copy on a PC without being able to click it. But I really can't afford one of those ultralight Mac portables, and don't want to lug anyting I can't afford getting stolen.
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Post by normal on Mar 24, 2009 9:38:06 GMT
My parents were hoarders of food. They had a super large storeroom and an equally large cold storeroom. Both rooms were floor to ceiling shelves and stuffed to overflowing with everything you can imagine. My Mother used to brag that she had enough for three years!!! I remember my cousin visiting with her little girl. Mom had sent us downstairs to get something from the storeroom. Cousin's daughter asked my cousin why they didn't always shop at Auntie's house.
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Post by gringalais on Mar 27, 2009 22:08:17 GMT
A friend wanted to borrow a few things for camping, so I went into one of the big storage closets behind the house to get them out. I found even more of the ex's hoarded crap - a big roll of cable (like the type for cable TV), metal rods that were rusted, old cassettes that weren't even labeled, some clothes I never saw him wear, etc. I figure it's been a year now and he hasn't claimed them, so I can do what I want. It is trash day, so off to the dumpster they went, except for a few T-shirts, since the maid always needs those for cldeaning.
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Post by spindrift on Mar 28, 2009 9:07:05 GMT
K - regarding your new netbook. I am thinking of buying one for travelling but please can you tell me how you establish an internet connection? Do you have to subscribe to a wireless card?
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Post by rikita on Mar 28, 2009 12:20:44 GMT
well cleaning my place shows me i hoard more than i thought... like in the kitchen i found various one-way chopsticks and plastic forks. then again, when i get those (which i only do when i get take out to eat on the way - if i take it home i use my own chopsticks or forks) and i always feel bad about wasting resources - so i keep them, thinking one day i might need them for a trip or something...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2009 18:18:32 GMT
K - regarding your new netbook. I am thinking of buying one for travelling but please can you tell me how you establish an internet connection? Do you have to subscribe to a wireless card? No, I just bought it for use with normal freely accessible wifi (or my home connection which requires a code of course). I did not want to subscribe to a 3G operator for the ability to use it wherever a mobile phone works, because I will not be using it constantly and those subscriptions are expensive. Of course, mobile operators give you cashback deals on such purchases if you lock in a plan for a year or two -- then they get all of their money back! Just for the record, I bought an Asus Eee 901.
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Post by spindrift on Mar 28, 2009 21:52:05 GMT
Thank you. I'll look at that one.
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Post by lagatta on Mar 29, 2009 0:08:11 GMT
A sad hoarding story in the Guardian: www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/28/gordon-stewart-hoarding-rubbishUsually tenants can't go quite so far as small householders, as the landlord and/or the neighbours pressure them. One fellow we had to advise (another daft, lonely pensioner) even had an artificial Christmas tree stored on his balcony - in the summertime. The fire department complained about his balcony as there was no way he could get out of his flat that way. And that is just one example.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2009 1:23:58 GMT
What a heart wrenching story.The part about his one friend and how they met is so incredibly beautiful. WOW! So sad.
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