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Post by crazycatlady on May 22, 2008 21:33:49 GMT -5
My kids always loved Beanie Babies. And they have had fun over the years with various McDonald toys. I think that by selling those two collections, you will make some little kids very happy.
At our church, we have a prize bucket that kids get to choose from...full of little junky toys and McDonald toys. Maybe if the McDonald toys don't seem to be selling you could let each kid who comes to the garage sale choose one for free to take home?
Good for you in trying to let some collections go. Why don't you put those bells out for the sale, too? 
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Post by disarray on May 23, 2008 0:45:03 GMT -5
Thank you all for the replies! I wish I could reply to each and every one of you, but I have to get up early for that garage sale tomorrow, so I'll just respond to a few things.  BDG, that was a very nice thing for your daughter to do! I wish there was a shelter like that around here. I can't think of any place around my area where I'd be happy to donate my dolls. Usually after garage sales I donate what's left over to a local church organization, but I've heard that they have more stuff than they know what to do with anyway. Plus I also heard that the people working/volunteering there get "first pick" out of all the donated items. For some reason that makes me uncomfortable...
Collections are harder to part with than the usual clutter mess.I agree! Maggie, that's a really good idea about rotating the figurines! I've always wanted to do something like that with my own shelves and shelves of knick-knacks, but I still haven't got around to it. I've also wanted to do that with coffee table books. I have beautiful photo books of all kinds, and would love to switch a different one out on the coffee table every week. I think about doing it, but again never get around to it.  Thanks for the link Script! That definitely describes me. I keep telling myself what you all have been saying, that the money's gone already. I guess, in the past, I looked at everything I bought as an investment. The money wasn't gone; I invested it in something, and I'd get it back plus some in the future.  Ridiculous. Syzygy, I've tried ebay once before, and you're right, it's a lot of work! The truth is, I don't really think I have anything all that valuable, I'm just afraid I do. Does that make any sense? I fear throwing things out or selling things cheap in case I do have something valuable. I don't like that I think like this. I need to just let it go. You're all so generous and talking about donating things, and here I sit selfishly hoarding things not because I like them, but because of the possibility that something in these mess of collections might be of some monetary value some day. The weird part is I don't consider myself to be a greedy person at all, so why do I care so much about getting money out of this stuff? Crazycatlady, that's a great idea about giving the toys away to kids at the yard sale! I might give that a try! As an update, I bagged up most of the McDonald toys. There are just a few that I can't seem to let go. I started having trouble with the beanie babies. I had them all set and ready to go, but then I found a little tupperware tub full of those mini McDonald beanie babies. They were all sealed in the original packaging, and they looked so nice packed in their little tub, I just couldn't part with them. The entire collection was there! It caused me too much anxiety trying to put them in the box with the rest of the beanie babies. So I'm sorry to say that I left them in their little tub and stuffed them back up in the closet.  On the bright side, I parted with all but one bell. (It was pretty, and I liked it. As long as I don't sit here with an entire collection, I think it's okay to have one bell in the house. ) I even parted with some of my porcelain dolls. I might have overpriced them though. I priced them for less than what I bought them for, but it is a garage sale. From my garage sale experience I know that most people expect garage sale items to be dirt cheap. My dolls are cheap but possibly not cheap enough. I decided if they don't sale tomorrow, then I'll lower the price before I put them back out on Saturday. I really need to get rid of this stuff. That was the whole point of having the garage sale in the first place. I want to purge myself of all this stuff! It would be a shame if I ended up lugging it all back in the house come Sunday.  |
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Post by Magpie on May 23, 2008 9:57:27 GMT -5
Remember that there are costs besides money - costs in terms of stress levels, energy required to clean and maintain items, to work and move around items. Consider more than the monetary cost!
Maggie
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Post by rexroth on May 23, 2008 17:11:39 GMT -5
When I was a child I used to ask my Grandfather what something was worth. He said "It's worth what you can get for it lad." In getting rid of stuff I have ended up giving most of it away because I found this easier emotionally. Most of the stuff I bundled up, sealed it in boxes and delivered it to a charity shop a few miles away from where I lived so that I would never see the stuff again. I don't miss it. Selling stuff involves time, costs, emotion. The one thing, a painting, that I did sell I had first offered to a charity shop but they were not interested. I had had it valued by an auction house at £250-400 so I thought the charity might be interested. I sold the painting by auction for £2000 and was grateful. I don't miss it. As a child I loved the painting, as an adult I did not like it. I hope whoever has it enjoys it.
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Post by glowworm on May 24, 2008 20:12:50 GMT -5
I collect colections.
I recently found a couple of little places in my area that will sell stuff on eBay for a small fee. I think it's done as a percentage of the profit. They handle everything. You just drop the stuff off with them, and after it's sold, they give you the check minus their commission.
I have a couple of things that I'm going to get rid of this way. When I get around to it.
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Post by crazycatlady on May 24, 2008 22:55:47 GMT -5
As an update, I bagged up most of the McDonald toys. There are just a few that I can't seem to let go. I started having trouble with the beanie babies. I had them all set and ready to go, but then I found a little tupperware tub full of those mini McDonald beanie babies. They were all sealed in the original packaging, and they looked so nice packed in their little tub, I just couldn't part with them. The entire collection was there! It caused me too much anxiety trying to put them in the box with the rest of the beanie babies. So I'm sorry to say that I left them in their little tub and stuffed them back up in the closet. On the bright side, I parted with all but one bell. (It was pretty, and I liked it. As long as I don't sit here with an entire collection, I think it's okay to have one bell in the house. ) I even parted with some of my porcelain dolls. I might have overpriced them though. I priced them for less than what I bought them for, but it is a garage sale. From my garage sale experience I know that most people expect garage sale items to be dirt cheap. My dolls are cheap but possibly not cheap enough. I decided if they don't sale tomorrow, then I'll lower the price before I put them back out on Saturday. I really need to get rid of this stuff. That was the whole point of having the garage sale in the first place. I want to purge myself of all this stuff! It would be a shame if I ended up lugging it all back in the house come Sunday.
I bought some of the McDonalds beanie babies at garage sales long ago. One great thing about them is that they are little and cute, and while I doubt they will ever be worth a lot of money, I think that they will always be something fun for a little kid. I saved the ones I got for a while, then slowly gave them out.
You made a great start on letting stuff go. Please be very proud and encouraging to yourself! Do NOT be hard on yourself when you are doing so well! |
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Post by fluffychild on May 25, 2008 12:21:37 GMT -5
I can get rid of most of my things without too many problems. The exception for me is the Avon Soaps that I collected over 20 years ago - they sit in a box taking up space in the kitchen. My problem comes to get rid of my late families items. I have almost all of my mother's clothes and she was a lot smaller than me. Emotionally I have a hard time with that. My mother also collected first edition books, old car ads, old coke ads - she was always hoping that they would appreciate in value. I try not to bring something into the house that I will not use. One of my problems is the hardware store habit - this week - if you spend $10.00 at the hardware store, you get 19 items free. Some of the items I know that I can use. Sometimes, I try to give it to the neighbors - one neighbor will take anything - I just put it in a plastic bag or toss it over the fence in one area. How do you cope with the emotions that are involved in someone else's things?
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Post by entropy on May 25, 2008 16:37:02 GMT -5
Wow, I didn't realize that so many people are like me and hang on to collections of various things. Almost all of the clutter in my house (and there is a lot of it!) is stuff I have trouble parting with because I'm sure I'll be wasting money. I am trying to part with some things, but it goes very slowly, since I keep bringing home more. I do make some money from selling things, but it is so much work that I am not sure if it is worth it. I am ashamed to admit that I am seriously addicted to thrifts stores. I used to collect books, but have only about two boxes left to dispose of, besides what will fit into two bookcases. Then I started collecting toys and buying children's clothes when I was blessed with grandchildren. I have furniture that "has so much potential", but isn't usable now. I have gotten rid of some of it, but I still have a basement that has broken chairs, a coffee table base, etc. I get a high from finding a treasure at the thrift, but often feel almost sick when I bring it home, because I know that is one more thing to dispose of in some way. I almost feel like this a first step as in AA or Alanon: admitting I am powerless and that my life has become unmanageable!
Well, I feel a little better having confessed...
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Post by disarray on May 26, 2008 0:04:11 GMT -5
Thanks Crazycatlady! You're right! I did make a good start in letting stuff go!  Fluffychild, I can relate. I think it's a lot harder to give away items my family gave me. My grandmother bought me this really large gorilla stuffed animal years ago (because I also collect gorilla/monkey stuff). She even wrote a cute little saying on the tag. But that thing was so large! It took up a lot of space. Not only that, but I had mice running through the house a few years ago, and they especially liked the corner the gorilla was in. I no longer have mice, and the gorilla is in great condition, but I mentally I associate the gorilla with mice now. That's not what you want to associate your cuddly stuffed animal with!  So I did sale it on the garage sale. I was tempted to cut the tag off with the cute message from my grandmother and keep that, but then I thought, "I have a lot of stuff to help me remember my grandmother. I have tapes, pictures, other items she's given me, and other notes and cards she's written for me. I don't need to add this to the pile of things I rarely look at." So I left the tag on, and the gorilla sold quite quickly! Anyway, if you think something has sentimental/emotional value, but you don't use it and don't want it taking up space in the house, then perhaps you could take a picture of it. That way you'll still be able to remember that person because you'll have a picture of the item they gave you. A photo album full of pictures takes up a lot less space than the actual items. Well my garage sale was successful. I made about eighty dollars. My sister made over two hundred dollars! She definitely doesn't hang onto anything! Even I was buying some of her stuff. It was still in such good condition! This is kind of funny. My sister was trying to sell a bathroom set that she had paid around eighty dollars for (shower curtain, toilet seat, bathroom accessories, everything). She was trying to sell it for fifty. A used bathroom set. It didn't sell the first day, so she was considering going down on it. She was talking it out with me and explaining, "Well if I go down to thirty, then I'll be fifty dollars in the hole." I just thought it was funny that she thinks the same way I do. I tried to explain to her that the money she spent on it is gone. Anything she can make off of it is pure profit. I sold probably about half of my McD toys. None of my beanie babies sold. My porcelain dolls didn't sale at all the first day. I lowered the price on Saturday, and two sold. The ones that didn't sale I packed into the garage. I guess I'll try again at the next garage sale. I had four vintage big-eyed bradley dolls. At one time I collected them. Since they're so old, I checked ebay only to find they weren't selling too well. Plus mine all had defects. I knew if I attempted to sale them on ebay, they certainly wouldn't go with the defects listed. So I put them on the yard sale for three dollars each. They didn't sale Friday. I really wanted to get rid of them, so the next day I put a sign up saying they were a dollar each. They sold to a young girl probably in her pre-teens. She bought all four. I asked her if she collected them and she nodded. I'm so glad they went to someone who is actually going to value them! I had them packed away where they never saw the light of day, but I like to imagine her having a whole room of them all displayed. I know she's going to value and enjoy them more than me, and that makes me so happy! I think one of the reasons I have such a hard time letting things go so cheap is due to my mother's attitude toward things. She walked around my garage sale telling me everything was under-priced. I told her I sold all my Bradley dolls, and she was shocked saying, "A dollar a piece! Yeah, I bet they went. Those were antiques! You shouldn't have sold them that cheap!" It seems as though if something sells, she thinks it's too cheap. I want to get rid of this stuff! It's good that it sold. |
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Post by canna on May 26, 2008 8:29:58 GMT -5
Disarray:
"I'm so glad they went to someone who is actually going to value them! I had them packed away where they never saw the light of day, but I like to imagine her having a whole room of them all displayed. I know she's going to value and enjoy them more than me, and that makes me so happy!"
How nice!
I had a lot of dishes which I inherited from my aunt. There were a LOT of boxes of them, service for about 20 people! They were very pretty the old glass Avon Ruby Red dishes. But way too many of them. I never used them. Yes, stored in boxes in the closet for years. I took most of them to a consignment shop just after Thanksgiving, for sale before Christmas. They were displayed under bright lights and looked so pretty in the shop. They sold just before Christmas. I felt a little guilty getting rid of Auntie's dishes. But know that someone else had use for them and really liked them is a nice thought! I have kept just a few of the red dishes for keepsake. The shop owner told me that the lady who bought them was just thrilled with them, thought they were beautiful. They are. Valued and in use!
When we think of it that way, it helps....
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Post by ramatama on May 26, 2008 17:27:20 GMT -5
what makes a collection? there are books written on this! thousands of museums in real and probably as many, if not more in virtual format...( soon to be joined by YT's virtual museum! ) and many of these began as idiosyncrasies. I shall have to go back to the original site to see if i can find the post (about 4 years or more ago, when i first joined) with the list of all the stuff i tend to collect...and perhaps even cross out stuff i no longer collect!.  But to comment on previous posts, i too would like to see the items collected by me, or by my mother -and passed on to me- going to people who really like them. In my case, whether the items are of great monetary value or not, is secondary for me. When reading what disarray went through, i wished i could just go over and say : i so do understand! really truly, i do. So am saying it now:-) |
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Post by disarray on May 26, 2008 22:19:53 GMT -5
Canna, yes it does help to think about it that way! It's so much easier to let go of things when you know they're going to a good home.
Thanks for your understanding ramatama! It means a lot to me! I just read your collection/hoarding post, and I'm off to post on it! Boy do I have a lot to list...
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Post by threeg on May 27, 2008 12:18:38 GMT -5
I collect bears and dolls mostly. When I moved, I gave away quite a few dolls. (I'm still amazed that I did it,  .) I gave 2 to my sister, a few to a doll collecting co-worker, and one to a woman resident at the nursing home where I work. She was so happy that she almost cried! I donated tons of bears to charity, but kept my Boyd's bears and a few others. I gave a whole Mickey Mouse collection to an elderly woman. (I really don't know how that got started, as Mickey was never my favorite.) Many of those were McDonald's toys, and none were really old. The only McDonald's toys I kept are the Madame Alexander dolls. I had a few Beanie babies, and I sold the oldest one on Ebay while they were "hot." I will be donating the rest, as they have little value now. There are few things that I miss since my last purge. I'm enjoying the added space a lot more than collections I have no room for, and would have to store in bins. 3g is me |
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Post by puppybox on May 27, 2008 12:41:37 GMT -5
There was a great article in a magazine recently, maybe the Oprah magazine about unwanted collections
This woman got a gift of something like a soap shaped like a hamburger from her new mother-in-law. For some random reason she decided to say:
WOW, Thankyou! I JUST LOVE food shaped objects. (when she had no particular feeling for them and infact didn't even like that one item much)
Everyone in the family found out so only bought her food shaped vases, timers, etc etc etc until her house was filled witha colelction she never wanted.
Finally she told everyone to stop. (about 9 years later) and got rid of the stuff.
Now she is resolved to say:
"Thankyou, I just love YOU " instead.
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