October Purge

[Teacher Terry]

At one point we had 40 boxes of books. Sold a bunch to professional book sellers and then donated the rest. Now I only read on kindle.

[iris lilies]

Need help on deciding what to do with these items that are in my garage in NJ. My son will be purchasing the house at the end of the month and so we have to finally just come to terms with the rest of our stuff that's in the garage and basement. In particular, my son has the township bulk trash truck coming on Wednesday to get rid of some of their old furniture and a piano. He is giving us the opportunity to trash the half dozen big items of ours that remain in the garage.

Here is a description of the things on the list--can you please let me know if you think I should sell or trash these items?

1) An Eastlake dresser with mirror that used to be in the summer cottage I stayed in. It's in very good condition.

2) 2 tiger maple twin bed fourposters that used to be my great-aunt's. They are part of a bedroom set--my VT son has the dresser, and my NJ son is using the end table. The problem with the beds are they are unusable because of the archaic frame--no mattress would fit unless I had a carpenter come and update the frame. But who even would want two twin fourposters anyway?? I'm tempted to dump them but the wood headboards and footboards are very nice.

3) 70's era round Ethan Allen table with 4 rush ladder back chairs. They were my mother's. They are in OK condition--refinishing or painting would probably do them good, but they are as solid as a rock.

4) A large antique natural wood plate rack. We bought it at a consignment shop but it's way too big for our little house now. I bought it for $65 I think about 15 years ago and it's still in very good condition.

I think that's it! Should I try to sell these items? Should I keep and store any? (in particular I hate to give up the Eastlake dresser.). Any opinions?

crap…I need a set of antique twin beds! Too bad you are so far away. My personal carpenter could fix them up. But if they require too much work, no one will want them. So, you never used them?

The Eastlake dresser is practically worthless, useful only to people who will give it a coat of chalk paint.

At this point in our lives, I cannot understand hanging on to furnishings I don’t have a place for. If you dont have a place for them now, you never will. If your children dont wish to be burdened with them, let them go.

They are just things.

I’m twisting myself into a pretzel trying to figure out a way to use a glass chandelier that will not work in my condo or in my Hermann house. It has slight sentimental value but really I just want to keep it because it’s pretty and what if I need it someday? But then where am I going to use it “someday?” If not in my next two abodes. I’m 67 years old, last abodes will not accomodate glass chandeliers. I need fo let this idea go, or just strip off the dangly glass bits and toss the rest.

[iris lilies]

rosarugosa: Thanks, our goal is for every book to fit on the bookshelves with the only exceptions being library books and books we're actively reading. Having to be creative since area thrift stores and the friends of the library are not accepting donations due to lack of storage space. We're also buying fewer paper books, husband has kindle unlimited and I have found a bunch of free anthologies on the kindle.

After my big book weeding project last year, I find myself in the enviable position of having more bookshelves than books in our future houses.

but then I remember that DH has his own books and he will never ever get rid of them, not ever. They will outlive me. But they don’t get to sit in bookcases necessarily although I may let him have a couple of shelves. If this sounds controlling just know that he has college science textbooks squirreled away that he will never ever get rid of. That is a level of hoarding I won’t support in my home. If he wants to keep them packed up in a box somewhere that is his business.

[Teacher Terry]

Catherine, if your kids don’t want the items and you don’t have room at your house then time to let them go. I had a full size walnut Eastlake bed from 1840 in perfect condition. It took me 6 months to sell it for 250.

[Yppej]

Tags off some clothes I have now worn and washed enough I know I will not return them. I had 14 tags from 3 garments. This industry isn't very eco-friendly.

I am also starting a project I do each year to go through my recipe binder, retry all the recipes, and cull as appropriate.

[Tybee]

I love the recipe idea, Yppej. I have a binder and keep meaning to do this. Then I get all excited reading all the different recipes, and then I never get to cooking them.

Burnt four grocery bags of papers I brought home from my parents' house. I burned my grandmother's medical bills from 1965! Feel like I am releasing their spirits so they can be at peace.

[Teacher Terry]

Now with everything online no need to keep most paper bills so much less for heirs to deal with. I get all my bills digitally.

[ejchase]

We gave away 12 books of my daughter's to a friend who is a third grade teacher trying to build a classroom library.

[Teacher Terry]

I didn’t sell my dog crate at my friend’s garage sale and I also have 2 bags of clothes that are too big for me. My son is also gathering stuff for the thrift store.

[Yppej]

File this under accidental decluttering - I have lost a cardigan sweater. I think I left it at the last Board of Health meeting. I had debated throwing it out last year, since it's brown which doesn't look good on me since I let my hair go gray, but I wore it there because I'm going to look ugly anyways with a mask covering half my face. Then it got warm and I took it off and left it on the back of my chair.