STBX is having to go through a bunch of boxes we brought home from his father's after he had passed. These boxes have been in the back of the garage and untouched for over 6 years.

We definitely have trouble getting rid of stuff at our place, which everyone that has helped us move has been quick to make note of. TCG has boxes and boxes of who knows what, and I have a zillion books, teacups, and various other things. I always make up boxes of stuff to send to charity before we move, but we're still always left with too much stuff.

~ma to alls what needs it.

I'm supposed to go to Glen Ivy spa tomorrow with Mom and my nieces for their 21st birthday present. The girls have not been keeping in touch with their grandma about plans. At this point I dunno if it's going to happen and I'm thinking I'd be happier if it doesn't. I had planned on getting a massage but the cheapest one (besides a foot massage) is $125!

With my grandparents' stuff, we've got a few things that might be valuable. Several boxes of German and Hebrew books from the 1800s. What we need to do is find someone to appraise them, but right now, they're just sitting in cardboard boxes in the flood-prone basement.

Hil - have you checked w. a place like the Philadelphia Print Shop?

I am the anti-packrat. I really don't get why people keep tons of stuff they will never use.

Because, I've moved so much, the only I tend to hoard is boxes. Right now I have some stuff still in boxes because I moved into a furnished place, but generally I have one box that is "souvenir" oriented (i.e., stuff you never use), otherwise, everything is out and used at least once a year.

We haven't checked there. I'm sure there's somewhere in NY that can do the appraisal, but first we've got to sort through for things we want to keep (like prayer books with family information written inside the covers -- I think I sorted out all of those, but I'm not positive), and then just get to the point where my dad is able to part with them. I've suggested that, if there's anything that's of historical value but not much personal value, we could see if we could donate it to the Leo Baeck Institute, which is focused on German-Jewish history, and he agreed to that, but what we're left with is really a whole bunch of things like novels or non-fiction books that aren't worth much to collectors because there were a zillion of them printed, and aren't worth much to us because we can't even read them.

A blog that I've found pretty helpful for figuring out how to deal with stuff is [link] . They've even got a tag for "inherited clutter."

I am a horrible horrible pack-rat. I come from a long-line of pack-rats. You people have heard the stories of my magical storage heap room, which occasionally manifests clothing I have no memory of buying.

On the one hand, I know I don't need to keep all the stuff I do. On the other hand, what if I'm in the middle of a project and I NEED that box of random lace, ribbon, and feathers? Not to mention the random bits of sparkly jewelry? But I'm getting better. I don't buy things at thrift stores unless I absolutely know what project they're going to be used for. And not every stuffed bunny needs to come home and join the Evil Bunny Alliance.

This fall is when I do the final big clear-out of the storage room. I'd do it sooner, but I have to finish writing the book first.

One of the issues sometimes is that a hoarder sort of anthropomorphizing the objects, and ascribes them feelings.

My god, this is me, especially with anything made of durable materials. I hate the idea of it taking up landfill space, but my stuff is too old and used to be worth much, even at a yardsale. And I feel like I'm disrespecting the trees that gave their lives when I think of throwing away stuff made of wood. That's why I try to burn things, it satisfies the Viking in me--but annoys the neighbors.

Hubby hates giving away things to strangers, because he wants to benefit the people we know who have been of such help to us, but they don't want our old stuff. Hubby is not much with the "benefit humanity at large" thing.

Going through my mother-in-law's stuff now that she's gone, I always feel like I'm passing judgement on her that I don't have the right to, deciding something she loved should be thrown away. I think there needs to be more options for funeral pyres built on the stuff that people have collected that no one else wants.