My DH's family is close to hoarding. They "collect." If they like something, they want ALL of it. His mom likes framed old group photos and ended up with hundreds and no room to hang them. They own three complete sets of china, and only use one. His dad collects globes and flashlights and, for some mysterious reason, Breyer horses and it's no longer possible to see out the window of his study with all the globes piled in front of it. They live in a small cottage and are always broke. When the kids suggest getting rid of some stuff, they say "This is your inheritance--you can sell all this on eBay someday." They keep a storage space, so the house (except for the study) is not scarily cluttered, which I think allows them to say that they don't have a problem.

When we are packing for our move, I am the one who has to say to my spouse stuff like "Yes, it's good to have a circular saw, but we don't need THREE circular saws." It's hard for him, but he also doesn't want to live like his parents, in thrall to stuff.

Oh yeah, Sophia, I know those feels.

I have a friend whose parents live in rural IN and have a barn, which they need for her father's collections. One of the things he collects is vintage apple cider presses.

My DH's family is close to hoarding. They "collect." If they like something, they want ALL of it.

DH has an aunt and uncle who are similar - they travel a lot and collect art, antiques, furniture, books, knick-knacks. Mostly very high quality stuff, but their apartment is so overstuffed that you can barely walk around in it.

It's heartbreaking to realize the things people keep because "they'll be valuable someday" are objectively worthless. I have trouble getting rid of wood things because a tree died for that thingie. I wanted to have a giant bonfire of stuff, but city zoning frowns on such things.

I don't want to go to the thrift store where I donated so much stuff, because I don't want to see the things that were loved sitting there unwanted.

If I end up on Hoarders, it will be me and a house full of Xmas tree ornaments.

I had to relocate multiple boxes-worth of stuff, mostly books, out of the spare room to the garage, because I've got family coming for a visit. My mother suggested I should get a storage space, but I know myself well enough to know what a huge mistake that would be. Just like when you get a bigger purse, the stuff expands to fill available space. I hate how cluttered and crowded I let stuff get, but I know that hating it is the only way I'll ever do anything about it.

My mother at one point counted her antique china (one specific pattern of what's actually earthenware) and realized she had place settings for 32. That's a Victorian place setting - dinner plate, breakfast plate, lunch plate, bread and salad plates, butter pats, coffee cups, tea cups, multiple coffee/tea pots, serving dishes and platters, one complete washstand set (large basin, cold water pitcher, hot water pitcher, tooth mug, case for toothbrush, chamber pot with lid and waste jar) plus assorted other pieces.

Wow, don't you need an entire butler's pantry to store that large a service?

That's a Victorian place setting - dinner plate, breakfast plate, lunch plate, bread and salad plates, butter pats, coffee cups, tea cups, multiple coffee/tea pots, serving dishes and platters, one complete washstand set (large basin, cold water pitcher, hot water pitcher, tooth mug, case for toothbrush, chamber pot with lid and waste jar) plus assorted other pieces.

swoon

If my kitchen weren't so short on storage, I would have this problem. I love buying dinnerware.