2021 Decluttering Thread

[disneysteve]

More time in the garage today. I packed one carton for Goodwill and have another one just about packed. More stuff into the trash and recycling, too. Hoping to do at least one more session in there while I'm off this week, but that's at least 8 cartons to Goodwill so far (plus the trash). I listed another item on Marketplace too.

I also started a box of stuff to sell on ebay or Marketplace. I think my "job" when I retire in a few years is going to be selling regularly. We have a lot of collectibles that are in demand and of value. I just don't have the time to deal with it all while I'm working.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I am done with girl scout cookie sales. I turned in what my troop didn't sell and I'm done! Ha. Broke down every box and returned unsold boxes this morning. So much relief! Of course i have two orders not picked up yet but still it's not terrible. And I need to reconcile the boxes.

[disneysteve]

The stuff that some people will pay money for........? Lol

Clearly you’re not a collector.

Paper ephemera items are highly collectible. Brochures, maps, guide books, promotional items. Generally speaking, items that weren’t intended to be saved are often the ones most sought after by collectors.

[kork13]

Sold another ebay item tonight. $16.50 for the sales brochures we got when we did a Disney timeshare tour years ago. Been taking up space on a shelf ever since.

The stuff that some people will pay money for........? Lol

[disneysteve]

Sold another ebay item tonight. $16.50 for the sales brochures we got when we did a Disney timeshare tour years ago. Been taking up space on a shelf ever since.

[bjl584]

Found a buyer for an old shower insert in my basement, so that goes next weekend.
Also found a taker for an extra electric kitchen stove that I have, so that is gone next week too.

[disneysteve]

I worked in the garage today. I broke down a bunch of boxes that had accumulated, tossed a number of items in the trash and listed one on Marketplace. Most significantly, I took a carload to Goodwill. I think there were 6 carton boxes plus a stack of loose items. I also took a trash bag full of clothes we had accumulated inside. The garage remains a work in progress but it definitely looks more open in there.

My wife did some organizing in her sewing room today also. I gave away a sewing cabinet she no longer wanted, a tote bag, a container, and listed one item on Marketplace.

[disneysteve]

I went in the basement tonight. I packed one large carton box for Goodwill. I need to go that way tomorrow so I will drop it off. Then I photographed and listed a bunch of old camera equipment on Marketplace. Hopefully that sells. I'll give it away if it doesn't but it's worth quite a bit more than I'm asking for it so I'd like to get some money out of it.

[disneysteve]

I emptied and sorted through both desk drawers tonight. I threw out a bunch of old markers, more pre-printed address labels (free from various charities) than I could ever possibly use, and some other things. I recycled a bunch of notepads that will never get used. I put the checkbook from our now-closed HELOC in the shred pile. Several staplers, a bunch of rulers, and other assorted office-type things will go to Goodwill. I filed my quarterly sales tax returns in the tax file for each year.

There are still a slew of post-it notes and more staples than we will use in our lifetime. I have to find someone who can use some of those.

I also cleaned a bunch of papers off the computer desk and got rid of a pile of papers that had accumulated on top of the shredder. To be honest, I couldn't tell you the last time we used the shredder. I take everything to work to shred, but I'm hesitant to get rid of ours. Some day in the not too distant future when I don't have a job to go to anymore, I'll want us to have our own. Silly to get rid of it now just to have to buy a new one 3 or 4 years from now.

[disneysteve]

Another ebay item sold. One that is active now has a bid so that will sell.

I'm off for the next 10 days and plan to spend time attacking the clutter.

[disneysteve]

I went through more old paper ephemera today. Most went in the recycling bin. A select few things were saved. Two items were listed on eBay and one already has a bid.

My two ebay auctions both sold, one for $10 and one for $23.50 - for things that have been taking up space literally for decades and that most sane people would have tossed in the trash.

[disneysteve]

I went through more old paper ephemera today. Most went in the recycling bin. A select few things were saved. Two items were listed on eBay and one already has a bid.

There was a very large bag on the floor of a closet that I thought held something else but actually contained a ton of old medical supplies like band aids, medication samples (long expired), gauze pads, and the like. 99% of it went into the trash.

Also in the floor of that closet was a crate filled with old Disney magazines. I really have no attachment to them. In fact I sold a bunch of similar magazines last year. I’m going to sell these also but I know there are more a couple of other places in the house. I want to wait until I get them all together and then I’ll start listing them.

[disneysteve]

I finally hung the paint by number I did a few months back. It's just over my computer so I can appreciate it every day. Up until now, it's been on the floor leaning against the desk or a bookcase.

[srblanco7]

Doing some work in the computer room today. So far:

Listed on Buy Nothing:
Stack of 51CD/DVD cases
Large bag of assorted tech cables
Pair of computer speakers
Portable computer speaker

Several other items went in the trash

Recently completed a master bath update - new shower, flooring, countertop, etc. and in the process tossed about 2 bags worth of miscellaneous items that had accumulated under sinks, in drawers, and in the closet.

I quoted DisneySteve because I'm sitting at a desk that has drawers full of CD/DVD cases and tech cables. That'll be getting cleaned out today. Thanks for the inspiration.

[disneysteve]

I spent about 45 minutes going through a huge folder of sentimental paper memories: ticket stubs, theater playbills, event invitations, postcards, greeting cards, etc. This is the stuff that is among the hardest to purge. It's of no tangible value to me or anyone else but the memories these things evoke are powerful.

I ended up tossing a large pile. I did hold onto quite a few things that are of particular significance: the playbill from the very first show for which I was lighting designer and the one for the first show my future wife and I did together, my med school graduation program, my college graduation invitation, etc. But the bulk of the stuff went into the recycling bin. I had many playbills from shows I don't even remember seeing so there really aren't any memories connected to them. Out they went.

On the other hand, I also found a playbill from a small very-off-Broadway show I saw in 1985 that starred Betty Buckley. I immediately snapped a picture of it and tweeted it to her. I follow her on Twitter and she and I have interacted a few times on there. I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it.

So much more to be done but it felt good to take this step even if it's just scratching the surface.