h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Inspired by F78319?thread=511043 I am sure loads of us have clutter at home.

So
- how long do you keep stuff?
- do you continually de-clutter or have an annual (or even less regular) "Mount-Vernonising purge"?
- How do you go about throwing things away?
- do you sell it at sales, give it away, or just dump it?

And -

What have you got for sale? What are you asking for it? (Serious and non-serious offers allowed!)

For a start - I've got about an 8 ft pile high of women's magazines in various languages dating back to about 1976. The best recipes and knitting patterns have all been cut out. Five pounds ONO.

If it turns out we're not allowed to trade - even fi it is in a jovial fashion, just stick to recounting your de-cluttering policies.

I've still I think got a old HP flatbed scanner with powerpak I think, no box, no manuals no disks free to a good home so long as you'l pay postage of pick it up at a meet one old computer chair, free to who ever wants to collect the thing, what else... heck I coudl get rid of most of my stuff and still not mind anyone want to buy any dust?

Ahh, I've a several year old, but never used Fostex FD4 digital four track thing, in box, with zip drive and stuff, someone more technical might want to use? no idea how much worth now cost a fortune at the time

'How long do you keep stuff?'

Until it becomes useful or comes back into fashion....If it is a book, then it is kept forever. I have been known to throw out yoghurts past their sell-by date


'Do you continually de-clutter or have an annual (or even less regular) "Mount-Vernonising purge"?'

Only if I move which was about once a year, but I've been static for 4 years now.


'How do you go about throwing things away?'

Usually a case of Mum paying a visit to use the washing machine and having a general "tidy-up" while she waits for the cycle to finish. As I never find it after her "tidy-up" I can only assume it has been binned.


'Do you sell it at sales, give it away, or just dump it?'

By the time any object is redundant it is usually so old or worn out, it wouldn't fill a niche in a landfill sight.


'What have you got for sale? What are you asking for it? (Serious and non-serious offers allowed!)'

I did have 5 years backlog of MacUser and MacFormat magazines up until last Sunday, which I've just recycled, before this site was up so.....what have I got???
A 5 year old Umax scanner, a revision B blue 233Mhz 4Gb iMac, with Epson 640 printer, 120Mb SuperDisk drive, an iomega 100Mb zip drive, and an Ikea computer desk....... any iMac G5 computer or 40Gb iPod seems a fair exchange.....

'How long do you keep stuff?'

That depends on what it is. Books, I either read once and then sell or trade, or else keep them for posterity. Music I usually keep as well, I've only ever sold CDs because I was short on cash due to illness or unemployment or something. Clothing I get rid of twice a year, anything I haven't worn in the past year goes. I'm actually quite a packrat, so I don't usually get rid of "junk" or little knick-knacks unless I break something or re-gift it. I clean out the fridge once a week (except for the condiments) and the freezer once a month.

'Do you continually de-clutter or have an annual (or even less regular) "Mount-Vernonising purge"?'

I only do major de-cluttering when I move, or when I get exasperated at not being able to find anything. Otherwise, I don't de-clutter very often. Fortunately, I have very well-organized clutter!

'How do you go about throwing things away?'

When it comes down to finally throwing things away, I go on a mad rampage and get rid of anything in my path that I forsee no immediate use for.

'Do you sell it at sales, give it away, or just dump it?'

Books, videos, and music I've lost interest in I sell at used shops, for store credit which can be used to get more stuff. Clothing I give to charity, or hand down to friends. Everything else I usually just dump.

'What have you got for sale? What are you asking for it? (Serious and non-serious offers allowed!)'

Two grocery sacks full of CDs and cassette tapes, two bags of paperback books, eight DVDs, an old dot matrix printer with a full ream of paper, a Nordic Trak with an odometer and a floor mat, a stationary bicycle, a belted black leather jacket, a black Coach handbag and wallet. Any reasonable offer will be accepted. Probably best for local buyers only.

I also have around 15 extra pounds I'd be happy to give anyone who wants to put on some weight.

How long do you keep stuff for?

Well I've still got records and books from the early 70s
the books may get reread ocasionally and when I get my new turntable the records will be played

Do you continually de-clutter or have an annual (or even less regular) "Mount-Vernonising purge"?

No, only when I move home
I've been in my present flat for less than a year but the 1 before I was in for about 10 years so it was very cluttered

How do you go about throwing things away?

In a panic when they won't all fit in the van when I'm moving. Usually something gets chucked that I'd rather have kept and lots of junk goes to the new place.

Do you sell it at sales, give it away, or just dump it?

In the unlikely event that I'm chucking something out thats still useable offer it to the family first and if they don't want it take it to Oxfam.

Remembered this little quiz found by Hellboundforjoy
http://www.clutterersanonymous.net/20questions.html/
If you get 4 or more yeses you're a clutterer apparently
I got 15

Thanks for posting that here BC, I was gonna but you beat me! And just so youse know, I didn't create the quiz, just posted a link to it!

How long do you keep stuff?
- Far too long, forever if I could
Do you continually de-clutter or have an annual (or even less regular) "Mount-Vernonising purge"?
- , no
How do you go about throwing things away?
- See above
Do you sell it at sales, give it away, or just dump it? -
It just doesn't go away

And -

What have you got for sale? What are you asking for it? (Serious and non-serious offers allowed!)
- Actually, seriously, I have this car...

*Sets up skip, trestle tables, blanket on ground and large area cordoned off with road works tape. Rummages in bags brought in by Psychocandy*

What's on those 8 DVD's?

That quiz isn't fair - how can anyone answer "no" to all those questions?

Trillian's Child, the eight DVDs consist of a few bargains I bought myself, watched once, and can live without, and a few gifts which weren't my cup of tea anyway. They are:

1) Gladiator
2) Masters of Tiger Crane (martial arts flick)
3) Gothic
4) Wes Craven's Chiller
5) Spooks Run Wild (Bowery Boys & Bela Lugosi)
6) Austin Powers in Goldmember
7)Runaway Jury (yuk)
8)St Elmo's Fire (yuk yuk yuk)

oh, and a ninth:

9) America's Sweethearts (puke)

Was gona trade them in for store credit at Blockbuster, in case I ever go there, but I missed the sale for being too lazy.

If I could get round to collecting it up I'd probably be able to fill a car boot with just dust.

In exchange for your "Gladiator" DVD?

Hmm, exchange dust for the "Gladiator" DVD? Lemme see.... well, I'm actually pretty good with dust right now. Anything else you'd like to swap?

(Seriously, too, although I'm not sure where you're located. It's region 1 encoded, so only works on US or region-free machines.)

About a year ago I started going to a 12 step group for clutterers. There's link to it earlier on this thread. You asked how can you answer "no" to all those questions but it's more a matter of answering "yes" to enough of them that it bothers you. My problem wasn't so much stuff though I have plenty of it it was and remains paper. Like the enormous amounts of junk mail we get in Usa. And all the receipts and other pieces of paper you pick up through out the day.

As far as stuff. I do have some issues with getting rid of stuff but mostly due to lazyness. Like I have this really nice espresso maker which doesn't work. I have tried to fix it but I couldn't. It is not a brand of espresso maker which is sold in Usa and there doesn't seem to be any place to take it. But I keep the d*mn thing cause cause if it worked it would be a nice machine and *someone* would be able to fix it and use it. My plan is to list it on a free on line want ad page sometime soon. That's the kind of unnecessary thing I keep.

I am moving in January and will be forced to get rid of a lot of stuff. I look forward to having less stuff but I am not looking forward to having to make decisions on what to keep and what to toss.

My big test is comign after Christmas when I aim to get rid of somewhere between a quarter and a half of all my belongings as I have far too much stuff; I'd like to be 'compact' as I was when living in flats or a single room/two rooms, so I have more space in me house now i have one to move and store stuff when* needed plus it'l make it esier if I hav eto move if I get a job out of the area

My "test" will come in late May or early June when my boyfriend moves in. He's already firmly admonished me not to get rid of anythign with serious sentimental value that I might regret tossing one day... but I do want to get rid of a lot of clutter. I also keep a lot of scrap paper- not so much junk mail as ATM and debit receipts, etc. Sometimes my bills get paid late because they get lost in a pile of clutter. I also want to get rid of these old clothes (haven't arranged a Goodwill pickup yet), and sell a bunch of these books and CDs. I'm going to the used bookstore with two grocery sacks of books tomorrow, but I'm also likely to buy a few. Especially if I find a reasonably priced copy of either "The Will to Power" or "The Very Bad Profession of Johnathan Hoag".

I also really need to find a consignment shop to take the rowing machine and stationary bicycle, as I don't have space for them.

You know it's time to *get rid* after passing the local 'crap$ converters' you notice them selling things many, many generations newer than the things you own.



For example: HP ES Intel 286 12Mhz(*1) on a PC Chips motherboard, 640Kb RAM, with 10Mb Seagate MFM HD (5.25" HH), Intel Above board populated to 128Kb (1MB max), 1.2Mb 5.25" FDD and a modern (as in 1982) 1.44Mb 3.5" FDD, complete with origional Disks, DOS 3.3, BIOS set-up, HD 'PARK' utility, 256 colour VGA graphics card (640 * 480). Spare WD HD COM(2) & printer(2), 4 16 bit ISA and 1 8 bit slots free. Even has a socket ready for a 287 co-processor, so you have an upgrade option.(*1) You can turbo-down to 8Mhz for software compatability.



It's stuck out in the garage, not used for years, but I'd bet cold cash it will boot first time, and you could produce a letter using the installed WordPerfect, not a bet I'd make about anything running Windows 9x or later.



Keep meaning to take it to the dump (recycling center) for scrap but...

It looks like the systems in each country are so different for disposing of what you are throwing out.

What is a "consignment shop"?

Its where you buy a Con or a sign or a mint.OBVIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!