When I realized I am (was!) a stage-1 hoarder

August 5, 2013 Lady

One of my main goals as we prepped for our big move was to have a massive garage sale. And I am talking massive. My idea going into the sale was that if I didn’t love it, then I would sell it.

I am ready for a change in style and no longer want to tote bins and boxes from house to house as we live our lives.

So, a week and a half before the garage sale was to be held, I went down into my inlaws’ bunker to go through everything we (mostly I) had been storing for four years. Or… my entire life, really. We didn’t have a garage at our house, or a storage closet, for that matter, so it all went into “The Bunker” to be forgotten about.

Brace yourselves… it’s bad.

This insanity included my entire old classroom, (from when I was a teacher) baby items, home decor, old photo albums, games, camping equipment, our old clothes, suitcases, sporting gear and on and on. The majority was teaching materials and baby items, but it took me a good eight or so hours to go through it all and “sort” what I would keep, throw away and sell.

Being a sentimental person has made me into somewhat of a hoarder, I have realized. I would say a stage-1 hoarder.

Maybe you’re thinking stage-2?

I have come to fully admit this. I think that’s the first step in recovery, right?

“What on earth was exactly in ALL of those bins?” you may be wondering?

Example: I had a bin of wedding “stuff.” Cards, itineraries from our special day, signs we used, decor, etc. What do you do with all of those wedding cards!?

I stored them.

I then came across the things I made in a ceramics class I took in college. Probably six different large-ish…. “masterpieces.” Or so I thought at the time.

Yes, that is a giant giraffe head. And I just had to decide, do I want to be the person that hoards giraffe heads?

No. No, I don’t. So, I pitched it all.

In fact, I threw away a ton. A TON.

But then I came across the baby clothes, and how do your ovaries not ache just a little when you see things like this?

I had so many bins of baby clothes, though, that I may or may not ever use again. So, I decided right then and there that I would keep the ones that meant something to me, like the outfits my children came home from the hospital in, the shirt Gwyn wore when we announced another pregnancy, etc. But the rest, I would give away or sell. If we decide to have another baby down the road, then we will deal with that then.

I also came across photo albums from my childhood and high school, and took some time to walk down memory lane.

And I found bins and bins of materials and books. In my classroom I had enough books for my own library. I loved having books my students enjoyed reading, so I collected more and more.

Since “The Bunker” didn’t have windows, I got quite the workout down in there. I sorted, sifted, and trashed, only taking a break for a Subway sandwich.

Disclaimer-not all of what you see in these photos was ours. My inlaws gave us a portion of the bunker to store our things, so SOME of that doesn’t belong to us.

Yeah, yeah. Excuses, excuses, I know.

And eight hours later… I was done.

I realize it looks WAY worse than when I started, but I had gone through everything, and everything you see above was going in a garage sale, which was already becoming a relief.

Since we didn’t have a garage, and my inlaws’ driveway was being re-paved, I was in somewhat of a pickle as to where to hold my sale.

Luckily, my best friend was gracious enough to offer her garage and home for my sale.

I tried to prepare her for what she was agreeing to, but she didn’t even bat an eye. And THAT, is a reason in itself why she is my best pal.

So, The Hubby and I took three loads of crap to her house in The Hubby’s truck and I stored it in her garage for a few days before I could organize and price it.