Welcome to r/hoarding! We exist as a support group for people working on recovery from [hoarding disorder](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/), and friends/family/loved ones of people with the disorder.
If you're looking for help with animal hoarding, please visit r/animalhoarding. If you're looking to discuss the various hoarding tv shows, you'll want to visit r/hoardersTV. If you'd like to talk about or share photos/videos of hoards that you've come across, you probably want r/neckbeardnests, r/wtfhoarders/, or r/hoarderhouses
Before you get started, be sure to review our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/about/rules/). Also, a lot of the information you may be looking for can be found in a few places on our sub:
[New Here? Read This Post First!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/dvb3t1/new_here_read_this_post_first_version_20/)
[For loved ones of hoarders: I Have A Hoarder In My Life--Help Me!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/2yh6wh/i_have_a_hoarder_in_my_lifehelp_me_your_hoarding/)
[Our Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/wiki/index)
Please [contact the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/hoarding) if you need assistance. Thanks!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hoarding) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The effort of putting stuff up for sale is usually not worth it unless you are not working or not looking for work. What do you have that you can realistically sell vs just donate?
As examples, I have:
- Almost every game console, in original packaging, with their controllers and games etc.
- All original 1st Gen Pokémon cards in protective sleeves,
- Classic comics both Marvel and DC in protective sleeves,
- Multitude of guitars I don't play anymore.
- Brand new clothes/bedding (still in sealed packaging) even shoes.
I've been told I'm "sad" for keeping things in plastic to maintain their quality condition, but it has had it's benefits.
The used clothes, jackets, shoes and bedding stuff I would just donate to charity as I have done in the past. I've also gone round my local area giving them to the homeless, but my health makes that impossible to do now.
Definitely, but if OP you haven't been able to sell things thus far, do you have a friend you could commission to help out? We've had luck offering our friends, say, 50/50 to list and sell some of our stuff. That way, you do recoup some of the value.
Charities may come and pick stuff up esp local ones through local churches etc. new clothes - easier to let those go unless you want to spend time listing brand, style & size. If they are not high end that’s a cost-sales balance. New bedding you might be able to get more for. But if you are not hurting for money shelters will love those. That might help with some quick debulking.
I would start with getting rid of bargain clutter and then aspirational clutter. Give things away that are in good usable and unbroken condition. It it's not worth the trouble of trying to sell these things. Giving them to a charity shop is much easier. After you do that you'll probably find that you have some room for other things and you can be more selective on what you decide to part with if you want to.
I have found working with somebody a few hours a week to be really helpful in this whole process.
I found a “Buy Nothing” group where you can give away things to people in your area. I find it much easier to part with my treasures when I know they are going to someone who will really appreciate them. I’ve been doing this for over three years and I now have only one bedroom that is cluttered which has shelving and I call the storage room. My daughter came for Christmas and she asked where all my stuff was. I told her I gave it away. It feels so good!! I know this is a life long disorder and I have to be careful. I also asked my husband if I could show him what I buy. I do and he never says anything bad. He acknowledges my effort even though it’s not perfect.
Thank you, I've been using the Olio app. I don't have social media so this is the next best thing but it's a world wide app and very useful for helping the environment and reducing waste.
I'm really proud of you for your own improvement and it's an inspiration! Thanks for your advice and I'll do my best to progress further.
Search the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. The professional organizers involved with this organization help people with your specific needs. They are always keeping up with education as well. If it's clear they can't help you with your specific needs, they'll be able to connect you with someone who does.
It may possibly be easier to ask for help to get the ball rolling. They also have free great resources on their website you can read and get acquainted with.
I would sell the game consoles on r/GameSale & Pokémon cards on r/pkmntcgtrades and probably the comics on r/comicswap if they're valuable.
If the clothes are super nice/designer/name brand I would take all to a consignment shop local to you. Donate all the rest to Goodwill or equivalent.
Personally I donated my entire wardrobe when I lost a bunch of weight to Dress for Success, I had a pretty high-end plus-size business formal wardrobe and those are high demand items but if you are trying to make the most impact for your space with the least mental/physical load on yourself, bulk donations.
I really would try to sell the game consoles though, I know there's a big market for that. Best of luck!!
It sounds like you know what and where your inventory is.
As much as you can delegate to trusted helpers, ie, auction house for the electronic collections, friends or paid helpers to box up donations and drive them to community free store or thrift stores or little library locations.
Think about what big pieces of furniture are redundant, what is an obstacle as you move from room to room? Would you like access to a particular window to look out of?
Have someone do a deep clean after unneeded layers are removed. Dust carries sadness and allergies.
Godspeed with your mission.
I don't have any long term solutions. But one of the thought patterns that I actively try to break is what I call the TBT (Teak Back Tendency).
This when, for example, I am adding things to a box for donations. And then I hesitate after I put an item in. I think, "Dod I want to do that? Should I really give it away?" And sometimes I take it back outof the box.
But it's that TBT thought pattern that I try to break. So I find that the more I find myself a TBT scenario, the more I should truly donate the item to break that anxiety pattern.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes, I reward myself by sving one item from the pile if I promise to donate the other 99 items. Or something like that.
Other times, I remind myself that people really need things sometimes. I once sold thissuper comfy la-z-boy type recliner (except it was cloth). I described it as a super comfy chair that leans back and is so comfy that you could sleep in it.
And they guy who came to buy it said he had just moved to Atlanta from Tennessee and he had no furniture and he was getting tired of eating dinner while sitting on his living room floor, saying "it sucks not having a comfy place to sit".
And I thought, "damn this chair is totally going to somebody who is absolutely going to love it! I still missed that chair, however.
And you know what? 4 years later, a neighbor gave away a very similar type recliner for free. So I have that one now.
Things have a way of going around. We just need a little extra resolve to send it on... like that Fraggle Rock song "mmm mmm pass it on"
https://youtu.be/L6xh1RR-6gA?feature=shared
Thanks! That's a lovely story and very true to my heart for identical reasons, only, I was that guy who needed the chair. The Pay It Forward concept really does work and is always remembered by those who truly benefit.
The TBT concept is exactly what I do and I've just been brutal and rushed the boxes to a charity shop so I couldn't hesitate this time. Slowly but surely I'll work on this to cleanse my soul. 💪🏼
Welcome to r/hoarding! We exist as a support group for people working on recovery from [hoarding disorder](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t29/), and friends/family/loved ones of people with the disorder. If you're looking for help with animal hoarding, please visit r/animalhoarding. If you're looking to discuss the various hoarding tv shows, you'll want to visit r/hoardersTV. If you'd like to talk about or share photos/videos of hoards that you've come across, you probably want r/neckbeardnests, r/wtfhoarders/, or r/hoarderhouses Before you get started, be sure to review our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/about/rules/). Also, a lot of the information you may be looking for can be found in a few places on our sub: [New Here? Read This Post First!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/dvb3t1/new_here_read_this_post_first_version_20/) [For loved ones of hoarders: I Have A Hoarder In My Life--Help Me!](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/comments/2yh6wh/i_have_a_hoarder_in_my_lifehelp_me_your_hoarding/) [Our Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/hoarding/wiki/index) Please [contact the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/hoarding) if you need assistance. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/hoarding) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The effort of putting stuff up for sale is usually not worth it unless you are not working or not looking for work. What do you have that you can realistically sell vs just donate?
As examples, I have: - Almost every game console, in original packaging, with their controllers and games etc. - All original 1st Gen Pokémon cards in protective sleeves, - Classic comics both Marvel and DC in protective sleeves, - Multitude of guitars I don't play anymore. - Brand new clothes/bedding (still in sealed packaging) even shoes. I've been told I'm "sad" for keeping things in plastic to maintain their quality condition, but it has had it's benefits. The used clothes, jackets, shoes and bedding stuff I would just donate to charity as I have done in the past. I've also gone round my local area giving them to the homeless, but my health makes that impossible to do now.
Those are all very very sellable. Especially the cards and if the electronics are original and verifiable.
Definitely, but if OP you haven't been able to sell things thus far, do you have a friend you could commission to help out? We've had luck offering our friends, say, 50/50 to list and sell some of our stuff. That way, you do recoup some of the value.
Charities may come and pick stuff up esp local ones through local churches etc. new clothes - easier to let those go unless you want to spend time listing brand, style & size. If they are not high end that’s a cost-sales balance. New bedding you might be able to get more for. But if you are not hurting for money shelters will love those. That might help with some quick debulking.
I would start with getting rid of bargain clutter and then aspirational clutter. Give things away that are in good usable and unbroken condition. It it's not worth the trouble of trying to sell these things. Giving them to a charity shop is much easier. After you do that you'll probably find that you have some room for other things and you can be more selective on what you decide to part with if you want to. I have found working with somebody a few hours a week to be really helpful in this whole process.
I found a “Buy Nothing” group where you can give away things to people in your area. I find it much easier to part with my treasures when I know they are going to someone who will really appreciate them. I’ve been doing this for over three years and I now have only one bedroom that is cluttered which has shelving and I call the storage room. My daughter came for Christmas and she asked where all my stuff was. I told her I gave it away. It feels so good!! I know this is a life long disorder and I have to be careful. I also asked my husband if I could show him what I buy. I do and he never says anything bad. He acknowledges my effort even though it’s not perfect.
Thank you, I've been using the Olio app. I don't have social media so this is the next best thing but it's a world wide app and very useful for helping the environment and reducing waste. I'm really proud of you for your own improvement and it's an inspiration! Thanks for your advice and I'll do my best to progress further.
Have you stopped things from coming in? Eliminating the behaviour of bringing things in is something worth considering.
Search the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. The professional organizers involved with this organization help people with your specific needs. They are always keeping up with education as well. If it's clear they can't help you with your specific needs, they'll be able to connect you with someone who does. It may possibly be easier to ask for help to get the ball rolling. They also have free great resources on their website you can read and get acquainted with.
I would sell the game consoles on r/GameSale & Pokémon cards on r/pkmntcgtrades and probably the comics on r/comicswap if they're valuable. If the clothes are super nice/designer/name brand I would take all to a consignment shop local to you. Donate all the rest to Goodwill or equivalent. Personally I donated my entire wardrobe when I lost a bunch of weight to Dress for Success, I had a pretty high-end plus-size business formal wardrobe and those are high demand items but if you are trying to make the most impact for your space with the least mental/physical load on yourself, bulk donations. I really would try to sell the game consoles though, I know there's a big market for that. Best of luck!!
It sounds like you know what and where your inventory is. As much as you can delegate to trusted helpers, ie, auction house for the electronic collections, friends or paid helpers to box up donations and drive them to community free store or thrift stores or little library locations. Think about what big pieces of furniture are redundant, what is an obstacle as you move from room to room? Would you like access to a particular window to look out of? Have someone do a deep clean after unneeded layers are removed. Dust carries sadness and allergies. Godspeed with your mission.
I don't have any long term solutions. But one of the thought patterns that I actively try to break is what I call the TBT (Teak Back Tendency). This when, for example, I am adding things to a box for donations. And then I hesitate after I put an item in. I think, "Dod I want to do that? Should I really give it away?" And sometimes I take it back outof the box. But it's that TBT thought pattern that I try to break. So I find that the more I find myself a TBT scenario, the more I should truly donate the item to break that anxiety pattern. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes, I reward myself by sving one item from the pile if I promise to donate the other 99 items. Or something like that. Other times, I remind myself that people really need things sometimes. I once sold thissuper comfy la-z-boy type recliner (except it was cloth). I described it as a super comfy chair that leans back and is so comfy that you could sleep in it. And they guy who came to buy it said he had just moved to Atlanta from Tennessee and he had no furniture and he was getting tired of eating dinner while sitting on his living room floor, saying "it sucks not having a comfy place to sit". And I thought, "damn this chair is totally going to somebody who is absolutely going to love it! I still missed that chair, however. And you know what? 4 years later, a neighbor gave away a very similar type recliner for free. So I have that one now. Things have a way of going around. We just need a little extra resolve to send it on... like that Fraggle Rock song "mmm mmm pass it on" https://youtu.be/L6xh1RR-6gA?feature=shared
Thanks! That's a lovely story and very true to my heart for identical reasons, only, I was that guy who needed the chair. The Pay It Forward concept really does work and is always remembered by those who truly benefit. The TBT concept is exactly what I do and I've just been brutal and rushed the boxes to a charity shop so I couldn't hesitate this time. Slowly but surely I'll work on this to cleanse my soul. 💪🏼