The trend of trashing things vs. donating them

You might have noticed a spike in advice to trash usable things in good condition so people can feel less stressed in the now--they don't feel they have enough bandwidth to drop things off at the thrift store, so they trash the items and get the instant gratification of less stuff. Proponents say that self-care is more important in the moment. I can understand the desire to decrease stress and prioritize mental health. This trash-it philosophy is touted by author KC Davis, and her advice has been cited and picked up by declutter gurus I like (such as Dawn Madsen). I don't personally follow KC Davis, but her advice has sure had a ripple effect. 

I don't find this advice ethical due to the environmental impact and taking away from thrift stores. Yes, trashing things produces a very instant result by getting things out of the house. But if people go grocery shopping and get gas, go to various appointments, and run other errands, then they are pretty capable of donating items in most cities. It must be a mental block. If people struggle with procrastination and/or mental health, the environment should not be unnecessarily impacted in the name of self-care. Not donating also takes away from thrift stores, their workers, and their shoppers who want low-cost items. I know there are mental health professionals who would disagree on this topic as well. We can take good care of ourselves and also work on taking steps to get to thrift stores or arrange pickups. If you live in a city (like I do) where charities or thrift stores will pick up your items, take advantage of the free service. Pickups can be arranged online or by phone. 

Because I think not donating items in truly good condition is a type of task avoidance, here is a link to procrastination advice from Dr. Timothy Pychl, who specialized in procrastination research. He says procrastination is a way to manage feelings and cope, but of course it can cause problems. You can also find various podcast interviews with him online.

Timothy A Pychyl Ph.D. Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, where he specializes in the study of procrastination. www.psychologytoday.com

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As the Fly Lady says, you can bless others with your stuff. Best wishes with your decluttering! 

Welcome to the Blog--Again!

If you're visiting this blog for the first time, welcome! Please check out the archives for what you might be looking for. I spent years decluttering all kinds of things from multiple late relatives, two who grew up during The Great Depression. Post topics range from green decluttering to forgiveness to grief to facing your own clutter. At one point, I hired a professional organizer to help with a garage full of my relatives' things plus some other rooms full of their boxes I inherited. (It was worth having help--her brain worked in a way mine just didn't.) I've tried a lot of things and hope you'll find something helpful here. Some people come here from the Children of Hoarders site, which looks like it has an amazing wealth of information.

These days, I am mostly in the mode of dealing with my own items and trying to find sustainable routines to keep my own things from becoming disorganized. I still have some weird items hanging around, waiting for me to deal with them, like an antique family farm scythe (pretty sure it's from a grandparent's childhood farm) that I guess can go to Goodwill if not to some happy recipient at a family reunion. I have a collectible Edgar Rice Burroughs book (SO not feminist) that I mean to sell for maybe $10, yet I keep putting it off. I will need to let Half Price Books give me a piddly bid and just be done with the task hanging over my head.

As far as resources, I've been enjoying some videos and podcasts by Dana K. White at A Slob Comes Clean. The way her mind works makes sense to me, and she shows cluttered areas that look familiar.

Last night I heard a great 2016 interview on the Psychology in Seattle podcast with an expert on hoarding, Dr. Jennifer Sampson. She had some great insights about why the hoarding TV show's processes usually don't work long term; she also provided a lot of information that I hadn't already heard, and she seemed to have a lot of compassion for those who suffer from this disorder. I loved her and host Dr. Kirk Honda talking about her wanting to hold on to good boxes and packaging--I get it!

Hearing her interview reminded me that I needed to put up a welcome post for anyone stopping by my blog for the first time. One of the most powerful things she said was that hoarding disorder is much like an addiction--people are in recovery long term. I hope you are finding lots of help and support if you are on the journey, whether you had/have relatives facing this disorder and/or struggle with it yourself. As Dr. Sampson pointed out, more people than we realize have too much stuff, and it affects our lives in ongoing and sometimes major ways.

Surfing YouTube and Finding Insight--Why People Can't Let Go of Stuff

If you don't remember, I originally started this blog as a way to discuss how to dispose of items from an inherited estate. More specifically, I was the last relative standing dealing with my grandparents' belongings, and as cool as my relatives were, it's important to say they were on the hoarding spectrum. I always say they didn't have dead rats buried under paperwork or anything like that--more just keeping and retaining regular life items without culling through them--bills, glasses, dishware, travel souvenirs, etc. They did organize stuff by category, at least--they just didn't let go of it. And I would guess this clutter tendency got worse as they aged, though growing up during the Great Depression probably caused them to hold onto everything as they went through life.

As I've gone through layers of their home (literally and metaphorically), I've sought information and watched a fair number of TV shows about hoarding. Today I found some short and helpful online videos from the International OCD Foundation featuring Randy Frost, PhD, giving insight into how hoarders process information differently. According to Frost, they see more special details about objects and then have a harder time letting go of them. If you see extra knowledge as empowering, these videos could be for you. And while hoarding causes stress for family members, one positive note is that hoarders can be creative people who notice what others miss. If you're intrigued, see his helpful videos--"Causes of Hoarding" is below:

The Antiques Road Show is Coming....

It's finally happening. A few years too late for me in some ways, but still, it's exciting. If you have possibly valuable furniture, you can contact PBS' appraisal road show and maybe hear the cha-ching sound when some expert tells you what it's worth. Or you can just enter the drawing for tickets and enjoy all the old stuff from Texas homes. And from what I have seen, Texans have got some pretty interesting old stuff laying around. To see the 2014 tour locations, check out the show's site and then apply for tickets--for Austin, the deadline is in April. (I might send in some photos of some items, but I'd be happy to just attend.) This truly is one of the happier ways you could declutter.

A Day at the Auction...My Hot Tips

This morning I feel like I'll leave the auction-going to the Brits on the BBC show Cash in the Attic. To be fair, it's just the fatigue talking. I didn't get the greatest sleep so it's amplifying my tiredness. Here's what I've gleaned from attending my first auction as a seller of numerous items.

Auction lesson #1: Smartphones and the net change the process.
People do check to see what items are going for online, so as a seller, you should check too. If something is particularly valuable and easy to pack and ship, consider opening your stuff up to a national or worldwide market if your local auction house might not generate the right interest. I have a collectible WWII knife that did not meet the reserve, and I am sure I will have much better luck online. The net also makes the buyers more savvy which can be both good and bad for you when it comes to bids. At any rate, online info is a major reality and your buyers often have a sense of the national market.

Auction lesson #2: You have no idea what's hot and what's not that day with that group.
This truth added to the entertainment factor. The crowd might be in love with that 1940s pocket watch and then totally pass on some interesting Victorian furniture. Some of my stuff got next to no interest while other items really surprised me. An old fishing stringer got $20 or more while a cute aqua pitcher got zero bids. Who's to say? But when you are disappointed with one lot, the next sale might just cheer you up. 

Auction lesson #3: Try to treat the sale as entertainment when possible.
This is difficult if you must get good money for some valuable items, so my non-expert advice is to be careful where you sell your stuff if you can't take the sale lightly. If it's stuff you can more easily part with, you can more breezily let go of the outcome and enjoy the sale. If you seriously need to get a certain price, do your research before and consider your choices of auction houses, consignment stores, and classifieds beforehand. 

Auction lesson #4: Items might not sell and you still have to part with your stuff somehow.
I used a newer auction house outside of Austin. I knew that this meant some larger and more valuable items might not catch the right group of people, and unfortunately that was the case. (I wasn't willing to go ridiculously low.) I now have to make plans to move some furniture to a consignment store or directly to another buyer. 

While lesson #4 is not fun, I'm happy to report that several smaller items did get more than expected, so it was still a worthwhile sale and I had an interesting day. I also enjoyed seeing who bought what and how my inherited clutter is another person's treasure. The lady who danced when she bought my punch bowl was especially awesome.

In the end, the marketplace determines the demand.  Perhaps an auction is the place for a Zen master to practice the art of letting go in more than one sense. I'm not Zen, but Zen-like skills are certainly useful when we face unpredictability, which is what an auction is all about.

Family Stories Hidden in Boxes

Some large furniture pieces are now out of my house. Feels good and a bit shocking. Need to buy a new bed frame and perhaps a dresser or shelf. We'll see.


Yesterday went through another box of old papers--looks like my grandmother never purged her own parents' box of letters and legal papers, so....I found stuff relating to my great-grandfather's siblings. While it helps me piece together some interesting stories, you wonder how much this procrastinating of dealing with boring paper clutter just literally pushes boxes of papers on to the next generation.


Yes, I found a poll tax from 1915. That sounds cool to some, but I have "it's really old" fatigue. I'm thinking this should have been trashed a few generations back. But, it's not all bad. I learned some stuff, like Great-Grand Aunt Mary* had a cafe or bar called Mary's Tavern. And if the newspaper clipping was saved because he was her husband (as he had her last name), her husband was killed by a bolt of lightening in the street. In the same family, Great-Grand Uncle William had a bride of 16 who died of typhoid fever after a month of marriage. It sounds like a TV mini-series. While I resent people not dealing with a TON of the less interesting papers, it is amazing to see the drama three, four, and more generations back. How much happened that we'll never know because no one actually wrote out a narrative? Or just didn't know it would be of interest later down the line?

*Note: ancestry.com informed me that it's not great-great aunt but great-grand aunt. I'll take their word for it. 



Another person whose paperwork has been left was my great-great grandfather who was a Methodist pastor. Because he qualified as a public figure, little items about him would run in the paper, like how his five children had "sore eyes." (What is that? Pinkeye?) I call those papers the old form of facebook. I also have various legal documents and letters that are so dusty they make my skin itch. I realized that not only was he a Methodist pastor (among other jobs), but his father-in-law was as well. I had known this but not really put it together as two generations of reverends. The funny part is that I was not raised Methodist and had zero experience with Methodism until I was maybe in my 20s. I'm not Methodist today, but it's interesting to see it was a big thread in that side of the family. In contrast, my grandfather's side was raised Church of Christ, which is quite different, I would guess. I wonder how many denominations are part of my entire family tree--I would guess all of them in the end.

It's worth being careful when sorting through things--the stories are good to know. But I hope to lose the stuff that does not need to linger in boxes anymore, e.g. my grandmother's 1928 perfect spelling test.  Or a stack of 1930s real estate documents and land abstracts. It's not interesting, and it's accidentally unkind to never cull that stuff. At least I'm getting a few rewards in learning some details about people I knew little about before.
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Update: Hours after writing this, I found most of Mary's estate documents from the early 1960s...and guess what I found? Keys to the tavern and house. SIGH. Well, I wasn't sighing, but that's the polite version. 

I'm So Excited!

And I just can't hide it. 
That's because the auctioneer came over today and we went over items to sell. They'll come back a in a few days to take stuff away. Goodbye bedroom set that has been in the family since 1940. You served your purpose, and I even kind of like you, but just not enough. 

All this empty space begs the question, am I too old to shop at IKEA? Facebook friends say NO, IKEA is okay. Perhaps I will enter the Swedish maze and breathe slowly to get through my mild claustrophobia--when I can't find doors or windows for ages, I get a little nutty.

Fare thee well antique dresser with fold-out drawer that serves as a desk!

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Fun fact: English folks used to be taxed according to how many closets they had. Hence the commonness of those big wooden wardrobes a la Narnia. (I have a big one in my bedroom.)

Sad fact: Antique wardrobes aren't selling for much these days, should I ever move the hefty one out of my room. Alas.

Clutter as Social Entertainment

So I guess at some point it can get a little old listing off the various things I'm finding. But tonight I provided some entertainment at a dinner party of middle-aged folks. We discussed my weird finds, the value and superstition of feng shui, and tracking down items' value online. People reminisced about the magic of slide rules, told of valuable paintings found in storage, and I even met an auctioneer! Not everyone is in my situation, but at some point in life, people can relate to dealing with their older relatives' stuff. It happens. 


And to some folks, it does sound novel that yesterday I was going through Christmas cards from 1957. (They said I could have written a story based on them. But, the cards mostly had cute black and white photos of children looking retro and wholesome. "The George Westervelts wish you a Merry Christmas.") There is an interesting factor to this sorting--I can even enjoy it in certain moments. Yet the sheer quantity of stuff is what makes it annoying. It's not 100% bad; it's just taking too long because of the layers. This is a distinct chapter in my life, but I will be glad when I can pack up my own items someday and know I have only my own stuff. At least I have some stories and am learning more about my relatives' lives. (And what a reminder to toss out/recycle paper over time!)

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Hardest clutter of the week: sympathy cards from decades ago
Simpler clutter: grandparent's college report cards and transcripts from 1940s
Easiest clutter: evil antique bedframe that I tripped on--taken away by charity. Much joy.

Give-away Endorphins

So as I wrote in my last post on obscure LPs from the 1930s-1950s, those puppies went to Recycled Reads on Burnet. Fair enough. Tax write-off and money for the Austin Public Library, of which I am a frequent patron. (And can I tell you there was a little mob of people waiting for the store to open at noon? Apparently it's popular.)

Today must be Give-away Thursday because I also had the Movin' and Groovin' team from Covenant Presbyterian come by and take away a super comfortable but not so hip La-Z-Boy recliner. Man, it is soooo comfortable, but I am tired of looking at it and never using it. The great thing was that the men loading it up said it was going to a family today. Movin' and Groovin' collects furniture for the Foundation for the Homeless, so the chair will be used by a family coming out of homelessness. It feels good, I gotta tell you. I know thrift stores are good charities, but this one is pretty cool too. And never fear, I still have another La-Z-Boy left in my living room. And now I can go cute chair shopping.

Saturday Salvation Army is coming by to pick up the green antique bedframe of death. Okay, not quite, but it has some very sharp corners on the footboard. I actually tripped over a cat carrier in that room, fell backwards onto a corner point, and seriously injured my back. I kid you not. Injury by clutter and antiques. It will feel really good to get that thing out of the house. Here's hoping it goes to a careful and non-klutzy family who will not impale themselves on it. Could I sell it? Possibly. But donating is quick, the movers know what they're doing, and the S.A. is a good charity.


Next big project: actually trying to sell things via auction. A larger task!

Avoiding Burnout...What am I Feeling? What am I Needing?

I am tired, folks. Maybe I should not be writing about decluttering! Tomorrow will be a Hil Life Administration Day where I take care of my stuff only and steer clear of dealing w/ relatives' clutter. Yay!

Certain clutter is just harder to get through. Today I tackled letters from the 1960s and photos from the 1990s...earlier this week I was on letters from the 1940s and photos from the 60s and 70s. Don't call me a hippie, but I think these personal objects carry more "psychic energy" than old buckets and tools in the garage. It's hard to face others' mementos and decide what is worthy enough to be part of my treasure trove...What do I personally want to remember about this person? What am I willing to pack up and move somewhere else?


It's pretty amazing how many pieces of paper go into the bin...some family members might cringe at that, but honestly, my relatives seemingly never culled their own stuff, so this sweep has to be brutal. And because these are such personal items, this work is extra draining. It's an opportunity for good self-care. The popular questions are "What am I feeling? What am I needing?" I feel excited that I have time to get to the nitty-gritty personal items, but I need to back off some for a few days and rest. Yes, I have a-ways to go, but if I don't avoid burnout, it will take me that much longer to get back on the decluttering horse. (Ugh, is that an awful metaphor? I must be too tired.)


To give you an idea of what I'm looking at, here's a list:

Most photographed in grandfather's photo envelopes:
1. Family reunions
2. Cattle in pastures (If only I could make money off cow photos!)
3. Hunting excursions and dead animals
4. Landscapes


Most photographed in grandmother's photo envelopes:
1. Travel landscapes and landmarks
2. People traveling


And then of course there are the general family photo albums with regular family photos throughout. As you would suspect, the cattle, landscape, and landmark pics are easy to toss. The ones with people are tougher to judge. 


What am I needing? To get off the computer and do something relaxing. See ya!


Action tips for any declutterer: 
1, If you have photos or letters you don't love or need, consider lightening your load. It is a gift to your family to declutter these items!
2. If you are tired, listen to your mind and body! Back off. 

Adventures in My Relatives' Garage...Still

Decluttering this house doesn't cease to amaze or at least amuse me when I find things hiding in my garage. At this moment I have three weed wackers in my garage--I had four last week, but a friend took one off my hands. I had three Coleman camping stoves without knowing it--I gave the oldest one away last month, and today I found a secret one hiding in a wooden chest that I had never peeked in. (Tribbles?!) It's another one to give away while I keep the newest and prettiest one. That's the thing when you end up inheriting the belongings of three or four relatives--the buck stops with you, and you end up with duplicates, especially if folks were somewhere on the hoarding spectrum. Yikes!  

 The secret third stove hiding in a wood chest.

 The new and pretty stove I'm keeping.

If they had only kept a current inventory of what was lurking in our garage, perhaps these relatives would not have kept buying stuff they didn't know the already had...Well, maybe the less hoarding relatives could have purged duplicates. Or not. Even though my dad could declutter masses of stuff, I do recall him famously saying that "a man can never have enough coolers." Au contraire, Father. We had some bitter words years ago as I counted about nine coolers in the garage. Last week I parted with two of them with satisfaction and relish--I'm now down to a reasonable three ice chests--gotta have one set aside for fishing and those dead fishies.

I know separate households need their own items, but purging duplicates is a good idea while you're living. Otherwise some poor relative ends up unearthing three or four (or six!) space heaters, buckets, trash cans, tents, what have you. I could have the garage sale to end all garage sales, but yuck, that's a lot of sorting and pricing. (I'll keep on with my slow and steady donating and occasional selling, but perhaps a sale is in my future.) The lesson: if you're breathing, get rid of duplicates now, please. Otherwise you're creating a seemingly never-ending adventure for the living when you're gone. 

What the heck is a Coleman Catalytic Heater? Check out the fashion on those happy warm people!

My three weed wackers, plus a cattle prod in the background.

And did I tell you about the two boxes of STAMP COLLECTIONS I found in a file cabinet in there? Do 4 cent US stamps have value today? Do I really want to labor to find this out? Sigh. At least we have the internet to research these things. 

If you have any hot donating or selling tips, or you're a stamp expert, feel free to share.

No Finger Pointing with Feng Shui

I'm going to delay a bit in talking about the kitchen and memories of my mother...instead, I was thinking today about feng shui and why it's an alluring philosophy for cleaning up one's act. It hit me: it's completely out of the schema of family and friends telling us to clean up. 


I am not particularly into Eastern philosophies, though I do some middle-of-the-road yoga. I sorta kinda believe spaces have energy. We are sensory beings, and sensory overload stresses me out at some point, just as a lovely, airy space brings peace. So yes, there's some "energetic" quality to spaces. Aesthetics matter and impact our feelings.


Focusing on aesthetics and "energy" (emotional response?) helps "detoxify" the negative feelings toward organizing. I read a basic feng shui book by Mary Lambert and while I don't believe everything in it, reading that book felt so freeing. If organizing is based on space, flow, chi, etc. then cleaning up gets depersonalized and framed in a new way. Kind of a superstitious way, but it's a fresh approach with no baggage and lots of promise to help me directly. When it's not about disapproval and the shoulds, it becomes more about benefiting me and my household. That is pretty darn shame-free. No family voices, no grumpy  roommates, no societal expectations of what women should be doing in the home. Just a motivation to be more functional, peaceful, and self-sufficient. 

Reading Lambert's book, I loved the idea of decluttering as "moving on," which is so key when dealing with estate clutter. Out of everything in that book, that concept comforts and motivates me the most. Saying "it's okay to move on" makes it easier to let go of items and boosts my energy level. It also alerts me that I am doing something difficult--sometimes it feels good to move on, but sometimes it brings grief. But moving on will happen, even if it needs to be in spurts. I also became aware that I wasn't always sure it was okay to move on--so I learned more about myself and past habits. (Turns out I am pretty sentimental.)


As for feng shui itself, I don't believe specific furniture arrangements will bring good luck into my life, but I do believe freeing up space will help me stay on top of paperwork, not trip on something in the dark hall, etc. Instead of just doing a chore, I am helping myself out. And aesthetically, it just looks and feels better. Perhaps feng shui entices the clutterer to have internal motivation to get organized, rather than calling attention to outside forces from the past or present. They say wanting something for yourself is the key to changing a habit, so I'll take the motivations I like from feng shui and leave the rest.

Kitchen Update...Decluttering and Shopping?

I received an emphatic email from my second cousin saying I simply must get my own dishes. He recommends I keep 'em about ten years or so, and if you have kids, let them ding them up. Then you move on. I don't have much time to post, but I will say I did eye some dishes this weekend. The were (gasp!) square. Whoa. (I was shopping at Kohl's and didn't realize they sold kitchenware.) And while I don't know how old the inherited dishes are, they are at least 8, if not older. I like rules that give me more permission to spend money. If you're gonna say I need to, then what can I do?

Letting Go of Books, False Guilt, and Fears of Jericho

As I said in my first post ages ago, I am still digging through a few generations of clutter along with my own. The great archeological dig through my deceased relatives' stuff continues, but now I am spending 50% of my energy on my own stuff--bum bum bum! No one to blame but myself if I don't like having this stuff around.


It's Spring Break and I have time to spend on those little (big) nagging projects, and tonight I decided to check the shelves and tables in my bedroom, where I obviously keep my own books. And as I sat trying to understand why it's hard for me to let go of my own books, I realized I had a couple things going on: guilt and "the shoulds."


I think I learned about "shoulding" from the Fly Lady. Yes, there are things you should and must do in life, but false guilt and obligations are just yucky, icky motivations that pose as "shoulds." And I was "shoulding" over my books, as in, "You should read that shiny Jennifer Weiner book again--you bought it, and you enjoyed it before, even though the mystery plot was weak." Or, "That John Eldredge book had some great spiritual lesson. If you don't read it again, you won't remember what wonderful thing it taught you!" (Religious shoulding is the worst.) I've known about false guilt for years, but having guilt and fear over my own books is a bit much.


When I was younger, I was more attached to my books, but with the internet, my awesome public library, and Netflix, I have constant access to information and entertainment. Yes, these things change my decisions on whether I want to keep a book, as well as if I really should in a healthy sense. I also sometimes think if Armageddon comes and I can't get to the library or get a TV signal, then yes, I will want all those books because I'll be bored and poor. I guess I need to live on faith that I'll have enough books left to keep me entertained if things go the way of Jericho, that show where the U.S. gets nuked. I'll be busy farming in the backyard anyways. Oh, the things I think of while decluttering.


I'm pretty sure Hoarders' Dr. Robin Zasio would call my outlandish fear a thought distortion. And after reading much of Dr. Zasio's book, The Hoarder in You, I can recognize how my thinking is similar to my relatives' who went through the Great Depression. I recommend her book if you inherited some mess and/or are fighting your own clutter tendencies. It's definitely helped me this week as I attacked areas of my home--it sheds light on  mindsets that get your relatives and you into trouble. Clearly the fear of scarcity, along with false guilt, take up both mental and physical space. As Dr. Zasio says, if you are already fighting clutter and needing space, it's okay to let go of an item of value if it's just not valuable enough to you anymore. Fair enough.


I've decided to ask myself these questions as I purge the shelves:
Do I love this book?
Will I read it again?
Do I have weird should/guilt feelings about it?
Am I okay with giving it away to the library or another charity?
Will someone else get more pleasure from it at this time?
Is it worth the space it takes up?


Wish me luck.

HOT LOCAL TIP: If you have hard-to-give-away books, e.g. several yearbooks from the 1950s and 1960s, Austin's Recycled Reads will sell them or responsibly recycle them. Hurrah! You can try to sell yearbooks online, but I noticed most vendors are just selling reprints, not actual old books that are all signed up.

Dealing with clutter that's not only yours, or, Death and Clutter

Friends know that I have been on a journey to declutter my home, not only from my clutter but from the clutter left by my pack-rat deceased relatives. They were witty and intelligent, but they did not subscribe to feng-shui or "live simply" philosophies. My grandparents were teens during the Great Depression and never quite learned to let go of stuff. They learned to ACQUIRE and SAVE. Unfortunately my father didn't live many years beyond them, and while he made huge efforts to pare down their belongings, his own health condition stopped him from eliminating the avalanche of antiques, fishing tackle boxes, 50-year old bills, rubber bands--you name it--that they had left behind. So that left me, a thirty-something, to sort through two generations' worth of belongings and then face my own clutter tendencies that have probably been learned as a result of being in this family.


Dealing with estate clutter is different than only going through your own stuff--especially if your relatives weren't highly organized. While my relatives did do some filing and labeling, working through layers of stuff has been like an archaeological dig at times. You do need to go through things and make sure you aren't throwing out a birth certificate, your vaccination records, or some other such document. But what do you DO with all this other stuff?


If you have a sense of what you want to part with, disposing of a bunch of stuff can still be daunting. Being a thirty-something, I didn't know all my options. If you have a house full of furniture and you are going to part with much of it, first consider having an estate sale or auction. You can do this yourself or call an auction company. They will itemize your belongings and give you a sense of what things could fetch. For instance, I don't ride horses, so it made sense to auction off a saddle. An auction gets rid of things you don't want in one fell swoop and generates some money.


If you don't go the auction route, or if you still have stuff to sell, eBay can be good for high-value items when you want a national audience. However, as an eBay novice, I didn't realize that I would have to calculate shipping and packing into the price. Sometimes it's not worth the time and hassle to pack and ship items. I sold some antique glassware and a quilt, but I hated calculating packing costs. That's when I learned to go local with...


Craigslist. If you have stuff to sell and want to deal with locals, craigslist is a sure way to sell your stuff when you price it right. You won't have the benefit of competing bids, but it's a nice way to part with items on your own timeline and set your price, without hassling with the post office. You need to take photos and deal with emails, but it's usually a fast way to get your stuff out there--and it's free to list.


Consignment shops are an option, but some don't offer pick up, or if they do, they charge a fee. Make sure the fee won't negate your profits. My favorite Austin consignment shop is Next to New on Burnet Road. They use their profits for charity, and it's a very well-organized store. You can part with large furniture and all types of things, but you can't control how much money you will actually make in the end.


Why did I not bother with a garage sale? If you're Type A and good at that, go for it, but the thought of organizing and pricing a mountain of stuff was enough to send me running and screaming. You need serious skills and manpower for a sale that large. I was better off letting the experts and market price my stuff. Plus donating the rest to charity fit well with my ethics, so it all balanced out.


I've never used 1-800-GOT-JUNK, but they show up on TV, especially Hoarders. We once used an independent hauling service--I think they brought a 20-foot trailer--when we did a major sweep of the grandparents' garage. I copied the whole Keep, Sell, Donate method from Clean Sweep. It was a-ma-zing to see how much junk was packed away in a two-car garage, and so, so lovely to see the trailer drive off down the street. I tried to make sure anything not ready for the landfill was kept, sold, donated, or recycled. I cringe when I see TV show cleaners trash plastic or paper that could possibly be recycled.


If you have a large book collection, it's worth taking your stuff by a bookseller who knows his stuff. I learned that older books don't have high value unless they are in good condition. Some booksellers might take your older books if they think they can sell them, but a ratty book from 1915 is not a prized jewel. If someone thinks a book from 1915 is cool, great, but it won't be fetching a ton of money just because it's old. (Using eBay to check for value is also a great way to see what your item is worth in the marketplace. Once you've figured out which books are worth selling, you can look for places that accept book donations.) If you would like to trade old books for new titles, try the awesome paperbackswap.com and exchange your reads with folks all over the country. Note: this won't actually reduce clutter.


Donating
All of the above methods take some work on your part in order to get money. If you're ready to part with stuff without paying the price of time, posting, etc. then charitable donations are the way to go. In Austin we have numerous non-profits that will drive up to your house and take your stuff away for you. It's easy to bless others with your stuff because let's face it, you don't need a bacon press with a pig on it!


I've donated stuff to these charities, among others:
The Salvation Army (they run a rehab as well as a shelter)
Texas Paralyzed Veterans
The ARC of Texas
Goodwill (don't pick up as far as I know)


Book donations--most thrift stores/charities take them, but a great choice is your local library. Books either go into the collection or can be sold to raise money. If not, then they tend to have book recycling available. We also have a local charity, Inside Books, that sends paperback books to prisoners.


My favorite donation was giving a rarely used wooden chessboard to my friend who owns a hostel in Colorado. She said it got tons of use right away! The idea of guests playing chess on it makes me happy. She also took some houseplants off my hands.


More Disposal Options
A paper option that I wish I had heard of sooner: paper shredding services! It took that same hostel-owner friend to tell me that I could get huge amounts of paper shredded for a $40-$50 minimum. After a big sort for important documents, I absolutely needed this service. My relatives never used such services, explaining why they stored life insurance statements from the 1950s. Unless you plan a huge, safe, and legal bonfire, shredding is essential.


As a last but tacky resort, you can always put stuff on the curb. (This depends on the vibe of your neighborhood.) Then you can have fun seeing how fast your stuff disappears. Thanks to my neighbor for the visual reminder today. A neighbor across the street has had most of his items disappear, but no one wants a box of random clothes. We've put out larger items like chairs--we later found out our friend down the street grabbed one. Once even a broken garden tiller got snapped up--the guy who grabbed it figured he could fix it. You never know with the curb game.


If you can't even get to the point of parting with stuff yet, or if it's just too overwhelming, here's a bit of advice for knowing what to keep and what to sell or donate:


It's okay to keep some sentimental items, especially if they remind you of a lost loved-one. But if you don't love an item or plan to use it, chances are the item is better off being used by someone else who's excited about it. As they say, go bless someone else with your stuff! I still have some of my dad's books, but I recently posted his copy of Kings of Texas on paperbackswap.com. I am convinced the new owner is much more interested in reading that book than I will ever be! If you are grieving, parting with a loved-one's belongings could be a long process. Over time, you might find you are more willing to part with items that were loved by the person but just aren't fitting into your life today.


If you're letting your relatives choose your furniture style or decor for you rather than moving forward with your own tastes, then you might get stuck thinking the sensible thing is to just use what you have. After all, that's thrifty! I have been pretty overwhelmed by the amount of furniture I was left, and yes, I have lived with it too long because it's easy and practical to leave it. As time goes on, I realize my style (Pottery Barn) isn't my family's style, and frankly, I know my dad would say that a woman gets the final say on what her home looks like. Over time I plan to replace most of the pieces I inherited--I think some of remaining pieces will do well at auction, a consignment store, or craigslist. And I have plenty of other items, photos, and memories of my family so that I can move forward without fearing I'm getting rid of too much when I clear things out.


I will say that I have learned a lot from organizational gurus like the Fly Lady, Peter Walsh, and Julie Morgenstern. And without watching Clean Sweep or Hoarders, I probably wouldn't have had any idea what to do first! (We didn't have unsanitary conditions, but we had some serious antique and book hoarding to deal with.) So many resources are out there--what I've shared is what I have learned, internalized, and experienced. I'm no feng-shui master and I have a long way to go, but I never learned this stuff growing up, so I'm in process.