Hoarding Poll

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Are you a hoarder or a minimalist? Maybe just a hobby collector? Do you have a healthy balance?

 

[Darkkin]

Books, plants, and nerdy bric-a-brac...I hate paper clutter. Everything either has a function, a quantifiable value, or it goes away.

 

[Raggamuffin]

I minimalised as the years have gone by. In my late 20's I purged. I don't like clutter. Better to be Spartan with posessions.

I can't wait to simplify my belongings even further when I start living in my van.

Ed

 

[Rodafina]

Moving toward minimalist, but I think I will always have my own version of what order is. Everything needs to have its place, but once it’s in its place, I don’t typically worry too much about perfect neatness.

There is a constant evaluation of what is necessary and what needs to go. Periodic organization to keep an up-to-date inventory and purge unused items.

I’ve had a bad habit for many years of wanting things to be kept pristine so much so that I do not use them. For example, art supplies. Pens that were too perfect to be used and so I held onto them for 10 years and then they dry it out. What a waste. So now, if I get it, I use it, and if I don’t need it, I get rid of it.

 

[Misery]

Hoarder with no practical spending limit.

Though, fortunately for everyone around here, I'm very "focused" on what I buy. A good deal of what I buy is games and software... all of which are digital (take up no physical space), and for my other hobby things, they also take up little space. They're board games and art supplies and twisty puzzles. I have a LOT of all of those but... yeah, they just dont take up much space. I never buy things just at random, either. Gotta be a reason and it's gotta be something I'm actually going to use. Buying something that just sits unused in a corner seems dumb so I try not to.

Also my area is an explosive mess. I showed that in the "art room" topic or whatever it was.

 

[Aspychata]

There is a clear correlation between hoarding and bipolar which was interesting. Also people who have experienced severe trauma can fall into this.

 

[Kisa the tea]

I keep gifts I get even if I never use them and I also keep digital files and don't delete anything until the storage becomes too much.

Other than that pretty minimalist. Other than the previously mentioned gifts I could probably fit almost everything important to me in 1 or 2 carryon bags.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I keep a few things in a box from my past, memorabilia. I also tend to collect plants, different species of orchids, especially. Otherwise, I am a minimalist. Small closets with a little bit of clothing. Nothing cluttering up table or wall space. My wife and I donate about once a month or so.

Clean, uncluttered, modern design. Squared edges, modern Scandinavian design elements, no patterns with exception of a few modern accent pieces. I generally get rid of "stuff" I don't use.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I have two small hoards. One is my collection of Trilobites. When I am done with these an institution will get them. The other is a small collection of fetishes from Zuni Pueblo. I look upon these as small pieces of art, like Japanese Netsuke

 

[Princess Viola]

When I think of 'hoarding', I think of the stuff you'd see in shows like, well, Hoarders. Where the house is completely full of stuff, most of it is garbage or otherwise not worth keeping around (even if the hoarders may think they are), and it's pretty much a health hazard and/or nearly impossible to walk around the house because of just how much stuff there is.

To answer the actual question, I have my collections of things. I don't like to keep things I don't need. I like to keep cardboard boxes though because they're useful for storage of my stuff until I can put them on display.

My house is, unfortunately, a bit cluttered in places. It happens. We really need to get some big garbage bags and start getting rid of some stuff we don't need anymore. It might take some time to clean up but we need to do this.

 

[Gerontius]

I think I am becoming more of a hoarder. The cardboard boxes (oh they'll be useful--No, they actually won't) and everything I've collected. It's got to the point it looks like I collect collections.
If I wasn't a full-time history buff I'd probably want to have almost nothing.

 

[MildredHubble]

I tend to like to keep certain things pristine too, I have things organised neatly that I like that way so I don't end up using them. Like my pencils all neat in a pot and they look nice and full of promise like that. It's silly but if I use them, I will have to sharpen them and then they won't be all perfect and the same length.

I do hoard a bit. I collect vintage computers and I have them on display. They are one of my special interests so I guess for me they serve a purpose so they are worth keeping.

I purge my collection of junk circuit boards every now and then. I try to do it as often as possible. I remove all the valuable items that may come in handy for a project some day. I do use them to make things.

Owing to me being predominantly depressed over the last few years I've let things slide a bit, well a lot, and I'm making progress towards being organised like I used to be before the last house move.

I do need to get better with keeping things organised. I used to be quite minimalist but I guess the longer you are around, the more stuff accumulates.

The only thing I would say is that the things I kinda hoard tend to be useful eventually. I've often decided to get rid of things only to find I had a use for them a week later and regretted it.

 

[mysterionz]

i have too many art supplies, makeup (mostly drugstore brand), junk mail (I have a mountain of it lol). I use my art supplies everyday and I’m a main user of lipstick.

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I certainly have things I don't need, but I can't say I hoard anything. I'm similar to Rodafina, though I don't think I've saved anything to keep it perfect. I do relate to the temptation. It is hard, sometimes, to read a book which is so pristine.

I have some stackable bookshelves which are full, but those are pretty organized.

 

[Georgia Galaxy]

I choose several because I haven't actually hoarded before ,

 

[pineman93]

I like to keep things that I find interesting I also tend to download a lot of YouTube videos that I like I’m pretty sure keep things that might be useful one day runs in the family

 

[VictorR]

I've got way too many piles of books and stuff. One of my goals for this year is to implement a one-in-one-out rule in an effort to keep my accumulation of things stable.

 

[Hylian]

I hoard tools, lighters, and other odd things that I find at my job. lol

 

[Luca]

I don’t “hoard” anything at all and my house is effectively spotless and immaculate.

I have a lot of “stuff” but none of it is junk or clutter, and it’s all put away.

I throw out (and especially donate) things I genuinely don’t need and don’t have a use for. I also never purchase things I won’t use.

 

[Progster]

I'm not a hoarder, though I collect and keep CDs, records and music files. Every now and then, I purge the music files and delete ones that I didn't like and never listen to. I have a system for that, I give them a star rating and delete ones that get 2/5 stars or less.

I lived with someone who was a hoarder and had stuff everywere. He bought loads of stuff on impulse, and never threw anything out. Every single surface in the house was covered with stuff, including all the tables and chairs. The yard outside was also covered with stuff, as he used to go round all the local rubbish bins/trash cans and take things he thought would be useful. Almost like you see in those TV shows. I found it hard to live with; it was visual noise to me. Now I'm alone and all this stuff has gone, it's much better and I feel much better.