Are you a collector, Packrat or Hoarder???

[Micro469]

Just finished watching an episode of Hoarders, and found quite a few similarities between that unfortunate person and myself. I don't consider myself a Hoarder... more like a Packrat. If it wasn't for the constant NAGGING from my wonderfull wife I could definitly see myself become a Hoarder.
How about Y'all?? Any Hoarders on the forum??? ( I have seen pictures of some of your properties in some of the threads..... ) Do you consider yourselves Hoarders?......

[Juneaudave]

I don't know...

I've wrestled with the decision as to whether or not you should throw out a piece of wood that is smaller than your thumb.

I've wrestled with the decision as to whether or not you should throw out a piece of wood that is smaller than a toothpick.

I've been known to empty McDonald's of all their coffee stirrers to mix epoxy.

Five junk drawers in my shop seems like a reasonable number...

[TheresaD]

I'm borderline...but mostly I'd say I'm a collector/packrat...I like to hang on to those things that can be deemed "vintage" or "antique" even though alot of folks might call it junk..However, I don't think I could ever deal with having so much stuff that portions of rooms are no longer visible...That would bug me.

[Bigwoods]

Packrat and a bit of a hoarder. I have plenty of room and building so I need to have a big bonfire and and 3 cars that I need to have hauled away.

[BILLYL]

I use the "WHITE GLOVE TEST" If I can get dust off the object - in the TRASH it goes. On the other hand - the wife seems to have a hard time letting go.

Example - first friday of each month the city picks up trash - your unwanted appliances, furniture etc. I put stuff out on the curb - and that afternoon I find it back in the carport. OK -

BTW - Have a great day and enjoy the holidays.

Bill

[Miriam C.]

Guess I am neither. I will keep things for a few months but if I find it unused by then out it goes............

Now my better half is a book hoarder..........

[WarPony]

I also watch that show and see a little of me in some of those people's ways. I'm probably more of a packrat because I don't go out and buy a whole bunch of stuff that I MIGHT use someday. My trouble is putting things away where they need to go, so my garage and computer area get cluttered until I get fed up and clean. Recently, I went through a whole bunch of stuff and asked myself, "When was the last time you used this?". If I haven't used the stuff in the past few years, out it went. I pitched probably 15 coolers, 10 camping chairs, car parts for cars I don't even have anymore, dishes............. blah, blah.

I put the stuff out by the curb and a guy came knocking on my door later that day. He had this look of unbelief on his face as he asked, "Are you throwing all this stuff away?!?!". He scooped it all up and away he drove. I wonder if I was enabling a hoarder, now that I think of it. At least it didn't go to the landfill.

Jeff

[Shadow Catcher]

I remember seeing a sign near Sacramento in the 50's early 60's that said "we buy junk and sell antiques."

The dividing line between pack rats and hoarders is the emotional attachment to "THINGS" and an unrealistic value placed on them. Hoarding is now a recognized disorder and I have seen a couple of stories that involved fatalities from falling junk.

Nancy will tell you I am not neat and have lots of stuff for various projects. But I do cull through every now and then. the one place I suppose can be considered a hoarder is information, and fortunately most of that is on the HD. I do however have six filing drawers of studies/papers of research materiel, and just interests.

[hugh]

my neighbor is a hoarder, he has at any one time a dozen older cars stuffed in and around his yard and you must folow a narrow path to get to his door. Going there motivated me to clean up and take a trip to the dump. The neighbor of a friend of mine was a real hoarder. He had a fire and when the firefighters went in his house there were narrow aisles thru the house and the piles went to the ceiling. It took several 3 ton trucks to haul it all away. fortunately no one was hurt in the fire.

[KevinP]

I think I'm part collector part packrat. I collect several things (antique farm engines)but yet packrat metal, engine parts, and car parts just in case I need them for one project or repair......

[planovet]

I'm more of a collector/packrat. I have things I collect but not overly so. I do hate to throw away something I may need in the future so that's the packrat in me.

Cindi does buy stuff that she MIGHT use someday. But I don't think she is a hoarder....yet.

[rebapuck]

I'm a bit of a packrat. But I fight it continually. I go over to my neighbors and feel so calm because her house is so sparce. What a breeze to clean!!

I had a cousin who was a hoarder. Dad would go by after church to check on her, but wouldn't let us go in. He described the narrow pathways between stacks of junk. I always wondered where she got stuff. She didn't have a car and would have had to walk.

I do collect VW split window bus toys.

[caseydog]

I'm none of the above (you should make this a poll, BTW).

My house gets cluttered, but not because I want to keep too much stuff. I just let things accumulate on horizontal surfaces until it bugs me enough, and then I throw it all out. My office is the worst culprit.

My garage is another problem. It can easily become a "dumping ground" for stuff, until I finally clean it out. I can always get the car and TD in the garage, but I accumulate little piles of stuff on the workbench and floor. It is one of those, "I'll deal with this later," situations.

I ended up accumulating too much cookware over a few years, but last spring I got rid of everything I didn't use, via eBay and a Garage Sale.

CD

[BillandMarijo]

For the last 30 years that we have been married we have hit flea markets yard sales and auctions weekly looking for anything old. Well let me tell you theres lots of old out there. Bill calls them antiques I call it junk. But I have to admit we have sold alot and have made a pretty penny on the stuff. I have tried to gear him away from the collecting and more so on camping in the Tear but of course hes a guy who cant sit still and is always searching for stuff. So we always get in the car and search for a yard sale or flea market in the nearby town where we camp. Yes we have 2 sheds a 2 car garage which we cannot park in full of stuff. Oh yes and every spare space closet. I guess since hes 62 hes not going to change so I just go along for the ride. So if you can be both, collector and hoarder he is it.

Merry Christmas,
Marijo

[S. Heisley]

Packrat I've got a lot of boxes of stuff that I need to go through. It's hard to part with things and even harder to make myself sit down and go through stuff and decide.