Less is Really More

There is a dirty little secret about junkin' and it's this: It's a heck of a lot easier and more fun to acquire things than it is to get rid of them.

Which explains how I had gotten myself into a bit of a predicament.

Vintage has been a lifelong passion but it became an obsession when I began to blog. At the time, it seemed like a reasonable venture to buy something cheap, sell it for more and make some money. And so, over the last few years, I have been spending a lot of time, actually too much time, accumulating. I've sold some, but there was clearly more than I could handle anytime soon. It became evident that the mass of stuff in the basement had become a critical mass that was overwhelming me and controlling me.

To deal with the monster that I had created, I've spent the last month removing items, refocusing my energies and obviously not blogging very much. There's still plenty of stuff to work through, but with what I've sold recently at the antiques show and the garage sale, plus several donations to the thrift store, I can see a little light at the end of the tunnel. And that feels really great.

Getting to this point has been painful but necessary. The process of hauling out all those boxes and bags made me think about what I buy and why. I came to the conclusion that I had been trying to cover too many bases: linens, holidays, wallpaper, millinery, etc., etc. I mean, really, did I actually need eight boxes of Bingo cards? Of course not.

And now, with the elimination of maybe a third of what I had, I feel so much better and a lot less guilty. From here on out, I plan to junk less but enjoy it more. I've rebooted the Etsy shop with some fresh items (a few are pictured here), with more to come. To keep more stuff moving out the door than coming in the door, I hope to list similar items and sell some "instant" collections.

So what will I blog about, seeing how this narrative has evolved mostly into tales about me and my junk? Well, I will still share the great sales but probably not as often. You'll probably see more posts about a single treasure that I love. Maybe if I'm junking less, I'll have time to garden, craft and who knows what else. Perhaps I'll even share a recipe or two.

Time will tell. My little blog and I are works in progress.

 

Comments

[Heidi German]

I'll tell you, all it takes is watching a couple of episodes of Hoarders to get me motivated! Ha! There was one on Saturday about a man who buys toys and things at thrift stores and garage sales--and some of the narration and things his family said could totally have applied to me--eek! I need to borrow some of your motivation and get things listed to sell or out of here too. Here's to progress for us both! :)

[Jenny G.]

Best of luck with your new focus- I agree that getting rid of is the hardest thing of all.

[Carol @ Old Glory Cottage]

I was just thinking yesterday that I wish I had all the money that I've spent on junk that I was influenced by other blogs to buy! It's all become a burden to me, and that's why I have to seriously start selling. I still love the thrill of the hunt though. Wishing you less junk and more happiness!

[laurie magpie ethel]

Totally get where you are coming from - that is why I have to do big purges every year or so. One can easily fall off the vintage edge into that void of buying and buying...
Good luck with the new focus...enjoy the crafting, gardening and what every other passion comes your way.

[Online Bingo]

I'm of the opinion that less really is more. The more clutter years the less order you have so the less you have the more value you have.isn't that right? I tend to believe that. As for when I go to an online gaming site for example, I like to play at bingo room which has fewer games. But more quality games.

[Bingo Online]

I really have to do agree that clutter is an eyesore. The absence of mace is the presence of order. It just makes everything so much easier to manage and it's less work in the long run because there is no convolution of items etc. I've seen so many episodes of orders and I feel sick and by the shoddiness and the tardiness of these people. It is clearly a mental disorder.

[Play Bingo]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Hoarding does not seem like it's harmful at firs until it already takes a toll on yourself. I agree with the other comments, clutter is an eyesore. Good luck and you will get by by starting with little steps!