OT: Clearing stuff

[Chris J Dixon]

As I said over on Facebook the other day, I am feeling a little
like some clearing out is needed. However, I'm always reluctant
to dispose of something I then turn out to want/ need.

The garage is getting a bit tight for space (1), and I'm also not
sure how much school, college and work books and paperwork there
is any point in hanging onto. At some point if I don't get rid,
someone else will have to.

When will I next need to design a power transformer or derive a
physics formula? I never understood A level maths (and further
maths) at the time, so the penny is unlikely to drop now.

My monthly magazines are kept in sets of IKEA files, with the
oldest copy recycled, but with so much stuff on line, I'm not
sure if I ever go back to look something up.

Someone suggested that Kon Marie is worth a read, but it seems
very prescriptive to me. I don't feel such a rigid set of rules
would work for me, and in any case if I had to feel "joy" to
justify each article's retention, the house would be practically
empty.

There are some books and army stuff of my dad's in the loft and
other storage spaces, and I need to ask myself why I still have
them - they don't get read or consulted, they are not on display,
don't have intrinsic value, and after 40 years, there is little
emotional connection.

(1) There are plenty of assorted bits of wood, metal and plastic,
screws and bolts, wiring, electrical kit, tools... This means
that most little jobs can be completed with the aid of some
rummaging. Perhaps I need to accept that these days a wide
variety of stuff can be obtained quite fast, but I hate the
feeling of "I used to have just the thing!"

Chris

[kosmo]

On Wed, 29 Mar 2017 13:38:24 +0100, Chris J Dixon

Post by Chris J Dixon
My monthly magazines are kept in sets of IKEA files, with the

I have similar thoughts. I now have 41 consecutive years of Railway
Modeller. They built models differently then. But might I want the
drawings.

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by kosmo
On Wed, 29 Mar 2017 13:38:24 +0100, Chris J Dixon

Post by Chris J Dixon
My monthly magazines are kept in sets of IKEA files, with the

I have similar thoughts. I now have 41 consecutive years of Railway
Modeller. They built models differently then. But might I want the
drawings.

My largest collection used to be fRoots. I tried in various
places to get interest in the set, but, apart from one single
issue, they went for recycling.

My loft was pretty full at the point I decided that the boarded
centre section should have insulation board added, whilst topping
up the fibreglass on the rest.

I rationalised (a little) and decided that, nice though it was, a
top hat once worn by my grandfather was doing nobody any good
stuck up there.

Similarly, the three-row typewriter on which I first learned
whatever keyboard skills I can muster, was rather past its useful
life.

I sold them both on ebay, and that just about covered the cost of
the extra insulation.

Chris

[Fenny]

Post by Chris J Dixon
I rationalised (a little) and decided that, nice though it was, a
top hat once worn by my grandfather was doing nobody any good
stuck up there.
Similarly, the three-row typewriter on which I first learned
whatever keyboard skills I can muster, was rather past its useful
life.
I sold them both on ebay, and that just about covered the cost of
the extra insulation.

I still have Grandpa's bowler hat, but I donated Granny's (very) old
typewriter to one of the industrial museums in Sheffield.

[Sally Thompson]

Post by Fenny

Post by Chris J Dixon
I rationalised (a little) and decided that, nice though it was, a
top hat once worn by my grandfather was doing nobody any good
stuck up there.
Similarly, the three-row typewriter on which I first learned
whatever keyboard skills I can muster, was rather past its useful
life.
I sold them both on ebay, and that just about covered the cost of
the extra insulation.

I still have Grandpa's bowler hat, but I donated Granny's (very) old
typewriter to one of the industrial museums in Sheffield.

I'm very good at purging, but I still have my father's school cap! (He was
born in 1915 to put it into context.)

[Chris McMillan]

Post by kosmo
On Wed, 29 Mar 2017 13:38:24 +0100, Chris J Dixon

Post by Chris J Dixon
My monthly magazines are kept in sets of IKEA files, with the

I have similar thoughts. I now have 41 consecutive years of Railway
Modeller. They built models differently then. But might I want the
drawings.

Respect!

Sincerely Chris

[Nick Leverton]

Post by kosmo
On Wed, 29 Mar 2017 13:38:24 +0100, Chris J Dixon

Post by Chris J Dixon
My monthly magazines are kept in sets of IKEA files, with the

I have similar thoughts. I now have 41 consecutive years of Railway
Modeller. They built models differently then. But might I want the
drawings.

Faced with similar thoughts a few years ago, I did high resolution scans
of the drawings from my areas of interest. The paper collection was
donated to a local model railway club to fill gaps in their collection.

Nick

[Jane Vernon]

Post by kosmo

Post by Chris J Dixon
My monthly magazines are kept in sets of IKEA files, with the

I have similar thoughts. I now have 41 consecutive years of Railway
Modeller. They built models differently then. But might I want the
drawings.

I still have a subscription to Crafts magazine. It was launched in
1973. I have two or three out of the first six issues, I think, before
I took out the subsription. I sometimes wonder if it's still relevant
to the work I do now, but I couldn't possibly stop.

I've had a subscription to Ceramic Review for about 30 years. I don't
want to stop that, but some of its content is irrelevant and
uninteresting to me. A number of years ago I had the idea of cutting
out the articles that could possibly be of interest and filing them,
disposing of the bulky remains. Another potter friend expressed horror
at such an idea, so I still store all of those too ...

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <***@mid.individual.net>, Jane Vernon
<***@gmail.com> writes:
[]

Post by Jane Vernon
I still have a subscription to Crafts magazine. It was launched in
1973. I have two or three out of the first six issues, I think, before
I took out the subsription. I sometimes wonder if it's still relevant
to the work I do now, but I couldn't possibly stop.

Do you still read them as they come in? I stopped buying one mag. (I
never got as far as subscribing AFAICR, just buying each issue as I saw
it) when I found I was about two years behind in actually reading it. (I
think it was Wireless World, I think in the 1980s.)

Post by Jane Vernon
I've had a subscription to Ceramic Review for about 30 years. I don't
want to stop that, but some of its content is irrelevant and
uninteresting to me. A number of years ago I had the idea of cutting
out the articles that could possibly be of interest and filing them,
disposing of the bulky remains. Another potter friend expressed horror
at such an idea, so I still store all of those too ...

I've thought of the same thing, and I think I actually started doing it.
(IIRR I photocopied the relevant pages [it was a low proportion], thus
keeping the originals undamaged, intending to give them to something.) I
certainly didn't finish of course, and it's now so long since I did that
I can't remember how far I got.

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I've thought of the same thing, and I think I actually started doing it.
(IIRR I photocopied the relevant pages [it was a low proportion], thus
keeping the originals undamaged, intending to give them to something.)

I think it's against the rules to photocopy and pass on the original. I
started photocopying patterns from my machine knitting mags and then
disposing of the mags, but recently decided that the chances of me ever
using any MORE patterns were zero, so I must harden my heart and chuck
away the mags if no one else wants them.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I've thought of the same thing, and I think I actually started doing it.
(IIRR I photocopied the relevant pages [it was a low proportion], thus
keeping the originals undamaged, intending to give them to something.)

I think it's against the rules to photocopy and pass on the original.

In theory yes, even to the extent of dog-in-the-manger.

I wanted copies of a series I remembered seeing in Wireless World (an
excellent series about the compact disc digital audio system, that ran
over a year or two, not continuously), and after more effort than I
expected, managed to make contact with the copyright holders, who told
me that they just weren't available (I'd have been willing to pay a
reasonable amount). I was somewhat flabbergasted: it was (up to beyond
where I stopped buying it, in the 1980s I think, anyway) a significant
journal in its field (it grew out of The Marconigramme!), and the idea
of it not being _available_ seemed beyond belief.

Copyright law, however, is I think not sensible: as you say, you can't
copy and pass on, _even if the original is unavailable_. Record
companies are among the worst offenders.

Post by Jenny M Benson
I started photocopying patterns from my machine knitting mags and then
disposing of the mags, but recently decided that the chances of me ever
using any MORE patterns were zero, so I must harden my heart and chuck
away the mags if no one else wants them.

Is there no local club/society? Even a card in the window of the shop
where you buy your wool might find a taker perhaps?

[kosmo]

On Sat, 1 Apr 2017 02:13:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I wanted copies of a series I remembered seeing in Wireless World (an
excellent series about the compact disc digital audio system, that ran
over a year or two, not continuously), and after more effort than I

All such publications are deposited with the British Library. Do
they have any system for providing copies?

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Post by kosmo
On Sat, 1 Apr 2017 02:13:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I wanted copies of a series I remembered seeing in Wireless World

(an

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
excellent series about the compact disc digital audio system, that

ran

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
over a year or two, not continuously), and after more effort than I

All such publications are deposited with the British Library. Do they
have any system for providing copies?

I don't _think_ so; maybe if you visit in person. That's what the
copyright holders suggested, that I find a library that kept back
copies.

I actually got the series because someone who also thought it was good
sent me a disc of the entire series scanned; probably breaking the law
in doing so.

[Peter Percival]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by kosmo
On Sat, 1 Apr 2017 02:13:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I wanted copies of a series I remembered seeing in Wireless World

(an

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
excellent series about the compact disc digital audio system, that

ran

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
over a year or two, not continuously), and after more effort than I

All such publications are deposited with the British Library. Do they
have any system for providing copies?

I don't _think_ so; maybe if you visit in person. That's what the
copyright holders suggested, that I find a library that kept back copies.

Your local public library can get them for you through Interlibrary
Loan. If each article was not more than 10% (in number of pages) of the
periodical, then a photocopy can be supplied if it is only for private
study.

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I actually got the series because someone who also thought it was good
sent me a disc of the entire series scanned; probably breaking the law
in doing so.

[Mike]

Post by kosmo
On Sat, 1 Apr 2017 02:13:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I wanted copies of a series I remembered seeing in Wireless World

(an

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
excellent series about the compact disc digital audio system, that

ran

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
over a year or two, not continuously), and after more effort than I

All such publications are deposited with the British Library. Do
they have any system for providing copies?

I believe the technique is to locate the page(s) in the volumes contained
within the B.L. Then resting a straight edge against the inside edges of
the page, suddenly develope a very loud cough, so much so in fact that the
cough causes your page holding hand to go into spasm that happens to
liberate a page.... 😉

[Penny]

On Sat, 1 Apr 2017 02:13:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I've thought of the same thing, and I think I actually started doing it.
(IIRR I photocopied the relevant pages [it was a low proportion], thus
keeping the originals undamaged, intending to give them to something.)

I think it's against the rules to photocopy and pass on the original.

In theory yes, even to the extent of dog-in-the-manger.
I wanted copies of a series I remembered seeing in Wireless World (an
excellent series about the compact disc digital audio system, that ran
over a year or two, not continuously), and after more effort than I
expected, managed to make contact with the copyright holders, who told
me that they just weren't available (I'd have been willing to pay a
reasonable amount). I was somewhat flabbergasted: it was (up to beyond
where I stopped buying it, in the 1980s I think, anyway) a significant
journal in its field (it grew out of The Marconigramme!), and the idea
of it not being _available_ seemed beyond belief.

I think the current copyright owners for Model Engineer (it may have been a
different, related title) behave in a similar fashion. Someone scanned and
uploaded very old editions which delighted many people. The owners had them
taken down but refuse to sell copies.

I have a small collection (which were Ray's) but I don't think they go well
on ebay - not sure what to do with those. I also have a box full of English
& Amateur Mechanics from the 1920s which my father (who may have picked
them up at an auction) passed to Ray - must find the tuit to have a look
through, I love the adverts in stuff like that.

Also from my father came most of the first 2 volumes of the Journal of the
Atomic Scientists of Chicago all of which *are* available for free download
online - yet people seem to buy those on ebay.

[Jane Vernon]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
I've thought of the same thing, and I think I actually started doing it.
(IIRR I photocopied the relevant pages [it was a low proportion], thus
keeping the originals undamaged, intending to give them to something.)

I think it's against the rules to photocopy and pass on the original.

Good. I don't want the faff of doing that. I still may do my tearing
out pages idea.

I

Post by Jenny M Benson
started photocopying patterns from my machine knitting mags and then
disposing of the mags, but recently decided that the chances of me ever
using any MORE patterns were zero, so I must harden my heart and chuck
away the mags if no one else wants them.

I'm really quite good at heart hardening and good at chucking things
out, mostly. The trouble is that I find new areas in which to hoard
things I might find time for in years to come.

[Fenny]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 19:03:38 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
Do you still read them as they come in? I stopped buying one mag. (I
never got as far as subscribing AFAICR, just buying each issue as I saw
it) when I found I was about two years behind in actually reading it. (I
think it was Wireless World, I think in the 1980s.)

I stopped buying the RT when I realised my subscription copies were
lying, unopened, on the end of the sofa for weeks at a time. After
that, I realised that it wasn't worth paying the licence fee either.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by Jane Vernon
I still have a subscription to Crafts magazine. It was launched in
1973. I have two or three out of the first six issues, I think,
before I took out the subsription. I sometimes wonder if it's still
relevant to the work I do now, but I couldn't possibly stop.

Do you still read them as they come in? I stopped buying one mag. (I
never got as far as subscribing AFAICR, just buying each issue as I saw
it) when I found I was about two years behind in actually reading it. (I
think it was Wireless World, I think in the 1980s.)

Post by Jane Vernon
I've had a subscription to Ceramic Review for about 30 years. I don't
want to stop that, but some of its content is irrelevant and
uninteresting to me. A number of years ago I had the idea of cutting
out the articles that could possibly be of interest and filing them,
disposing of the bulky remains. Another potter friend expressed
horror at such an idea, so I still store all of those too ...

I've thought of the same thing, and I think I actually started doing it.
(IIRR I photocopied the relevant pages [it was a low proportion], thus
keeping the originals undamaged, intending to give them to something.) I
certainly didn't finish of course, and it's now so long since I did that
I can't remember how far I got.

In the interests of umrats being able to save on storage space...

Many here have access to Manchester Library on-line.
(It's free & you need not live anywhere near Manchester)

There are around 106 magazine titles which are accessible on-line as
part of the Library service.
Back issues covering perhaps 2 years are included.

http://www.rbdigital.com/greatermanchester/service/zinio/landing?

IIRC you need your Library ID number and an email address to log in.

[Penny]

On Sun, 2 Apr 2017 01:25:03 +0100, Sam Plusnet <***@home.com> scrawled in
the dust...

Post by Sam Plusnet
Many here have access to Manchester Library on-line.
(It's free & you need not live anywhere near Manchester)

Hmm, well, I signed up online, ensuring I ticked all the right boxes, then
got an email with a temporary library number which said I needed to visit a
Manchester library in order to complete my registration and get my actual
library number.

That was a couple of years ago and in spite of several visits to Sheffield
since then I have not yet found the time or inclination to figure out which
library would be convenient for a via Manchester route so I haven't been
able to use my membership yet :(

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Penny
the dust...

Post by Sam Plusnet
Many here have access to Manchester Library on-line.
(It's free & you need not live anywhere near Manchester)

Hmm, well, I signed up online, ensuring I ticked all the right boxes, then
got an email with a temporary library number which said I needed to visit a
Manchester library in order to complete my registration and get my actual
library number.
That was a couple of years ago and in spite of several visits to Sheffield
since then I have not yet found the time or inclination to figure out which
library would be convenient for a via Manchester route so I haven't been
able to use my membership yet :(

That's a great shame. When I joined the whole thing was done on-line
but the ID was sent to me by post. Certainly no visit to anywhere was
needed.

[Jane Vernon]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by Jane Vernon
I still have a subscription to Crafts magazine. It was launched in
1973. I have two or three out of the first six issues, I think,
before I took out the subsription. I sometimes wonder if it's still
relevant to the work I do now, but I couldn't possibly stop.

Do you still read them as they come in?

Yes. There was a period about 3 years ago when I got behind, but
otherwise I've read them all, FSVO read.


I stopped buying one mag. (I

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
never got as far as subscribing AFAICR, just buying each issue as I saw
it) when I found I was about two years behind in actually reading it. (I
think it was Wireless World, I think in the 1980s.)

Post by Jane Vernon
I've had a subscription to Ceramic Review for about 30 years. I don't
want to stop that, but some of its content is irrelevant and
uninteresting to me. A number of years ago I had the idea of cutting
out the articles that could possibly be of interest and filing them,
disposing of the bulky remains. Another potter friend expressed
horror at such an idea, so I still store all of those too ...

I've thought of the same thing, and I think I actually started doing it.
(IIRR I photocopied the relevant pages [it was a low proportion], thus
keeping the originals undamaged, intending to give them to something.) I
certainly didn't finish of course, and it's now so long since I did that
I can't remember how far I got.

[Peter Percival]

Post by Chris J Dixon
There are some books and army stuff of my dad's in the loft and
other storage spaces, [...]

Campaign medals? The regimental museum might be interested. Service
revolver? The police will certainly be interested.

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by Chris J Dixon
As I said over on Facebook the other day, I am feeling a little
like some clearing out is needed. However, I'm always reluctant
to dispose of something I then turn out to want/ need.

i read part of your post to my sister who asked "are you sure he's not
talking about my garage?"

But her garage is no longer like that after 2 long ruthless sessions of
sorting and chucking out. My broil, who died a few weeks ago, would
part with NOTHING, even though no longer able to use any of it. My sis
has found the clearing very cathartic.

[LFS]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by Chris J Dixon
As I said over on Facebook the other day, I am feeling a little
like some clearing out is needed. However, I'm always reluctant
to dispose of something I then turn out to want/ need.

i read part of your post to my sister who asked "are you sure he's not
talking about my garage?"
But her garage is no longer like that after 2 long ruthless sessions of
sorting and chucking out. My broil, who died a few weeks ago, would
part with NOTHING, even though no longer able to use any of it. My sis
has found the clearing very cathartic.

I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for one
car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

[Fenny]

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for one
car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

Amateurs!

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Fenny

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for one
car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

Amateurs!

Is that the verdict of the shedii?

All the tqt one could desire?

Chris

[Fenny]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by Fenny

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for one
car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

Amateurs!

Is that the verdict of the shedii?
All the tqt one could desire?

I think my Pa must have been a Sheddi before they were ever thus
named.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <***@4ax.com>, Fenny
<***@onetel.com> writes:
[]

Post by Fenny
I think my Pa must have been a Sheddi before they were ever thus
named.

<Jim> Wouldn't the singular be Sheddus? </Jim>

[Fenny]

On Thu, 30 Mar 2017 22:59:30 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by Fenny
I think my Pa must have been a Sheddi before they were ever thus
named.

<Jim> Wouldn't the singular be Sheddus? </Jim>

Jim has probably seen Star Wars, so would know better!

[Jim Easterbrook]

Post by Fenny
On Thu, 30 Mar 2017 22:59:30 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by Fenny
I think my Pa must have been a Sheddi before they were ever thus
named.

<Jim> Wouldn't the singular be Sheddus? </Jim>

Jim has probably seen Star Wars, so would know better!

This Jim hasn't seen Star Wars and I suspect Jim Lloyd hasn't either.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <***@mid.individual.net>, LFS
<***@gmail.com> writes:
[]

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for
one car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

By "cleared out", it sounds like you mean "and disposed of". Any such
exercise on my part (not that I'm likely to actually find the tuit [my
garage isn't _that_ bad, though I don't keep my car in it, but the box
room mostly contains things not really accessed since I moved in ten
years ago) would perhaps involve getting everything out - and then
putting most of it back. (Probably even abandoning the exercise half way
through due to getting disheartened - so that an overall reduction by
10% or even 5% might be the most that would be achieved.)

[LFS]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for
one car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

By "cleared out", it sounds like you mean "and disposed of". Any such
exercise on my part (not that I'm likely to actually find the tuit [my
garage isn't _that_ bad, though I don't keep my car in it, but the box
room mostly contains things not really accessed since I moved in ten
years ago) would perhaps involve getting everything out - and then
putting most of it back. (Probably even abandoning the exercise half way
through due to getting disheartened - so that an overall reduction by
10% or even 5% might be the most that would be achieved.)

I think it may less of a problem if you're only looking at your own
accumulation but I'm now looking at not only the stuff Husband and I
have acquired over 45 years but also the stuff we have inherited from
our mothers and my aunt. At the time of each of their demises we got rid
of a great deal of stuff but some was kept, partly for sentimental
reasons but also because there was no easy method of disposal at the time.

I would happily leave it all for our children to deal with but I'd like
to reorganise our space to make our declining years a bit more
comfortable. So as well as getting all the existing stuff sorted and
pruned we also have to beware of acquiring more...

[Penny]

On Thu, 30 Mar 2017 06:55:37 +0100, LFS <***@gmail.com>
scrawled in the dust...

Post by LFS

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for
one car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

I'm a hoarder and have been married to a couple of them, although I'm
probably worse than Ray as I actively encouraged him to bring 'stuff' with
him when we moved in together.

Post by LFS

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
By "cleared out", it sounds like you mean "and disposed of". Any such
exercise on my part (not that I'm likely to actually find the tuit [my
garage isn't _that_ bad, though I don't keep my car in it, but the box
room mostly contains things not really accessed since I moved in ten
years ago) would perhaps involve getting everything out - and then
putting most of it back. (Probably even abandoning the exercise half way
through due to getting disheartened - so that an overall reduction by
10% or even 5% might be the most that would be achieved.)

I don't have a garage - the shed and carport contain a lot of stuff much of
which has been retained because it might come in useful. I moved into this
house 7 years ago, having discarded a lot of stuff at the time of the move
from Kent.

Some 'treasures' are stored in the eaves of this dormer bungalow and have
been since we moved in. I've no idea what the boxes in the north eaves
contain and I put them there. I too have considered taking everything out
and at least documenting it before putting most of it back. I too suspect I
would abandon the exercise before it was finished. If the access (a tiny
door half way up the wall at one end) were not so awkward I might have made
a start...

Post by LFS
I think it may less of a problem if you're only looking at your own
accumulation but I'm now looking at not only the stuff Husband and I
have acquired over 45 years but also the stuff we have inherited from
our mothers and my aunt. At the time of each of their demises we got rid
of a great deal of stuff but some was kept, partly for sentimental
reasons but also because there was no easy method of disposal at the time.
I would happily leave it all for our children to deal with but I'd like
to reorganise our space to make our declining years a bit more
comfortable. So as well as getting all the existing stuff sorted and
pruned we also have to beware of acquiring more...

When I returned from clearing some of the books and family photos
(accumulated from various deceased relatives) and some other bits from my
father's house - where I'd recognised he had already thinned things out a
lot - I had a degree of determination that I wouldn't leave my own children
with so much of a muddle that they'd struggle to tell what could just be
thrown away.

When clearing his house I failed to find some things I'd been hoping to
have but did find other things I'd forgotten about. Something to bear in
mind when thinning my own. I usually ask my children before getting rid of
bits I think may have meaning for them but I dare say I get that wrong.

I sorted most of the photos out of big boxes into smaller ones by
date/subject and digitised some. Then I lost the oomph to continue. I made
some shelf space and shelved some of the books - most are still in big
boxes.

I have more or less stopped accumulating more interesting bits and pieces.
If something catches my eye on the rare occasions I'm shopping, I take
photos rather than buying - I call it photo-shopping :)

[kosmo]

Post by Penny
I have more or less stopped accumulating more interesting bits and pieces.

We have stopped buying pottery when on holiday as we already have so
much and it gets used less these days.

[LFS]

Post by Penny
When I returned from clearing some of the books and family photos
(accumulated from various deceased relatives) and some other bits from my
father's house - where I'd recognised he had already thinned things out a
lot - I had a degree of determination that I wouldn't leave my own children
with so much of a muddle that they'd struggle to tell what could just be
thrown away.

Son says I shouldn't part with anything at all. Daughter couldn't care less.

Post by Penny
When clearing his house I failed to find some things I'd been hoping to
have but did find other things I'd forgotten about. Something to bear in
mind when thinning my own. I usually ask my children before getting rid of
bits I think may have meaning for them but I dare say I get that wrong.
I sorted most of the photos out of big boxes into smaller ones by
date/subject and digitised some. Then I lost the oomph to continue. I made
some shelf space and shelved some of the books - most are still in big
boxes.

The photos are a major problem which started with my aunt. She had a
small suitcase full of them and when I was young she and Mum used to
sometimes get them out and start going through them but they always
ended up giggling and not getting very far with labelling or sorting.

The suitcase is now a much bigger one. Mum obviously made a start on
some sorting as there are some with her writing on the back where she
could identify the people and I know she went to some trouble to track
down descendants of people who she thought might like to have them. But
the biggest bundle is just labelled with a question mark. Someone
suggested I should digitise them all and they might be recognised if on
line but Life is too short for that task!

Post by Penny
I have more or less stopped accumulating more interesting bits and pieces.
If something catches my eye on the rare occasions I'm shopping, I take
photos rather than buying - I call it photo-shopping :)

Now that's a *very* good idea!

[Penny]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 09:52:31 +0100, LFS <***@gmail.com>
scrawled in the dust...

Post by LFS

Post by Penny
I sorted most of the photos out of big boxes into smaller ones by
date/subject and digitised some. Then I lost the oomph to continue. I made
some shelf space and shelved some of the books - most are still in big
boxes.

The photos are a major problem which started with my aunt. She had a
small suitcase full of them and when I was young she and Mum used to
sometimes get them out and start going through them but they always
ended up giggling and not getting very far with labelling or sorting.

I discovered during my family history research that my mother had a cousin
who lives about 30 miles from me (I knew of her brothers but had never
heard of her before). I got in touch, via one of the brothers who has a
website and she told me she had a lot of family photo albums. Two of their
maiden aunts took a lot of photos and were generally good at pasting them
into albums and labelling.

I visited and spent about 5 hours photographing photos. It was great to see
so many and to hear more about this side of my family. I never met that
grandfather, he died in 1931, and my grandmother outlived my mother (her
only child). Her husband did pass her jewellery to me but no family photos
had come from that direction.

[Nick Odell]

Post by LFS

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for
one car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

By "cleared out", it sounds like you mean "and disposed of". Any such
exercise on my part (not that I'm likely to actually find the tuit [my
garage isn't _that_ bad, though I don't keep my car in it, but the box
room mostly contains things not really accessed since I moved in ten
years ago) would perhaps involve getting everything out - and then
putting most of it back. (Probably even abandoning the exercise half way
through due to getting disheartened - so that an overall reduction by
10% or even 5% might be the most that would be achieved.)

I think it may less of a problem if you're only looking at your own
accumulation but I'm now looking at not only the stuff Husband and I
have acquired over 45 years but also the stuff we have inherited from
our mothers and my aunt. At the time of each of their demises we got rid
of a great deal of stuff but some was kept, partly for sentimental
reasons but also because there was no easy method of disposal at the time.

...and I'm also looking at the stuff my children have deposited on me.
In some cases (pardon the pun) their tqt is preventing me reaching my
own tqt to start meaningfully sorting it out which is preventing me
reaching my parents' tqt yea, verily unto the nth generation.

Nick

[Penny]

On Thu, 30 Mar 2017 17:06:03 +0100, Nick Odell

Post by Nick Odell
...and I'm also looking at the stuff my children have deposited on me.
In some cases (pardon the pun) their tqt is preventing me reaching my
own tqt to start meaningfully sorting it out which is preventing me
reaching my parents' tqt yea, verily unto the nth generation.

Oh, yes, I have some of that going on too. In fact I think it may be d#1's
tqt which prevents me getting at my own in the eaves cupboard.

D#2, on the other hand, seems to be running a slow campaign to declutter my
house by asking if I'm still using items A, B and C. Not really wanting to
get rid of them myself (I may want to use them again at some point) I pass
them on only to find later *she* has got rid of them :(

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by LFS
I am married to a hoarder. We have a double garage but only room for
one car. Two years ago I insisted that we cleared out the garage, an
exercise which had not been undertaken properly since we moved here in
1985. It took several days but the sense of achievement was wonderful.

By "cleared out", it sounds like you mean "and disposed of". Any such
exercise on my part (not that I'm likely to actually find the tuit [my
garage isn't _that_ bad, though I don't keep my car in it, but the box
room mostly contains things not really accessed since I moved in ten
years ago) would perhaps involve getting everything out - and then
putting most of it back. (Probably even abandoning the exercise half way
through due to getting disheartened - so that an overall reduction by
10% or even 5% might be the most that would be achieved.)

When "clearing out" a stack of old magazines I invariably end up sitting
on the floor reading through most of them.
I _might_ end up stacking 10% of them by the wastepaper basket.
(Although they may not actually end up leaving the building)

[Jim Easterbrook]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by Chris J Dixon
As I said over on Facebook the other day, I am feeling a little
like some clearing out is needed. However, I'm always reluctant
to dispose of something I then turn out to want/ need.

i read part of your post to my sister who asked "are you sure he's not
talking about my garage?"
But her garage is no longer like that after 2 long ruthless sessions of
sorting and chucking out. My broil, who died a few weeks ago, would
part with NOTHING, even though no longer able to use any of it. My sis
has found the clearing very cathartic.

I do not understand this desire to chuck stuff out. What use is empty space?
Much better to fill it with stuff that has all sots of potential uses, as
yet unthought of.

Some people do like emptiness though. See almost any "Grand Designs" where
someone builds a cavernous space without so much as a single bookshelf.

[Peter Percival]

Post by Jim Easterbrook
I do not understand this desire to chuck stuff out. What use is empty space?
Much better to fill it with stuff that has all sots of potential uses, as
yet unthought of.

Hear! Hear! Well said that man!

Post by Jim Easterbrook
Some people do like emptiness though. See almost any "Grand Designs" where
someone builds a cavernous space without so much as a single bookshelf.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <***@mid.individual.net>, Jim Easterbrook
<***@jim-easterbrook.me.uk> writes:
[]

Post by Jim Easterbrook
I do not understand this desire to chuck stuff out. What use is empty space?
Much better to fill it with stuff that has all sots of potential uses, as
yet unthought of.

I guess there's a compromise position though: the opposite position is
where the accumulation actually starts to make it difficult to access
things (including even some of the junk - sorry, treasure - itself).
When the house becomes limited to just narrow access ways, ...

Post by Jim Easterbrook
Some people do like emptiness though. See almost any "Grand Designs" where
someone builds a cavernous space without so much as a single bookshelf.

Yes. I know someone who dabbles in the antiques trade (a retired major
from the RAEC, and his wife); they really continue (and not even that,
very much, now) because they enjoy it, rather than make much money at
it. When I say antiques, I mean small items, not furniture. He said,
quite a few years ago now, that a lot of these home redesign programmes
had had a significant effect on the trade: people used to collect
things, and display them in cabinets, or on shelves, or whatever. The
new fashion for minimalism - as you say, lots of empty space - made a
significant difference to that trade.

Plus, now, I think the increasing pressure on housing means a lot of
people just don't _have_ the space they once had.

And, possibly, thinking about it, the throwaway society: people used to
hang on to things in less-than-perfect condition because they thought
either they were still good _enough_, or because they thought they might
be fixable sometime. I think a lot of people - to some extent it's a
generational thing - no longer have that mindset. I notice it most, of
course, in electronic things, but it applies on a much broader scale -
furniture, tools, clothes ...

[Jane Vernon]

Post by Jim Easterbrook
I do not understand this desire to chuck stuff out. What use is empty space?
Much better to fill it with stuff that has all sots of potential uses, as
yet unthought of.

You're missing the point, Jim. It's not the need for empty space as
such, it's the need for space into which one can then add new things one
would like to acquire but has no room to store. It also, albeit
sometimes only briefly, makes it easier to find the things you decide to
keep.

[LFS]

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by Jim Easterbrook
I do not understand this desire to chuck stuff out. What use is empty space?
Much better to fill it with stuff that has all sots of potential uses, as
yet unthought of.

You're missing the point, Jim. It's not the need for empty space as
such, it's the need for space into which one can then add new things one
would like to acquire but has no room to store. It also, albeit
sometimes only briefly, makes it easier to find the things you decide to
keep.

True and extra space, even if there is no intention to fill it, can be
very cheering in an odd way.

[Marjorie]

Post by Jim Easterbrook

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by Chris J Dixon
As I said over on Facebook the other day, I am feeling a little
like some clearing out is needed. However, I'm always reluctant
to dispose of something I then turn out to want/ need.

i read part of your post to my sister who asked "are you sure he's not
talking about my garage?"
But her garage is no longer like that after 2 long ruthless sessions of
sorting and chucking out. My broil, who died a few weeks ago, would
part with NOTHING, even though no longer able to use any of it. My sis
has found the clearing very cathartic.

I do not understand this desire to chuck stuff out. What use is empty space?
Much better to fill it with stuff that has all sots of potential uses, as
yet unthought of.
Some people do like emptiness though. See almost any "Grand Designs" where
someone builds a cavernous space without so much as a single bookshelf.

There's a difference between chucking stuff out and tidying it up. If
you don't do either, and just let stuff accumulate, it isn't any use to
you if you can't find it when you want it, or don't even know you have it.

I am speaking from the heart here. I am still trying to get some order
into the garage that my late husband has bequeathed me. It is as I
always suspected: if he needed a few screws, a can of primer or a
paintbrush, he could never find a suitable one so he would buy another.
Consequently the garage is full of disused, dried up or rusted bits of
junk, all mixed up with useable things and stored randomly.

IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE IT! Sorry, I got a bit
carried away there. But you know it makes sense.

And then, just as I am struggling with this, I find myself as executor
to the estate of my step-mum who lived 350 miles away. Her garage is
piled high with stuff, much of which has been there since before my Dad
died 13 years ago. In the house, there is also a lot to sort and get rid
of, e.g. there are things like shelves of videos of Morse; I suspect
that they struggled with the video tapes and decided just to use a new
tape for each episode.

I have no idea how I am going to cope with all this.

So do your heirs a favour, and clear out as you go along. Personally, I
am trying now not to buy anything new without getting rid of something
old (clothes, shoes, books, bedding, kitchen stuff etc).

[Btms]

Post by Marjorie

Post by Jim Easterbrook

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by Chris J Dixon
As I said over on Facebook the other day, I am feeling a little
like some clearing out is needed. However, I'm always reluctant
to dispose of something I then turn out to want/ need.

i read part of your post to my sister who asked "are you sure he's not
talking about my garage?"
But her garage is no longer like that after 2 long ruthless sessions of
sorting and chucking out. My broil, who died a few weeks ago, would
part with NOTHING, even though no longer able to use any of it. My sis
has found the clearing very cathartic.

I do not understand this desire to chuck stuff out. What use is empty space?
Much better to fill it with stuff that has all sots of potential uses, as
yet unthought of.
Some people do like emptiness though. See almost any "Grand Designs" where
someone builds a cavernous space without so much as a single bookshelf.

There's a difference between chucking stuff out and tidying it up. If
you don't do either, and just let stuff accumulate, it isn't any use to
you if you can't find it when you want it, or don't even know you have it.
I am speaking from the heart here. I am still trying to get some order
into the garage that my late husband has bequeathed me. It is as I
always suspected: if he needed a few screws, a can of primer or a
paintbrush, he could never find a suitable one so he would buy another.
Consequently the garage is full of disused, dried up or rusted bits of
junk, all mixed up with useable things and stored randomly.
IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE IT! Sorry, I got a bit
carried away there. But you know it makes sense.
And then, just as I am struggling with this, I find myself as executor
to the estate of my step-mum who lived 350 miles away. Her garage is
piled high with stuff, much of which has been there since before my Dad
died 13 years ago. In the house, there is also a lot to sort and get rid
of, e.g. there are things like shelves of videos of Morse; I suspect
that they struggled with the video tapes and decided just to use a new
tape for each episode.
I have no idea how I am going to cope with all this.
So do your heirs a favour, and clear out as you go along. Personally, I
am trying now not to buy anything new without getting rid of something
old (clothes, shoes, books, bedding, kitchen stuff etc).

Well said this woman. I admit to things like framed photos stored in the
attic because the house is too small for them. Also, I think aged frames
look rather ageing and as if one has a past but no future. When we moved
here, we acquired good attic space and husbad has stuff in relatively
logical groups. However, we did let go of much of what I regarded as old
friends but did not have a use for them. My main problem is stuff that my
own parents valued but are not my style. However, I have selected one or
two things and display them in he guest room. The children appreciate this
nod to the grandparents. All this said we have regular domestic enemas but
I do have a twinge as I shred papers I used in my teaching. Supporting
documents for scrpts are hard to let go of....but once this is done I cant
say I miss them. Look forward, not back.

[LFS]

Post by Marjorie
There's a difference between chucking stuff out and tidying it up. If
you don't do either, and just let stuff accumulate, it isn't any use to
you if you can't find it when you want it, or don't even know you have it.
I am speaking from the heart here. I am still trying to get some order
into the garage that my late husband has bequeathed me. It is as I
always suspected: if he needed a few screws, a can of primer or a
paintbrush, he could never find a suitable one so he would buy another.
Consequently the garage is full of disused, dried up or rusted bits of
junk, all mixed up with useable things and stored randomly.
IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE IT!

How very true!

Sorry, I got a bit

Post by Marjorie
carried away there. But you know it makes sense.
And then, just as I am struggling with this, I find myself as executor
to the estate of my step-mum who lived 350 miles away. Her garage is
piled high with stuff, much of which has been there since before my Dad
died 13 years ago. In the house, there is also a lot to sort and get rid
of, e.g. there are things like shelves of videos of Morse; I suspect
that they struggled with the video tapes and decided just to use a new
tape for each episode.
I have no idea how I am going to cope with all this.

Marjorie, I really do feel for you. I wish I had known when I was
younger how much of a burden possessions can end up being.

Post by Marjorie
So do your heirs a favour, and clear out as you go along. Personally, I
am trying now not to buy anything new without getting rid of something
old (clothes, shoes, books, bedding, kitchen stuff etc).

I have been trying to stick to this rule for some time. I've become good
about books as we have run out of shelf space and I'm ruthless about
saucepans and unused gadgets because the kitchen cupboards are also full
but I have cupboards and drawers full of clothes that I think I might
one day be slim enough to wear again... And it seems I cannot bear to
part with worn-out bedding or towels as they might be useful one day.

[Fenny]

Post by LFS
I have been trying to stick to this rule for some time. I've become good
about books as we have run out of shelf space and I'm ruthless about
saucepans and unused gadgets because the kitchen cupboards are also full
but I have cupboards and drawers full of clothes that I think I might
one day be slim enough to wear again... And it seems I cannot bear to
part with worn-out bedding or towels as they might be useful one day.

One of my chums posted something on Ash Wednesday about filling a bag
of items (any size or number) each day of Lent and donating them to a
charity shop. I decided that I could do 1 item per day of Lent. I
managed a bag the first week, but have been away since and haven't had
time to sort out anything else.

However, charity shops don't take duvets and I have several used ones
that need to be disposed of. I need to put them on freegle, as I'm
sure that someone could use them, as pet bedding if nothing else.

[Btms]

Post by Fenny

Post by LFS
I have been trying to stick to this rule for some time. I've become good
about books as we have run out of shelf space and I'm ruthless about
saucepans and unused gadgets because the kitchen cupboards are also full
but I have cupboards and drawers full of clothes that I think I might
one day be slim enough to wear again... And it seems I cannot bear to
part with worn-out bedding or towels as they might be useful one day.

One of my chums posted something on Ash Wednesday about filling a bag
of items (any size or number) each day of Lent and donating them to a
charity shop. I decided that I could do 1 item per day of Lent. I
managed a bag the first week, but have been away since and haven't had
time to sort out anything else.
However, charity shops don't take duvets and I have several used ones
that need to be disposed of. I need to put them on freegle, as I'm
sure that someone could use them, as pet bedding if nothing else.

If clean and ok, homeless centres and womens refuge centres may take
bedding.
Y

[BrritSki]

<snip a sad but interesting tale>
So do your heirs a favour, and clear out as you go along.

Hear, hear. We did this some 13 years ago in preparation for our move to
Italy.

Kids came home for the weekend and we got everything down from the loft
and went through it all. If they wanted to keep anything that had to
take it away with them.

We had a lot of laughs and a few tears going though all that stuff, but
it meant we moved a lot less stuff.

What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

[LFS]

Post by BrritSki

<snip a sad but interesting tale>
So do your heirs a favour, and clear out as you go along.

Hear, hear. We did this some 13 years ago in preparation for our move to
Italy.
Kids came home for the weekend and we got everything down from the loft
and went through it all. If they wanted to keep anything that had to
take it away with them.
We had a lot of laughs and a few tears going though all that stuff, but
it meant we moved a lot less stuff.
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

Not odd at all. Part of Husband's hoard is the paperwork from the three
businesses he has run over the years. And although I've got rid of much
of the stuff from thirty years of lecturing, I can't yet manage to
dispose of the paperwork from my PhD which I was awarded nineteen years ago.

[Btms]

BrritSki <***@gmail.com> wrote:

[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!

Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.

But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

[kosmo]

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to

I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of
use to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I
alone knew the effort that they represented over 25 years.

[Jane Vernon]

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

[Btms]

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

Now this is a worry! 😳

[Jane Vernon]

Post by Btms

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

Now this is a worry! 😳

Possibly. But then, as Fenny said up there ^ somewhere, there's an
appeal in documenting our lives.

[Marjorie]

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

Huh, that's nothing. I have just been sorting through a file of
"Miscellaneous receipts" amassed by my late step-mother; several go back
to the 1960s, and are in pre-decimal currency. I have had to go through
them, because in the same file are some that relate to recent repairs
and fixtures to her current house, which we will soon be selling.

[LFS]

Post by Marjorie

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

Huh, that's nothing. I have just been sorting through a file of
"Miscellaneous receipts" amassed by my late step-mother; several go back
to the 1960s, and are in pre-decimal currency. I have had to go through
them, because in the same file are some that relate to recent repairs
and fixtures to her current house, which we will soon be selling.

I strongly suspect that some of the papers Husband has kept relate to
when his father set up the first of the family businesses in the 1950s.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by LFS

Post by Marjorie

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

Huh, that's nothing. I have just been sorting through a file of
"Miscellaneous receipts" amassed by my late step-mother; several go back
to the 1960s, and are in pre-decimal currency. I have had to go through
them, because in the same file are some that relate to recent repairs
and fixtures to her current house, which we will soon be selling.

I strongly suspect that some of the papers Husband has kept relate to
when his father set up the first of the family businesses in the 1950s.

Not quite the same perhaps, but I have the receipt from a Maternity
Hospital for my sister's birth - one year before the start of the NHS.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

[]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LFS
I strongly suspect that some of the papers Husband has kept relate to
when his father set up the first of the family businesses in the 1950s.

Not quite the same perhaps, but I have the receipt from a Maternity
Hospital for my sister's birth - one year before the start of the NHS.

Could you take her back and ask for a refund (-:?

Seriously, that's the sort of thing that's great fun for genealogists -
or even just family even if they're not actually "into" genealogy as
such. At least scan it. (And maybe send a copy to your sister [and/or
her descendants], perhaps making the above refund jest ...)

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
[]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by LFS
I strongly suspect that some of the papers Husband has kept relate to
when his father set up the first of the family businesses in the 1950s.

Not quite the same perhaps, but I have the receipt from a Maternity
Hospital for my sister's birth - one year before the start of the NHS.

Could you take her back and ask for a refund (-:?

Unfortunately she has already been returned.
Because she was born in a private Maternity Hospital, I couldn't really
ask the NHS for a refund.

[Nick Odell]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 17:31:16 +0100, Jane Vernon

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

Given that (and I only discovered this a few weeks ago) the tax man
can go back 20 years if he thinks he has a case, it's probably wise as
well as sentimental. Even though my tax policy has always been to
declare and pay everything I owe (and, by the way, be assiduous in
trying to reclaim tax that has been taken and I think I didn't owe)
I'm now suddenly grateful that I've been sentimental enough to keep
all the Music Workshop records[1] back to 1984.

Nick
[1]Lever-arch files, not vinyl discs

[BrritSki]

Post by Nick Odell
Given that (and I only discovered this a few weeks ago) the tax man
can go back 20 years if he thinks he has a case, it's probably wise as
well as sentimental.

I never knew that. I can leave my records untouched for another 7 years
then :)

Post by Nick Odell
Even though my tax policy has always been to
declare and pay everything I owe (and, by the way, be assiduous in
trying to reclaim tax that has been taken

YANAOU tax avoidance should always be encouraged.

[Jane Vernon]

Post by Nick Odell
On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 17:31:16 +0100, Jane Vernon

Post by Jane Vernon

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

I have all the delivery notes and sales sheets from shops, one of which
goes back to 1999. They are of no earthly use. The files are full to
bursting and yet I can't get rid of them somehow.

Given that (and I only discovered this a few weeks ago) the tax man
can go back 20 years if he thinks he has a case, it's probably wise as
well as sentimental.

That must be a recent change, then. It was always 7 years and last time
I asked a tax office it still was. I certainly haven't kept anything
else for that long.


Even though my tax policy has always been to

Post by Nick Odell
declare and pay everything I owe (and, by the way, be assiduous in
trying to reclaim tax that has been taken and I think I didn't owe)
I'm now suddenly grateful that I've been sentimental enough to keep
all the Music Workshop records[1] back to 1984.
Nick
[1]Lever-arch files, not vinyl discs

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that your
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most of us
would want to admit.

[Btms]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of use
to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I alone knew
the effort that they represented over 25 years.

What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that your
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most of us
would want to admit.

Were they not useless long before this moment of enlightenment?

[Fenny]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that your
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most of us
would want to admit.

I didn't get where I am today by realising that my labours are
worthless!

They may have no monetary value to anyone else, but they show the
history of our lives.

One of my plans for the weekend is to find the house, and possibly the
graves, of my g-g-g-grandparents. They were born over 200 years ago
and died 140 years ago. Whether or not this has any worth, doing it
will interest me and the photos will interest Pa.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <***@4ax.com>, Fenny
<***@onetel.com> writes:
[]

Post by Fenny
One of my plans for the weekend is to find the house, and possibly the
graves, of my g-g-g-grandparents. They were born over 200 years ago
and died 140 years ago. Whether or not this has any worth, doing it
will interest me and the photos will interest Pa.

I hope I've understood how to de-munge your email. If I have, you have
mail.

[BrritSki]

Post by Fenny
On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that your
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most of us
would want to admit.

I didn't get where I am today by realising that my labours are
worthless!

<languid wave>

My labours certainly were not worthless. Despite the best efforts of
HMRC [1], I finished up with far more cash than I would have if I'd
stayed employed and a similar pension.

We wouldn't be where we are today otherwise (literally, we would not
have been able to afford to move to Italy).

[1] IR35 etc, umra passim

[Btms]

Post by BrritSki

Post by Fenny
On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that your
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most of us
would want to admit.

I didn't get where I am today by realising that my labours are
worthless!

<languid wave>
My labours certainly were not worthless. Despite the best efforts of
HMRC [1], I finished up with far more cash than I would have if I'd
stayed employed and a similar pension.
We wouldn't be where we are today otherwise (literally, we would not
have been able to afford to move to Italy).
[1] IR35 etc, umra passim

Ditto but not if the evidence is worth retaining.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Post by BrritSki

Post by Fenny
On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that your
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most of us
would want to admit.

I didn't get where I am today by realising that my labours are
worthless!

<languid wave>
My labours certainly were not worthless. Despite the best efforts of
HMRC [1], I finished up with far more cash than I would have if I'd
stayed employed and a similar pension.

[]
I said "are now". There are things we spent ages - literally years -
doing, which were worth doing in the past (and for which we were paid,
either handsomely or not), but the results of which - or, perhaps more
germane to the current discussion, the _evidence_ of which - are now
_not_ of any (financial, anyway - and arguably even sentimental) value
to anyone, even us.

But _I_ still can't throw _some of_ them out, either ... (-:

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by BrritSki
My labours certainly were not worthless. Despite the best efforts of
HMRC [1], I finished up with far more cash than I would have if I'd
stayed employed and a similar pension.
We wouldn't be where we are today otherwise (literally, we would not
have been able to afford to move to Italy).
[1] IR35 etc, umra passim

I assume you have seen this

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/30/it_contractors_who_build_ir35_calculator_to_leave_because_of_ir35/

https://tinyurl.com/mangb6n

[BrritSki]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by BrritSki
My labours certainly were not worthless. Despite the best efforts of
HMRC [1], I finished up with far more cash than I would have if I'd
stayed employed and a similar pension.
We wouldn't be where we are today otherwise (literally, we would not
have been able to afford to move to Italy).
[1] IR35 etc, umra passim

I assume you have seen this
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/30/it_contractors_who_build_ir35_calculator_to_leave_because_of_ir35/
https://tinyurl.com/mangb6n

No I hadn't. Crazy. Thanks for the link.

[kosmo]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that your
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most of us
would want to admit.

Given that in the new world my knowledge was not needed, it seems
likely that the sane mistakes are being repeated and the lessons are
having to be relearned.

[Penny]

On Sat, 01 Apr 2017 14:24:50 +0300, kosmo <***@whitnet.uk> scrawled in the
dust...

Post by kosmo
sane mistakes

The *best* kind :)

[kosmo]

Post by Penny
dust...

Post by kosmo
sane mistakes

The *best* kind :)
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

I did mean same but somehow it seems better!

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Post by Fenny
On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that

your

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most

of us

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
would want to admit.

Given that in the new world my knowledge was not needed, it seems
likely that the sane mistakes are being repeated and the lessons are
having to be relearned.

"Knowledge capture" is (in the modern-ish business world) only just
beginning to be something they realise they ought to be doing - and, in
most cases, aren't. My previous employer had just about got something
started (but hadn't got round to actually making the time spent entering
anything into it bookable, which meant almost nobody would do so of
course); my new employer _I think_ (I haven't got full access to
procedures yet) still relies far too much on what's in people's heads,
too.

I say "in the modern-ish business world", because I _suspect_ that in
days gone by, knowledge capture/transfer (though I'm sure without such a
management-speak title) _did_ occur, much more as a matter of course. In
the modernish world, things tend to be done according to procedures, and
these are set in stone (or rather mastic or similar), in that it
involves (invoking other procedures!) so much effort to get them
changed, that nobody bothers, in practice just remembering how to get
round the procedures and get things actually done. (But woe betide
anyone caught deviating, and if they actually catch you with your own
_notes_, ...!!!)

[Peter Percival]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that

your

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most

of us

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
would want to admit.

Given that in the new world my knowledge was not needed, it seems
likely that the sane mistakes are being repeated and the lessons are
having to be relearned.

"Knowledge capture" is (in the modern-ish business world) only just
beginning to be something they realise they ought to be doing - and, in
most cases, aren't. My previous employer had just about got something
started (but hadn't got round to actually making the time spent entering
anything into it bookable, which meant almost nobody would do so of
course); my new employer _I think_ (I haven't got full access to
procedures yet) still relies far too much on what's in people's heads, too.
I say "in the modern-ish business world", because I _suspect_ that in
days gone by, knowledge capture/transfer (though I'm sure without such a
management-speak title) _did_ occur, much more as a matter of course. In
the modernish world, things tend to be done according to procedures, and
these are set in stone (or rather mastic or similar), in that it
involves (invoking other procedures!) so much effort to get them
changed, that nobody bothers, in practice just remembering how to get
round the procedures and get things actually done. (But woe betide
anyone caught deviating, and if they actually catch you with your own
_notes_, ...!!!)

When I was working, one of the pottiest things I came across was ISO
9000, registering and working accordingly. It was described by a cow-
orker as being a matter of documenting what you did and doing what the
documents required. He seemed to thing that a good thing. But, said I
to him, that if the documentation requires you to do something daft, you
had to do it.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Peter Percival

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:57:28 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
What's galling in a lot of such situations is the realisation that

your

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
labours are now worthless, or nearly so. This hurts more than most

of us

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
would want to admit.

Given that in the new world my knowledge was not needed, it seems
likely that the sane mistakes are being repeated and the lessons are
having to be relearned.

"Knowledge capture" is (in the modern-ish business world) only just
beginning to be something they realise they ought to be doing - and, in
most cases, aren't. My previous employer had just about got something
started (but hadn't got round to actually making the time spent entering
anything into it bookable, which meant almost nobody would do so of
course); my new employer _I think_ (I haven't got full access to
procedures yet) still relies far too much on what's in people's heads, too.
I say "in the modern-ish business world", because I _suspect_ that in
days gone by, knowledge capture/transfer (though I'm sure without such a
management-speak title) _did_ occur, much more as a matter of course. In
the modernish world, things tend to be done according to procedures, and
these are set in stone (or rather mastic or similar), in that it
involves (invoking other procedures!) so much effort to get them
changed, that nobody bothers, in practice just remembering how to get
round the procedures and get things actually done. (But woe betide
anyone caught deviating, and if they actually catch you with your own
_notes_, ...!!!)

When I was working, one of the pottiest things I came across was ISO
9000, registering and working accordingly. It was described by a cow-
orker as being a matter of documenting what you did and doing what the
documents required. He seemed to thing that a good thing. But, said I
to him, that if the documentation requires you to do something daft, you
had to do it.

And if the person writing the documentation didn't have a clue how
things actually worked...

[Btms]

Post by BrritSki

Post by BrritSki
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously

reluctant to
I kept in filo fax format trading summaries from the year before I
joined my final employer in a consistent pattern until I left. Of
use to no-one else and I shredded them recently with regret as I
alone knew the effort that they represented over 25 years.

Point of order; wrongly attributed.

[Sally Thompson]

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

[Marjorie]

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

Yes, I sometimes apply that reverse test for books, clothing, household
stuff: if I saw this in a charity shop, would I buy it? If not, then why
not let the charity shop have it?

[Sid Nuncius]

Post by Marjorie

Post by Sally Thompson
I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

Yes, I sometimes apply that reverse test for books, clothing, household
stuff: if I saw this in a charity shop, would I buy it? If not, then why
not let the charity shop have it?

Books are a bit different for me. I like the feel of plenty of books
around me and the memories of where I bought them, when I read them and
so on. I like being able to take a book down at random sometimes and
just browse or sample. I'm very tight for space now, so nearly all my
new books are e-books (hurrah for Netgalley!), and most new paper copies
are donated to charity shops, but the books which I have owned for years
and have survived previous purges are here to stay, I think, whether or
not I'll read the whole of them again.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <***@mid.individual.net>, Sid Nuncius
<***@tesco.net> writes:
[]

copies are donated to charity shops, but the books which I have owned
for years and have survived previous purges are here to stay, I think,

IKWYM (possibly items other than books in my case).

whether or not I'll read the whole of them again.

That reminds me of something I or my brother read: if you have more than
X CDs, you are unlikely to actually listen to all of them again in your
lifetime. I suspect it will vary considerably with type of music etc.;
however, looking around at the walls of CDs in his lounge, he had many
times whatever the number was. (He and his partner showed no signs of
being affected by that pronouncement; they _do_ occasionally take a pile
or two of CDs to the charity shop or similar, but I think their net
number is either fixed or growing slightly.)

[Yes, I know modern electronic methods mean people's music collection
may not be represented by CDs as such (though I suspect probably less so
in the case of classical music, which most of his is), but by files on
hard disc (or even in the cloud), but I think the same principle still
applies. I imagine it does to videos/DVDs and the like, too.]

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
IKWYM (possibly items other than books in my case).

whether or not I'll read the whole of them again.

I read surprisingly little, usually just when away in the
caravan. I'm not sure I own anything I would re-read, and have
quite a lot I have not yet read. Text books I need to look at
quite critically, since the likelihood of my wanting to refer to
them is now vanishingly small.

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
That reminds me of something I or my brother read: if you have more than
X CDs, you are unlikely to actually listen to all of them again in your
lifetime.

All my LPs, tapes and CDs are now also stored as MP3. The tapes,
since most were already copies, have been scrapped, the LPs are
under the bed. Apparently I have 19,587 tracks and 1229 hours.

There are usually some of the more recent CDs in the car player,
but I don't spend much time driving alone these days. The MP3s
have my favourite tracks given 4 and 5 star ratings, so when (1)
I listen, it tends to be from an auto generated playlist of
favourites, sometimes also a particular genre.

(1) It isn't actually that often - live radio and keeping up with
podcasts tend to come first. We do have a Christmas playlist that
comes out seasonally.

Chris

[Nick Odell]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
IKWYM (possibly items other than books in my case).

whether or not I'll read the whole of them again.

I read surprisingly little, usually just when away in the
caravan. I'm not sure I own anything I would re-read, and have
quite a lot I have not yet read. Text books I need to look at
quite critically, since the likelihood of my wanting to refer to
them is now vanishingly small.

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
That reminds me of something I or my brother read: if you have more than
X CDs, you are unlikely to actually listen to all of them again in your
lifetime.

All my LPs, tapes and CDs are now also stored as MP3. The tapes,
since most were already copies, have been scrapped, the LPs are
under the bed. Apparently I have 19,587 tracks and 1229 hours.
There are usually some of the more recent CDs in the car player,
but I don't spend much time driving alone these days. The MP3s
have my favourite tracks given 4 and 5 star ratings, so when (1)
I listen, it tends to be from an auto generated playlist of
favourites, sometimes also a particular genre.
(1) It isn't actually that often - live radio and keeping up with
podcasts tend to come first. We do have a Christmas playlist that
comes out seasonally.

What Sid said about books is very similar to how I feel about both my
books and my recordings. I seldom buy music unless I can buy it in a
physical form because for me an important part of the pleasure of
listening is seeing, touching and reading the physical material. There
were very few recordings I replaced after I lost my entire collection
in 1973. I could still hear the music in my head and any replacements
would have been just that: replacements. They wouldn't have been the
actual plastic and paper that held the memories.

Nick

[BrritSki]

.... We do have a Christmas playlist that comes out seasonally.

What, something like a gay elf ?

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by BrritSki

.... We do have a Christmas playlist that comes out seasonally.

What, something like a gay elf ?

Holly Go Lightly?

Chris

[Btms]

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

True but not always sure about reading again. However, I have shed many
books and what might be classed as text books have been sold on through
Amazon.

[Marjorie]

Post by Btms

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

True but not always sure about reading again. However, I have shed many
books and what might be classed as text books have been sold on through
Amazon.

Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

[Sally Thompson]

Post by Marjorie

Post by Btms

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

True but not always sure about reading again. However, I have shed many
books and what might be classed as text books have been sold on through
Amazon.

Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

I have some that might fit that bill. How did you decide on a price?

[Marjorie]

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie

Post by Btms

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

True but not always sure about reading again. However, I have shed many
books and what might be classed as text books have been sold on through
Amazon.

Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

I have some that might fit that bill. How did you decide on a price?

Amazon show you what the current lowest price is from other sellers (if
there are are any offering it in the same condition), and the new price
if applicable, and you can price accordingly.

[Sally Thompson]

Post by Marjorie

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie
Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

I have some that might fit that bill. How did you decide on a price?

Amazon show you what the current lowest price is from other sellers (if
there are are any offering it in the same condition), and the new price
if applicable, and you can price accordingly.

Ah, thank you.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie
Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

I have some that might fit that bill. How did you decide on a price?

Amazon show you what the current lowest price is from other sellers (if
there are are any offering it in the same condition), and the new price
if applicable, and you can price accordingly.

Ah, thank you.

It must depend on the subject matter.
My shelf of Physics & Allied Topics which date from the late 60s or
early 70s are of no use to anyone since the depth of information has
increased so much (and the approach to teaching these topics has changed
just as much).

[Peter Percival]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie
Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

I have some that might fit that bill. How did you decide on a price?

Amazon show you what the current lowest price is from other sellers (if
there are are any offering it in the same condition), and the new price
if applicable, and you can price accordingly.

Ah, thank you.

It must depend on the subject matter.
My shelf of Physics & Allied Topics which date from the late 60s or
early 70s are of no use to anyone since the depth of information has
increased so much (and the approach to teaching these topics has changed
just as much).

Do you have any O or A level texts from the 1960's?

[Marjorie]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie
Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

I have some that might fit that bill. How did you decide on a price?

Amazon show you what the current lowest price is from other sellers (if
there are are any offering it in the same condition), and the new price
if applicable, and you can price accordingly.

Ah, thank you.

It must depend on the subject matter.
My shelf of Physics & Allied Topics which date from the late 60s or
early 70s are of no use to anyone since the depth of information has
increased so much (and the approach to teaching these topics has changed
just as much).

Well, yes, it has to be something that someone might actually want to buy!

[Btms]

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Marjorie

Post by Btms

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

True but not always sure about reading again. However, I have shed many
books and what might be classed as text books have been sold on through
Amazon.

Yes, I have managed to sell several obscure, possibly out-of-print, text
books on Amazon. The great thing is that you don't have to re-list, you
can just leave the listing open. Listing is easy, too, if you have the
ISBN - the details just come up and you don't have to supply a photo.

I have some that might fit that bill. How did you decide on a price?

Good question. It was a while ago. I think you may have to work out the
postage first but I am thinking the amazon site may provide guidance? Over
to Marjorie.

[Mike Ruddock]

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.

Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,

Post by Sally Thompson
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

This is a common Christian tenet and I always think of it when I see
people who at every opportunity fish out their smart-phones and stare at
them.

Mike Ruddock



---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Sally Thompson

Post by Btms
[]

Post by BrritSki
What I need to do now though is chuck all the stuff relating to my
business activities which ended in 2004, but I am curiously reluctant to
throw away 10 years of my life. Odd that....

I don't think it is odd. This is why I wrote about materials I have shed
regularly but cant dump it all in one go. I mean, what use are old ohp
acetates!!!!!!!
Technical books are like old friends. Will I ever open any of those
volumes of the Collected Works of Carl Jung? Unlikely.
But istm that these things are so much part of me that I feel it is like
throwing away/disposing of a part of myself I am not yet ready to let go
of. Of course they are only symbols and I have these things internalised.
Still struggling with the books but most of the other stuff has gone now.
Haven't missed them but didn't enjoy the feelings when doing it.

I had a major purge on books some time ago, I had a rule: have I read this?
Am I going to? If I saw it in a charity shop now would I buy it? If the
answer to at least two of those was "no", then it went to the charity shop.
It was a great lightness to me. My sister, who is a major hoarder (I mean,
she really really has a problem but doesn't read Usenet) was horrified.
Someone once said to me that it is important that you own your possessions,
and not that they own you. Very wise words!

People in the modern world have instincts which are perhaps more suited
to primitive hunter-gatherer societies.

In the same way our 'natural' tendency to hang on to things is far
better suited to earlier times when possessions were few.

Rooms in houses of (say) the Middle Ages might have a bench and a table
- if you were posh.