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In my travels each day as a Professional Organizer, I've seen many wonderful collections in peoples' homes and offices (art, vintage hankies, chickens (yes! chickens), sea glass, Pez dispensers, antimacassars, books, to name a few); I've also seen just as many homes that are cluttered with collections that are randomly scattered about, seldom looked at, and are collecting more dust than appreciation and enjoyment.
Are your collectibles forgotten about, poorly displayed, overlooked, uncared for, broken, and underappreciated? If they are, they're clutter! More stuff than you have room for????????
clutter! Read on:
Here are some guidelines to help you manage your collection and some resources to help you sell some of your collectibles, should you find you have one hummel (or a hundred) too many. It's time to reclaim your space. Please note: If you find it impossible to pare down, stop collecting, have a collection of things others would deem worthless, and/or if you can't use areas of your home for their intended purpose, it could be the sign of a larger problem (i.e. compulsive hoarding). I'm not talking about compulsive hoarding in this article, even though collecting can, and sometimes does, cross the line to become hoarding.
1) Collect only what you're drawn to and love looking at.
2)) Buy with your heart. Buy only if you love it, can
afford it and HAVE SPACE FOR IT.
3) Do you enjoy and/or take pride in your collection?
If not, sell it or donate it. People change. Tastes
change. If it no longer speaks to you, let it go.
4) Do you have time to maintain it? Polish it? Dust it?
5) Make sure your collection isn't taking away from
precious living space.
6) Display your collection in a way that's visually
appealing (or store carefully in a way that honors
and preserves it).
7) Don't keep a collection just because you think it may be
valuable one day. Chances are it won't, and your
space is probably worth more than the stuff. Remember
Beanie Babies from the 80's? Most aren't even worth
the dust they collected.
8) Group like items together.
9) Lose the mindset "You can never have too many____".
10) Use caution when buying anyting marked "collectible"
It's a marketing ploy in which the manufacturer wants
you to believe the item is an investment.
11) Be discerning. Collect the best; lose the rest.
12) Limit the number of collections you collect!
13) Take care of your treasures.
13) Do the research. Find out what your collectibles
are really worth. Ebay has made this very easy,
and there are many price guides available at the
library.
14) Set limits. Buy one, let one go so that your space
never becomes overrun.
And Finally.....TAKE STOCK!
YOU STARTED YOUR COLLECTION BECAUSE YOU ENJOY LOOKING AT THE THINGS YOU'VE COLLECTED.
Get them out of the closet and out of the boxes. See what you have. Assess. See what you have room for.
DISPLAY TO ENJOY by carving out a specific area in your home for your collection. Don't let the collection exceed the space.
Sell or donate items you don't have room for.
Need to clear out some of your collectibles? Here are some resoures that may be of help....
Get cash for your clutter!
Philip Weiss Auctions - will take collectibles for auction
www.ebay.com
Book Appraisals: Lee and Mike Temares, LLC Bakertowne Valley - specializes in buying and selling all kinds of collectables, with an emphasis on vintage magazines, Hummel, Lladro, Royal Doulton, Steinbach, early periodicals, newspapers, comic books, trains, toy soliders, ephemera and other ecclectic antiques.
East Corner - Buys collections of Asian Art, collectibles, antiques
Wishing all you collectors out there the joy of a well ordered collection that is a source of pride, fun to look at, and enjoyed by many.
'Til next time - be well, be safe, be organized! xxx's,
Nancy
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ORGANIZING WITH STYLE AND FLAIR SINCE 2000
NANCY HELLER, CPO-CD GOODBYE CLUTTER
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