Too Much Stuff

7-28-10

Too Much Stuff

A short while ago, I actually got to the point where I don’t want to add any more titles to my music collection. I want to try to keep my collection at (or less than) 25,000 titles. Yes, I have over-collected and there are numerous titles that I have variants on. But I also went down a lot of dead end streets in my collecting – in some cases, entire genres that I don’t need to collect (US 50’s/60’s country & western, for instance; easy listening titles that don’t meet my criteria of having enough ‘funny’ cover versions; R&B – guess I’d better stick to the artists I actually like and want to collect a bit etc.)

While on vacation in San Luis Obispo, I saw a TLC (“The Learning Channel”) show about people who hoard stuff – “Buried Alive: Hoarding” or thereabouts. My home isn’t as bad as some of those people, but I can tell that if it’s left unattended, my home might well become a real mess.

So, I’ve been outside in the back yard, watering. I have a covered patio where I can store boxes on pallets. Very soon, I am going to empty my storage unit onto a pallet, on this patio. I bet I don’t need any of what I have been paying to store.

I guess I have hoarded a lot of music, including some stuff I am not particularly interested in. And then there’s all the paper / print…how to extract the info off of paper onto my computer? I suppose I could scan everything…or re-type it, if it wasn’t much.

The idea behind all the paper hoarding is to have all the information I ever read about (my place in) the world of music. Record label catalogues, distributor catalogues, tons of magazines – they all have info that I think I will eventually find useful. 50+ years of stuff! I still need to get to the clothes in my closets, but recently – boxes of CD’s have gotten in the way of one closet. I must clear a path!

I also want to buy a new bed (or futon – see upper left in photo). Been sleeping on the one I have for 12+ years now. In addition to getting rid of the old futon, I will have to move some CD’s (in boxes) to make way for a new bed / frame in my room. Yeah!

I could always clear out the garage and make room for more boxes to be stored out there. Dang, I really want to get rid of some of that ½ videotape! Anybody want any VHS or Betas?

But I think no tears will be shed by my getting rid of some of the titles in my music collection. I am selling at the next Claremont swap meet, in September – if you’re in California, stop on by – you may be surprised! (Email me for details)