OneGuyFromBarlick

This is a real dilemma, when do things become stuff?

Having cleared Dads house I have started looking around my own ( excluding the loft which being an extended bungalow has an extensive loft).

So I said to Bob 'we have alot of stuff, too much in fact.'
'And a lot ofthings' Sue was the reply

So do things become stuff when they are broken, out of date, no longer used, or in store to be used again at some unknown time in the future or, as in our case, belong to the now departed girls who have houses of their own but much smaller lofts.

OR is there no distinction between things and stuff?

Do we throw stuff away or things is the dilemma

In the old Bradford "worsted" world "Stuff" was a coarse, smooth cloth made from long staple woollen yarn. There were people who were known as "Stuff weavers".

Like you Sue I hoard stuff from old books, magazines, cds, tapes, empty boxes and much more. I find it difficult to throw stuff out. Sometimes I chuck things out and then fetch them back in again - thinking I'll need them at some point in the future. Its so difficult isn't it.

Exactly! Then there is family stuff, I can't part with family stuff

The indicator for me is whether they tell me a story or have a possible use. I have got better at de-cluttering as I get older.

There you are Stanley, I think Bob thinks everything has a possible use, and I think everything person tells a story. Oh dear!

My hubby would hoard but I am a thrower out - especially now we are older. I don't want to leave a load of stuff for the family to clear out when we have gone. The same with photographs I have decided to write on the back of the ones I think they should keep and get rid of the ones they know nothing about nor would be interested in. I cringe though when I see old family albums with family photographs in on the antique shows on the tele., that is why it is important to keep such things and write on the back who it is - saves family historians a lot of time.

Its that thought Moh that has set me on this track of what is stuff or things, or should I add or RUBBISH!

I like stuff as a word in it's own right. I often append it to directories and other such stuff, (there we go). I presently have three directories on my desktop appended with stuff. Including "Other Stuff", I could have used "Misc" but it's not as good as "Stuff". I also have lots of stuff in my attic and every other cubby hole on the house.

My dad's moving to a smaller house and we are trying to gently get him to accept that it will be impossible to fit all his furniture in there. It's a 2-bed semi and so not all that small but he has multiples of everything - 3 wardrobes, 4 chests of drawers, 3 dining tables, 2 beds (one double, one single), a sofa and 4 armchairs besides cabinets, coffee tables etc (and 3 lawn mowers, plus a shed and garage full of stuff). He isn't emotionally attached to any of it but has spread his belongings amongst them over the last 12 years in his present house and doesn't see why he shouldn't take it all with him (but he won't be paying for the removals!). He has loads of clothes that he never wears but likes to think he might do - a bit like the bicycle which hasn't been used in many years but he "might just want to have a ride on" sometime. The crunch will come in the next week when he moves and it won't all squeeze into the new house!

I've just changed from Explorer to Opera browser. I managed to import the bookmarks from one to the other. There were 495 links! I guess this qualifies as electronic stuff, and must be pruned. Don't think it will though - you never know when you might need them.

I feel much happier now that everyone has STUFF!

Yes, we are a "nation of hoarders". But, as you say, its nice to know that everyone else does the same. Ha.

Stuff is where my Mystery Objects originate. Every museum is full of it...

Now here I am thinking that I was the only one who hoards stuff. Well I think of my stuff as my collections, I collect Beatrix Potter figurines whilst Dave collects old camera's. I was amazed that the collecting topic on the forum is blank. Stanley I bet you are a book collector! Our family history project commenced with a box full of photo's with nothing written on the back so good on you Moh for thinking about your family history. I too cringe when I see the albums on AR. Lucky for us though with the history was that Dave's mother Ruth left a birthday book published by the makers of Kolynos whoever they maybe a free gift from somewhere. It's full of newspaper cuttings of the BMD's that were relevant to Dave's history. Ruth's house was full of stuff, she had her 4th birthday cards from her grandparents (born in 1913) I don't think she threw anything away. I unfortunately have very little from my side as mam wasn't a hoarder. I cringe again when I watch AR as the bin was well used for ornaments she disliked many of which I have seen similar on the show. I have put my photo's in albums as I have gone along with who, where and when the photo's were taken. But I still have too much stuff. Eileen

Ah, Eileen now you've done it - bringing `collectables' into the definition. Probably many OG members will know from the old site that I'm an avid collector and tend to get carried away with collecting all sorts of items. And whatever I start collecting I have to delve into in great depth - it's obligatory! I started a number of `collecting' topics on the old site but they didn't get much attention, except perhaps the postcard thread. I'm interested in postal history in general, including postcards, stamps, covers (envelopes that have been through the mail, such as first day covers), special postmarks, even just interesting messages on postcards. We have a specific collection of about 500 postcards related to a Blackburn family in the early 1900s. A descendant of the family was a friend of my mother and gave her the cards, which is fortunate because the messages on them tell the day-to-day story of the family.

As well as stuff I collect Toby jugs, oh and old knitting patterns, oh yes material, and yes wool/yarn and plastic plant pots ( you never know when you may need them), and......

Eileen, I don't see buying books as collecting because they are bought to read and for reference. I see them as tools. I knew a bloke who bought first editions and never opened them, now he was a collector! Tiz is right about collecting in a certain field in order to research the subject. I think that raises the description to a higher form of collection. The far end of the spectrum is the unfortunate people who can't dispose of anything, often including their own excreta. That is a real collecting disease and takes over their lives.

Dave's grandfather collected postcards we have quite a few of places in Oldham and Middleton plus we have some sent to Dave's father when he was at the Duke of York camp. I'm with you Sue never know when you might need stuff. We have a wide collection of books some first additions some signed but all read so why are we not book collectors?

Eileen

We have bookshelves full of books, treble deep, here and in France. I love cookery, sewing , old photograph books and Art books particularly. Bob likes engineering, history of railways and DIY. The novels are unlimited although we like different things. I find my kindle has cut down on the amount that I need to store

Kindle doesn't cut it for me. Books are such good wallpaper and insulation? They act as a heat sink and smooth out temperature changes in the house.

I love books but Kindle has its place.

Sue wrote:I love books but Kindle has its place.

That is very, very true.
I started to dig a place for it, but next doors dog kept on filling it in as fast as I could dig.

I'm trying to digitise my stuff, but that seems to create more storage problems - endless DVDs etc

I have bought and read some really good books on my Kindle, that I would never have bought otherwise, or even seen in a books shop. I still read 'real ' books . Kindles are good to read in bed and when travelling. They are light and easy to hold/carry. I get my self settled in bed with my thumb resting on the page turn button and hardly have to move. I can set the text to a size that means I don't need my glasses. As I said a kindle has its place, but I hope it will never replace a real book.