The time has come, I need to come to grips: I am a “vintage hoarder.” No: Not an old woman who hoards everything, although that day may be looming. Yes: A collector who has an extremely difficult time walking away from intriguing vintage — often “useless” — items, of all sorts, that must be rescued. Remember the 39 Fuller Brush spatulas? A high — and low — of my collecting life. But alas, a huge corner of my basement… the storage alcove in my garage… the storage hatch above my garage… two closets… and a significant portion of my attic are already full of such treasures. Yes: I am a vintage hoarder, and I must come to grips. In this post, I talk about the “blessing” and the “curse” of being so gifted in the art of seeing beauty in so many places and things. Yes, the team that wrote the book says it’s a gift. Maybe you have it, too? Read on for my tale, of how this strength can become a weakness, and for some of my ideas of how to deal. Perhaps you have some tales, and ideas, to share, as well?
The Diagnosis
I am not going into great detail on the potential drivers of Vintage Hoarding Disorder (I made this up, VHD, or Vhoarding) — because Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee already have done so in their book, Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things (affliate link, but seriously, considering the subject of this story: Get it at the library!) Important note: This post is not about full-blown, clinical hoarding; that requires professional intervention; yes, read the book to start, but more importantly, consult with a professional.
To better understand my own “lite” version of the compulsion, I read this book over the summer, and it was fascinating. Randi and Gail are both university professors, Randy is at Smith and as I recall, Gail is at Brown. They have studied the issue of hoarding — serious hoarding, not my vintage hoarding lite — for more than 10 years, and I think they are the undisputed experts. Six months after reading the book, here is what has stuck with me from key points in the books that rang true when I consider my own “diagnosis”:
- Hoarders often are imbued with a very high level of visual and contextual intelligence. That is, they see meaning in objects… they give meaning to objects… much more intensely than others, who can let stuff go… discard it… with much greater ease. This book is amazingly empathetic regarding the issue; it was marvelous — not judgmental at all. Yes, this is it for me — and maybe you, too, I think: We have an incredible visual intelligence… and a huge heart, when it comes to things. I know for a fact, that I could NOT let those 39 Fuller Brush spatulas go to a dumpster! They were strange and wonderful relics of a time gone by. At another estate sale, the last day, I bought a dead woman’s entire life’s worth of personal photographs. I could NOT let those go to a dumpster. They were her life! This is typical reasoning of a hoarder. Just like the books’ title says, we have this incredible ability to give meaning to stuff. We are not really part of today’s “throwaway” society; trashing useful items or items that hold (or better said: which we ‘give’) sentimental meaning, pains us. However, when the hoarding starts to control us or to put crushing weight upon us — not so good.
- The other thing I remember from the book that rang true for me, is that the act of accumulation can be social. That is: We go shopping, or spend hours on ebay, instead of going out for drinks with friends, or whatever. I know, for example that I am fundamentally introverted. I regain energy from my “me” time. At the same time, I have a very active mind — and as described above — I’m super visual. So during my “me” time, I might go onto ebay or go to the Goodwill — and end up buying stuff.
When a Blessing becomes a Curse
- Analogy: If you are really detail-oriented in your research when you need to make a decision, the result is that you can make really good decisions. Flip side, though, is when you are so thorough you can’t make a decision at all — you are paralyzed. This is when a “strength” — thoroughness — becomes a “weakness” — indecision. The same principle goes for vintage hoarding. Today, my collections are not so bad that they have taken over my house — all the living and bedroom areas are clear. But, I know my passion has gone too far when … I can’t find what I am looking for… when I think about how, when I die, someone will have to clean all my stash out, and it will be an ordeal… and, when I feel “crushed” by the weight of those unattended piles, tucked away in their nooks though they may be. I know that to process my piles is going to take, like, a month. *Crushing weight of something big un-done = Stress.* Feng shui is all about creating spaces where positive energies can flow and flourish; any clutter and any piles above or below are impeding that energy.
The Cure
I have been *thinking* about strategies more than applying them, yet, alas. But here are some thoughts:
- I read the book, which gave me compassionate insight into my dilemma. It gave me facts to help understand why I have this problem. But not in a harsh, self-judging way. Au contraire, it made me feel good about this strength of mine. I am always more motivated by the positive than by the negative. Now, I am kind of super-proud of my book-recognized visual intelligence. Now, my challenge — a positive one — is how to channel that intelligence in a positive way.
- When I go to estate sales, I am only going to try to buy stuff that I can turn into art. Visual intelligence = artist. Yes! For example, I have this idea. I love these time capsule estate sale houses — for the stuff, but also for the lives lived there, that I can see through the stuff. Here’s how I will make art out of each estate sale: I will take a big plastic container box with me to each sale. I will look for a substrate (an old not-valuable painting or framed something… something hangable) and then, I will look for little its and bits and pieces from this house and the family who lived there. I will take a photo of the house. And I will keep a copy of the estate sale listing. Then I will collage all the best pieces to create a hangable vintage collage. Only stuff from that house, plus the listing ad and a small photo of the house, gets on the collage. After I have like 20 houses, I will see if I can get my artwork into an exhibition, even if it’s at a local coffee shop. Maybe I will sell them, maybe I won’t. But I think this artistic application combining all the reasons I vintage-hoard will be very gratifying. Please, steal this idea if you like it. Send me pics of your creations. P.S. I will try really really hard not to buy anything else at the estate sale, unless I really really need it, and I tell you, I need nothing. Some other ideas to shop-vintage-to-make-art: Only look for vintage ornaments and learn how to make vintage ornament wreaths like Suzy. Take them to craft fairs at Christmas time. Her wreaths — very well made ones — are selling for $100.
- Another strategy for estate sales and shops: Get a nice camera and learn how to use it, start a blog, and take photos instead. (Be sure to get appropriate permissions before taking photos in private spaces and posting photos to the web.)
- Get your visual fix by going to museum exhibits. Go on all the tours and to all the lectures — get smart. I once met a longtime boyfriend at a museum. Just sayin’.
- Be a decorating maximalist. Pull all your fabulous stuff out of all those piles and put all your favorite items onto your walls. As much as you possibly can. Holes everywhere. Fill every space. I recently began doing this in my office, and a friend who saw it commented, “Gosh, now the room really looks like you.” Well, yes, it does. What took me so long? 🙂 Choose a great paint color then make your walls a collage… a glorious mosaic… of all the vintage lovelies that you have collected. Do this in every darn room, if that’s what you want. Your friends already know you have this thing about vintage. Who are you fooling. Get it all out there, let your freak flag fly. P.S. When you die and they have the estate sale, it will be a lot easier for them to sell it right off the wall than out of boxes. Not to be morbid, but.
- Sell stuff on ebay. But you really have to do it. Really really. If you decide this is a strategy for you, I hereforeto order you: No buying anything else, until you sell 10 items on ebay. Once you sell 10 items, you can buy 5 more. But until you whittle the piles down, no loading them up further. Also, you can think of it this way: If you spend three hours accumulating, plan for 15 hours moving the stuff out via ebay. Now, doesn’t that slow you down? Put a starting price of what you paid for an item — and just let it go, let it flow, out into the retro universe.
- Open a booth in an antique mall or become a picker for a dealer. See #3, though. You really really have to do it. No making piles.
- If you’re gonna be deep into vintage, buy ONLY vintage. Don’t buy new stuff, too. That way, it can still be about the hunt, and you will save money (only if you really buy what you really need) and save stuff from going to landfills. Anytime you can narrow your collecting focus, you make the hunt more difficult, which means you will acquire less. Theoretically.
- No “buying stuff to hold your stuff.” This is only enabling. I have cartop carrier, that we never use; it’s in the shed; I have stuff to hold my stuff to hold my stuff. Shoot me.
- But, do organize your stuff so that you can get at it for your art projects. Make yourself a beautiful craft space. This kind of organization has a goal: To make space to use the stuff to make art. You will spend more time making art with what you already have, than accumulating more stuff. Theoretically.
- Take your clean-up and organization projects slow or you will get overwhelmed. How about 1/2 hour a day.
- Become more social: Collect more friends. Call a friend for lunch or a drink after work or a cup of coffee and homemade muffins — even if it’s just once a week or one more time each week. I’m always reading that what makes us most happy — even we introverts — is people. That said, I still know I my “visual intelligence” demands I spend a lot of time searching out visual beauty. Surely, it’s all about maintaining a healthy balance.
So what do you think, dear readers?
Do you have a strong impulse, like me, to vintage-hoard?
What steps do you recommend to keep it under control?
Kim Henning-Zenor says
P.S. One of my best friends who also loves to collect and “save” things has a little phrase that we both try to use – “I don’t have to own it to appreciate it” 😉
Kim Henning-Zenor says
I’ve been collecting for about 20 years, the last 14 have centered primarily on MCM furniture and houseware to fit into my 1959 MCM home. I guess I’m lucky because I’ve never liked or have been able to function in clutter, so I have to edit for a space to look correct to me. Remember, less is more! So, what works best for me is to only buy/rescue items that are better and cooler than what I already have. Then I sell the more expensive stuff that is getting replaced or if it’s an inexpensive something, I donate it so someone else can have the thrill of finding it.
pam kueber says
My husband always says, “One thing comes in, one thing must go out.” Alas, he married me. He is pretty sympathetic, though, because he is highly visual, too. Even so, I know it makes him happy when I clean and de-clutter, so I use that as a psych-myself-up strategy, too. That is: Do it to show I love him.
KarenQuilt says
I am just beginning to start the process of trying to upgrade my quilt related stuff, especially my doll and crib quilt collection. But I guess I would rather have “more” examples (i.e. even if the condition is iffy) than pristine condition and fewer examples of the great variety of patterns, fabrics etc that exist in this field. And oh, how I love the stories attached to quilts! And they don’t need to be in pristine condition to have incredible stories to go with them!
Bronwen says
Oh wow, this was a great post. I am such a vintage hoarder, especially when it comes to kitchen stuff, but I don’t limit myself to just that!
I find that my biggest trigger for purchasing something is a long ago personal connection. Like a Pyrex bowl in a certain pattern that my best friend from grade school’s mom had a set of. Seeing it reminded me of my old friend, and her mom, and having fun at her house back in the 70s. Or an extremely ugly crudite platter just like one that my great aunt had. It didn’t have any special meaning to her, she didn’t even like it all that much, but seeing it and holding it reminded me of past Thanksgivings with my family so how could I not take it home?
I’m not ready to address my hoarding, because it’s not that bad yet. And I just moved into a much bigger space so I feel like I have rooms to fill!
And the spatulas? I am actually quite jealous. The city I grew up in was home to a (the?) Fuller Brush factory. I knew so many people who worked there! Lots of neighbors and many of my friends’ fathers. Everyone I knew had a crate in their basement full of Fuller brushes, toothbrushes, combs, etc. We all stocked up a the yearly factory sale. There’s my personal Fuller connection, so if I came across any Fuller product I wouldn’t hesitate to grab it!
vintigchik says
Thanks Pam, I needed this. I use to have time to sell items on Etsy. Not so much any more that I am going to school. But my collecting has not slowed down as much as it should as I find going to sales and the thrift store an outlet for myself. I come from a family of hoarders and I am very artistic, so it makes sense. When my grandpa died, there were so many vintage items left that it was hard to get rid of things as my dad and my sister both are vintage collectors. Alas, there was no estate sale. I was lucky enough to inherit my grandpa’s entire WWII uniform, complete down to the rubber hat cover, a chest he made in the 1930s that was supposed to go to his mother, but she died before he gave it to her. My grandma died in 1969 so everything in her kitchen was from before that era. I have many kitchen items, fabric, patterns, etc. Oh and all the photographs, just to mention a few items. I think my grandpa never threw anything of my grandma’s away except for her clothes. He missed her very much. I love to rescue vintage items so my entire house is full. I try to buy vintage whenever I need something so I can justify it. A fun outlet for me is vintage clothing. It’s fun to be able to take your collection with you wherever you go, and they are of such a higher quality than today’s clothes. I am to the point that I need to tone my collecting down. Since I am very visual, I don’t like to sell things online. I would rather have a booth that I can arrange. I know it sounds strange, but online selling is just so impersonal, afterall these are things I have “rescued”. I will try to pick up this book. It sounds like you are empowered after you read it.
KarenQuilt says
Maybe as an on-line seller, you could re-create the feel of a booth in an antique Mall! You just decorate a room in your home with the items you are selling and then let the buyer see that room as well as an up-close detailed photo of the individual object you are selling. I really like the sellers on eBay who do this for their quilts.
lynda says
I think if you recognize that you are a hoarder, you are not in that much trouble. People I know that are real hoarders, don’t seem to even know there is a problem. It is a problem for their families, but not them.
I have a serious dish addiction. Not necessarily old ones, but all types of dishes. I have given sets to my kids and to friends and I am happy they are used. I like to give things away that I feel will be used and appreciated. I have a little saying “I am in the non-acquiring stage of my life” and that seems to help when I am faced with another stack of plates to tempt me. I had enough wonderful mix and match dishes for a 120 person wedding. I gave dishes to people that helped with the wedding. I let them each pick their own plates and everyone was so happy. I seem to still have enough dishes to have another wedding. I do not have any dishes just stored, they are places I can get to them and I do use them.
Spend time on Ebay and Craigslist and you will see what happens to all your stuff when you downsize. We should all be doing it now before we really have to get rid of the stuff.
Lynda
Leslie says
@Pam, everything you said.. it’s me too! I look at my estate sale shopping as my personal form of entertainment, as you mentioned “me” time. I rationalize my vintage spending like this, I don’t drink, smoke, go to bars, etc. so this is “my” treat. I must say I have purchased items that I love so much and others not so much. I have recently looked at the things I’ve bought out of pity for the vintage item and decided I can donate them, I look at the $$$ spent as the price of the experience (like a drink, movie, meal) you don’t have anything to hold onto after those experiences either. For 2012, I am being mindful of purchases but still enjoying the thrill of the hunt! I love your art idea, let us see your creations!
pam kueber says
ha! yes, sometimes when I go to the Goodwill… I will end up spending like $18 dollars over two hours… and I say “that just cost me $9 an hour for lots of entertainment — pretty good!”
KarenQuilt says
Some of the cheapest entertainment you will every find—Thrift Stores!!
Sharon says
My email and screen name has been Visualgirl since the early days of the internet as we know it, starting around 1998 or so. I have long believed my eye for the best in vintage was the root cause of VHD. Add to that a genetic disposition (many female family members have been collectors) and a minor artistic flair and voila!
I started selling on Ebay in 1999. Thought it would be a great idea to run a business from the house and got rid of my beautiful 1930s oak dining room furniture and replaced it with shelves. Lots of shelves. The kitchen was a major display area and the basement and garage packed full with more shelves and more stuff. My poor family had to endure living with this stuff facing them every single day. BUT, I said, it’s VINTAGE! when they dared protest. Things got dusty and overrun as I moved them in and out. I finally had enough and when I decided to renovate the kitchen, the kitchen & dining room clutter had to go. I got a storage space and packed it all up and just left the really good stuff to look at. What a relief to finally be (mostly) clutter free.
I have spent thousands of dollars in storage fees over the years. Mostly because I refused to take the massive collection of melmac to the thrift shop or sell the 35 fantastic creamers. You know…..
After ebay, I developed and maintained (on hold right now) my own vintage web site for several years, got bored of that, went to an antique mall (too expensive, not enough room, too far away), tried to sell from my warehouse space YES! warehouse! (too cold in winter and no water or bathroom). Now I’m in a shared space locally and I don’t have to be there every day. Still have stuff in the basement and garage, but not as much. I’ve learned to let go. It doesn’t mean as much to me any more now that I’m not looking at it day in and day out, although sometimes I regret selling this or that when I think back. I still revel in the beauty of a well designed piece. I just adore vintage packaging, graphics, and oh! those marvelous decorated glasses from the 40s, 50s & 60s!. I have curtailed my thrift store and flea market trips because I will always come home with a bag or a box full of things too beautiful to let go. When I do go, I can put it down. Only a slight pang of regret follows me as I walk away, knowing someone else will see the same beauty and buy it. I’m not completely free of the disease, but I’m definitely better. Ask my niece who has helped me move 6 or 7 times, as she periodically cried HOARDER when I looked longingly at the plastic lettuce cutter I didn’t want to get rid of.
Sorry to go on so long. Feels good to tell the story.
pam kueber says
Me too “feels good to tell the story.” I am sorta a student of Buddhism. “Mindful living” is what that’s all about (basically). I think that if we can be mindful of our amazing visual intelligence and how to master it — we will be super happy. xoxo
chris says
Cracking up at the mental picture of your niece yelling “HOARDER” at you! 🙂
Sharon says
Yes, we would laugh too, but it always brought me to my senses. Good trick to follow inside your head when thrifting!
Kae says
Fantastic timing on this post, Pam! I’m half-way through this book right now. It has been a tremendous help to me.
I, too, have always seen the potential in items and felt an obligation to honor their history. This has led to the accumulation of more craft projects than I will ever be able to finish and the inability to part with items of “historical importance”.
But, now I’m looking at things differently. Just because something is nice doesn’t mean it has to be mine. If I’m not using something, even if it is something that belonged to my grandmother, it’s OK to let it find a new home where it will be used.
Just this week I parted with a truckload of “treasures” and I feel so much relief at letting them go! The feeling of being responsible for preserving them and the guilt of having them boxed away taking up space has been lifted! Now I’m free to enjoy the items I truly love and can use and the things I parted with can now be loved by someone else.
KarenQuilt says
I love this statement made by Kae about giving something away or letting it go: “… and the things I parted with can now be loved by someone else.” That’s what I want for those objects that I cannot afford (space wise) to add to my own quilt collection!
Oh, I do love this subject! Because I live on an island, most of my shopping is by eBay now so I am not tempted by non-quilt related items (except books)….until I hit an antique mall, the few times a year I get within sight of one. Even then, I can usually manage to keep it to sewing related items. But I always do come home with a half a dozen new quilt related or needlework related items. Sigh.
Amber says
This is a very good subject. Thanks for bringing it up! I believe that collecting (hoarding) is a creative outlet. It’s like painting or drawing using objects in space. I don’t think you should beat yourself up too much for living a creative life. My process started like this: i collected things to fix up my house. It’s true, my house is me in a tangible form. Once i completed that (though there’s always room for tweaking) I had to find a purpose for collecting more stuff. I have the habit of thinking that this ‘thing, chair, etc’ will go great in my future house but that’s not good. I think you art idea is a good one. I, too, love to learn about someone through their belongs after they have passed though estate sales but have not come up with a good way to convey this though art. I can see your collages hanging on a gallery wall. Though it sounds morbid, if you could find the persons obituary and add that to the collage it would speak to ideas about who we are, what we leave, traces of a life, the big mortality question. A quote always run through my mind thinking about this subject, ‘you can’t take it with you.’ good luck!
pam kueber says
I think you are very correct, Amber, in saying that the very act of creating our home interiors — collecting for them — is an act of art. This idea that we retro-philes are Very Visual has stuck with me since I interviewed Jennifer Greenburg a few years ago. That’s the thread she pointed out. Why do we like retro stuff and our retro houses: They are Design Magnificence — and we can see that. I also agree, let’s not beat ourselves up — like I said, the book was very empathetic… we have an enhanced “visual intelligence”. The issue, though, is when it gets “crushing” – and that’s going to be a difference measure for each person.
Kersten says
Pam – number 9 almost made my coffee exit through my nose! Ha! I go through whims, and I’ve definitely attempted #6. It can be super fun to see something you bought for $10 sell for $250 on the bay! My biggest issues are lamps and chairs, and though I try hard to walk on by, they typically end up in my trunk. However, like Kate, I have a pretty easy time rotating things out when I find something I like better. (Who am I kidding, my house is small, and there’s no other choice!) If I have a day where I show restraint, I’ll wonder for months what became of it. Two years have passed since I decided against a pair of beautiful vintage polish paper cuttings- framed and everything, and I continue to regret that they aren’t on my walls! Can’t have it all, I guess. My step to keep it under control is to seriously ask myself if I can *really* use it. Will I *really* find a space for it? If I think I can, but can’t, will it be easy enough to pass onto someone else?
pam kueber says
My singular goal in life is to get readers to spit coffee through their noses, as often as possible.