Are You A Packrat?

[SlickEric]

There's an inconceivable abundance of opportunities to acquire things in our lives. I've always had a problem with what to keep, what to throw away, and where to find room for it?   

No, I'm not a "packrat". I've known some people that are literally possessed by their possessions! I haven't gotten to that point yet!
I'd like to think of myself more as a "sentimental family historian". So nice. So loveable. So out of space! 

There are the "old records", many of them that I bought back in '96 when Woolworth's was liquidating their stock and sold them 2 for a dollar. Some I just bought for their cover art. Who could resist the picture of Linda Ronstadt on roller skates!!

I have shoe boxes full of "Topp's baseball cards". Some dating back to the early 50's which were a part of my dad's collection.
There's my collection of shaving paraphernalia, piles of TV Guides and other magazines, calendars and planners more than 10 years old, old board games gathering dust, and toys from my childhood. 

So what are you guilty of collecting?

[nomad]

I am guilty of being somewhat of a sentimental family historian myself.

the only thing I seem to be collecting now are room keys from all the hotells I stay in.

[-Doug-]

I do tend to hang on to usless stuff longer than I should, but I would not say that I am a pack rat. I am just sentimental. I am getting better about it though.

[Tyro]

I have a huge collection of hats that I seldom wear.
Before I went SLY I wore them daily to hide my thinning hair.
Now I am proud of my smooth bald head and have no reason to cover it. Unfortunately this is an expensive collection and it's gathering dust. Perhaps I should sell a few on e-bay!!

[SLYinKC]

I tend to hold on to all of my old clothes that I no longer wear.  I have a fairly large closet that is full of stuff that I never wear.  The stuff that I wear only takes up a relatively small section.  Each time I start to take stuff out and throw away or give to goodwill I alway think that someday it'll come back in style or I'll fit into it again.

[wpruitt]

Rather than thinking of myself as a "pack rat", I prefer to think of myself as a sentimentalist!

[Razor X]

I tend to hold on to all of my old clothes that I no longer wear.  I have a fairly large closet that is full of stuff that I never wear.  The stuff that I wear only takes up a relatively small section.  Each time I start to take stuff out and throw away or give to goodwill I alway think that someday it'll come back in style or I'll fit into it again.

Same here.  One of my projects for this winter is to get my bedroom closet cleaned out for once and for all.  I'm beginning to realize that I'm probably never going to fit into those 31-inch-waist pants ever again.

When I moved into my house 7 1/2 years ago, I thought I would never be able to use all the storage space.  Now I'm pretty much out of room.  It's amazing how quickly junk can accumulate.

[Rulon]

Nope i am not even close to being a pack rat. I hate having stuff i don't need and when it does happen to just throw it away or give it away.

[frostillicus123]

I keep boxes.... no really i do.... i ahve my DVD player box, VCR box gamecube box.... Super nintendo box ( i go that in like 95 and it's survived moves accross the country and back.)

i'm a duffas


but still a nice fella that needs your votes...

Frostillicus for clear headblade a deserving fella.

[slyinglide]

Man I know this is an pld topic, but I need to vent here......I am not a Packrat at all, in fact I would consider myself the opposite......I like to keep my life very simple............I don't know what I was thinking when I got involved with my Girlfriend and her kids...They can't throw away anything......they have school papers that they had graded in the first grade, and one of her daughters is going to be a senior in High School this year.......HELP.....

[Mikekoz13]

Man I know this is an pld topic, but I need to vent here......I am not a Packrat at all, in fact I would consider myself the opposite......I like to keep my life very simple............I don't know what I was thinking when I got involved with my Girlfriend and her kids...They can't throw away anything......they have school papers that they had graded in the first grade, and one of her daughters is going to be a senior in High School this year.......HELP.....

A strategically placed small fire can remedy this....

[slyinglide]

I never thought of that.....HMMMMMMMM Good Idea

[StumpyDave]

I hate mess and clutter.  I guess I suffer some of my son's Asperger's and need things kept in the right place.
I hang onto boxes until the end of the warranty period.  Anything that doesn't have an immediate use goes.
My wife would like to keep everything.  I think she does it to wind me up!

[time2shine]

Man I know this is an pld topic, but I need to vent here......I am not a Packrat at all, in fact I would consider myself the opposite......I like to keep my life very simple............I don't know what I was thinking when I got involved with my Girlfriend and her kids...They can't throw away anything......they have school papers that they had graded in the first grade, and one of her daughters is going to be a senior in High School this year.......HELP.....

A strategically placed small fire can remedy this....

Perfect segueway to a family story....

My mom is a bit of a pack rat.  She would probably like to be described as you guys said it - a sentimentalist.
She got to a point where she just became overwhelmed, and prayed that she would find some way to get rid of all those boxes she had in the garage, or possibly organize better.  3 months later, an airwick air freshener that plugs into an outlet sparked a fire, wiping out the inside of my parent's house.
No one was hurt, they were at work, and the firemen were able to revive their yorkie (never realized you could do CPR on a rat!)
The inside of the house is in the middle of remodeling, and they are waiting to move back in; hopefully at then end of this month.

Be careful what you wish/pray for, and get rid of your outlet air fresheners!