Out Of Chaos

My brother was overjoyed when I called him earlier this week and asked, “Do you want these old 45s that belonged to Mom?”

His voice was filled with wonder and awe, “You still have them? Yes, I want them.”

We talked about some of the records that came from the store my mother had back in the early 1960s. We always got the newest music at our house. The Big Bopper, Ray Price, Frankie Valle, Fats Domino, The Viscounts…all of them are there, as well as many you would never recognize. We loved them! Our house was always rocking with music back then.

I even have some of the plastic record adapters we used so they would fit on our record player spindle. My brother was amazed and awed that this “blast from the past” could be his. It gave me great pleasure to please him with an item that has been hiding in the back of my closet. He will enjoy them much more than I have. I’m only keeping one record: “Night Train” by The Viscounts (because Momma and Daddy used to dance to that).

As I am in the midst of de-cluttering the closets, I’m finding many more treasures. They are things I have hoarded just because of the memories attached to them. What good are they doing anyone hidden in the dark recesses of my hall closet?

For instance, there was a whole shelf of children’s books that my kids had when they were young: The Berenstein Bears, Sesame Street, and Dr. Seuss. Most of them are paperback, and all of them are well loved. I’ve been keeping them because they belonged to my children, and for no other reason. They have no monetary value.

I have two great-nieces who are just the right age to enjoy them. I rarely get to see those little girls, and I’ve decided that Aunt Shelly will send them packages throughout the summer with books and any other little tidbits I find that they might enjoy. I don’t know how my niece will feel about that. I’m only keeping a handful of books that were special favorites.

I don’t know who I’ll find to take this orange Texas ware off my hands. They were my Momma’s dishes, and I love them. When she died, I insisted that they be mine! I didn’t get any arguments. I’ve had them for three years and never used them once, because they need to be hand washed to survive. Deciding to get rid of them is a major hurdle. I’m only keeping the round serving dish as a memory.

This is slow progress, but it’s happening. My house is beginning to shift!

Tags: Give Stuff A New Home, Uncategorized by Shelly Kneupper Tucker
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We are going to have a garage sale in August. I know full well that we won’t make enough money to justify the time, but we will get to turn a little bit of our trash into cash. Anything that is really worth money we will try to sell on E-Bay first.

However, as we sort and sift through our belongings, we are trying to keep in mind the things we know about garage sales. Readying them for a sale as we go will reduce time we will spend later.

If you haven’t ever had a garage sale, here is a list of a few of the things we have learned from past experience that will help you make it a success.

1. Check the local city ordinances. Some cities require a permit for a sale. Others have restrictions on where on your property you can place your sale items.
2. Plan the date. You don’t want to have a sale on the day everyone in town will be at a festival across town—unless, of course, they will drive past your house to get to it.
3. Check to see if some of your neighbors might want to have a sale on the same day. If there is a “Neighborhood Garage Sale,” it will attract more customers.
4. Advertise. Make sure your city allows signs to be posted. Create sturdy signs with large lettering and post them at nearby intersections. Put an ad in the local paper and any free papers that you can. Even advertise the sale on craigslist.org for your city.
5. Clean items for the sale to get a better price for them.
6. Price everything. Many people won’t bother to ask prices if nothing is marked. Price reasonably; it’s a garage sale and people will not pay top dollar. Make an inventory list (for pricier items) in case price tags get separated from the merchandise. I’ve used colored stickers occasionally and maybe put a green sticker on everything that’s $1, a blue one on everything that’s $2, etc.
7. If you have an electrical outlet, get an extension cord handy so you can show people that items work properly.
8. Hang clothing neatly. If clothing is dumped in a pile many people won’t dig through it.
9. Make sure you have plenty of small bills and change.
10. Protect your property. Have enough people helping with the sale to deal with many customers. Keep your cash box safe, or better yet keep your money in a “fanny pack” on your person. Get a counterfeit detection pen from the office supply store. They cost less than $10, and if you are selling big money items it might be worth it.
11. Don’t take personal checks from strangers. Watch for shoplifters, but don’t try to detain anyone who steals from you. Get their license tag number and alert the police. Do NOT allow anyone to enter your home alone to try on clothing or use the restroom.
12. Remember that you are liable if someone injures themselves on your property. Put away obstacles and hazardous materials. Rope off areas where you don’t want people to go.
13. Prepare yourself beforehand with everything you might need: calculator, paper, pens, plastic bags, extra price tags. Don’t forget sunscreen, hats, chairs, lip balm, and mosquito repellant to protect you from the elements. Have water and snacks for yourself available so you won’t have to leave the sale.
14. Set up the sale night before, if possible, or at least give yourself time before the sales begin. Avid garage sale fiends are early birds.
15. Be a salesperson. Welcome your customers, ask if there is anything they are seeking, answer questions—but don’t hover while they shop.
16. Be ready to bargain. Part of the fun of the sale for buyers is getting a good deal. Don’t be insulted if people ask you to take a lower price. But, don’t come down in the price too much in the first hour of the sale.
17. At the end of the sale, move your items inside and promptly take down your signs (so the city doesn’t fine you).

After it’s all done, our leftover items are going straight to the Goodwill donation box! I’m hoping this will be our last garage sale for a very long time!

Tags: Give Stuff A New Home by Shelly Kneupper Tucker
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Organizing gurus say that we only use 20% of the items we own. The other 80% is stuff that we keep “just in case” we might need it someday.

I freely admit that I have a lot of that “just in case” stuff. The only problem, is that it is buried beneath the other debris of my life. When I need it, I can’t find it!

So, I go buy more.

I have to reduce some of the clutter, so I can get everything a place. That old saw about “a place for everything and everything in its place” didn’t become a well used expression for no reason. It means I may have to get rid of things I love!

As I look around my house, I think that most of my 80% doesn’t fit in that category. I have “collectibles” and family heirlooms for which I became the caretaker. To most of these things, I have an emotional attachment.

I’ve realized over the years that I can get over that attachment. I will live over it if I get rid of things I love. I can take a picture and fondly remember owning them. I can pass on the pleasure of owning them (and the burden of maintaining them) to someone else.

For years, I enjoyed an old Victrola that my grandmother bought back in the 1920s when it was new. I had taken out “the guts” and used the cabinet to house a stereo system. It worked well with the other antique furniture I had at the time.

Years passed, and my taste changed. That Victrola got relegated to a back room and just stood gathering dust. I had no room for it. A year ago, I gave it to my sister. Now, that Victrola has pride of place in her home. She is absolutely thrilled to have it, and that Victrola deserves to be well-loved.

I’m trying to keep that in mind as I decide to part with some of my possessions. I keep reminding myself that they will wind up with people who enjoy them and use them. That’s so much better than sitting in my closet waiting for me to decide to pull them out again. I have a lot of family heirlooms and collectibles that I’m prepared to pass to other family members to enjoy. I think I can even sell a few things.

Now, if I can just convince my husband!

Tags: Give Stuff A New Home by Shelly Kneupper Tucker
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With all the junk we need to toss, our quickest solution would be to rent a dumpster and just fill it up and have it dragged away. In one Saturday, we could vastly reduce the amount of stuff we have.

But, that’s not the best solution! What we consider trash might be someone else’s treasure. If someone can make use of it, it’s wasteful to throw it away. And, it’s harmful to the environment.

We’ve got a lot of building materials in the attic that we’ve decided we will never use. I doubt it is worth advertising in the paper about it. Instead, I’m investigating Freecycle as a way to get rid of it.

Their website claims:

“Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.”

Sounds like a noble idea, and I’m willing to give it a try. From what I understand so far, I join a local group and then can post telling what I have to give away. Let’s hope it works. Let’s hope someone wants to take this lumber off our hands! We might be able to see the attic again. You’ll know it worked if you hear some whooping and hollering coming from my direction.

Of course, if it doesn’t work, we can always donate it to our local Habitat For Humanity. They have a re-sale shop, and can get rid of it if they can’t use it.

Tags: Give Stuff A New Home by Shelly Kneupper Tucker
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