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“What do I do with all my stuff” editorial and reader feedback
Reading these responses reminds me of what a poignant and powerful issue this is. As an adult child survivor, I now deeply regret that I was not more attentive when my father spent five years trying to find one of us to take his collection (in his case, it was tools). He attempted several different creative solutions for our lack of space, time and basically interest. Perhaps olders members can show this letter to their own relatives. I’ll say it again - I deeply regret not taking my father’s requests more seriously. To me, it seemed like an acknowledgement that he was going to die and I wasn’t ready to do that. In the end, he died at 80 and his collection was left for us to deal with - a far more difficult task than if we had done it with him.
One major problem with doing something while he was alive is that he wanted the collection to stay together. I hear that in some responses here. In the end, we divided it up between four of us, more practical and doable for us, but leaving us feeling sad because we knew he didn’t want that. If older hobbyists were able to acknowledge that they might have to break up their collection, it might help younger members of their families.
For our part, my husband and I are brand new to garden railways and in our early fifties have some time and good health and some disposible income, but not a lot. We “younger” GR members would certainly appreciate the clubs having shop and swap days for the purpose of setting up our own layouts. In that way, older members could visit and help us as we learn the tricks-of-the-trade as well as sell pieces at reasonable prices. It could be a blending of two kinds of families.
I am in my mid 60’s and have given much thought to the subject of what goes where when I pass on. I have come to the realization that we can pass at any age and thus have to be prepared to have those items dispersed that we held near and dear when we were alive. I think we all try to be good spouses but we also need to enjoy our hobbies as long as we can. I have placed a list of the most valuable items with my will so my Family knows what is worth selling. The other direction I have provided is to give/sell or bequith my trains to a number of people that I have identified as people who would cherish the receipt of such a gift as a MODEL Railroad.
This is an excellent subject. I’ll very soon be 60. A few years ago I purchased a software program to inventory my extensive train collection, in regard to this very subject. The collection has since grown with out one entry into the program. I need an Anti-Procrastination program to go along with the Inventory Program. Take Care
Thanks for the heads up on this subject! I have been talking this with my wife for years now and over the last year we have been cleaning up and getting rid of things we are not using anymore, and that includes a lot of things in my shop, hobbies, and the stuff of life.
Like most folks our age and over the years have things on the storage self, with the idea of doing this and doing that, and guess what, it most likley will not happen, because life changes you!
So one day last fall, I decided to start cleaning up, and discarding, garage, basement, attack, closets! My three daughters are gone now, so one of the bed rooms is now full of garage sale items on one side and ebay items on the other side. I have been going though not only my hobby stuff but everything in the house, that we are not using or really want anymore period! (Once you start on this process, you will find out it is very refreshing and exciting knowing you do not have to deal with “that stuff” anymore). You had good intention or a lot of money, but you can’t keep it all as stated.
The only things I am keeping is my collection of engines, and odds ends, then everything else is going. This is not because I am in poor health, lost a job, etc. I am just also tired of managing all this stuff. The question should be - how much stuff can one person own and appriciate before it is just too much stuff. Not only sould we do this for ourselfs, we should do this for our family memebers as well as requirments for insursance purpose, like fire / theft, and for that day if I go before her suddenly! ‘Here today, gone tomorrow!’ This way she will not have to deal all the work of pulling a inventory and sales list together will she! All the articles prior to my comments have all the other reasons why do to this type of activity. So my focus now about model railroading like Mark is to keep only the things that are dear to me, and not get cought up with keeping a warehouse of stuff. It is nice to have a lot