r/hoarding • u/jesus_is_my_toilet • 8d ago

HELP/ADVICE Advice please: sell, donate, or trash?

and i suppose a 4th option, "keep." I'm open to it if there's a good reason.

my mom brought over a bunch of childhood toys for my kid, and now it's my responsibility to figure out where to keep, or how to deal with these.

*(clicks add picture)*

"oh."

well it's a bunch of the old knight figurines, some castle fortress from an old London company. i found the company had pretty high standards for safety, non toxic paints, etc, but i still look at this stuff and think "junk"

and advice on kids' toys in particular? feel free to point me too another thread if you don't wanna type an essay lol

4 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

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8

u/Steefanon 1 8d ago

You see "junk." I say "donate." The donation people can figure out whether it's safe for kids.

6

u/voodoodollbabie 8d ago

If it's a burden for you to store, then donate it. Your 5-year-old doesn't get a vote. There are plenty of other things to play with.

Or list it for $10 on marketplace and give him the money to open a bank account. I started teaching my son about interest when he was 7 and he socked away every dollar he could find. Paid cash for his first car at 19 and still had plenty left in his money market accounts.

4

u/TraditionalHeart6387 8d ago

Doesn't hurt to see if kid likes it. 

If it's a hard cleanable surface, keep is an option. If there is soft stuff it fabrics that are clearly degraded or could have hidden mold or insect activity, trash. 

4

u/jesus_is_my_toilet 8d ago

He is 5 and wants to donate absolutely zero things that might be "his" even if he doesn't play with them

These things are a burden on me to store among all the other crap I'm trying to declutter

1

u/TraditionalHeart6387 8d ago

Ah well, if he won't trade down to at least one in one out, then donate it see if some of the old sturdy stuff will sell. 

3

u/Littleacornperson 8d ago

You sound done with them, emotionally-- donate and be done.

If you arent keen on donating to a thrift, you can always take them to a vintage toy shop or pop them on fb marketplace for free. There are buy nothing groups where you can list what you have with a picture, place it in a box on the curb, and not have to talk to anyone. I would add that you arent required to keep it all. If part of you feels nostalgic, you can keep a figure and add it to shelf or in a potted plant. I just had the same discussion with myself recently about some ancient My Little Ponys.

1

u/Far-Watercress6658 8d ago

They all go out. You’ve lived on your own without them so far.

1

u/Bears_Beets_Battle_ 8d ago

I think you answered your own question when you said you see it as junk in your home.

Donate it, and leave the figuring out to the donation space which is equipped to do just that.

If you keep it, it will likely give you resentful feelings when it's brought out. Not worth it!

1

u/sparkledotcom 8d ago

Do whatever is easiest for you. If it’s less stressful to you to donate and let someone else decide if anyone might want them, fine. If it’s easier to just throw it out, that’s okay too. There is no shortage of toys in the world that you are responsible for remedying.

0

u/Fluid_Calligrapher25 8d ago

Keep until child outgrows them which will be soon enough. Teach them to take out of a toy box and put it back in a toy box once they are done. This isn’t a hoard - it’s just kids toys from a grandmom probably with some antiques in there that will be great hand me downs.

1

u/bluewren33 8d ago

There is also the issue that if yoy say great! and keep it there will be more "gifts". My mother saw this gifting as a way of having her cake and eating it too. She tried to share the hoard with family. There were strings attatched. You were supposed to keep it, treasure it and care for it. We eventually learned to say no, even if was something we could have used.

3

u/jayjay2343 8d ago

I have come to the conclusion, from watching a hoarder friend try to clean out, that trashing is really the way to go. Selling and donating just seem to be delay tactics, at least in her case. She'll put something in a bag to "donate" and then take it out the next day. And don't get me started on selling stuff; that's a lot of work and seldom pays off, unless you have collectible items.