This bag took a whole lot of effort and procrastination to let go to it's new home!
The clutch above has sold, but
the last of "what's left" of my purse collection, available here
photo via VintageToGoEasy
Just when I thought I was over the pain and suffering of letting go of my hoard a piece comes along and tests me! This is the piece!
I've been thinking about why, why why for the past week or so and I still haven't the faintest clue as to why this bag tugs at my heart and brings tears to my eyes as I let it go....
It's going to a great new life to someone who is going to use it and that usually does the trick, but not this time.
Here is the note I received about it:
Hi! It is going to a good home:-) I collect Vintage purses and I use them!
The clutch above has sold, but
the last of "what's left" of my purse collection, available here
All purses on VintageToGoEasy and many other things are on sale at all our shops!
photo via VintageToGoEasy
Here is what I wrote back:
Hi again!
Thank you so much for the reassurances and giving this a good home, as a recovering hoarder, your last note makes letting go much easier. So nice to know someone will be using it!
Kind regards,
Kennedy
Thank you so much for the reassurances and giving this a good home, as a recovering hoarder, your last note makes letting go much easier. So nice to know someone will be using it!
Kind regards,
Kennedy
I know in reality that's how I'm supposed to feel, but today I just don't. I do feel better that someone is going to use this bag because I never did, at least not as a purse. I had it displayed on a wall with all the rest of my vintage and favorite purses.
As a matter of fact, for someone with a purse collection, I find it strange now that I am not even a purse person. Well, I was, but only if it was Louis Vuitton and then when I got over LV, I just went back to carrying stuff in my pockets and now I use a backpack that turns into a purse.
Here is what I use now, but mine is all black:
This convertible bag is the best, especially when I got somewhere that doesn't allow backpacks, like the MOCA, plus it has that big zippered pocket on the outside, another one in the inside, a detachable key holder, an open pocket for a cell phone and another open pocket I use to hold a fold able grocery bag, a small book, pen and notebook.
Mine is all black with a canvas top and leather bottom, I sure wish Mims still made these because I'd get another one, but without the leather bottom because it does get heavy. I just did a search on it and the shop is now, roughandtumblebags, but I did not see this style, but I didn't look at every bag.
photo via Google
I guess I'm distracting myself with my latest bag to procrastinate on this one! So why do I find this one particular bag so difficult to let go?
Like I said before I've been thinking about it for a week and here is what I've come up with:
1. because it was a sale item and I don't think it sold for enough?
2. Since it's a gift from my aunt, my issues letting go of unused gifts has returned?
3. I haven't slept for a month due to the heat and it's giving me what I call the "dreads" and right before I get the "dreads" it triggers something in my brain that wants me to start hoarding again and then that leads to wanting to keep all my hoard of hoards? plus add to it?
4. The purse is a symbol of some deeper meaning I can't fathom yet and it's eating away at me?
None, nor all of those seem to hit the nail on the head and I don't want to keep thinking about it, even though I try and stop, so I'm just going to do my best and let it go in my next meditation session!
This purse was given to me by an Aunt and she received it from her mother-in-law who was a DAR member, Daughter of the American Revolution. The inside is embossed with Justin Leather Co. with the numbers: 98009 The metal part of the purse is dated with: PATENTED OCT 5, 1915 MAY 15, 1917 JULY 23, 1918
The clutch has sold, but the last of "what's left" of my purse collection, available here
photo via VintageToGoEasy
Saying Goodbye: This was very difficult to let go and I procrastinated about it. First I felt some fret for putting most everything at all the shops on Etsy's Labor Day Sale. Then someone asked for more pictures of this purse's condition because it had some slight unraveling in two places, but since five pictures were only allowed on Etsy years ago, the original five photos didn't show the condition well, only the front, back, front close up, inside and the embossed information.
So I dug it out of it's box for more picture taking and I saw what storage can do to leather! And I realized it's close to the first batch of things we listed, so it's been for sale for, let me check, close to 5 years. Oh my, has five years gone by and I still have this purse? I think in "hoarder time" five years feels like five minutes!
Anyways, after I dug it up, I saw it needed some tlc, tender loving care, like a clean up and oiling and then I got some ideas on how to use it as a prop, small antique pendants would look good displayed on the middle front of this bag! And from there my little hoarding mind went on and on.
And that's when the procrastination started. I decided to lower the price even more and if it didn't sell after the Labor Day Sale, I'd let it go for even less to the kind person who asked for more photos of it's condition. And I think that's when the woe's came in and started to nest in my heart, when I knew I had to let this go finally.
All purses on VintageToGoEasy and many other things are on sale at all our shops!
The last of "what's left" of my purse collection, available here
photo via VintageToGoEasy
What I Learned:
1. Just when I thought it was safe for me to leave behind my hoarding ways, it returns? So after 5 years, I still have issues with my hoard? That's okay, it's taken me several decades to get into this hoarding habit and I'll be lucky if it only takes me half that time to get out!
Back to the drawing board and I'm pretty sure that it starts with my lack of sleep for a month because at first I just wanted to lookie loo shop to keep myself awake during the times I felt like taking a nap, which was pretty much all the time and then I started making a list of my favs and then prioritizing them, so I wouldn't buy it all and then it just turned into my wanting to start hoarding all over again no matter what, as long as I thought it was cool stuff!
I still feel that way too, but the consequences of adding more to my hoard gives me a stomach ache because I can't see myself on Etsy forever.
2. As I mentioned in my last post, I did try the Etsy Labor Day Sale and as a recovering hoarder that wasn't easy either, the thought of my precious items leaving too fast in my latest dire hoarder condition, didn't sit with me well. So putting them on sale was daunting, scary and gave me a stomach ache.
However, the way Etsy has one way to set up (or at least it's the only way I could figure out) and list the sale or any sale for that matter in an over and over process, so the more I listed each shop by category, the easier it got for me as a recovering hoarder and since I thought Labor Day was at the end of August, I have relisted again for another 2 week sale at each shop, just to get over the daunting, scary anxious stomach ache feelings.
I forget what kind of therapy this is called, but from what I remember it's doing the same stressful thing over and over until I become immune to it or am no longer resistant or affected or influenced by it. Most of the time it's still stressful, especially in the beginning, but it does become less stressful over time. And for me hoarding time seems to be in incriminates of five years, but it's also taken me several decades to hoard like I do. I am thankful I'm doing something about it now.
3. Another thing, I think I ramble a lot when I don't get enough sleep. It's been cooler now, so for the past 3 days, I've gotten some half decent sleep, yet due to some other health issues creeping in, I'm wondering how many days it's going to take me to catch up on my beauty rest and be back to normal. Normal as in without dreads, not rambling and without wanting to start hoarding again.
If this purse doesn't sell, I've got a crazy idea of something to embroider on it that also has to do with one of my creeping in health issues, but maybe that's the lack of sleep talking. Old velvet fan purse with teal silk lining and fresh water pearl petals and garnet bead middle, available here.
I was told this was an antique from the late 1800s and I bought it in an antique mall in Long Beach, Ca in the 80s or 90s, so it might be a Victorian style mourning purse. I bought it to match one of my black outfits with my velvet black hat, but ended up not using it.
photo via VintageToGoEasy
Thank you Etsy buyer from VintageToGoEasy for letting me know that you collect vintage purses and best of all, you'll be using this purse. I'd love to know how you use it!
Everyday is such an adventure dehoarding on Etsy! Even though today, I feel like I need a long vacation from it all. I never know who I'll meet and I have met so many Etsy buyers who share their stories with me and every time I glean some insight about where my dehoarding journey is taking me.
Speaking about my dehoarding ways, I am going to maybe take a break, but I'm very conflicted about it and thinking about it makes my head spin!
Thank you Etsy for the best Hoarder Rehab ever! And for all the kind people I'm meeting who are helping me indirectly and directly in so many ways with my Hoarder Rehab! I've been gleaning so much insight about my hoarding ways.
I was saving this Coach bag, not only because I think it's so cute, but just in case, I ever had to go on an interview again, those days (years) are long past! Knock on wood.
This Coach pop of color red wool shoulder bag with black leather details is available here
photo via VintageToGoEasy
I'm still relisting daily and taking my time listing new things until I feel better and get some sleep, so my goal of listing 180+ items any time soon again, at all the shops has pretty much gone down the drain!
At least our sales are up most of the time, but this week seems to be waning, even with an extended 2 week Labor Day Sale. How are your sales going? How did your Labor Day sale go? More on that next posting.
Anyone out there have any suggestion or ideas on how to use the new Etsy format and new Etsy Studio to their shop's best advantage? and if it has helped bump up your sales?
Click on the shop names to visit new hoard listed daily and/or weekly: HoarderRehab with 174 items, The Destiny of Things- 175 items, VintageToGoEasy - 177 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 168 items.
Maybe you'll find something to adopt and share your story too! Thanks for looking!
All purses on VintageToGoEasy and many other things are on sale at all our shops!
When I was a full blown hoarder, I bought this bag just because the origami style geishas were to so cute and I thought it had an unusual bamboo opening with obijime used for the knots and handles, available here
photo via VintageToGoEasy
Related Stories: Some about my purse collection and stuff I had a difficult time letting go in the beginning and middle of my journey.
1. Most of my Louis Vuitton collection and it was a lot! Oddly enough it was some of the first items that sold, story with many photos, here
2. My weekend backpack was a Harley-Davidson 95th Anniversary Leather Backpack: The Destiny of Things Story LXII
3. I had a hard time letting my favorite red kantha bag go, but that was in the beginning: Not My Favorite Red Kantha Bag! The Destiny of Things, Story LXXXVII, story here
4. Not My Red Cashmere Coat! This held good Christmas dinner memories of my aunts fawning and swooning over this coat!
5. Not My College Mugs! I bought these and the Empire State building lamp to hold my worries of going away to college and living in my first apartment away from home!
6. Not My Freddie the Frog Puppet! This puppet held good memories of my teaching days.
7. Not My Receipt Spike and Service Bell! These held the not so pleasant memories of my teaching days.
5. Not My College Mugs! I bought these and the Empire State building lamp to hold my worries of going away to college and living in my first apartment away from home!
6. Not My Freddie the Frog Puppet! This puppet held good memories of my teaching days.
7. Not My Receipt Spike and Service Bell! These held the not so pleasant memories of my teaching days.
Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!
Note to self: I thought writing this post would help my dreads go away, but it did not.
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