Today's HoarderRehab Epiphany #4: Hoarding as a Business

Today's HoarderRehab Epiphany #4:  Hoarding as a Business

This is two true stories about finding a needle in a haystack by accident!

I just finished reading an etsy article, that under normal circumstances I would have never read!  Collecting English Transferware:  One Woman's Story.  Not only am I not a fan of transferware, but if I had not been sick in bed with a stomach ache I would have never read it.  I would have passed by it without a second thought.

 Nancy Roberts with a tiny flash of her collection of her English Transferware China. 

So I ask, why did I read Collecting English Transferware:  One Woman's Story?  I'm not sure yet, but there are several reasons I would have never read this article:

1) it was about a subject I could care less about:  English Transferware china, which I used to think was the ugliest stuff in the world
2)  it's Monday and I usually I don't have time to read any etsy articles until Friday or so
3) I usually never read articles with videos because with articles I can skim and I can't do that as easily with a video due to filler info. placed here and there, but not this one.

All I can say now is I am so thankful I read it! and the article was so compelling I watched the video! And am I ever so happy I watched it!  The video was like frosting on a cake, even if you are like me and don't like frosting!

What I learned:

1.  Stomach aches are not so bad, even if they do monkey around with a routine I'm trying to reestablish.  I am thankful for all the "off road" gifts it brought me!  One of the many being, my stomach ache is barely noticeable!  I am now a huge believer in huge doses of inspiration as a remedy for more than one thing!

2.  The video was not full of filler, but instead had enough information and history on transferware to tickle my fancy. I  will no longer see transferware, as ugly, common and plain, but have an appreciation towards it's loveability.  No worries, I will not collect any!  Okay, maybe one or two pieces, if I need them.  I did fall in love with the blue calico, especially the open hands, black transferware, and  muted color plates with contrasting color borders!
  
I was so taken, when Nancy said, "I look at these plates and see a picture in a frame already on it!"  Sold!  Even what I see as ugly, I can find beauty, especially if I slow down and smell the roses.

 
3.  The article helped me see that my dehoarding journey into the unexpected is not as scary as I thought because Nancy's happenstance journey turned out unbelievably incredible! 

4.  After reading her story and watching her video, I was attracted to how she let her American Dream come true and now has a garage full of what she loves as inventory!  Could this be my hoarder dream x 100?

How many possibilities does her story open for me?  What if hoarding can be turned into a successful business and I could do that!  I love the idea, that from the beginning of her business, she put some of the money aside to by more and more pieces!  Okay, so I've done it a little backwards from her.  She started with 20-30 pieces and I've started with countless!  Let me stay focused on my goal to go in the opposite direction as hers when it comes down to the collecting part.

But I love her beautiful, well-organized astounding collection!  And I love that I could do the same in somewhere as easy and accessible as a garage and go visit any time I wanted!  As a repetition artist, the garage alone is a walk through masterpiece or a long view centerpiece! 

As a hoarder, I have to stop myself and see myself well enough to know how easily it is for me to pulled into many different directions and how two forks in the road can turn into endless ones!  I have one road at the moment and that is the HoarderRehab road!  A one way road to an organic minimalist home with a second room to create in, not as storage for unused things.

5.  What do I really want?  To turn my hoarding ways into a business? or move on to the unexpected?  I choose the unexpected.  But at least I have a back up plan, if I back slide or need one, knock on wood.

Thank you Nancy Roberts of English Transferware on etsy for your more than inspirational story.  I am thankful I found so many gifts in it for me.  Read more of her daily stories on her blog, Nancy's Daily's Dish .  Thank you Tara Young of etsy for organizing the article and video!  Thank you etsy for helping me find a positive fun way to dehoard!

Today's HoarderRehab Epiphany:  Although this fueled my determination to continue dehoarding with renewed energy and awe, it also fueled my issues with FOMO, "fear of missing out", but that's another story!

Thank you for taking part in my HoarderRehab!

To all the open hands on this earth!  

 

 Happy Pre-Thanksgiving!

One Step Backward, Two Steps Forward

HoarderRehab Epiphany #2:  One Step Backward, Two Steps Forward

For me, its usually the other way around.  Two or three steps backwards, if not miles and one step forward, but not this time!

I came across these beauties while I was looking at a potential client's favorites.(which I often do to get ideas as what to look for in my hoard to list the following week!)  I love these copper type lockets with pin closures!  They go way back to my childhood when I had a glass display case with shelves just like how these lockets were made.  And I love magnifying glasses, they remind me of my grandfather and great uncle.  As a child I often watched them use them with stones and watch repair.  And who can pass up skeleton keys?  And pendant rings for beads, stones or shells?

Glass Lockets, Magnifying Glass, Skeleton Keys Jewelry Lot:  Another bargain, all this!  10 items,  a little over a buck each, including shipping costs!

My fingers were itching to get a hold of these!  But since I'm banned from buying til I have a more manageable life over my belongings, I just thought I'd have to wait until I had a reason to buy them!  What could I make with the beautiful lockets?  The price was right up my alley!  Was this another, "A Sale A Bargain, A Deal:  A hoarder's dream until it becomes a nightmare!"  Did I learn from last week's epiphany with the stationery card sets or not?

Was I  recovering and learning or backsliding?  To prove to myself that I had learned a lesson- I needed a really good reason to buy these, if only I could find a creative way to use these lockets!  Also, they looked "too good to be true" for their price and the listing didn't mention their condition, so I thought I should ask!  Maybe there's something gravely wrong with them and I could move on.

 

 

Kennedy Miranda

October 17 2012 11:22pm EDT

Listing: www.etsy.com/listing/112123673/glass-lockets-magnifying-glass-keys

Hi there!

What kind of condition are these in? Are they brand new? I love the lockets!

Thank you,
~Kennedy

Dr Shirley and Holly

October 18, 2012

Hi,

All pockets and magnifiers are brand new and never used. These are ones left over from a recent project so thought maybe someone could utilize for their project
Thanks for the email.
Shirley

Dr Shirley and Holly

October 18, 2012

Hi Again,

Not sure if the previous email went through but all glass lockets, magnifiers and keys are brand new unused. Left over from a recent project.
Shirley

I was stalled again!  They were in perfect condition as seen on zoom in the pics!

Could I find a way to use these right away so I could buy them?


I decided to give myself the weekend to find a way!  The weekend passed and still nothing in mind for them.  Enough time passed and surprisingly I didn't think of any way to use them.  As an etsy shop owner, I like it when people email me back when they ask about a potential purchase to let me know whether they will buy it or not, so I thought I should do the same.

 

Kennedy

October 22, 2012 and 36 minutes ago

Hi Shirley!

Thanks for writing me back and making sure I got your messages. I love those glass lockets and I like the price too, but as a recovering Hoarder.... I have to pass. Thank you for your time and for getting me to think twice before I make a purchase related to my hoarding ways.

Best regards,
~Kennedy

Dr Shirley and Holly Phares

October 22 2012 6:46pm EDT

Your in luck because they sold today

Kennedy Miranda

October 22 2012 7:09pm EDT

Thanks for the chuckle and relief- mixed with buyers remorse!

So what did I learn today?  I felt a sad pit in my stomach for a bit as I let go of a  lost dream with such potential, but relief that it didn't become part of my hoarder nightmare!  Sales, bargains, deals are a trigger to my Hoarder ways and some items for sale have strong memories attached to them.  I still have that display box that reminds me of the lockets, somewhere in my hoard.  I have a magnifying glass from my grandfather somewhere too and I use my great uncle's cigar boxes, all 8 of them, as part of my headboard for storage.  I am still a little conflicted about letting such a good bargain go, but relieved too because it was a less painful lesson and didn't cost me anything this time.

I also completely forgot one of the biggest reasons not to buy them, which could have stopped me right in my tracks in the first place making this buying dilemma no brainer easy!  I am allergic to most metals and creating something with these would most likely give me an asthma type reaction!  What a doozey deal stopper! I must keep "metal allergies" in the forefront of my hoarder brain!

Hoarding not only leaves me with a more than cluttered home, but with thoughts that match!  I am much closer to my goal of a simple minimal house with a more organized connected brain and closer to not repeating my hoarder patterns once I've reached my goal of minimalist organic style with sustainable housing!  and Thank you Shirley of Two Sly Foxes for making my HoarderRehab adventure more fun and funny too!

If you dare, you can see more deals from Shirley and Holly at Two Sly Foxes!

HoarderRehab Ephinany

 HoarderRehab Epiphany #1

A Sale, A Bargain, A Deal:  A hoarder's dream until it becomes a nightmare!

I often get epiphanies of all sizes while I write about whatever I'm listing on etsy.  Today it was when I was describing the Pumpkinstein cards I made last weekend. We had gone to the store to pick up ziploc bags and I ended up buying -of all things- stationery cards!  Of course, I thought it was harmless since they were super cheap on sale, but could I stop at one set?  No, I had to buy two sets of each kind!!!  mr. oz made me put one set down- it was all he could get out of my grip! 

Another slight deviation from plans of my self imposed ban from buying! Needed ziploc bags and came home with these cards too!  That's how I looked when I got home!  Buyer's Remorse?

I bought them because I can pass on the savings to etsy clients and sell them for less than the other ones I made due to lower material costs, get rid of my construction paper hoard from my teaching years and because they are so fun to make!  Next year, if I my hoard hasn't sold out and I'm still selling on etsy, I think I'll skip the card part and make them as garlands.  I hope garlands are still "in" on etsy next year!

As I was listing these cards to sell on etsy, I began to think about what will happen if they don't sell.  Will I need to store them til next year?  Quickly mail them out to family and friends two days before Halloween?  They aren't generic enough to give away as gifts for Christmas or birthday.

Me, after I saw how many cards I made and realized I just added more to my hoard!

So here I am with a double sided whammy epiphany!  How far in the future do I, as a Hoarder think ahead?  Me, obviously not far enough, but it seems I am now.  Two different choices and both on sale? Can't decide? Why not buy both!!!! Simply harmless because they are on sale?  All I can say is I hope the savings are appreciated by someone out there! Any sale is a hoarder's dream until it becomes a nightmare. What is the nightmare part for me as a hoarder?  I totally digressed from my ban on buying, especially craft items and without thought added more to my hoard.  Are bargain sales as dreamy as they used to be for me or are they a Hoarder death trap?  Well, at least the stationery cards that say "Thank You" on them I can put in customer packages, but the pumpkinstein cards?  I hope someone loves these and all is not lost!  Until then their fates are unknown!

All in all it was worth it!  It's been one of my cheaper and more fun lessons in curtailing my Hoarder Ways!

Thank you for the visit and taking part in my HoarderRehab!  See more Pumpkinstein Art cards at HoarderRehab on etsy!