Can We Talk 2

Collecting Things

         When I consider how much stuff I throw away when cleaning, or how much I take to Good Will, I wonder what I was thinking when I spent money on such useless temporary stuff. If only I had been willing to pass my impulses and live a more spartan life. I'd have more money now and would have less junk surrounding me.

         And some of it was given to me. Why do we give each other such trinkets to collect dust and lose our fascination. They tell us that the younger generations don't want to inherit our junk. They don't want great grandma's crystal cake plate the way we baby boomers coveted one. They don't want the hand woven baskets made by an ancestor or the treasure purchased by Uncle Sonny when he was a sailor in the Orient. They don't even want the china and silver that we craved when I was in college.

         I sometimes watch The Collector on TV. Those collections are only of value to other crazy collectors. I had a brother who invested in comic books and toys because he thought they would be worth some money some day. He died in 2012 a little on the poor side. I researched the comics which are all printed after 1992. There are about 5000 of them. Worth the cover price today because of people like him. Only the older ones in mint condition bring in good returns. All the ones I inherited re in individual covers, about 100 per plastic box. Most are unopened. Doesn't improve the price. He also had unopened toys from McDonald's happy meals, and several thousand Hot Wheels, still in original wrappers. Nobody wants them.

         I wish I had kept my money and practiced more will power. I wish my brother had kept his money and led a more abundant life. I wouldn't feel swamped with decluttering chores in my old age.