Paris Casino Ceramic Jar

The first item I'll be parting with for this blog is from a Las Vegas trip a couple of years back.  I impulsively purchased this jar from Paris, rationalizing its acquisition as a cool souvenir that might accrue value.  A classic maneuver on my part.

To be frank, the only way will retain value, much less build it, is if I single-handedly track down and smash the thousands of jars scattered across the world.  A cursory search for the item on eBay features sellers desperate to unload it as cheaply as possible and a few others clearly hoping to trick buyers into a purchase by slapping as many misleading adjectives into the listing.  These jars are 'vintage' and 'rare' in the same way that every single DVD and Blu-Ray release is a 'collector's edition.'

Unless I bump into Oprah and this is the only thing I have on me for her to autograph, this jar provides only sentimental value.  So, I have to ask myself if it's worth the shelf space and aggravation to serve as a tangible reminder of the $250 I won in single-deck blackjack.

I say no.  Maybe Goodwill can get some mileage out of it.

The Process Begins

Hello visitors,

This blog will (hopefully) serve as an online journal for my journey from recovering hoarder to borderline minimalist.

I've come a long way, but like a recovering alcoholic, the urge remains - the "urge" being a need to collect anything and everything.  Readers will come to find that my Kryptonite is media - books, CDs, Blu-Rays, you name it.

I've made progress.  Whereas I used to make custom cases for virtually every game, movie, and music purchase that didn't come with a box, I now utilize binders for 80% of my disc-based media.  I also have a Kindle and have shifted most of my library to e-book form.

Nevertheless, clutter remains.  If I categorize my possessions into keepers, things I probably don't really need, and useless junk I've ride myself of the useless junk.  My lack of use doesn't justify most of the things I own but don't really need.

While I had to overcome irrational sentimentality to rid myself of objectively worthless clutter, doing so with items of more value will be the next threshold.  But it will pose more challenges.

I couldn't even unload most of the junk I trashed at a garage sale.  But now I find myself with items of legitimate value that I squander with neglect.  I have books, movies, and collectibles that could provide value to others yet collect dust on my shelf.  Many cost a pretty penny as well.

So I'll need to form a new habit of parting with items of more value, fighting the urge to rationalize their retention (I'll watch those movies some day, I'll use these books for research soon, etc.) while deciding if the item should be donated or put for sale on eBay, Craig's List, or the like.

This blog will serve as a litmus test for the more useless parts of my collection.  I'll develop pros and cons of keeping an item(s) vs. tossing it aside.  Each post will outline whether I'll keep, donate, or sell.

It is my hope that I'll be more objective in my consideration of parting with these items, that the one-at-a-time process will transition me to a more minimalist lifestyle, and that my results will inspire others - either as something to emulate or a cautionary tale to avoid.

Here goes nothing.