A frustrated moment of clarity...

[JustinD]

How I feel right now and often:

[scottbdoug]

Perhaps you are one of the few collectors who does not suffer from a mild (or more) case of OCD. If so, I envy you

[cubman1941]

My moment of clarity came a week ago with my basement being flooded because of a water line break. We contained the water to my baseball room
(13x20) I didn't lose much except for some baseball games in boxes but as I tried to get things out I realized how much "stuff" I had. I am a Cubs guy but have a lot of non-Cub related items like sets from 1981 up, auction catalogs I kept, SCD Guides, few non-Cub gloves and bats, etc. I am still in the process of moving things around but am out of room. My clarity moment came when I said I must box stuff up and take it to an auction house in PA, the closest one around to make some room. Besides my kids are not interested so best to get the non-Cubs stuff out while I still am able.

[scottbdoug]

instead of matching your collection to the size of your room, do like me and match the room to the size of your collection. I bought a new house to get a bigger place for my collection. ZIt will start in the basement but will eventually move to the upstairs two floors as well finishing in the kitchen when the fridge and stove will be removed for stacks of 5000 monster boxes.

[btryin]

With that as your strategy, I'm foreseeing yet another move in your future!

No matter how much space you have, stuff has a funny way of filling and then outgrowing that space!

Originally Posted by scottbdoug

instead of matching your collection to the size of your room, do like me and match the room to the size of your collection. I bought a new house to get a bigger place for my collection. ZIt will start in the basement but will eventually move to the upstairs two floors as well finishing in the kitchen when the fridge and stove will be removed for stacks of 5000 monster boxes.

[Eggoman]

Although I did NOT study Law - There IS a Law about this that states (sort of) that "...Cards do not occupy a fixed volume, but expand to fill whatever space they can occupy..."

You could look it up!

[cubman1941]

Oh so true about stuff filling up a space. I have moved for the last time having moved from Denver to Asheville to Glen Burnie, MD and each time stff expanded to fill the space. I was "allowed" this room and I figured 13x20 would be enough but --- stuff expanded again. I figure if I eliminate some stuff I don't look at anymore I will have more room for stuff I do look at. Besides I will then be able to "hunt" some more.

[Stampsfan]

If you've not heard George Carlin's take on stuff, check this out. Very pertinent to the flow of this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

[JustinD]

Man, do I miss Carlin.

I believe it was Richard Simon had a signed Carlin contract that I was so close on pulling the trigger on. It would have been awesome framed in my office...with all the other stuff.

[cubman1941]

I had heard the George Carlin bit before but forgot about it. Thanks for sharing.

[ty_cobb]

I also had a flood in my storage unit. Luckily the 5yrs of Mastro & REA catalogs in boxes I had hoarded soaked up most of the water and the valuable cards were saved,,,

[Leon]

Originally Posted by JustinD

How I feel right now and often:

I think we have all been there on losing something and blaming the spouse. It happens when stuff is piled everywhere. I swear every time I clean up and organize I lose something!!

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Eggoman

Although I did NOT study Law - There IS a Law about this that states (sort of) that "...Cards do not occupy a fixed volume, but expand to fill whatever space they can occupy..."

You could look it up!

I am not sure this is law but rather physics, sort of like Newton's Third Law that states, " RCs' of Clemente that are in motion tend to stay in motion."

[irv]

Originally Posted by Leon

I think we have all been there on losing something and blaming the spouse. It happens when stuff is piled everywhere. I swear every time I clean up and organize I lose something!!

My wife threw out $327.50 worth of snowmobile permits 2 years ago!

My own fault, to an extent, for leaving them on the coffee table as she cleaned up the newspapers for recycling, but at the same time, when she does this one fell sweep, other things have gone missing as well.

I am much more careful now, I think, especially with leaving baseball cards laying around.

[slipk1068]

Originally Posted by cubman1941

My moment of clarity came a week ago with my basement being flooded because of a water line break.

Everyone please be sure you have the braided steel hoses connecting the water lines to your washing machine. The older rubber ones can break especially as they age and dry out. I changed mine a few years ago after my sister had her basement flood because the rubber water lines burst.

They are easy to change and not expensive. I am guessing $10 x 2 water lines (hot and cold) =$20. I am not sure if this was what happened to cubman, but this is important enough that everyone should check.

[scottbdoug]

Originally Posted by slipk1068

Everyone please be sure you have the braided steel hoses connecting the water lines to your washing machine. The older rubber ones can break especially as they age and dry out. I changed mine a few years ago after my sister had her basement flood because the rubber water lines burst.

They are easy to change and not expensive. I am guessing $10 x 2 water lines (hot and cold) =$20. I am not sure if this was what happened to cubman, but this is important enough that everyone should check.

This public service announcement provided by ... 😀...But seriously take heed ppl everything he saying is true. I won't say why I know that would be too embarrassing 😀

[cubman1941]

Braided steel hoses are the way to go and they should be changed every 5 year or so also. What happened to me was the city replaced a fire hydrant and didn't do it properly and the line burst at a coupling. The flow of water was so great it came over the curb and down my driveway. I was the unlucky one in the neighborhood, neighbor next to me was too close to the break and the neighbor down the street was far enough down so the force wasn't strong enough to come into her driveway. The mud piled up at the top of my driveway and send a lot of the water down. But - do use braided steel hoses on your washing machines.

[Leon]

I sent an Obak poster to a company for consignment, many years ago, and they accidentally threw it away. They made it right but that kind of sucked.