Picture taken last week at Fletcher Park
Are You A Hoarder?
Have you watched the TV series about Hoarders? Quite frankly, it is not my thing to sit and watch someone's rather sad private life come to pieces on national TV. I don't consider that in any way entertaining and there is always the thought running around in the back of my mind that perhaps this has been staged for TV, and the money generated from the millions of viewers who enjoy watching that sort of thing is what the program is really about in the end!
As a collector of "Things" - dolls, craft supplies, books, music, etc... I have often been accused from people who know me very well - in a teasing way I hope - that I am a hoarder.
We (my fellow crafters and collectors) have even discussed this issue on craft and collecting forums and sites that I belong to. We have joked about it - made light of it - and really wondered if we were predisposed for it!
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having three cousins come to visit. They had never seen my doll collection, and because I now have them displayed so nicely in their own spot, we ventured upstairs to have a look. They enjoyed them, which always makes me happy. Then one of them asked if I was still looking for dolls.
The collector (some would say hoarder) in me said "I am always looking for dolls!" It's true - I have enough - but I would always consider more, if they were the type I am seriously collecting!
My cousin proceeds to tell me that there is a collector in her town (about 40 minutes away) who has been moved into a nursing home and all her dolls will have to be dealt with because the lady's home is being cleaned out - perhaps I would be interested in taking a look?
I bit like a Jack fish on a Repella!
A week later I was driving through the country-side to look at this collection of dolls.
As if it wasn't exciting enough - to actually stumble upon a doll collection out here in the country, then the drive there surely made the journey all the more exciting. The scenery was exceptional - Mother Nature was exploding with colour everywhere I looked. Farmers were out harvesting all along my route, hawks and eagles were following them, and the sun was heating the day to almost summer temperatures. It was glorious!
I brought my camera along, not for the scenery but hopeful that the collection would be an event I could record for myself and my fellow collectors! We love looking at pictures of dolls almost as much as collecting them!
I arrived at the house, grabbed my camera and made my way to the front door. The lady who has been cleaning out the house greeted me at the door and led me into a living room that was straight out of a TV show.
The tiny living room was piled halfway to the ceiling with dolls, stuffed toys, furniture, anything you could imagine - but what overpowered me most, was the stench. Apparently the owner had dogs and cats that did what they pleased, where they pleased. The worker explained this to me with apology in her voice and an expression oozing with frustration. She gestured to the room, said "Have at it," and handed me a pair of surgical gloves.
My first inclination was to turn around and drive home - no actually - my first inclination was to rush outside and breathe fresh air. My second, third and fourth - was to weep.
I will never joke about hoarding ever again!
I could tell that the lady working there was beyond her limit. She had been told that the doll collection was valuable - she was counting on my help to sort through the piles everywhere. I felt bad for her, she had a momentous job, a dirty job, she was way out of her element - I had to help her!
So I asked for some garbage bags, put on the gloves and got down to work...
Part 2 on Wednesday!
Wowzers. What a sad plight. I often think I might be a hoarder but I can still see my floors. LOL I love to collect but I often weed out and give things away. About twice a month for the past 2 years I've been giving large bags to charity so I'm feeling good.
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