Cleaning out and downsizing

CLT65 · Jun 30, 2023

It's time to clean up and get rid of a bunch of junk. I've been dragging around too much stuff for too many years, afraid to throw out anything that might be useful someday. My grandfather farmed through the depression, and my dad was a throwback to that era, never let go of anything with a little use left in it.

So I'm breaking the cycle, simplifying life a little. We have a big dumpster at work and I've been tossing stuff in it, whatever Goodwill won't take. Some stuff gets set on the curb with a "free" sign on it, and goes pretty quick. I still have a hard time tossing some things, like books. My wife has a whole bookshelf full, most of which haven't been touched since we moved here ten years ago, and then there's a bunch on my shelf, some of which haven't been opened in 30 years.

Anyone want any of these, to keep them out of the landfill? I doubt any of them are worth the bother of shipping, but anyone that's close enough is welcome to pick them up.

Andy54Hawken · Jun 30, 2023

Aw man....I'd love that old yellow covered Shooter's Bible.....too bad we ain't closer....

I hear you on books.... I love to read and have a library at home.
I do trade em off at times..but still...books are old friends for sure.
Andy

Lilhigbee · Jun 30, 2023

You can mail books cheap, just tell the Postal Circus employee it is "Media Mail". Good for CDs, DVDs, some other stuff too. Can't include anything NOT appropriate for Media Mail.

OldBroad44 · Jun 30, 2023

Lilhigbee said:
You can mail books cheap, just tell the Postal Circus employee it is "Media Mail". Good for CDs, DVDs, some other stuff too. Can't include anything NOT appropriate for Media Mail.

To mail boxes that are all books tell the PO. There is a special book rate.

boattail · Jun 30, 2023

I swore to not be like my dad and grandfather. I'm off loading things I no longer use at a fast pace. I don't want anyone to have to haul off my stuff when I'm gone. I have 10,000 pounds of stuff leaving this summer for sure and then I hope to tackle the garage this fall.

Finding the time to dedicate to getting it all gone through has been the hardest part. I dumped off fifty years worth of model A restorer magazines to an interested party a few years ago. I hate to see old literature get thrown out.

Mikej · Jul 1, 2023

My parents were born 1920 (Dad), 1926(mom). Do the math and dad was a teen, (about the age they'd feed puberty blockers today)

Both families, dirt poor. Their parents never had enough money to collect things. The folks worked their buts off and had a LOT of STUFF. As far as I know their house is still moldering filled with most of the stuff they collected over the years. I had to leave the situation not too long after Dad passed. The situation at the house and my brothers actions made that the only way I could deal with it.

CLT65 · Jul 3, 2023

Out of curiosity, I looked into the media mail rules. They say that they're pretty strict about books only; it can't have any advertising of any sort, even hundred year old ads in the back of a book. They also say that they do routine spot-checks on media mail packages. Sounds a little extreme to me. Not worth messing with unfortunately. I've been throwing a lot of stuff in the dumpster at work. As a former pack-rat, it's hard to do, but getting easier.

OldBroad44 · Jul 4, 2023

CLT65 said:
Out of curiosity, I looked into the media mail rules. They say that they're pretty strict about books only; it can't have any advertising of any sort, even hundred year old ads in the back of a book. They also say that they do routine spot-checks on media mail packages. Sounds a little extreme to me. Not worth messing with unfortunately. I've been throwing a lot of stuff in the dumpster at work. As a former pack-rat, it's hard to do, but getting easier.

I've shipped hundreds of boxes of my gardening books as well as single books via book rate, and never had any problems. books almost always contain ads in the back for the publishers other related books. All mine do.. So if there is a rule that books can't have ads even for other books it is definitely not enforced.

If you include a letter in the book that is definitely breaking the rules. And the PO clerk may ask specifically about that. But he doesn't ask whether the book has any ads printed in the back.