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So I’ve been dealing with some serious issues in my life and I’ve found solace in an old estranged friend, one I’ve come to deeply regret all the time and money spent to expand my collection and then lost when it all went away.
I speak, of course… of Lego.
Yes, I know purging is a serious issue in the community, one I’ve gone through several times in my life. And yet I find ironic solace in the fact it’s not solely confined (at least in my case) to shame or guilt over what some few might deem unacceptable or inappropriate behavior.
In my case, I recently went through some severe downsizing when moving into a smaller apartment. Overall a positive experience as it gave me the privacy I really needed to fully explore who I am, however it came with some casualties, highest among them a few of my instruments (including my very first electric guitar ;_;) as well as my entire Lego collection, accumulated since the early 80s or so and including some sets that if well-maintained (they were not) would fetch a pretty penny today.
But it’s not about the money for me, it never is. With the
enablinghelp of my good online friend from the east coast I’ve caught the bug again, and honestly it’s been very therapeutic… as well as interesting from a technical standpoint to see the sort of advances that have happened in my absence. So to celebrate finally having a presentable living space, I’ve started decorating it with interlocking ABS brick. So far I have a nearly photorealistic ’67 Mustang as well as a commemorative (my heroine!) Amelia Earhart Lockheed Vega, with more on the way.I’ll probably never replace what I purged (space and rarity are equal factors there) but I’m happy with my new collection, and they’ve helped to put me in a better state of mind.
Anyone else have stories of non-femme-related purges? Or favorite Lego sets/other childhood toys? I’d love to hear them.
Stay beautiful!
Yay Lego! Aside from my feminine pursuits Lego is a passion. I got reintroduced when my oldest daughter became old enough to engage in the hobby. She is deep into Harry Potter so her room is filled to the brim with those sets including the massive castle set.
I myself recently finished the typewriter and the mechanicals to make it “operate” is beyond fascinating. Unfortunately I can’t get over the cost nor can I convince anyone to buy it for me but I really want to build the Titanic!
With all that said, if anyone suffers from stress, anxiety, or any of the related type issues I fully recommend picking up a Lego set it really is a calming and peaceful way to pass some time.
And Astrid I’m so sorry you had to part with long held sets, it is akin to parting with our feminine items. I too have many technic sets that are long gone to time….
Been very curious about that typewriter myself (as one who grew up with an actual manual typewriter, an anomaly for my generation even before computers) so I may have to look at some vids and see how it functions. I covet a lot of the larger sets, including said Titanic and the AT-AT, but due to price and space I’ll probably continue to appreciate them from afar for the foreseeable future.
I brought the typewriter to work and have it on display as there are a few Lego geeks here. Whoever designed the kit did so in a way that the outside portion is composed of mostly smooth bricks with only a very few studs giving it away that it is Lego. It has fooled a number of people who were standing just a few feet away from it.
That does seem to be the trend, at least in the Creator/Icons/Ideas series. I… have mixed feelings, truth be told, but there’s something to be said about spending an evening making a model that’s nearly photorealistic with no glue or paint involved. Not that I’m any stranger to gluing or painting myself, mind you. 😉
I have to have a purge of accumulated items and have done ‘boot sales’, here in the U.K. you fill the car, drive to a field with loads of others joining in and wait for people to come by and bid and buy. I give the proceeds to the local church. It’s amazingly hard to get rid as it may be something you’ve had for years and has no use but there is an attachment for sentimental reasons. Something is found and the memories flood back and we see this piece of valueless tat in a different way and tend to keep it until eventually it has to go.Once done there is a feel good factor and extra space. Then the strange phenomenon happens where that space is soon taken up and the cycle repeats itself. Aren’t we a strange species.
We call those “flea markets” here in the US. Altogether a less appetizing name, but what do you expect from dirty colonials? 😉
And yes, we are a strange species. I’ve posited in my darker moments that our primary goal is to take up space, and I have to say if that is true we excel at it. But to frame that in a slightly brighter context, we also excel in our best moments at repurposing space, taking something that’s drab or worn-out and making it into something new and beautiful. Completely no parallels to be drawn here, these are not the droids you’re looking for, move along.
Here in the U.S. it’s popular to hold Garage / Yard Sales on weekends from Summer through Fall. It’s a great way to earn hundreds if not thousands of dollars in 5-6 months on sunny weekends. Get rid of any junk or unwanted possessions from cookwares, family estate sale leftovers, books, crafts, clothes etc. it’s fun and interesting to meet new people walking up your driveway and seeing the curbside and driveway loaded with half dozen cars suddenly stopped after seeing your lawn signs. Try it👍😉
I’ve been to many a garage sale/yard sale and the great thing , besides meeting others is there is no shame in buying woman’s clothing. The people just want to unload the wares they have. It’s easy to pick up a nice blouse or skirt, even jeans at a yard sale/ garage sale. Thanks for sharing Meghan and Angela.
Enjoying my time here at CDH .Leslee/Leslie
not sure if this qualifies as a purge, but when I was a small kid I had a decent star wars figure collection.
one day I saw someone with star wars cards, so I traded my whole lot of star wars figures for those cards. I totally regret doing that as star wars figures, especially those from kenner, even loose, are worth a good coin.
In my early teens, I sold off all my star wars toy collection for mere pennies. I am kicking myself for that. My cousin had the at at toy, which was a good sized toy back then, and sold it for like $5. He totally regrets doing that as a loose at at in decent condition can fetch a pretty penny.
Otherwise, most of the stuff I’ve purged like old computer parts, old electronics, I don’t regret at all.
Speaking of lego, back then legos didn’t come in kits where you build something, they usually came in loose bricks. My grandpa bought me some lego and I had enough to build a uzi with a holster. It was cool and the lego brick holster actually held the weight of the lego uzi. I ran around the house playing guns and doing quick draws with the lego uzi.
Not sure what happened to the legos. I kept everything in a plastic bag and as I got older it must have just shuffled somewhere and is now lost.
After myfather passed about 18mouths ago we had to put my mom into a seniors home. We are an immigrant family that came from europe in 1960, so when we started downsizing my mom and i had a lot of memories came flooding back making to whole process that much harder. Some things where easy to part with others not so much. I was torn between the memories something would bring back and the need for the thing. Even after all this time i still struggle with tne whole thing. Just writing this makes me weepy. I did keep all the family pictures and videos and am in the process of digitzing them, it is helpful knowing that there is at least a recond of these 60+ years and it was all for not.
Having just lost several close family members myself (and likely in process of losing another) you have my utmost sympathy and deepest condolences. I only wish I’d been half as on top of hoarding those memories; if there’s one thing you can’t just buy on the internet, it’s those treasured moments that will never come back so good on you for being proactive about preserving that precious piece of history.
Hi Astrid. Hmmmm this one made me think. I collect a lot, i suppose to a point you could call me a hoarder!! One of my things i purged was my collection of Tubed radio’s (by trade i’m an electronics engineer) . At the time i didnt feel too bad but now when i think about it i could cry lol. However the purge was replaced by lots more other things…….
Fiona xx
After my Mom passed I had to get rid of all her things. It took me almost 6 months just to shred documents that she and my Dad had accumulated during their 58 years of marriage. Since then I have been purging things from my home each year so my daughters will not have so much to go through and get rid of. So sometimes purging is a good thing.
A well-needed dose of perspective, Sandy. We humans are insanely good at accumulating ridiculous amounts of unimportant junk, so knowing which bits to cut and burn can be a very positive thing. Still, one must be careful to preserve the memories that can’t be replaced, if not for our sake then our progeny’s, or posterity’s.
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