Look at this touchy subject! :P
This blog post is in response to Madame Ro's "Talk to Me" video that she uploaded today:
Well, I was going to do a video in response to this, but I thought it would be easier for me to express myself in writing, so I can clarify and add details as needed. :)
SO, Why Do We (as crafters) Hoard Stuff?
Interestingly enough, I think there's very few things that I actually buy to "hoard". We've never had lots of space, and I used to be a sewing enthusiast before I was ever a paper crafter. I used to hoard fabric and it got out of control... So I sold bits and pieces of it until there was really not much left. I still keep fabric scraps since I use it with my paper crafting from time to time, however I don't have any large pieces left.
Thankfully, my experience with sewing and holding on to fabric I thought I would use for projects has helped keep me at bay with my paper crafting.
I think the paper related things I hoard (including Graphic 45 paper/embellishments) are likely due to their availability where I live. Having limited access to certain brands has really made it difficult to pass up on certain things unless I am 100% certain I WON'T use it. If there's any chance at all that I will use it and I know I won't find it locally, then I tend to buy it.
But one thing I can say is that once I start cutting into or using something I've hoarded, I go through it like it's nobody's business. LOL
Top 3 things I don't hoard (anymore):
- most 6x6 paper pads
- solid cardstock of any brand
- most12x12 paper pads
Top 3 things I still hoard
- Graphic 45 products (paper/embellishments/staples)
- Wooden/Metal/Chipboard embellishments
- Alterable items
At What Point Do You STOP Hoarding?
I don't think there's a point where I stop hoarding... It's always based on availability of a product. If I knew there was a G45 boutique within 2 hours of me for example, I would stop hoarding it, knowing I could make a day out of a trip to wherever I needed to go to get it. Seeing as that isn't the case, I buy it up when I can for (typically) a decent enough price and then have it "on-hand" for when I want to use it.
I guess the answer is just that I stop hoarding, once I have the item, that I would otherwise not be able to obtain.
Are you on the verge of ending up on Hoarders?
Not even close. Although there are some people who can't believe how much stuff I have, I too know of some people of whom I can't believe they have so much stuff. LOL My craft stuff doesn't overflow from my craft corner in the hobby room, so I'm actually doing pretty alright.
Will you ever stop hoarding?
Honestly, I have no plans to stop hoarding as long as I can use some of what I'm hoarding occasionally. I think because I do eventually use stuff that I hoard, that I'm not in a dire circumstance as to say I will stop. I've got a boyfriend, a mother and tenants to give me a swift kick in the rear in the event that it were to get that bad anyway.
Is it hard for you to let go? If so, why?
It's hard for me to let go of things I don't think I'll be able to get back. Papers are like clothing... If I were to say, give away or sell a pair of jeans or some plain t-shirts, I wouldn't feel any particular way... However if I were to sell a t-shirt I got at a one time event that will never come around again, then yes, I'd feel a way getting rid of that shirt... Similarly, if I bought cardstock in some level of bulk and only used 1/5 of it, and then the rest was sitting there, I would have no issues giving it away or selling it... Once we go into patterned papers however, because there is a reason I like a patterned paper the way it was printed, it makes it difficult to get rid of; And of course, there are some papers that are more or less difficult to say goodbye to based on how much or little you like them. :)
In conclusion, yes, I hoard things. No, I don't hoard to the point of oblivion. No I don't think I'll stop hoarding, as my hoard seems to be quite healthy in terms of the amount of craft turnover it experiences.
Okay, well that's all for now!!
Krafty Kerry signing off! :)
