Letting go

Wanabee FTer · 04-03-2011, 06:03 PM

I'm staying near my storage unit for a month, working on selling the last of my worldly possessions crammed into a 10' X 10' storage unit. Before I sold my first item I had a dollar value in my mind for every item to sell (some items being priceless to me) I then listed the major items in a popular online classified ad and waited for the phone to ring.

Humm, quite some time had passed and the phone had not rung. I thought to myself, maybe I need to rethink this. I am paying X dollars per month to hang onto all these "things" I always wanted. Only problem is I don't really have any use for them anymore. Now I am finally coming to the realization that those items are of no value to me at this point in my life. I went back to my listings and reposted everything 1/2 price of my estimated value. OK this is more like it, the phone is ringing and I'm selling things, quickly.

The fun part is when someone comes to the storage unit to buy a specific item and they spot something else of interest. They usually say "wadoyawant for this?" I quickly think of what a fair price is then cut it in half. Then the response is, "well I'm not sure if I really need it, but I can't pass it up for that price."

Within a weeks period of time, my storage unit is about 3/4 empty. Now I realize this is all about letting go.
Time for me to let go of my old dreams and make room for new ones

danf7 · 04-03-2011, 06:20 PM

Good luck and best wishes John as you enter into the next phase of your adventure!

Dan

Dixieray53 · 04-03-2011, 06:31 PM

This is a topic that comes up more and more as we all get older. My business is helping people sell their life's collections. It is very hard to realize things you have treasured your whole life are not as valuable as you might think. Times have changed, the items of bygone days are really not being collected. What once was rare is now just stuff. The only thing I can say for sure is after 40 years in retail and the last 12 years as the owner of a large antique mall is , an item is worth what someone is willing to pay, today. Good luck and hope to you for a happy future...D

FATMANAR · 04-03-2011, 08:28 PM

I had a problem letting my tools and guns go, but my tools went to my soninlaw and my guns went to my grandsons, so all is good. The rest of the stuff was just stuff and was easy to let go. After going fulltime for about 6 months I went through and got rid of a bunch of stuff I thought I would need in the coach. I'ts amazing how much stuff you don't need...Happy Trails..

Wanabee FTer · 04-03-2011, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FATMANAR

After going fulltime for about 6 months I went through and got rid of a bunch of stuff I thought I would need in the coach. I'ts amazing how much stuff you don't need...Happy Trails..

Yes, that will be my next project. Removing items I don't need. I am still trying to justify packing my industrial cordless tools, and as you, I had to part with about 1,000 lbs of tools to start with, probably more soon.

edit; Now that I'm thinking about it, closer to 2,000 lbs of tools are gone and no one in the family wanted them.

**Route 66** · 04-04-2011, 05:38 AM

I had no problem getting rid of my stuff.

About 10 years before I went fulltime, I got divorced and I told her to take anything she wanted. Damn if she didn't.

As a result, most stuff was already gone.

Anything that I would want my kids to have, she now dusts and cares for it and the kids will get it anyway.

When going fulltime I did sell my large power tools, but anything I wanted to keep was put in my daughter's attic.

Now that I've come off the road, I get buy new stuff!

radams · 04-04-2011, 10:06 AM

A good friend told me once that we don't own possessions, that in fact, they own us. I think he was right.

Wanabee FTer · 04-04-2011, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radams

A good friend told me once that we don't own possessions, that in fact, they own us. I think he was right.

I like that quote

LPryor · 04-04-2011, 10:37 AM

I thought we were letting go, pretty good,,,we decided to keep the best of the best for our 'future' new (traverlling) home. Carload by the car load left here, with friends and to the thrift stores. I took one load to a weekend market and the popular price was five bucks,,,five bucks, five bucks,,,I was beginning to think I was in a pizza business. At the end we still had a van load which we dropped off at a thrift store. I've since phoned family out of province to know who wants what and we'll still have to U-haul it there, the might as well enjoy it and we'd still be able to see it occasionally ,,,, and we are very hopeful that the house and property will sell,,,soon, before the weather gets really nice and I change my mind on this whole thing and prefer to float around on my small lake all summer. (not likely though!)

I never thought of selling out of a storage unit though,,,that might be a good idea...thanks for the tip.

Lynn

FDchief · 04-04-2011, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LPryor

I took one load to a weekend market and the popular price was five bucks,,,five bucks, five bucks,,,I was beginning to think I was in a pizza business.(not likely though!)Lynn

Where can you buy a pizza for $5?

LPryor · 04-05-2011, 11:18 AM

Can't remember if it was a place called 'Canadian Pizza' and it was a couple of years ago, but one of the pizza places here put out a small size pizza for $5. They were a good little lunch,,,,,wonder if they're still doing it! hmmm

We live way out of town, only 15 min away but I haven't been doing much for a couple of years either....especially the yr before my op, and since, - 7 mo...nerves take a long time healing re-connecting and or making new pathways,, it's been quite the experience,,,and fortunately I can see improvement....

Lynn

Wanabee FTer · 04-05-2011, 11:32 AM

Lynn, here's to a speedy recovery to you.

Here in So Cali there is a chain of take out pizza places that offer $5.00 ready made pizza's, no waiting. It's called Little Caesars.

rv rick · 04-09-2011, 07:13 PM

We ended up having a big auction when we went fulltime over 3 years ago. We worked for several weeks getting stuff ready, then the auctioneer showed up along with a few hundred folks and in a few hours it was all gone! We wondered how we would feel, but found that we felt very liberated and have not missed the stuff at all during the past three years.

Instead, we have seen much of this great land and had a great time. In fact, we have just agreed to keep living the fulltime life at least another three years.