Why am I a hoarder?!?

No, I don't have trash piled high in my house like an episode in one of those horrible hoarder shows...nor do I collect all kinds of knickknacks, or have so much of everything that I require renting storage units for my overflow of "treasures". No, none of that. But I am a hoarder! Of what you're asking? HANDBAGS! yep, call them what you want...handbags, purses, whatever...they are my obsession!

Just yesterday I decided to clean my purse closet. Yes, my collection of purses requires a large section of closet place. As I pulled out one after another, after another...I felt rather foolish. How did I accumulate so many? and why? Why do I love these stupid things so much that I just keep adding and adding to my collection? I started to feel a little....well, crazy. When I tell people I'm a "purse addict", they laugh, they think it's funny, and probably think I'm just being silly and maybe have ten or twenty purses. Anyone care to guess how many I have? 65. Yep, I counted 65 purses.

As I pulled out one after another, I decided to lay them all out...display them all so I could see the madness right there in front of me. So, I did this. I used the couch in my office area for this display, over lapping them and making layers...and then I had to add the ottoman, a shelf and my office chair for additional surface space. There they were. All laid out. All 65.



Coach, Guess, Kathy Zeeland, Jessica Simpson, NY&Co., BeBe, Kenneth Cole, and so on...

I tried to think back of when I started collecting purses. I think it was around the time I was in college, or shortly thereafter. I was normal back then. I'd have one or two purses that I used, would use them for quite a while...then buy a new one, and use that one for a while. Probably never having more than three at one given time. Somehow, in the last ten years, I just kept buying more and more. And the crazy part is that I have actually sold or donated a bunch here and there over the years. In fact, I remember taking out 11 just before my last yard sales last spring. But, yet I have still built up this mountain of purses! Now, I do love shoes and clothes too...but purses seem to be the worst of it. I wonder what a psychologist would say about this obsession I have? Am I lacking something in my life that I have tried to fill some void with purses? I'm just being silly, but hey, ya never know I guess! I know A LOT of woman hoard purses, shoes, clothes, etc...ladies, why do we do this???

Ok, well because all of this started making me feel foolish, I decided it was time to do something about it! I evaluated this stock pile of leather, zippers, and clasps, and decided which ones I really liked, and which ones I could possibly part with. I knew I wouldn't get ride of them all, or even half...but I was determined to do my best. Baby steps, right? I ended up eliminating about 20 purses from my collection. Now yes, that still leaves me with a lot...about 45, but that is better than 65! And it was amazing how much less room they all took up when I put them back in my closet!

I think I will move onto shoes next. See if I can clear some of those out too. I hate clutter. I am very organized with my abundance of accessories, because I really dislike clutter, and I still feel the need to empty out! After a while you can actually start feeling swallowed by stuff. ick! Do any of you have something you collect? A specific thing that no matter how many you have, you can always make room for one more? Or justify that one more won't hurt? Why do we do this? I don't know the answer to that, but I just want to simplify a little! Like with my purses...yes, I really have used them all. I swap out purses almost daily. Depending on my mood, where I'm going, or my outfit. So yes I'll probably always like to have a good selection. But, as I tried to clear out some, I tried to think if I use it often enough to bother keeping it. If I hadn't used a purse in a year or two...out it went. I will try to use that same logic when I go through my shoes and clothes too! Wish me luck!


 

Comments

  1. So glad to read this and know I'm not alone. But I only have 40!! I spent a lot of money on some so don't like to get rid of them but I really should. You're an inspiration!!

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  2. Wow, that's a lot of handbags. I tend to have one tattered old handbag that I'll use until it falls apart. Then I have to buy another. Well done on the declutter.

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  3. Wow, that's a lot of handbags. I tend to have one tattered old handbag that I'll use until it falls apart. Then I have to buy another. Well done on the declutter.

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  4. Holy cow! LOL I cannot stand having clutter of any kind...call me a bit OCD, but if it's going to be something, it should be something good (like purses!)

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  5. Great post! You would be surprised to hear I use the same purse everyday and only own 2 others. Maybe you inspired me to buy a new one? :)

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  6. Whoa! That's a log of handbags. I think I only have less than ten and I thought that was already a lot. Haha. I love the Hello Kity one by the way. :)

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  7. WOWOWOWOW Awesome collection you got there! I'm cray about bag, but I can't stock more than 5 bags, I giveaway old ones before buying new. But few years ago I had a huge collection and never willing to giveaway. hahhaha

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  8. Oh my goodness. I am just like you! Purses and shoes. I need to clean the clutter too.

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  9. I'm so guilty of this I have about 50 bags and I still see more in the shops that I like this is my number one weakness but I shall conquer it eventually

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  10. Haha! This is too funny :) It's so hard to stop! I, too, am a hoarder in this capacity! Also with diaper bags - what gives!? Haha! :) A girl's gotta have options!

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  11. Omg. I think i have 2 purses lol. Havent carried one in 3 years due to carrying a diaper bag.

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  12. Omg. I think i have 2 purses lol. Havent carried one in 3 years due to carrying a diaper bag.

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  13. I am like you, I actually have 2 bins full of purses unused because I have to use diaper bags now! lol. By the time I get to use them again, they'll be out of style!

    www.writingmotherfashionista.com

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  14. Wow, 65 is A LOT of purses... I know it can be hard to get rid of things though so I think it's great you were able to get rid of 20. And I bet next time you look through and evaluate them, you'll fee like you can get rid of a few more! :)

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