Minimalism

[Blues Man]

People think their stuff is some measure of their worth.

Go be poor somewhere else.

Funny how the poorest people tend to think they need a lot of stuff

 

[JGalt]

Go be poor somewhere else.

No you.

I'm not poor. I have lots of stuff. Stuff you've never seen before, stuff you've never even heard of, and stuff you'll never see. My house, garage, and shed are museums.

$10 gets you a guided tour through history and I'll even let you shoot at the targets in the back yard.

 

[Anomalism]

I'm not poor. I have lots of stuff. Stuff you've never seen before, stuff you've never even heard of, and stuff you'll never see. My house, garage, and shed are museums.

$10 gets you a guided tour through history and I'll even let you shoot at the targets in the back yard.

Do you actually use any of it?

 

[JGalt]

Millennials are the worst, as far as not having stuff. Most of their homes look sterile to me: They have a bed, a table, some chairs, and a television.

My guess is that they have no sense of tradition, history, or value.

But what is value?

Is buying stuff that ends up in a closet, a drawer , in the basement, garage or rented storage space really valuable to the person that bought it?

Value is things which are no longer obtainable: Guns, guitars, vintage cars, antiques, collectibles, etc. Things that remind you of a time which is forever gone. Things that also accumulate value over time, as opposed to things made out of cheap Chinese plastic, that were meant to be thrown away.

Value is subjective.

Personally I don't think vintage cars are of much value. I used to have a dozen or more guitars. I had guitars that hadn't been played for years in a closet. There was no value in those guitars because they weren't being used to make music and no one was enjoying them. I donated a bunch to the local elementary school and now there are many young people playing guitar that might not have had the chance to. To me that is far more valuable than letting them sit in a closet for 30 more years.

My brother collects guitars and amplifiers, as well as building his own. He has 1960's and 70's Fender, Gibson, Martin guitars, Fender and Marshall amps, effect pedals, and stuff. He's sitting on a small fortune and could dump it on Ebay if he knew how. I've seen some of those old 1960's Japanese-made fuzz pedals go for $300-$400 dollars these days, Gibson Les Paul guitars bringing $50,000.

Here's a 1960 Fender Strat that brought $27,500...

Fender vintage Stratocaster | eBay

So what's the plan? let them gather dust until he dies? What does he get for all that stuff then?

He's going to have an auction. They actually bring more than what you can get on Ebay.

 

[JGalt]

I'm not poor. I have lots of stuff. Stuff you've never seen before, stuff you've never even heard of, and stuff you'll never see. My house, garage, and shed are museums.

$10 gets you a guided tour through history and I'll even let you shoot at the targets in the back yard.

Do you actually use any of it?

Every day, as much as I can find time to. Sometimes I just admire all my wonderful stuff. Sometimes I even fill the bathtub with some of it and wallow around in it.

 

[progressive hunter]

Why are people so consumed with their stuff?

Is it just that we have been conditioned by our consumption based society?

Is there some emotional need that is being filled by acquiring items?

I grew up with very little and no means to get much other than the basics but when I started to attain more disposable income, I fell into the consumerism trap for a while. I spent money on all kinds of things I didn't really need looking back i wonder if i ever really wanted them.

For the past 10 years or so I have been getting rid of stuff in my life. I don't buy what I don't need but that doesn't mean I don't have some luxuries because I do.

I have found getting rid of stuff has not only made my home environment more pleasing and relaxing but that I seem to be more productive as well.

What is it about acquiring stuff that drives so many people?

BEHOLD,, MY STUFF!!!

I guess you could say I have a lot of stuff since it took 3000 sq ft to house it and none of its in my house,,

but all my stuff makes money,, I only buy tools that do more than pay for themselves,,

now my wife on the otherhand doesnt understand that concept and I have to constantly keep on her to not bring more stuff into the house,,

 

[progressive hunter]

People think their stuff is some measure of their worth.

thats exactly how worth/wealth works,,,

 

[Anomalism]

thats exactly how worth works,,,

Material worth maybe.

 

[JGalt]

Why are people so consumed with their stuff?

Is it just that we have been conditioned by our consumption based society?

Is there some emotional need that is being filled by acquiring items?

I grew up with very little and no means to get much other than the basics but when I started to attain more disposable income, I fell into the consumerism trap for a while. I spent money on all kinds of things I didn't really need looking back i wonder if i ever really wanted them.

For the past 10 years or so I have been getting rid of stuff in my life. I don't buy what I don't need but that doesn't mean I don't have some luxuries because I do.

I have found getting rid of stuff has not only made my home environment more pleasing and relaxing but that I seem to be more productive as well.

What is it about acquiring stuff that drives so many people?

BEHOLD,, MY STUFF!!!

I guess you could say I have a lot of stuff since it took 3000 sq ft to house it and none of its in my house,,

but all my stuff makes money,, I only buy tools that do more than pay for themselves,,

now my wife on the otherhand doesnt understand that concept and I have to constantly keep on her to not bring more stuff into the house,,

Now here's someone who gets it.

 

[JGalt]

Like was once said, "For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost."

 

[progressive hunter]

thats exactly how worth works,,,

Material worth maybe.

thats how the majority of wealth is determined,,

 

[Blues Man]

People think their stuff is some measure of their worth.

thats exactly how worth/wealth works,,,

It depends on what the stuff is.

All those drawers and closets full of crap aren't worth much but a single portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate deeds can be worth more than all the stuff in your home

 

[Blues Man]

thats exactly how worth works,,,

Material worth maybe.

thats how the majority of wealth is determined,,

I have never met anyone who got wealthy selling the junk in his garage.

And wealth is a measure of your net worth as it is measured today.

It doesn't matter how much stuff you have.

But I was more commenting on the propensity of people to buy things that will not ever be an investment or an asset that will appreciate in value.

 

[progressive hunter]

People think their stuff is some measure of their worth.

thats exactly how worth/wealth works,,,

It depends on what the stuff is.

All those drawers and closets full of crap aren't worth much but a single portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate deeds can be worth more than all the stuff in your home

it all depends on what that stuff in those drawers is,, a drawer full of gold coins or a closet/room full of antique furniture is worth a lot,,

 

[progressive hunter]

thats exactly how worth works,,,

Material worth maybe.

thats how the majority of wealth is determined,,

I have never met anyone who got wealthy selling the junk in his garage.

And wealth is a measure of your net worth as it is measured today.

It doesn't matter how much stuff you have.

But I was more commenting on the propensity of people to buy things that will not ever be an investment or an asset that will appreciate in value.

my mother in law had a garage sale that netted over 100K,,,

 

[JGalt]

People think their stuff is some measure of their worth.

thats exactly how worth/wealth works,,,

It depends on what the stuff is.

All those drawers and closets full of crap aren't worth much but a single portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate deeds can be worth more than all the stuff in your home

You're confusing hoarders with collectors. I seldom ever buy anything unless it's something I can use, admire, trade, or sell.

 

[Blues Man]

Why are people so consumed with their stuff?

Is it just that we have been conditioned by our consumption based society?

Is there some emotional need that is being filled by acquiring items?

I grew up with very little and no means to get much other than the basics but when I started to attain more disposable income, I fell into the consumerism trap for a while. I spent money on all kinds of things I didn't really need looking back i wonder if i ever really wanted them.

For the past 10 years or so I have been getting rid of stuff in my life. I don't buy what I don't need but that doesn't mean I don't have some luxuries because I do.

I have found getting rid of stuff has not only made my home environment more pleasing and relaxing but that I seem to be more productive as well.

What is it about acquiring stuff that drives so many people?

BEHOLD,, MY STUFF!!!

I guess you could say I have a lot of stuff since it took 3000 sq ft to house it and none of its in my house,,

but all my stuff makes money,, I only buy tools that do more than pay for themselves,,

now my wife on the otherhand doesnt understand that concept and I have to constantly keep on her to not bring more stuff into the house,,

So you have 3000 sf full of tools that make money?

You have to use tools in order for them to make money. If you have a shop full of tools gathering dust then all you have is a shop full of stuff collecting dust

 

[Blues Man]

thats exactly how worth works,,,

Material worth maybe.

thats how the majority of wealth is determined,,

I have never met anyone who got wealthy selling the junk in his garage.

And wealth is a measure of your net worth as it is measured today.

It doesn't matter how much stuff you have.

But I was more commenting on the propensity of people to buy things that will not ever be an investment or an asset that will appreciate in value.

my mother in law had a garage sale that netted over 100K,,,

Hardly the average. And did it really net that or was that the gross? Most people have no idea what they paid for the junk that has been in their garage for 50 years

 

[progressive hunter]

Why are people so consumed with their stuff?

Is it just that we have been conditioned by our consumption based society?

Is there some emotional need that is being filled by acquiring items?

I grew up with very little and no means to get much other than the basics but when I started to attain more disposable income, I fell into the consumerism trap for a while. I spent money on all kinds of things I didn't really need looking back i wonder if i ever really wanted them.

For the past 10 years or so I have been getting rid of stuff in my life. I don't buy what I don't need but that doesn't mean I don't have some luxuries because I do.

I have found getting rid of stuff has not only made my home environment more pleasing and relaxing but that I seem to be more productive as well.

What is it about acquiring stuff that drives so many people?

BEHOLD,, MY STUFF!!!

I guess you could say I have a lot of stuff since it took 3000 sq ft to house it and none of its in my house,,

but all my stuff makes money,, I only buy tools that do more than pay for themselves,,

now my wife on the otherhand doesnt understand that concept and I have to constantly keep on her to not bring more stuff into the house,,

So you have 3000 sf full of tools that make money?

You have to use tools in order for them to make money. If you have a shop full of tools gathering dust then all you have is a shop full of stuff collecting dust

some are collecting dust until I decide to use or sell them,, either way they are of value

 

[Blues Man]

People think their stuff is some measure of their worth.

thats exactly how worth/wealth works,,,

It depends on what the stuff is.

All those drawers and closets full of crap aren't worth much but a single portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate deeds can be worth more than all the stuff in your home

You're confusing hoarders with collectors. I seldom ever buy anything unless it's something I can use, admire, trade, or sell.

All hoarders say they are collectors.

But you seem to get enjoyment from stuff so in that sense it's worth something to you.