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Writer's pictureRandy Carlson

Spring cleaning, the collectors curse


I have always been a collector of things. From childhood I have been attracted to the "stuff" of the world. My collections of collections during my lifetime have been varied beyond measure. Hotel room keys, swizzle sticks, advertising novelties, and of course anything that has to to with anything even slightly automotive. I have often thought that the modern day collecting drive comes from something deep within. In the early days of man, we had to hunt to survive, now that basic needs come to us easy and wrapped in cellophane , that primal urge to hunt manifests itself into other things. For me it has always been to hunt for treasure. Now that I have reached mid-life and the dreaded "five oh", like many I have looked around to see where I have been and what I have done. One of the realizations I have made is that I have collected just too damn much stuff. I have reached that tipping point where the things are owning me, not the other way around. Its been an interesting shift in my head and I must say it comes with a level of discomfort. I am starting to dislike the things I have spent a lifetime of liking. In days past I would rise early to hit the local swap meet or yard sales and come home with all sorts of treasures, now just the thought of it makes me feel uneasy. I just don't want to add any more to the pile. The joy of collecting has perhaps run its course...or perhaps it is just on hiatus for a while.


As the new year was drawing closer I was filling my mind with the list of resolutions to attack and "thinning out" has been at the top of the list. I had started the quest before the Holidays with some cleaning and clearing and the sale of a few projects that I will never get to, but I was building up to the big attack come January. Fate stepped in and altered this plan a little with an injury that is keeping me stuck in bed for weeks on end, but I am forging ahead with the project just the same. Instead of massive measures of shop cleaning and reorganization, I am reduced to small strides. Box by box from my bed I am listing things online for sale and filling the trash can with refuse. Its the equivalent of moving the beach a grain of sand at a time, but it is making a difference and it has been kinda fun to see things go off to new owners one package at a time. It is also helping the long slow days move by just a little faster.



If you are a collector of "stuff" and you are curious as to the treasures I am setting free, please follow along. I have been posting a fair bit of stuff on ebay as well as a lot of VW related items on TheSamba. I have also sold a few things through my Instagram posts which has been another neat spot to share the treasure with others.

Here are a couple links

https://www.instagram.com/bugnbox/

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/search.php?username=Oldbug.com

https://www.ebay.com/sch/oldbug.com/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=


Buy my stuff...help me clean up around here. Ive hoarded this stuff long enough!!


Happy Motoring! Randy

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