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So my parents never threw anything out

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by friend of the friendless, Oct 30, 2009.

  1. Wenders

    Wenders Well-Known Member

    My advice - DO NOT tell your parents if you happen to have to clean out their house before they die what you threw out.

    In 1996, we went through my grandparents' house over Thanksgiving. We made the mistake of telling my grandfather that we threw out the box of ceiling tiles....that had asbestos in them....that had been under the stairs since they tore down the old house in 1952.

    And my grandfather got VERY PUT OUT with us because "those were still good and could have been used!"

    I wish that I had been able to go through my other grandfather's attic before the house caught fire. My dad's 70s stuff was all up there (bellbottoms, platform shoes, BeeGees records, etc.) as well as stacks and stacks of newspapers dating back to the early 1900s. I think it would have been interesting to see some of the things that newspapers did a century ago.
     
  2. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    I used to get a kick out of watching that show and seeing these Brits with their stiff upper lips.....they find out that their pocket lint or something else is worth $10,000, and they're like, "Ohhh, really?" *pause* "Jolly good."

    Okay, that's an exaggeration, but not much of one. :D
     
  3. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    I saw a can of Beefaroni appraised for 7,500 on 'Antique Road Show.'
     
  4. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    Jolly good. ;D
     
  5. Magic In The Night

    Magic In The Night Active Member

    One of my parents' favorite shows is "Antique Road Show." They could probably film it in their basement based on the amount of crap down there.
     
  6. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Shit, I have a full one from when Pitt beat Georgia back in the early 80s.

    I know I have a few full ones in my house from the 1970s.
     
  7. SoCalDude

    SoCalDude Active Member

    I might have a can of Iron City with the Steelers team picture on it. And a can of Billy Beer. But I'm not sure they made it during my last move.
     
  8. farmerjerome

    farmerjerome Active Member

    Dr. J bought me that book for Christmas a few years ago. Great book.


    Anyone who thinks they have a problem with hoarding should check out the A&E show "Hoarders". It's amazing.
     
  9. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    My mom (and aunts and uncles) had to go through lots of stuff when my grandparents died, in 2004 and 2006.

    And, yes, they kept lots of stuff. But it was from the era they grew up in. EVERYTHING was sacred. Even McDonalds napkins from 25 years ago. It was them, their generation. They didn't have much growing up, and so it was instilled that everything was sacred.

    I miss them, and their stories and their philosophies. It helped ground me to know that nothing should be taken for granted. And that, yeah, things could be a lot, lot worse.
     
  10. zeke12

    zeke12 Guest

    After my depression-raised grandparents died a few years back, we found jars of canned tomatoes and chokecherry preserves from the 1940s in their basement.

    And we all came to the immediate conclusion that we'd all eaten them at various points. Labels came off on the way to the table.
     
  11. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Living through the Depression must have been a profound experience, because everyone I knew who was around then never truly got over it. It affected their lives as long as they lived.
     
  12. Rosie

    Rosie Active Member

    Very true. I will give my grandparents credit, they were pretty good about not hoarding, but my grampa was the thriftiest, most money-smart person I've ever known - and that's with his growing up on a farm, eighth grade education. (I miss him SO MUCH!)

    However, I'm married to a packrat. I'm a recovering packrat, I've been on a throwing things out tear (and I admit, I'm scared to open a box in the basement which I packed when I moved from Duluth almost 25 years ago.)

    But Mr. Rosie? "I might need that sometime."

    Bless his heart. He tries. :)
     
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