Storage Lockers being forced to vacate gear

[Chuck H]

Dear Nevetslab.

Going through a somewhat similar situation since I sold my 19 room 5500 sq ft house chock full of stuff which of course I have to empty first.


I need not only storage space but HUGE *working* space, remember I make my own cabinets, chassis, speakers, transformers, PCB s, silkscreening and a ton more, all of which makes noise, smells of paint and contact cement, etc. so it is *hard* to find.

Just yesterday I got rejected by the 10th or 12th landlord or real estate agency, I had already reserved truck/handler time for next week, go figure..

So I am using an uncluttering method (all others failed) which *sounds* horrible, but hey .... it works.

It is called "The Swedish *DEATH* Cleaning Method"

Based on: 90-95% of the stuff I am holding is a Treasure for me, but junk or unappreciated to my kids or whoever inherits it or simply need to make room, so I take that decision myself.

Example: a Revox A77 recorder in mint state?
Nice for me, yet I have not turned it ON for 40 years or more.
Applies to most everything else I hold.

My kids have NO CLUE on its "value", no use for it, etc.
They can sell it for cents on the dollar (best case), sell it by the pound to recyclers (IF they will take it) or junk it in nearest dumpster.

Let´s save everybody time and effort, *I* dropped it in a dumpster myself.

So far I straight junked 60-70% of my "treasures", have not finished yet.

But now I can walk around, something impossible for the last 20 or 30 years.

So in a nutshell: roll up your sleeves, sharpen your axe, and mercilessly axe (most) everything off.
No kidding, no other option, there is no other way.

Consider yourself lucky if 10% stays.

Seriously: what worth/usefulness have, **in 2024**, 20 60´s Tektronix scopes on carts?
20 60´s Tube Testers?
And so on and on and on.

It will be relatively easy to find storage for the 10-20% (tops) that remains.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/hom...eath-cleaning/

This is the "declutter your home" version, where old family pictures, school stuff, sports prizes, marriage clothes, etc. hold *sentimental* value.
Old *Technical* stuff?
Not so much.

Boils down to sell/donate/junk with street corner junk bin being the preferred fastest method.

Selling on EBay?

WAY too slow, unreliable and incomplete, not impossible but ..................

Feel free to post a donation list for MEF members to pick from and send postage for delivery. (just a suggestion).

Not sure this deserves a "like" (such as allocations are, right?) But sage advice. And relevant to most demographics? I could certainly include myself. But Nevets was still maintaining and servicing these old tube amps when HE WAS HIT BY A FUCKING CAR!!! My point is only that the need to do this still existed in his occupation and may well once he recuperates. Hope springs eternal. So this is Nevets to decide on. Where does this end and what will he need?

How much does it suck to face both things at the same time?

Our hearts are with you Steven!

[nevetslab]

Very profound words of wisdom from someone who also went thru the similar painful forced reality of holding onto “mathoms” to quote JRRTolkin. Now just waiting to land in the next bed and care home where I can get my laptop set up (Presently under my bed) so I can pull up my photos of the two lockers contents to hone in on the really irreplaceable items such as tools and other unique items.

I have an older sister who has been ragging on me for refusing to just walk away from those two lockers (not understanding the pending lawsuit that would have hit me from doing so). She would jump for joy for my letting go of such holding onto such junk (in here eyes).

sigh……..

free assets info forth coming from a relocated new locker, Lord Willing).

[Tom Phillips]

I am in a similar situation. Lots of cool stuff collected since the 1960s. Some, I have never used but is "too good" to through away. Looking back at photos taken in my shop area over the last few decades I can see the buildup and the loss of useful working space. I've been selling stuff on eBay, FB Marketplace and Craig's list for the last few months but it usually takes a lot of time to sell something for a relatively low price. I could have used that time to fix a few amps or fix my own amps for once. I've been donating more stuff to thrift stores and some specialty items to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store since they will take left over construction & electrical supplies.

Reading Nevetslab and J M Fahey's posts is giving me encouragement to speed up the process.

[Chuck H]

FWIW I've gifted stuff, donated stuff, placed stuff in places where it could be acquired for free, etc. Most of it things that I thought had value. Surprisingly little of it seemed to shine from any prospective but mine. That doesn't mean it didn't matter. Just that it didn't matter to anyone I could present it to in short order. Case in point...

I had a Pioneer RT7077 reel to reel. This is still considered a good machine in many circles. And I couldn't give it away in two months. I simply didn't have room for it at a point during a move (even with a storage). I ended up dropping it off at a recycle yard in the hope that whatever time it spent there would attract the attention of someone that recognozed it and could use it. I have no idea of it's fate. But it was a state of the art piece of gear at the end of that era and in good working order. I REALLY hope someone with tape saw it and grabbed it.

With more time I probably could have sold it on *bay for something like $500 to someone in the small, interested demographic. But time wasn't an option.

[nevetslab]

Now settling into a new Care Home and getting to know my roommate Reny (think that’s the name). A pleasant man who is learning to walk again along with getting his speech dialog happening after having a brain tumor disable these skills we all take for granted. After a lull in our conversation, I found the only way I could catch Game 2 of the NLDS between San Diego Padres hammering the LA Dodgers 10-2 and tieng the 5-game series 1-1as the series moves south to San Diego.

Meanwhile I was enthralled with post #363 from Tedmichs 6-18-2020 post that featured a very long blues jam featuring a fabulous Delvon Lamar trio with his amazing Hammond B3 which had bass foot pedals to fully dance on that instrument as the 3-piece group was jamming. Gotta find my way back to that post to hear more of a wonderful collection of hot blues jamming that took me back to remembering seeing many of the players during my travels with my band as well as being in venues to have the original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green playing with The Who at the LA Exhibition Hall in the Late 60’s (the Who was smashing up the Sunn Gear at that time playing My Generation). Also caught Dwayne and Greg Almond jamming as Almond Joy at the Blue Law in Torrance back in ‘68. And shared a billing with Muddy Waters and Taj Majhall at Harvey Mud University in Claremont back in ‘68. The Ash Grove was still in business along with a venue at Sunset & Vine which had a revolving stage, where we shared billing wit Pacific Gas & Electric and another well known act that my brain can’t recall at the moment. Also got to be on a billing with Canned Heat and watching Larry the mole on bass playin with Blind Owl on guitar was a notable experience. The Cheetah on the Santa Monica pier was also in business where my band got to play with The Doors and Peanut Conspiracy. Fun times!