Difference between having spares and hoarding?

[dayglo jim]

During the last lockdown I looked to have a clear out of stuff in the garage. I'd never really considered the amount of ironmongery I had as I thought I was being prudent in having stuff to hand and over the years I just accumulated more with different projects/jobs/houses. Weighed it as best I can and there is in excess of 44 kg! Mostly small stuff of different pitches and sizes in trade packs (screws, bolts, nails, pins, nuts, washers, clips etc etc for wood/metal/plaster/automotive and the like) and a things like hinges or handles where I've needed an odd number but the kit or pack contains an even number.
I think I am a hoarder but I'm not sure and what point the cut off or crossover is from a practical level of parts and sundries. What say the RTTL?

[Yorick]

When we moved over here 7 years ago I had to be really ruthless.
I even found summat from my GT185 from when I was 17.

But that did leave space to buy loads of new tools

[Cousin Jack]

Moving house is the solution, we disposed of (sold, gave away, threw away) massive amounts. We had to do it again at the new place.

[Trinity765]

How easy would it be to throw something out?

Most real hoarders have deep psychological issues that usually stem from a loss early in life, like the loss of a loved one. The same goes for people who spend more money than they have buying things they don't need. The two often go hand in hand.

My Mum fits this profile and my son and I had a couple of long afternoon sessions with her trying to clear out her garage. She didn't want to throw anything away - not even broken, ugly things which she had better versions of. She also bought a lot of things she didn't need. When she got dementia she was buying things online, forgetting and then not knowing what they were when they arrived - including a solid oak dresser. I was finding unopened Amazon packages.

She told me once that buying things, even if she didn't have the money, made her happy and I realized then that there was a huge difference between us. I hate spending money when I haven't got any and it makes me miserable.

I'm not a hoarder and I've never suffered any great loss. Clearing out is one of my favourite things and I've always been a regular visitor to the tip.

[weeksy]

'spares' are new items to do a specific purpose.

E.G i have almost a spare MTB for racing, certainly 90% of 'parts' of one anyway.... all new and ready to be fitted in an emergency.

Hoarding would be if i still had parts from the 916 i raced 20 years back.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Is having a complete race engine that I'll probably never use hoarding?
What about parts for bikes I've never owned but might be useful?
Is a spare frame for a bike you've ridden a few yards a hoard?

And yes, I've got odd GT185 bits floating about in tool boxes.

[weeksy]

Is having a complete race engine that I'll probably never use hoarding?
What about parts for bikes I've never owned but might be useful?
Is a spare frame for a bike you've ridden a few yards a hoard?

And yes, I've got odd GT185 bits floating about in tool boxes.

yes
yes
yes

[DefTrap]

I have loads of "bits" that I hang on to because I like repairing stuff and I like making stuff. One man's rubbish is another man's treasure - I genuinely believe I couldn't be happier as owner of a junk yard.

I don't keep old newspapers, bottles of my own mess and burrow into it like a vole, mind.

[Rockburner]

At one point I discovered I'd kept about 20 brake pads over the years. Still can't quite figure out why I did it, but they all went and now I'll keep 1 spare set when I change pads just in case the new set delams or something. Same for most of the maintenance spares - I'll keep a known good spare.

When we cleared out my dads we found lots of shit - eg old carbs which I can only assume were once tried and then rejected from the old bikes, but that was the 'good' stuff.... we also found about 3 skips worth of complete crap, that was AFTER my parents had moved house and filled about 3 or 4 skips in THAT process. The item that I'll never forget finding though was a plastic Citroen CX badge: I know for a fact that I threw it in a skip at the old house, and then found it again and threw it away at the new house! My dad never even owned a Citroen his entire life.... feck knows what he thought it would be useful for.

[weeksy]

At one point I discovered I'd kept about 20 brake pads over the years. Still can't quite figure out why I did it, but they all went and now I'll keep 1 spare set when I change pads just in case the new set delams or something. Same for most of the maintenance spares - I'll keep a known good spare.

When we cleared out my dads we found lots of shit - eg old carbs which I can only assume were once tried and then rejected from the old bikes, but that was the 'good' stuff.... we also found about 3 skips worth of complete crap, that was AFTER my parents had moved house and filled about 3 or 4 skips in THAT process. The item that I'll never forget finding though was a plastic Citroen CX badge: I know for a fact that I threw it in a skip at the old house, and then found it again and threw it away at the new house! My dad never even owned a Citroen his entire life.... feck knows what he thought it would be useful for.

I keep pads for trackdays, it's not uncommon for someone to be walking round the pits looking for pads.

[Rockburner]

At one point I discovered I'd kept about 20 brake pads over the years. Still can't quite figure out why I did it, but they all went and now I'll keep 1 spare set when I change pads just in case the new set delams or something. Same for most of the maintenance spares - I'll keep a known good spare.

When we cleared out my dads we found lots of shit - eg old carbs which I can only assume were once tried and then rejected from the old bikes, but that was the 'good' stuff.... we also found about 3 skips worth of complete crap, that was AFTER my parents had moved house and filled about 3 or 4 skips in THAT process. The item that I'll never forget finding though was a plastic Citroen CX badge: I know for a fact that I threw it in a skip at the old house, and then found it again and threw it away at the new house! My dad never even owned a Citroen his entire life.... feck knows what he thought it would be useful for.

I keep pads for trackdays, it's not uncommon for someone to be walking round the pits looking for pads.

good if you have pads that other bike use, and do trackdays.

[Skub]

I have done periodic clearouts and there have been very few things I regret getting rid of.

Probably my biggest stumbling block is finding someone who wants the stuff,I hate throwing useable gear in the dump.

Anyone need a fault code reader for a GSXR1000 K3 and others?

[DefTrap]

I leave a fair amount of "stuff" at the end of the street with "cadeau" scrawled on it. 90% of it disappears overnight.

It's funny because I can happily store offcuts of wood, spare tools I have multiples of, boxes of random screws etc for decades - but if there's a piece of furniture out-of-place - out it goes!

[mangocrazy]

Having spares is OK when you still own the piece of equipment that the spares fit.

When you have spares for equipment you no longer own and will never own again that is hoarding.

Having an excessive number of a replacement part (i.e. 10 sets of brake pads) is also hoarding.

Keeping used parts that are beyond their service life is also hoarding.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Anyone need a set of 1998 R1 front brake pads, purchased in 2000?

[Druid]

Anyone need a set of 1998 R1 front brake pads, purchased in 2000?

I'll have them if you don't want them. I don't own a 98 R1, nor am I ever likely to but you never know when they'll come in handy




Me, I'm a hoarder. As I look around this room I can see a box containing a CRT monitor for a Commodore Amiga in the corner,and there's another box containing a load of SCART leads, old routers and power leads. My kids are going to have a bloody nightmare sorting all my stuff out when I'm dead.

[MrLongbeard]

When you have spares for equipment you no longer own and will never own again that is hoarding.

Bugger, so quick off the top of my head what can be seen without opening anything in my garage;
Striple indicator
Striple mirror
Striple number plate hanger
Striple pillion pegs
Civic door release cable
MG ZT (I think it could be for a 306gti6) serpentine belt
MG ZT sump

All perfectly fine and serviceable so I'm loathed to land fill them, but I'll be buggered if I'm listing them on ebay and dealing with asshats and freecyle can F right off

[MrLongbeard]

Me, I'm a hoarder. As I look around this room I can see a box containing a CRT monitor for a Commodore Amiga in the corner,and there's another box containing a load of SCART leads, old routers and power leads. My kids are going to have a bloody nightmare sorting all my stuff out when I'm dead.

Hasn't everyone got a cable box??
I think I'm down to 1 17" CRT at home, but I've got 6 squirrelled away at work, just in case.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Do you mean a cable modem, I might have an old Virgin one knocking about, I think it's a rebadged Amstrad

[Count Steer]

Like Skub I hate chucking perfectly useable stuff in a skip. However, the time has come for a big clear out. Basic approach - if I can get it/another/some more in 24-48hrs it's gone. I'll try to offer stuff like the integrated HP computer (biggish screen with all the gubbins built in) to anyone that will use it etc but otherwise it's to the skip with a 'can you fly Bobby?' Wheee....crash!