Why do people save stuff?

There is a psychological condition known as hoarding. People who compulsively save things and have difficulty throwing things away.The extreme of this can have a significant effect on some one's life and those of their loved ones, however milder forms of this condition are possibly present in alot of us. There are people who are collectors of stuff which they think may be valuable. What about all the people who collect Star Wars toys or old lunch boxes, thimbles or shot glasses.

Some of the things I seem to collect include twist ties, just in case, empty boxes of different sizes, and shoes. I also seem to have a large amount of winter hats and scarves, also baseball caps and hats with brims to protect me from the sun. It 's necessary to have alot of candles in the house just in case there is a power outage.I have a hard time getting rid of old costume jewelry of little value because of some mistaken sentimental attachment. I still have some of my children's baby clothes in the attic. Maybe if they ever have children they might want some of it. I highly doubt it.

What about people who save mismatched socks hoping the missing one will miraculously reappear after disappearing for years. I have saved leftover scrap pieces of fabric with no intention of ever sewing a quilt but hey you never know. I know a family member who has saved every greeting card ever given to her and they reside in my basement in a large plastic storage tote amongst memoirs of high school and college. If they have been left behind for ten years what importance do they retain but I am threatened if I suggest they be thrown out.

Yard sales are good places to get rid of some of the "junk" that has collected over the years. I was able to get rid of quite a bit of useless stuff that other people felt they must have. I still have two large plastic storage containers of stuffed animals collected by my daughters. Every year they go out to the yard sale and gradually the pile has decreased and now they are at someone else's house.

I have heard stories where people's homes have been crowded out with piles of old newspapers and National Geographics. How long are we supposed to retain expense receipts to document our deductions taken from filing our taxes? I imagine there are people who have saved every bill and pay check stub just in case. I have a hard time throwing out old shopping catalogues. When I'm not looking my husband will toss them into the trash. I hate to admit it but for some really bizarre reason I have saved my appointment books for the past fifteen years. Why I do not know. Maybe when I retire someday I'm going to look back at what a busy important person I must have been. I guess people have their reasons for saving and collecting things. If they are part of some type of "collection" maybe that appears more acceptable, but to someone else it may appear odd yet they probably have their own piles of stuff too that are equally important to them. But why save twist ties? You can get more of them anytime you need to.