Before the days of Velcro, were the days of my youth.
Growing up in the late 70's and 80's my Parents stayed away from Velcro "laced" sneakers like the Plague. My father used to say I'd never learn to tie a shoelace ever again, and I'd forget, forever losing my ability to learn a task taught to him by his father. Of course, my parents were the same folks who encouraged me to stay away from calculator watches, and even analog watches.
I'd forget how to add, and I'd forget how to tell time, they would tell me. I guess you'd say my parents weren't early-adopters. But it was usually my oldest brother who seemed to be able to push my parents into acquiring the latest technological advances: a laserdisc player, microwave and a computer-- some of which still occupy space in their dusty attic and create a walk down memory lane whenever I can sneak up there.
Some of my client's homes too are like "archaeological excavations of clutter" and I sometimes feel like I am in a time-warp. As Clients weigh their hefty decisions about what to keep, what to throw, and what to donate, you hear the same conversations and their worry about parting with their children's things. You hear the tough decisions, most are hard and difficult, some come surprisingly easy. I guide them to make careful decisions because I am not there to throw their life out. I think when I moved out of my parent's house I was one of the lucky ones: I was able to take a lot of my collectibles with me-- I fortunately had the space and I was eager to set up shop. And I think my parents were thankful they had less to push around. But through the years, I've gotten rid of much of my high school memorabilia, my brother's Commodore 64 and some 78rpm record albums from my Aunt-- all of which hadn't really fetched more than a few dollars when I sold them.
But there's one vintage item that seems to have become my best friend and seems to have me reliving my childhood: Velcro. Who would have thought the scientific breakthrough most feared by my father would become the mainstay of a Professional Organizer's Toolkit? My organizing crews have used it for sticking remote controls to the side of a video monitor, keeping that small breaker switch door from swinging open and for keeping drawer dividers steady and not sliding back-and-forth when opening it.
I was really excited when I saw this article in the Miami Herald with expert advise from Ralph and Terry Kovel. It's a brief guide for parents clearing out their child's clutter when they go off to University. My Mother may know best when it comes to calculator watches, but not about Velcro. And when I see my father next weekend, I'll be looking carefully at his feet.
Toss out clutter carefully
BY MARY BETH BRECKENRIDGE
Knight Ridder News Service/Miami Herald - Sunday, July 24, 2005
As the kids get ready for college, it's a good time to clean out their childhood clutter. But what's likely to be valuable someday, and what can you get rid of?
Collectibles experts Ralph and Terry Kovel recommend keeping these things:
• Classics that mark the beginning of a new type of toy, including such video games as Pong, Super Mario Brothers and Pac-Man and hand-held electronics such as the Nintendo Gameboy.
• Unusual Barbie accessories such as the Barbie record player or dentist's office chair.
• Lunchboxes, especially those that depict popular TV or movie characters.
• Small-scale furniture, especially from modern designers such as Herman Miller. Many of the items sold now at Target will be valuable someday because they were created by big-name designers including Cynthia Rowley, Todd Oldham and Isaac Mizrahi, the Kovels say.
• Girl Scout or Boy Scout items, political buttons, character-themed Christmas ornaments or Halloween costumes, Disney memorabilia, fad jewelry, cereal boxes featuring sports figures, Coca-Cola items that are tied to a memorable event or are limited-edition items, and movie- or TV-themed glassware or dinnerware.
What to pitch: obsolete electronics, Swatch watches and T-shirts, except for mint-condition shirts from popular concerts, protest marches or other datable events.
