Odd conundrum

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Now I follow a simple rule for everything I find around the house: If I haven't had a use for it in the last 5 years, out it goes. I exempt from this certain sentimental papers and momentos I am purposefully saving to review in my old age. But otherwise ... if I haven't used it in half a decade, I'm not likely to ever need it.

This is a great rule!

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Throwing away a third of my possessions and keptcrap was one of the most freeing things I've ever done. It felt soooo good, and had such positive results.

I love throwing away trash. However, we seem to accumulate so much of it it is hard to keep up. I've gotten MUCL less sentimental over the years which has helped me get rid of things. Do I really need my Father's favorite blue sport coat? No. His Purple Heart, yes but the Sport Coat, no.

Now, if I could just stop accummulating.......

[Alex]

I've started over with near zero possessions several times in my live so I'm not particularly attached to any of them.

I used to be unable to get rid of books but when I finally broke through that barrier (moving to Hawaii and my parent saying they weren't willing to to store them for me) I've never had a problem again.

One method I recommend for people is to put all the junk they think they're willing to give up, but just can't pull the triger is to put it all in moving boxes. On each box write a date six months or a year into the future and then store them somewhere.

Whatever is still in that box in six month or a year is something you obviously don't actually use, and then just take the boxes to Goodwill without even opening them (you probably won't be able to remember what is in them without checking).

If it has been taken out of the box over that time, then you can keep it.

The only reason to keep something you don't use is for decorative, sentimental, or investment reasons. If it is in your closet, it isn't decorative. If it hasn't come out of your closet in five years the sentimentalism isn't as strong as you'd like to think, and most people incredibly overestimate the investment value of minor collectibles.

Of course, that hasn't much to do with two Monopoly cards in an office drawer. In a school library environment I thikn the bookmark idea is a good one. Otherwise just toss them.

[Prudence]

I feel a moral obligation to save various artifacts for the future Smithsonian exhibit honoring my remarkable life.

[blueerica]

I must have read the OP differently than some others did.
I look at these tiny little cards as less of a pack-ratty thing (they'll take up less space than... I don't know... some other crappy thing.)

More importantly, there's a mystery as to the origin of these little blue cards. I see the potential for comedy and taking the deeds into new memories. A place we can all go, a story we can create behind them. The craigslist, IMO, wouldn't be to actually have someone to find them and take them, but to have someone else in the world laugh, and to let us have a laugh, too.

If I'm talking about being a pack rat, I'm the crossroads type. I do it in phases. I get sentimental, but when the moment's gone, I toss and never look back. So I do things in phases.... I always feel like I'm in phase 3, but that's because I get new stuff to replace some of the crap I got rid of in phase 1.

Except for books. Don't get rid of books. Unless you'll be embarassed to be known as having read them. Then you can remove them from the premises.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

They don't take up much space at all in the drawer, and they're such odd items to have, that I may as well keep them there. I figure I'll leave them in the drawer when I switch jobs and forever wonder what the next library tech did.

[BarTopDancer]

Perhaps someone had Monopoly, had those two cards missing and trashed the game. Then they found the two cards but didn't have the game anymore and donated them thinking the library may have a monopoly game missing those two cards.

Or maybe someone who used to work at the library got tired of the competition over BW and PP that they decided to take the cards out of the game.

[blueerica]

Or maybe the cards were prized in some way...

Like one day, that library tech would move up into the world... Perhaps own a "Park Place" or a "Boardwalk"...

Bigger dreams, baby! Bigger dreams!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I'm loving Erica's take.

I think it's up to me to find these cards a better destiny than the back of the drawer. I've started surfing around for game sites that swap around pieces. I have a coworker that is into geeky gaming stuff so I'll see if he has any sites to recommend. If I can get these cards into an actual Monopoly set I'll feel good for a month.

It is my destiny.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

It is my destiny.

Whatever you do, don't push the button. The button is bad!