How much gear do you own?

@audiodwebe,

"Do you have multiples of amps, preamps, speakers, cables, etc?

I do, and am starting to realize it's leaning hard toward a sickness rather than a passionate hobby."

Me too. Somehow I've ended up with half an attic full of spare gear.

3 extra pairs of loudspeakers, plus a 5.1 system, plus a VCR, tuner, loads of cables and interconnects. And other stuff, I forget what.

It didn't seem that long ago when I felt that there would be lots of time in the future to find a use for it, or sell it to someone else who might.

However, after a disastrous year such as this, I'm beginning to wonder whether my priorities weren't totally confused all along.

Heck, I'm not even wondering.

They were.

There's always a place for toys, but they rarely should be a priority.

@rosco88 ,

Great post.

"Definitely, you really need help as I have heard that its a serious compulsive disorder."

There is a funny side to this, but it can be tragic as well.

My dad had (still probably has, but just can't maintain it like before?) serious hoarding issues and it caused a lot of family stress.

His was an extreme case, but I've seen this problem far too often to realise it's fairly common. I've seen houses where it's impossible to actually walk in a straight line in any of the rooms. Where virtually every flat surface has been used as a shelf or a table

If I could have, I'd probably have filled all of my living space with books (as some people have). I guess I've been relatively saved by family commitments.

In fact only today I read something relevant in Rolf Dobelli's excellent (reference) book, The Art of Thinking Clearly.

He stresses the importance of letting things go, and advises looking at possessions as things the universe has merely lent you.

Things it might one day take back without warning.

This, to me, seems like a sensible way of looking at things and it doesn't even really matter whether I like it or not. 

The matter ultimately is not in my hands.

It never was.

@audiodwebe,

Perhaps some of the following tips taken from the Hoarding Disorder article by OCD UK might be of help.

I know they're not specifically audio related but OCD does seem to be a particularly adaptive form of affliction.

I should know, and even though I love having more living space, 
I've still barely kept mine in check, although I'm fairly sure my wife would disagree. Thankfully, she is not a hoarder.

Anyway, here are few of the tips and things not to do mentioned in that article:

----

Throw things away straightaway without checking.    

Throw things away at times the refuse collectors are coming.    

Ask family and friends to join you for a decluttering day, rent a skip and direct your family/friends in throwing clutter for you.    

Get a paper shredder.    

If you can’t remember the reason why you have it, get rid of it.    

Buy things in limited quantities, and do not restock until used.     Stop junk mail, newspapers etc. 

There are some things family members should not do:     

Do not get extra storage space. This won’t solve the problem and the clutter often quickly builds up again.    

Do not call in the council or environmental health to clear the rubbish away without the persons permission, otherwise this could cause additional psychological distress.    

Do not push the subject if the person is getting upset and angry when bringing it up. Take a step back, and try again another time.

@ryder,

Congratulations and well done!

You're better off for it, and so are the new owners.

For me to get rid of my extra stuff is going to be a far far harder challenge than I could have imagined some 10 years ago.

I remember buying a set of the Spherex X-Box 5.1 speakers that the late Peter Aczel glowingly reviewed. I didn't consider just how I was going to use them, only that I would, and one day the space to do so would appear.

I didn't, and it didn't.

So maybe next year I ought to sell them on.

They could be ideal for someone who's into gaming and cares about the sound. Or for someone who has the space for them and doesn't mind the wiring.

Then there's a pair of Tannoy R3s I couldn't bear to part with, but haven't used for 7 years. Okay, they'll probably go for peanuts, but what good are they doing sitting in the attic right now?

Ditto Rega RS1s. A lovely sound, but right now they're silently boxed up next to the Tannoy's.

You know, in a perfect life an audiophile would have at least 3 different listening rooms with a different system in each.

And all the time in the world to listen.

Alas, this is not a perfect life and OCD can be a very clever and versatile enemy.