Featured TV series "Hoarders."

Wow, I wanted to see some TV I missed due to one favorite show (Gong Show, the new one) being replaced by football game, so got trial subsc to "Hulu." Ms. Spring found A&E series "Hoarders" and it was scarier than many horror movies. All real serious hoarders suffer from some kind of mental trauma. I was surprised to see how similar their homes looked inside, which I won't describe as some would find even a verbal description too offensive. Anyone else seen it?

I guess I'm a hoarder too but my stuff, unlike a lot of theirs, is organized, has some value even if only scrap metal, is mostly in working condition, doesn't include anything readily identifiable as trash, and doesn't include organic material except wood and certain minerals. When I find broken tools, all but the expensive, repairable ones go right in the trash. Except for broken tungsten-carbide tool bits-they go in a coffee can to be sold due to high salvage value.

 

I had a great aunt that was a hoarder. Her house was incredible. one small path through the living room. never threw anything away. Stacks and stacks of old newspapers filling every room. In her desk (which was crammed FULL) we founf a bag of candy with a note attached saying that it was a gift from so and so on the occaision of her 1936 marriage to her husband. The closet in the bedroom upstairs was filled with over 60 raggedy ann and andy dolls . She spent her time sending cards and letters to Royalty( All countries), the pope(s) politicians, Stars, and CEOS. She sent the queen some AVON skin so soft for her silver jubilee. She wrote the CEO of armour canned hams asking him to start putting handles on their cans so she could make them into knitting kits. These were not just 1 page letters, most times they were 5 or 6 pgs. FILLED with personal info about her ill health etc.....The weird part is that many of these people answerd her. I have those letters.
She wrote to the CEO of Chessie systems railroad, asking them to change the cat logo on their train cars, because when the trains went by her window, it always reminded her of he poor dead cat fluffy who died 10 years ago. ( then there would be a long description of the cats life and how it died,) and those are just a few of the highlights in those letters.

 

All I can say is,if I had the room Id have Mansons abode ! I love finding treasures,I kinda hate letting them go,and I hate selling sooo.....

 

I've seen the program several times....so sad that hoarders just can't bear to throw anything away.......whether it be a piece of bread, a cardboard box or a broken paper clip.

It's the episodes that find rodents dead and alive that are the most disturbing to me.

It's amazing how the clean-up crews can get through their job, and produce the end results.

 

Oh Bdigger I am literally laughing out loud over your post, sorry for the loss of your great-auntie...she sounds like a real character, would loved to have spent an afternoon with her.

 

I loved your post too Bdigger, especially the letter about putting handles on the canned ham tins so she could make them into knitting kits, Bless her Heart, an inventive and resourceful mind .. , .. Joy.

 

We get Hoarders here, Some are genuine hoarders but I think a lot of them are just lazy and dirty. It shows them laying on makeshift beds eating from cartons then adding to the mess by throwing the cartons ect on top of the rubbish thats already piled high.

 

It's very hard for folks to understand this behaviour, I myself am a neatnik .. everything in it's place .. all clean and neat. Something inside me always tells me that it's wrong to make a TV show out of this, that many of these folks have a mental illness and shouldn't be exploited this way. I too watched this show for a while as I sat there in my nice clean home, discussing with others "how could they LIVE like that, and to be honest, even saying things like "disgusting pigs !" But something inside of me felt a deep sadness .. it is Wrong to televise these fragile folks. I stopped watching. .. Joy.

 

I was typing that as my mind was riveted on Irma .. I PRAY for all the folks that are facing the danger .. the Hoarders show seems infintismile in the face of this beast .. my heart aches, Joy.

 

Joy, I have also felt a sense of shame over my own smug superiority watching these shows, but rationalize by the fact that they always have a psychologist on board to guide them through the reasons for their hoard. In some instances, it may make friends or family of people with these afflictions aware that there is an underlying cause for this and that treatment is available.

 

Have an in-law who had just seemed nutty, and was told she was OCD/hoarder. Kind of irritating. I walked into my kitchen during a barbeque and found her putting slices of tomato into her pocket. Maybe she had a plastic bag in there. I don't know. I haven't been irritated with her since. It's just plain sad.

 

But Sandra, Who exactly is giving their permission to film this show, is the resident able to realize what exactly is happening, who is receiving the money from the procedes? It all seems very wrong to me. Joy.

 

You are so right LibraryLady, I totally agree, .. Joy.

 

When you visited her , you were required to sign her guest book with your name,address and a list of 3 of your favorite things to do. You would then be on her mailing list for several updates per year on what was going on in the realm of your favorite things. Not to mention the 26 page Christmas letter.
She never threw any of her reply letters away. She had a whole steamer trunck filled with all her personal mail, valentines, Christmas cards etc.....all notated with who it was from, the year and the occaision. Several letters from famous people. NUMEROUS thank yous from the royalties ladies in waiting....funeral cards from JFL, LBJ Ranch drawings. A letter from Albert Einstein thanking her for the birthday wishes. A list too numerous to mention. Also couriously, a lot of correspondence from the Queen for a Day Program and sponsers.

 

Wow, Bdigger - it all may have been totally bizarre at the time, but that's beyond cool!

 

Wonder what Einstein's siggie is worth? Guess u hafta tell whether it is really his or a secretary. When I was working for the Navy Department in DC, I had to retrieve a paper I'd trashed by mistake, and in looking thru trash can I found dozens of photocopies of letters from Albert E. to the Navy regarding wartime work on mines etc. the Navy had him contracted to do. The copies were new as I could tell from certain marks the copier was set up to make besides the copy. My paranoid mind decided that the boss who had been cleaning out old files from many seldom-touched olive-and brass file cabinets, had found the Einstein letter files and made copies to send to potential buyers. He was that kinda person. And yes, the letters should have been turned over to the National Archives. IF that's what happened, we'll never know.

 

I think I would have LOVED your Great Aunty Bdigger, what a GREAT mind no matter what. She kept her correspondence up to date, was friends with many .. yes, I would have loved to spend time with her! Unlike my old Grandma who hated EVERYBODY, who flew into a tantrum when her second husband wanted to go to the pub .. my Aunty had to sit on her until she calmed down .. her temper was over the edge, I sure as heck wouldn't spend any time with HER !! Smart as a whip, fine looking .. Sheesh, ... Joy.

 

She was strong though .. her first husband died of consumption (TB) when he was only 36yrs old leaving her with 5 small children, she was terrified of them all ending up in the workhouse so she rented out a bedroom to a boarder and the kids spent time on the beach hooking crab and lobster when the tide was out, also gleaning left-behind spuds from the fields. My dad joined the Navy at the age of 14yrs. and sent his pay home to her. She faired better when she met Uncle Mac, a Scotsman, who took her and the kids to his heart, I LOVED him. She had 2 more children making it 7 kids in all. I do admire her in SO many ways .. but she really wasn't very nice at all .. my Mother was terrified of her. Anyway, enough of this .. so sorry, .. Joy.