So a few months ago I let go of the majority of my hundreds of pokemon cards that I had held onto for 20 odd years. I kept only the few that meant a lot to me (5 cards including my old Charizard) and sold the rest.

BUT that is not why I am here.

I AM GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO GET RID OF THE MAJORITY OF YOUR COLLECTION!

Not just pokemon cards, but whatever you have decided to hoard. For my nerds out there, cards, comics, figures, pops, etc. Whatever it is.... you don't HAVE to collect the entire set/series/whatever. It is OKAY to only keep only the ones that are your favorite, or of your favorite character. You don't need every character from the series/show/etc.

I have a side hustle of professionally organizing a warehouse for a friend who buys/sells nostalgia driven things of this nature. When you see mountains and mountains of essentially plastic and cardboard... it stops to have meaning. And seeing this much stuff has made me want to declutter my own stuff even more.

- That RARE collectible.... isn't that rare... hundreds of thousands exist around the world... we have like 40 charizards in the warehouse right now. shit tons of pops, He-man figures, whatever nerdy shit you can think of... we've got dozens. Lol. Ariel doesn't have shit on us. But seriously, remember at the end of the day, the value the item has... most importantly is the value it has to you. Most of the stuff, even if it goes on E-bay for $10,000 is really not worth more than the plastic it's made out of... since THOUSANDS were made.

- You are no less nerdy for not having the entire set! It is okay to ONLY have ____ character's comics/figures.. you don't NEED to own EVERY SINGLE DC/MARVEL Comic ever... You aren't any less of a fan... It is OKAY to only Buy Captain America.. you don't HAVE TO BUY BUCKY too.... or okay to love JUST Batman and the joker... you don't NEED to own every weird arch nemesis he's ever had all the way to calender man JUST BECAUSE there is a figure for it...

- Spending the money to keep/buy/collect/store all this stuff becomes a burden... so only keep the stuff that sparks joy! The stuff that you really love to see/touch/look at/read. The stuff that brings you that nice dopamine hit every time you glance at it... not just when you get it because "it completes the collection"

- Getting rid of stuff you don't use/read/have on display also does not invalidate your love! (Ex. I loved Full Metal Alchemist, but I was never going to read the Manga again... and so I donated it... It doesn't mean I don't love the series... just that that medium wasn't going to be used)

- Sell whatever you don't keep! Or free on FB marketplace! Or sell to a store that sells vintage/collectible/toys. Google the closest one in your area, and make a few quick bucks (You won't get full worth, because they need to make a profit... but it will make getting rid of large batches easy and guilt free since the items will get a second life down the road!)

FOR NON-NERDY Items... This still holds!!!

- YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY THE MATCHING SHEETS/PLATES/CUPS etc for a whole set. You are allowed to just buy 1 and it is OKAY

- You DON'T NEED THE WHOLE MAKEUP SET, if all you want is the contour (colourpop guily anyone?)

- YOU DON'T NEED TO have EVERY COLOR of x item.... JUST IN CASE. Just keep the 1-2 colors you like. (Sweaters. nail polish, shoes, whatever).

I hope this helped someone with whatever guilt they might have about collections.

GOOD LUCK! and PURGE BABY PURGE!