HELP!
I am falling ...
Falling ...
FALLING down a rabbit hole lined with dolls and action figures.
Oh the agony of the unorganized doll and action figure collector!
"J'accuse," the voices cry. "Guilty!"
I turn left. Eyes turn right. As I raise my hands to cover my ears, I dislodge brightly colored booklets, old catalog pages, and hardbound collectors' books. The heaviest book strikes my bare foot. I howl and pull my knee in to reach my sore foot. My butt dislodges sixth scale motorcycles. Furniture and diorama sets follow. Mini fingers and feet and elbows also jab as I descend.
"HELP," I cry again.
A calendar sheet falls to [my]eye level. I notice it is for the magical month of January when organizing tips abound and resolutions shine.
"I'll do it! I'm taking an Organizing Challenge."
And as if by magic, I am restored to my computer desk where I draw up this list.
1. Why I must get organized. Because ...
- I bump into things (awake - as do others in my doll rooms)
- I'm not sure what I have
- I want to downsize
- I'd like to get some Want List dolls
- I'd like to enjoy my collection more creatively - sewing, crafting, writing
2. What "organized" is for now:
- I know what I have
- I sell what I need to sell
- I know where things are ... those are my goals for January
3. Where will these actions occur?
- Front room
- My bedroom
- Laundry
- Doll room
4. How I will achieve "organized" state?
- List organizing actions by room
- Schedule actions
- Publicize completed actions
5. When
- January - March 2015
6. Who?
- Me - but I welcome your suggestions.
How about a few pictures from the front room?
 |
| Boxed dolls in IKEA bags |
 |
| Loose dolls and action figure |
 |
| Boxed and bagged dolls and boxed magazines |
Next step? Sweeping floors and getting citrus fruit. (I do not "do" cut flowers.) Then writing my "to do" lists for each room holding dolls and action figures. And taking photos!
23 comments:
Ok, not that you want to buy some none doll stuff... but. For years I wanted book cases to show off my dolls. When I tallied the cost, it seemed like a WHOLE lotta money. 2 BILLY book cases with doors, around $300. After YEARS of of refusing to buy the book cases AND and setting a maddening pattern of inventing bad solutions over and over and over... I bought the bookcases. The dolls found a permanent home within 5 minutes of securing the bookcases to the walls. It's been a couple years and I haven't looked back :) I'm not saying you need book cases, but you probably have a dream solution you can't bring yourself to get yourself, for whatever reason. If you do, find a way to get that solution! It'll be so good for your soul and your collection. Just my little 2 cents. Best of luck, I too am in that "organize" mode. I think all doll collectors and hobbyists need this particular brand of luck. LOL
... oh and those poor solutions I kept inventing and tearing down? Each one was cost me a little bit of money. Add that all up, and I could have gotten my book cases sooner lol. I'm a mess....
D7ana, you have some great ideas for making it happen. I am with you all the way, cheering you on. I need to do the same thing. I am going to write down your plan. I have dolls in a couple...well okay more rooms than I should have them in and it has becoming overwhelming because I haven't stop buying. You are off to a great start! You can do it!!!
Collections are so hard to manage. I struggle so much with letting go I know just how you feel. My tip? Re-think your collection. Re-categorise you as a collector. I'll bet your a far more serious collector with some much nicer pieces then what you were 10 years ago. Then give yourself permission to let your lower quality pieces go to a new collector that is just starting out and would be thrilled to have them. I've been able to let a few things go because I was finally able to admit they did not fit me as a collector now and if I saw it for sale today I would not buy it. Good Luck!
Well, you've made a great start sorting out your plan and it all sounds very achievable. Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress.
Great plans and I commend you for getting it together. I look forward to seeing your successful implementation! I need to do the same, but I also have a very hard time letting go of things. Time will tell for sure.
I'm finding it helps to break up the big, amorphous tasks into short, concrete, narrowly defined pieces -- so that I'm mostly succeeding at getting specific tasks done rather than flailing about in the mire of a massive array of ideas and "ought to" notions. This also means that on any given day, I can get DONE with things and have time to amuse myself, even if the larger project is still a very long way from done.
Good luck and I look forward to admiring your progress.
I love your plan D7ana! I'm anxious to see your progress. I've done some reorganizing and clearing out myself. Some of my dolls were donated in hopes they would make some little girls happy. Others became body donors. LOL Can't wait to see how you do. :-)
Great plans D7ana! Good luck with your sorting out and I look forward to the pictures of your collection!
A huge undertaking. I'll follow your progress with great attention. I have no problem with the dolls (I just can't buy more than the ones I can keep in their cabinet) but accessories and fabrics are getting out of hand.
I love how you planned the whole thing!
Kisses Billa
Mucho animo con el organizado que quieres hacerrrrr y sobre todo paciencia, besossss
I am continuing my organizing and downsizing plan. I try to do an hour or two of cleaning/sorting when I get home from work. I stick to one area and work there only. When that space is clear on to the next.
I know you will succeed with your plan for your collection. :O)
I'm here for support too if needed
Hi Super Cool Doll House, Georgia Girl, Purfylle, Carrickters, Phyllis, Smaller Places, Cindi Mortensen, Night Owl, Billa's Dolls and Fashions, Carmen Gutierrez, and Dollz4Moi!
@Super Cool Doll House - I like your thinking! I have 2 Billy bookcases - they're holding books and supplies now. Perhaps when I'm done part 1 of organizing, I'll expand on that idea. I have always wanted a dollhouse ... sigh.
Hey, I'd love to be a Super Cool Doll House kind-of mess ;-)
@Georgia Girl - thanks, Organizing Buddy. C'mon ... you're longing to uncover old favorites and to pass along others ... ;-)
@Purfylle - oh, yes, collections can be the devil to contain. I will take your suggestions - so true the difference 10+ years of collecting will find you (er, me. Lol)
@Carrickters - oh, yes! I'm pleased with the plan. Thanks for the positive wish, too.
@Phyllis - Thanks for the positive wish. Time will tell ;-)
@Smaller Places said... - yes, indeed. Smaller pieces, cleaner too.
@Cindi Mortensen - congrats on having gotten some organizing in. Thanks for the positive wish.
@Night Owl - Thanks for the positive wish.
@Billa's Dolls and Fashions - hope you continue to enjoy the ride ;-) Thanks for the encouragement.
@carmen gutierrez - Gracias por el aliento. Y sí, voy a necesitar paciencia, besossss.
@Dollz4Moi - Thanks for those tips and the encouragement. Both are appreciated.
Just knowing what you want to do means you are well on your way! It's a hassle going through every thing but when you see it start to take shape you will breath so much easier.
Hi Muff! Yes, knowing what I want to do does help. Chunking activities to specific steps is helping, too. Your success in this area has been inspiring ;-)
Keep a picture of your end goal in mind: how your dolls will look organized, how good you'll feel about your collection and yourself, what you will be able to enjoy once you've cleared out what you don't need.
Hi Barb! I've been "messy" for so long, I'm having trouble "seeing" organized. It will be pleasant to clear what I no longer need/want. Yes, it will ;-)
This post had me laughing. I'm wishing you the best of luck with getting organized, and I'm looking forward to any tips that you'll share along the way!
Hi Roxanne! Glad you had a laugh. Thanks for the wish: patience and persistence needed, :-}
I'll share tips as I go through.
I like the way your organized your challenge, including where in your home you will do the work. I don't think you'll have any problems completing your tasks.
Thanks for linking up for #FlashbackFriday. I have Pinned your post to the #FlashbackFriday Pinterest Board.
Hi Chasing Joy! Thanks for the positive feedback. I've planned what needs to be done; now I need to do those things ;-)
Thanks for creating a catch-all board that accommodates the variety of pin topics covered. Yay, #FlashbackFriday!
D, I'm very sorry, but I sorta don't have a good feeling about this. Please prove me wrong. I'm rooting for you! Ro, who is organized and does cut flowers. (I heard that raspberry pfff! LOL)
Hi Ro!
I cannot have my dolly buddies feeling less than good about this organizing project. Who else will cheer with me when I've sold or traded the last exiting doll (or action figure)?
You create and share the best stories and dioramas - how can I not aspire to become more organized so that I can return some of the fun my more organized buddies provide?
Oh, you *heard* that unvoiced raspberry, lol? Pause to uncover guilty face - well ... as I live, I might someday appreciate cut flowers. I love the smell of fresh strawberries. Course I love to eat strawberries, too. Some flowers are edible - ha, ha! I am Spartan in that sense, but I am happy that cut flowers make you happy. All sincerity there ;-)
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