Yesterday I was talking with a friend who felt frustrated about her partner’s vintage toy collection that is growing too large for their space. He has so many items in his collection that they are present in every part of their home. One of the issues with this is that they have a small space, and this space is filling up with things that are meant only for looking and not for using. The other part of her predicament is that when her kids see these items, they want to play with them. They are toys, after all, and kids don’t really care about the potential monetary value of such things and in what ways that may be lowered by actually playing with the toy (most of them are pristine, and many still in their original packaging). She asked me my thoughts on how to simplify things to make it so she, her family, and the myriad of collectable toys could all share their space more peaceably.

My first thought, honestly, was this: the simple answer is don’t start collections, or at least stop adding to them. Just because you find something amusing or interesting does not mean that you need to keep it in your house. If you don’t or can’t or won’t use it, and you really want to remember it, maybe the best answer is to take a picture. While it’s not as tactile as the actual object, it can still jog your memory and make you smile. Plus, it takes up very little space (especially a digital photo).

But this collection is already in place. It’s not a matter of not starting, it’s a matter of what to do with it now. So I suggested asking him if he could curate it like a museum collection. He could pull out his favorite toys and find nice ways to display them, as you would a piece of art. Perhaps, by giving those attention and space, he might feel agreeable to getting rid of some or most of the others.

I also suggested talking with them about the financial dimension of his collection. She has voiced to me before that they’re worried about not having saved money for their children’s college funds. Perhaps her husband could feel okay about cashing in some of the value he’s accrued through these collectables by selling them off and saving the money for their kids?

Simplifying this collection could help them in several ways: space, financially, and struggles with the kids. I ended this particular discussion with this important reminder: make sure that he’s on board before you do anything. People can be very attached to their collections, and people need to be given the freedom to choose to simplify on their own; otherwise there will be a lot of anger and resentment.

In the interest of full disclosure, I want to say this: while I find it easy to help pare down someone else’s vintage toy collection and to not maintain that sort of a collection myself, I do have a huge number of books in our house, which other people might consider clutter. What is beautiful, useful, or necessary can and will vary from person to person. Asking yourself whether or not an object is beautiful, useful, or necessary for someone in your household is a good way to determine if that object is meaningful or if it is clutter.