skimomma Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 This has been torturing me for a few weeks now..... I am very good at simplifying and decluttering. I am typically not very sentimental about physical items. In my last round of trying to pare down the amount of "keepsakes" in the attic, I came across a doll from my childhood. It is an inexpensive store-bought baby doll from the 1970's with plastic limbs/head and cloth body. It was a gift from a beloved relative who passed away shortly afterwards. It came with a slew of homemade clothing and was a treasured toy for most of my girlhood. When dd was old enough for dolls, I gave the doll and the clothing to her. The clothing fit a few of her dolls and is still played with frequently. However, the doll itself did not hold up well to play. The cloth body had become brittle and split in many places (traumatizing dd, I might add) so it was quickly put away in a box in the attic. For years, I keep coming upon it and moving it around, not sure what to do with it. A few weeks ago, I came to the conclusion that the doll was not really fixable and it was time to throw it away. So, I put it in the garbage. It takes a month or two for our family to fill up a garbage bag and at least once a day a feeling of dread would come over me that this doll was in the garbage can. After a couple of weeks, I fished it out (nothing had been put on top of it yet) and I am back to square one. I have other mementos from this relative and many good and vivid memories. There is really nothing that the doll can offer for anyone anymore. But every time I think of putting it back in the can, I go back to the day I opened the gift and all the hours I played with it. My mind also cannot stop itself from thinking about the doll going into the garbage truck and sitting in the landfill. Yeah....I have issues..... OTOH, it is painful to look a the doll in its ruined state. I have thought about getting it "fixed" but that seems really silly for something that was probably only $5 new. And of course, what the heck would I do with it once it was fixed? Someone either tell me I am being dumb and should just throw it out OR give me a good reason to keep it and ideas of what I should do with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 If it were me, I'd take a picture of it and then toss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Well, I also have my favorite doll from my childhood. One of her arms and one of her legs had to be wired back on by my dad because I played with her so much. I, too, have thought I should just get rid of her, but I can't. For now I've decided that since I have the room to keep her, I will. If and when I move to smaller quarters, I will revisit the possibility of getting rid of her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 i have a couple of things that I just can not part with. They live in a special little box. I only keep things that fit in that box. If the box is full I have to reorganize or get rid of things to make the new stuff fit. The box really limits how much I can keep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Give yourself one small box for Irrational Keepsakes and just put it there. My son has a tiny pair of spiderman briefs in his underwear drawer that never gets removed when he sizes up. He's 12, and it's ridiculous that I keep them at all, but I smile every year when I see those tiny undies. My son just grabs the underwear on the top of the pile. I don't even think he knows they're in there :-/ If the rest of your house is under control, that one doll won't make I difference if it's there or not. Just stash it and let your heirs deal with it 60 years from now :-). Alternatively, you can make a shadow box that contains that doll, a photo of you with it as a girl, a photo of your daughter, and the beloved relative. Decorate your storage area with it :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Also, write down your memories of your relative, receiving the gift, playing with the doll, etc. Tell the story. Then take some pictures of the doll and the clothes. Maybe even have it bound as a book. That would honor your memories of the doll and your relative. Later you can revisit actually tossing the doll. Best wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Just keep the doll! She's not taking up that much room, and you've already proven that it would bother you to get rid of her. Just keep her in storage and don't worry about it! Part of healthy decluttering is acknowledging what *does* have significant sentimental value and keeping it! I've given away or sold many of my childhood dolls without a problem, but many years ago I sold one particular doll at a garage sale and it *still* bothers me. Yes, it's probably silly, but if I could do it over, I would have kept her. Also, if you want to do so, there's no reason for you not to get her fixed; it's her sentimental value that's important, not her original cost! There are plenty of doll hospitals where she could be beautifully fixed up. Then, you could let your daughter play with her, or you could display her, or you could store her. Can you tell I don't like thinking of her in the landfill, either? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I keep things that are special to me or to someone else in the family, for whatever reason. If it makes you sad to think of losing her, then keep her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Thanks all! I am going to keep her. I think I just needed someone to tell me it is not silly to be bothered by throwing her out :) I may even have her fixed up. Dd is probably too old to want to play with her anymore but maybe I will have a granddaughter someday.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Definitely keep her. Your granddaughter will be amazed at the "antique" baby doll you played with back when you were her age. I'm a semi-minimalist, but happily have saved 2 of my dolls from childhood. Trash-picking means you want to keep it! Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 If it is so painful, and the thought of garbage/landfill bothers you: why not give the doll a dignified burial instead, as you would with a beloved pet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Thanks all! I am going to keep her. I think I just needed someone to tell me it is not silly to be bothered by throwing her out :) I may even have her fixed up. Dd is probably too old to want to play with her anymore but maybe I will have a granddaughter someday.... Yeah, I think most of us have a few similar items. If it's not crowding you out of house and home, it's not killing anything. I had a doll like that, too, but my dilemma was solved when the plastic of the face became so brittle that it shattered! :svengo: At that point, keeping it was clearly moot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kateincali Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 You should keep it. I have a tiny tea set from my great grandma I love! i never played with it when i was young, because it was porcelain, but it was from her, and i treasure it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimtaxi234 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 If it were me, I'd take a picture of it and then toss it. How about writing down your favorite memories of playing with the doll, the clothes, and possibly about the relative that gave you the gifts? The written memories along with photos could be shared with your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I recently went through all my childhood dolls and tossed all but one. They were once my aunt's (11 years older) and were so, so worn. I couldn't even have them fixed. I was sad for a bit. But, I'm fine with it now. I did keep the handmade clothes. I don't know why. I have no daughters. And I sold all my Strawberry Shortcakes a few years ago (and made $15 a doll on average!). My dad passed away 5 months ago. When I was going through his jewelry box, he had saved one cup from the Holly Hobby tea set I had a child. Just one. It now sits on my shelf. It means absolutely nothing to anybody else, but knowing my dad saved that special treasure to remind him of my childhood..... Well, that makes that little tea cup one of my most treasured possessions. Keep the doll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 If you said your beloved relative had given you 300 really big, gigantic dolls, I would tell you it might be time to get rid of some of them, but this is one doll. If you're concerned about wasting space, throw away an old, bulky sweater or a couple of ratty towels and call it even. The fact that you fished it out of the trash is enough to tell me that this is one of those things that will haunt you if you get rid of that doll. Keep it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Keep it! It has real meaning to you. I like the idea of taking photos and writing down the story of your doll and how your daughter loved her too. One day your grandchildren and great grandchildren will have an amazing keepsake of you and your antique doll. My mom grew up poor as a very young child and most of their Christmas presents were homemade. Once things got better, my grandparents were able to give them store bought gifts. When my mom was 5 she got a doll that, when standing, is about 3 feet tall. It's the first "real" doll she ever got and she named her Susie. Her younger brother chewed 3 of Susie's fingers off a year or two later. My mom still has Susie though, 55 years later. It is one of her most treasured possessions because she has such good memories of Susie. Susie sits in the guest room in my childhood rocker. For a long time she wore a dress, but now she wears a pair of Indy's jeans from when he was about 18 months old and sweater that was mine when I was little. I will keep Susie forever because I know how much she means to my mom. In fact, after reading this, I'm going to tell my mom to write down Susie's story so I'll have that to pass on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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