Cannot get rid of my old toys and children’s toys

[90s]

Please be kind. just need practical advice.
i have had many years of mental illness and have come through the other side. I became a hoarder but have spent the last 2 years decluttering clothes, books, mags, furniture etc.
however, I cannot get rid of toys! I am swamped. I had a lovely childhood and still own all my toys. I’m 47. Yes 47. I don’t want to sell and like donating to charities but this kills me.
how can I do it? Steps needed, mental help required. Has anyone done this and is life ok.
thank you

It’s better that you gift them on to someone, or donate to charity, rather than it all being disposed of to landfill by someone else one day.
Give your toys another life.

Could you say that you'll keep one box? Get a medium sized, good quality storage box and put your most precious things in it and donate the rest? Take photos of the items that you are donating.

I know it's really hard. I have ADHD and battle against my hoarding tendancies everyday.

Anything to do with my kids is very very hard for me to pass on. It nothing to do with the objects though - it's all about my feelings and emotions and my ADHD.

Sending you a hug.

Take photographs of things. You may never look at them but it might help with the feeling of getting rid of things. If local charities won't take them then have a table top/car boot sale and donte your proceeds to charity. Ask a friend or family member to do this if you don't think you can manage to see strangers going through your things. We all want to avoid landfill but can anything be recycled? What kinds of toys do you have?

Also to add it can be difficult to accept when other people or even charities don't want your valued possessions. We have recently helped a family member move house and it was really difficult to get them to see some old toys were not as valuable as they thought they were and accept that they were not things children of today would use. We were careful to not use phrases such as 'chuck ir out' or 'dump it'. Instead we said 'let's see if we can recycle that'.

Sounds like you have been doing brilliantly on the decluttering, so don’t forget to give yourself credit for everything you’ve done.

With the toys, could you break it down so it feels less threatening? Give away one a month?

Objects are like memory capsules and they’re very precious.

I’d recommend listening to Dana K White’s podcasts for a very gentle, non judgemental approach.

It sounds like you’ve made amazing progress in other areas!

Could you maybe try taking just one or two things to a charity shop as a trial just to see how you feel ?
I put off getting rid of loads of DD's outgrown stuff to charity but actually when I finally did it I couldn't remember after a week what it was I had got rid of and it has really helped in getting rid of sentimental things

I dont know if you have any storage? Attic or garage? Cos a trick I read or watched was store them away out of sight for a year. Then revisit the idea of getting rid of some. If you can you can, if not store away again and revisit again in another year.

Its not seeing them and not going looking for them that is supposed to help break the attachment to them so it makes things easier as time passes

Thank you all for your kind words. I know I just need to box up most and take them to the charity shop. I will keep my cabbage patch dolls and one other doll bit everything else must go. They have been used by my own girls who no longer want to play with them either so it has to be time to break the cycle.
I will spend the next 3 months boxing and donating xxxx

Keep some in the loft….I kept my Lego for my kids then they added to it, brio set, little tykes dolls house , 2 cabbage patch dolls and 12 beanie babies plus some books…..my grandkids have played with all these

Yes, make a small box of the most treasured toys, and donate the rest.

I used to have a trunk full of old birthday cards, photos, letters, etc, some from childhood. After my mother died, and I had to sort through all her stuff and chuck a lot of it, I edited this trunkful of stuff and chucked about 90%, kept the 10% most treasured. With the photos of, say, of my 21st birthday party, I realised I didn't need 50+, and 5 was enough. I rarely look at this small box of the 10%, but it's there if I want to.

FWIW I'm not a hoarder at all - I can't cope with too much stuff around me - but I still have a silly number of childhood toys because my Dad, who died when I was young, got them for me.

It's hard, OP - you are not alone 💐

Start small.

Go through a box at a time. Enjoy the process, relive memories.

Put aside really precious items.

Things that don't feel as precious or that don't hold such strong bonds put in a box in your hallway. If it helps, take photos of things going into the box.

Walk around this box for a few weeks, adjust to it going, then take it to a charity shop.

Then, onto the next box.

That's two boxes a month. You'll be starting to get clear sooner than you think.

(From a fellow horder)

I recommend Anglo Doorstep Collections.

They collect those items and collect directly from your house. They also support amazing charities. All items are rehomed which is an amazing idea.
It's so simple you just enter your details and book for the next date they're in your area.

https://anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/

Your only posts are both to spam this- which seems to one of this fake charities which give a miniscule amount to charity and are in fact businesses.

Companies house confirms that they are a private company that is late in filing its returns having only been set up last year - same address as website- so same company

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14754182/filing-history