What to Do with Collections: Part 1

April 6, 2026

What to do with a personal collection can often be an overwhelming question for most folks. Why? Simply because collections are personal. You (or someone you love) has spent a great deal of time, energy, and usually money obtaining each item. They have an attachment both to each item, and with the collection as a whole.

To pare down a personal collection, consider these tips:

·        Embrace the idea that more is NOT better. Having 20 or 30 nutcrackers, for example, can make for very fun holiday decorating. But do you really need 40 nutcrackers? 50? No.   

·        Begin with your favorites, then go from there. I suggest that you lay out your entire collection. Next, pick the 20 percent of items that you absolutely love, that you won’t get rid of no matter what, and put these aside. Next, focus on ways to pare down the remaining items.  

·        Start small. For your collection, try to remove 10 percent of the items that you would be comfortable letting go of. If those were easy decisions, try again—remove another 10 percent.

·        Pass on your passion. For items you are letting go of, don’t simply throw these away. Gift them to friends or family. Try to sell them on platforms like Etsy or Facebook marketplace. If you spent time, energy, and money—i.e., passion—on collecting a certain item, chances are there is someone else collecting the same thing.

Remember, smaller collections are easier to showcase, store, and ultimately gift or sell.

Good luck refining your collection!

#personalorganizing #collections #collector