De-Acquisition Mode - I'm Hearing That A Lot Lately.

[Mark Ray]

I haven't hit that mode yet. When I don't gig all the time with a band, the purge will surge. I plan to keep an acoustic for the "Old Folks Home" if I make it to one of those, and 1 or 2 electrics and 1 amp.

But as we all know, plans can change.

 

[Huggy Love]

The big Island is hardly deserted , Hilo town is about 1/2 north and it has an international airport . My Sis has lived there 15 years.

Takes a certain type of person cause island fever is really a thing. I myself would be torn as half of me would love island life and my love for the ocean and fishing would be satisfied but the other half would miss the benefits of being near a major metro area and the diversity of resources I enjoy in the Bay Area, CA.

... and living in Honolulu or on Oahu would defeat the purpose.

Hope you find your island paradise someday.

 

[Wakester]

I don't know about de-aqiisition, but there a few guitars that I would like to re-aquisition.

 

[Max Headroom]

At 63 with retirement in the very near future yes de-acquisition is a reality.
In the last two months sold 2 cars and my CanAm Spyder
Two guitars have gone and at least 4 more are ear marked to go.
But... nothing to do?
Heck no...I already know there won't be enough hours in a day to fit in all of our plans.
Starting in December we are off to Honolulu to see my daughter who has just moved there from Hilo...the work pays a lot better she says.

 

[loocnmad]

Now that I'm getting a little older I have so much gear and more it would make my teenage self's head explode. And I decided to sell almost all of it. I found I was most productive when I didn't have so many choices.

It's true the more stuff you have the more it owns you. And it takes up sooo much space.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

What I don’t understand is why some of y’all retiring from regular financially stable careers are ditching your music gear.

What exactly TF are you planning on doing with your remaining years if not juking/rocking out and finally getting to live like a rockstar?

Get your rig together and go down to The Villages in FLA, play some matinees, get an STI, and pop viagra until your heart explodes like a champion.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I have been getting rid of stuff for almost two years and probably will continue for another 7-10 years.

There are two motivating factors. One is to create more free space by getting rid of stuff that is unlikely to get used again. The other is to leave my kids with a smaller problem when my stuff becomes their problem.

I don’t expect to stop playing and I don’t expect to end up with just the basics. So there is nothing depressing about my de acquisition.

You’re just shedding some dead weight.

You’re the King of Canada when it comes to guitars.

 

[John]

I'm somewhere in between. While I'm not actively getting rid of what I have unless I'm really not using it anymore and it could be put to better use elsewhere, I'm actually content with what I have.
For one, I don't see the glamour and hype from people burning what they have for gear on a constant basis. It gets very boring, very quickly. Having a special story changes things, but that's a different case for a different time. As far as the "actually content" part mentioned earlier, I have sentimental value attached to what I do have on top of actually having fun, even after time has passed.

It's true the more stuff you have the more it owns you.

I see it all the time, and it's a rather sad state of affairs especially in cases when burnout kicks in. Like a truck, too.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'm somewhere in between. While I'm not actively getting rid of what I have unless I'm really not using it anymore and it could be put to better use elsewhere, I'm actually content with what I have.
For one, I don't see the glamour and hype from people burning what they have for gear on a constant basis. It gets very boring, very quickly. Having a special story changes things, but that's a different case for a different time. As far as the "actually content" part mentioned earlier, I have sentimental value attached to what I do have on top of actually having fun, even after time has passed.

You’re a talented dude and not that old. Keep them.

 

[veinbuster]

You’re just shedding some dead weight.

You’re the King of Canada when it comes to guitars.

Lots of weight. Spare plates, cups, and Pyrex are heavy.
Wine bottles are a lot lighter after I drink the contents.

 

[John]

You’re a talented dude and not that old. Keep them.

I'm flattered on both counts to hear that. Thanks, Sergio.

 

[Prina]

But it’s not my stuff I wanna get rid of, my stuff is the best stuff in the house.

Our big question is when to start tossing the kids' stuff. Lots of room then for our good stuff.

 

[revtime]

Our big question is when to start tossing the kids' stuff. Lots of room then for our good stuff.

My mom did it before I even left.

 

[dogrocketp]

I’m past “normal” retire age. I lost everything except my sons in a divorce years ago. My younger son worked in a music store for 2 years. He’ll know what to do when the time comes. Until then, it’s work 4 days a week and slowly let go of other stuff to move in with the woman of my dreams.

 

[JasonE]

I have almost gone into DM several times. Each time I think about it I get closer to doing it. For me, I have a collection that I really like but if I am being honest with myself, I really gravitated to 10 or 12 of them the most. I have guitars that haven't been played at a gig in quite a long time. I have a few 24 fret guitars and have in recent years really figured out that I am not the biggest fan of 24 frets even though I played on a 24 fret guitar for many years. I just like the feel of a 22 fret guitar. The last time I got this feeling, I pulled a couple of guitars out that I had modified with modifications that were reversible and I put them back to stock. They are still here though.

I am not exactly sure what is driving this because I have had these thoughts before my medial issue early this year. I think I am seeing fewer years ahead of me than behind me and nobody else in the family is into guitars and guitar gear like I am. I start getting the feeling that it would be better to have the money in the bank or an investment than just setting here. If something happens to me, the money can be used. The gear would take effort from someone that doesn't know what it is worth to sell it and convert it into money. If I get to a point where I can retire, I could see me forming a band to do some gigging for something to do and some pocket money. I would definitely make sure to keep the gear I like the most so this will always be a possibility. I still have plenty of PA gear to make this happen as well.

 

[RickP]

…juking/rocking out and finally getting to live like a rockstar?

This is the plan. 5 years in come January… so far, so good!

I don’t really know how I got anything done when I was working… I gained back that 50-60 hours a week and still run out of time to get everything in. Boredom is not on my radar at all.

 

[alantig]

My mom did it before I even left.

My mother tossed a bunch of my comic books when I was a kid. A bunch. A couple months later, there was a news story about how much some comic books were worth, and she was upset at what she'd given away. None of what I had was really worth anything, so naturally I told her that.

No, wait, I didn't. It's been about 50 years. I don't think I've ever told her they weren't worth anything. But she stopped throwing my stuff away. Actually, it's almost the opposite now - she asks me before she throws anything of mine away (and I haven't lived there for almost 40 years). "I have these books of yours to go through - do you want any of them?" No, they're all garbage. Just like I told you the last three times. My wife said, "Just bring them home and we'll make sure they get tossed."

 

[FragileThunder]

Of all the baggage I carry through life, my music stuff is least likely to suffer de-acquisition mode. Not to say that things won't come and go, but I've reached a comfortable plateau where the amount of gear seems right. Granted, I have no 5 figure instruments hanging on the wall, but all told, there a substantial investment there. The value to my sanity, my quality of life outweighs the dollar value though. It would take a level of debilitation that effectively ended my ability to play at all to prompt a sell off.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

It cost me thousands of dollars to throw away all my mom’s crap when she died (5-6 dumpsters worth) so I appreciate the thought of people wanting to de-clutter.

But music gear is easy(er) to get rid of and may actually be worth some cash (especially if you’re on this forum).

Get rid of all your other BS first. Nobody wants your furniture, nobody will buy your China or flatware, and FFS get your paperwork together.

 

[László]

The older you get the less time you have to polish & re-string all those unused guitars.

Oh man, I put off restringing my guitars as long as I can, and I only have a handful of guitars. That's the only part of playing guitar that drives me nuts.