Spark Joy in your collection

Examples of items from my collection that spark joy.

Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant who originated the KonMari Method™ for decluttering and tidying up. Her techniques are very popular around the world! She was named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2015. Marie’s books have sold over 8 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 40 languages. And, as of January 2019, she has a new reality show on Netflix called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

I have her first book the life-changing magic of tidying up (2014) as well as its companion, spark joy (2016). Each January I read through them again, to remind and inspire me to keep my home organized and receptive to serenity and joy. The KonMari Method™ empowers me to thoughtfully and deliberately choose the things I want to carry into my future.

According to the KonMari Method™, decluttering a household proceeds in the following order:

● Clothing

● Books

● Papers

● Komono (miscellaneous items)

● Sentimental Items (in my opinion, collectibles fall into this category)

The order of decluttering is important because sentimental items, the final category, are often the hardest to let go of. Working through the other four categories in sequence prepares a person to make those final decisions.

By the time my second trivet book was published I’d accumulated over 1350 trivets and other related go-withs. It was time to downsize! Since 2010 I’ve gradually disposed of the majority of my collection. The pieces I chose to keep are my favorites; each one sparks joy. And now, whenever I purchase an interesting new trivet, I’ve learned to thoughtfully consider whether to add it to my core collection. Many times I simply study it, photograph it, then sell it to another collector.

Knowing that most of my items would be passing into the hands of other collectors made the downsizing process easier. I sold the majority of my better trivets on Ruby Lane and would recommend that venue to anyone searching for a more elegant and profitable alternative to eBay. Ruby Lane has high standards for the items they approve. Their requirements for age (vintage vs antique), quality images, and comprehensive descriptions make selling profitable and buying a pleasure.

The KonMari Method™

Gather all similar items in one place. Touch and examine each item, then keep only those pieces that spark joy. And finally, before selling ~ giving away ~ or discarding anything, be sure to thank it for the pleasure it has given you.

In this Talks at Google video Marie Kondo discusses the life changing magic of tidying up.