Sandra (not her real name) writes:
A couple of days ago I decided to clear out my loft with a view to selling any unwanted items; the money was to go towards a cruise that my husband and I have been promising ourselves since his retirement 2 years ago. Having lived in the same house since our marriage 43 years ago (and me being a renowned hoarder) you can imagine what greeted me as I opened the trapdoor for the first time in over a decade. As I sifted through stuff that I hadn’t seen in years all the memories came flooding back; my son Brian’s computer and the dozens of games that he used to spend hours playing in his room, my husband Edward’s collection of Corgi cars and trucks – all pristine in their original boxes. The Star Wars figurines that my other son Edward Jnr. used to collect reminded me of how excited he’d been when my husband had taken him to see the film – when would that have been, 1978, 1979? Beano Annuals, vinyl LPs, school textbooks and reports, football programmes.
It was only when I opened an innocuous-looking shoebox that my trip down memory lane turned into a nightmare. In it I discovered old love letters written to my husband from a woman named Sue. They covered the best part of a decade between 1967 and 1975, when they suddenly stopped. I was in tears as I read about their illicit meetings, her repeated demands that he leave me – not to mention content of a frank sexual nature. I am still trembling as I write this letter; I am at a loss and really don’t know what best to do.
Dear Sandra,
My heart goes out to you, you poor girl. What must you be going through? But dry those tears because help is at hand. It’s called eBay. Thousands of items are sold on this online auction site every day, and it’s really simple to use. Just log on and you’re away. The demand for collectables has never been higher; people are willing to pay exorbitant prices for the things you describe. Those Corgi cars – still in their original boxes – and the Star Wars figurines; you could be sitting on a goldmine! Without seeing them I couldn’t give you an honest evaluation of the LPs, computer games or the football programmes, but nostalgia lives on and someone will have them. I’m afraid that the school textbooks are probably worthless, but what is it they say, you can’t put a price on a good education anyway?
If you don’t have access to a computer and the Internet (and why not?), car boot sales continue to thrive. For a nominal fee you can set up a small stall and sell, sell, sell. Check your local newspaper for details.
So, what are you waiting for? Something tells me that you and your husband will be booking that cruise sooner than you think!
