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WestMichRad

(1,812 posts)

66. Extreme hoarding

Mon Oct 28, 2024, 10:33 AM

Oct 28

Volunteered to help clean out an elderly gentleman’s house. He had saved and stacked up so many books and magazines that we literally had to squeeze between them to move around in the house (and I was a skinny one back then! )
He was a WWII survivor from Eastern Europe. Much of the printed material was in Polish, I think. We recycled everything we could… filled more than one dumpster's worth with just printed material.

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What's the strangest thing you ever saw in someone's house? [View all] debm55 Oct 27 OP

Life-sized Mannequins at my MILs house. woodsprite Oct 27 #1

Sorry , but that is funny and creepy. Thank you woodsprite. debm55 Oct 27 #2

One of my jobs in early adulthood was at a mannequin factory. WestMichRad Oct 28 #50

Jeffrey Dahmer stole a couple of those to keep as boyfriends. milestogo Oct 29 #123

ball lightning lapfog_1 Oct 27 #3

Yes that would be terrifying. Thank you lapfog_1 debm55 Oct 27 #4

Lucky no one was struck by it. wnylib Oct 27 #39

A very large bird Tweedy Oct 27 #5

Thank you Tweedy. We had small birds go through the chimney and the cats would chase them though out the house. debm55 Oct 27 #7

I needed signatures on paperwork and went to the client's home for them..he opened the door and I stepped in Deuxcents Oct 27 #6

That is sickening. I feel sorry for you having to experience that. debm55 Oct 27 #8

A baby bull... oldsoldierfadingfast Oct 27 #17

Thank you oldsoldierfadingfast. Sad post with a happy ending. Oh and welcome to DU. debm55 Oct 27 #20

I had a newborn lamb under my bed Laurelin Oct 28 #105

Best thing I've read all day Lulu KC Nov 11 #125

An authentic Suit of Armor from the Middle Ages. madaboutharry Oct 27 #9

Thank you madaboutharry. Yes very strange debm55 Oct 27 #11

A Renoir in the bathroom. The real deal. A sketch of a young woman. In a full bath. Solly Mack Oct 27 #10

Thank you Solly Mack. I see your point. debm55 Oct 27 #12

I've gone into homes with stuffed dead animals but that wasn't strange for the people involved. Solly Mack Oct 27 #19

I would be strange for me. debm55 Oct 27 #22

They let their two small dogs just go in the house Alpeduez21 Oct 27 #13

That is very gross. Were they elderely and not able to clean up? debm55 Oct 27 #15

Neither just couldn't be bothered, I guess Alpeduez21 Oct 27 #18

I house sat for a boss once Diraven Oct 28 #101

Gross Alpeduez21 Oct 28 #115

A 60mm mortar round next to the fireplace in the home of a kid I was friends with. rsdsharp Oct 27 #14

that could be dangerous. debm55 Oct 27 #16

Not if it was inert. I assume my friend's father brought it back from WWWII. rsdsharp Oct 27 #21

With some people you never know. I more than likely inert. debm55 Oct 27 #23

I used to have an inert tank round Diraven Oct 28 #102

14 ft wood sailboat from the 30s...mast included. Beautifully maintained. GP6971 Oct 27 #24

That is very strange. Which room did they keep it in? debm55 Oct 27 #25

Foyer and it was huge. GP6971 Oct 27 #26

That is very odd. Thank you. debm55 Oct 27 #27

A stuffed giraffe. mommymarine2003 Oct 27 #28

Thank you mommymarine2003, That is strange. debm55 Oct 27 #30

A bomb shelter Cartoonist Oct 27 #29

Thank you Cartoonist. Yes that is strange. debm55 Oct 27 #31

It's nice they were able to repurpose it after the Cold War ended Hekate Oct 28 #48

Michael Jackson room. Bmoboy Oct 27 #32

That sure is creepy. thank you, Bmoboy. debm55 Oct 27 #33

An acquaintance of mine had the tumor that was surgically removed from his brain.... lastlib Oct 27 #34

Thank you lastlib. that would creep me out too. debm55 Oct 28 #64

Wow. You win. Joinfortmill Oct 28 #77

A stuffed polar bear standing upright in a menacing pose in a drained fish pond in a living room Brother Buzz Oct 27 #35

Thank you Brother Buzz. That is sad and creepy. debm55 Oct 28 #65

I was just a kid and didn't understand the creepy bit yet Brother Buzz Oct 28 #88

Peyote growing in the kitchen window Runningdawg Oct 27 #36

Thank you Runningdawg. That's strange. debm55 Oct 28 #67

A bathroom with mirrors on all four walls and the ceiling, weird. You can see your self doing doc03 Oct 27 #37

Thank you doc03, that is very strange. debm55 Oct 28 #69

Rofl Joinfortmill Oct 28 #78

My brother bought a house to use as a rental. duncang Oct 27 #38

This message was self-deleted by its author doc03 Oct 27 #42

Very strange indeed. Thank you duncang. debm55 Oct 28 #70

My cousin's husband crud Oct 28 #93

Satanic altar? XanaDUer2 Oct 27 #40

Thank you XanaDUer2. I would have done the same. debm55 Oct 28 #71

Not very strange compared to some other posts here, wnylib Oct 27 #41

Thank you wnylib, That would creep me out too. debm55 Oct 28 #61

A Nazi flag about 10 feet wide hanging in someones living room. nt doc03 Oct 27 #43

Did you leave. I would have walked out. debm55 Oct 28 #60

The person had passed away, relatives were doc03 Oct 28 #95

Thank you doc03 and a Nazi lover.teacher debm55 Oct 28 #96

I have one, folded up on the top shelf of my closet. My father brought it back from the war yellowdogintexas Nov 11 #126

But you's are not on display. I don't what I would do with it either. Thank you yellowdogintexas. debm55 Nov 11 #132

When we first got married my husband drove his motorcycle inside our house to work on it TommieMommy Oct 27 #44

Thank you TommieMommy. That is different. debm55 Oct 28 #59

That would be him, you never knew what he would do. Made our life together interesting. I miss him. TommieMommy Oct 28 #83

Lol Joinfortmill Oct 28 #81

A camel saddle some_of_us_are_sane Oct 27 #45

Thank you some_of_us_are_sane debm55 Oct 28 #58

My aunt actually turned a camel saddle into a footstool Laurelin Oct 28 #107

A sex dungeon in the basement. LudwigPastorius Oct 28 #46

Oh my. That is strange. Thank you LudwigPastorius. debm55 Oct 28 #57

It was a toy from the Ultraman series, I think sakabatou Oct 28 #47

Thank you sakabatou. I don't blame you. debm55 Oct 28 #55

I know a real estate appraiser who's seen all kinds of stuff underpants Oct 28 #49

Thank you underpants. I wonder if they were hoarders. debm55 Oct 28 #52

Many years ago Diamond_Dog Oct 28 #51

Thank you Diamond_Dog. Yes that does sound very strange. debm55 Oct 28 #53

When we moved into my childhome home (1972) there was a detached garage with a root cellar FSogol Oct 28 #54

Thank you FSogol. Must have been brought up from Friday and former owners just left it. Sad. but creepy debm55 Oct 28 #62

Not really strange if..fish..had..wings Oct 28 #56

Thank you. I would say it was strange and dangerous debm55 Oct 28 #63

Extreme hoarding WestMichRad Oct 28 #66

Thank you WestMichRad. Sounds like there were problems with the gentleman. debm55 Oct 28 #72

We all have our problems, don't we?! WestMichRad Oct 28 #97

Well, there was a fire hydrant in one. In another, a gynecological exam table. WheelWalker Oct 28 #68

Thank you WheelWalker. Very strange and creepy. debm55 Oct 28 #73

Not going there Joinfortmill Oct 28 #84

Years ago when my wife and I were looking for a house to buy in the Midwest... hunter Oct 28 #74

Thank you hunter. Some very strange houses. What did you find behind the carpet on the walls? debm55 Oct 28 #75

We didn't buy that house. There were too many strange things about it. hunter Oct 28 #90

Thank you hunter. debm55 Oct 28 #94

A moose head, which is a bit freaky, believe me. Joinfortmill Oct 28 #76

Thank you Joinfortmill. freaky for sure. debm55 Oct 28 #79

an inground pool in the living room. the whole house reeked of chlorine. Native Oct 28 #80

Yuk that sure would. Thank you Native. debm55 Oct 28 #82

A German Nazi general's uniform. FuzzyRabbit Oct 28 #85

Thank you FuzzyRabbit. That is gross. debm55 Oct 28 #86

A real taxidermied polar bear, standing up with teeth and claws bared, in attack stance. Laffy Kat Oct 28 #87

Thank you Laffy Kat. so sorry for you and the bear. debm55 Oct 28 #89

The headstone of a living friend dlbell Oct 28 #91

Thank you dlbell. Makes sense but is so creepy. debm55 Oct 28 #92

This isn't a inside the house. duncang Oct 28 #98

Thank you duncang. Was the house in Texas? it sounds very strange. debm55 Oct 28 #99

Yep, Montgomery County Texas. duncang Oct 28 #117

A neighbor has a collection of Cookie Jars in the shape of pigs. He has about 10 of them , all the same on the top of debm55 Oct 28 #100

A stuffed whooping crane. And yes, they are a protective species. Ferrets are Cool Oct 28 #103

So sorry for that bird. I am sorry that you had to witness that. debm55 Oct 28 #108

A stripper pole BOSSHOG Oct 28 #104

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHHHAH. thank you BOSSHOG That is funny. debm55 Oct 28 #106

I am a real estate photographer who has shot over 4000 homes in the last 7 years. I have seen more Ferrets are Cool Oct 28 #110

HAHAHHAHAHAH. Thank you Ferrets are Cool debm55 Oct 28 #112

We sold our home in Mississippi in 2018 BOSSHOG Oct 28 #118

It makes a world of difference Ferrets are Cool Oct 28 #119

Something that did not seem strange at the time but would now Eko Oct 28 #109

Thank you Eko. Yes that could be dangerous. debm55 Oct 28 #113

Now that I think of it, it kinda was. Eko Oct 28 #116

Not all that strange for deer hunters.... Niagara Oct 28 #111

I am so sorry about that. Niagara. I have seen them also.If you go to the Dakotas you will see gazebos made from the debm55 Oct 28 #114

I'm a pretty avid hunter Ontheboundry Nov 11 #129

Welcome to DU, Ontheboundry Niagara Nov 11 #133

A full-size airplane being built in a one bedroom apartment ZoltarSpeaks Oct 29 #120

Thank you ZoltarSpeakes. That is very strange. debm55 Oct 29 #121

Well it was both one of the strangest and one of the coolest. OldBaldy1701E Oct 29 #122

That is cool. Thank you OldBaldy1701E debm55 Oct 29 #124

It was my own house, actually. yellowdogintexas Nov 11 #127

I've been in this guy's house Polybius Nov 11 #128

My late wife and I sold our house 49jim Nov 11 #130

A coffin DemMedic Nov 11 #131