I am a selective hoarder. Throughout my house are boxes, drawers, and other containers chocked full of things I’ll never use but can’t bring myself to throw away. To find out if my odd collections are universal or unique, I’m sharing them here.

Beverage Containers. No event is complete without keepsake plastic cups, water bottles, mugs, thermal to-go cups, mason jars, and other containers emblazoned with some logo or message. I politely decline when possible, but still end up with more than I could ever use.

Writing Utensils. Scattered around my house are mugs, plastic cups, and small boxes overflowing with pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers. Some were gifts (fancy pens mostly) and some I bought (markers for various purposes), but the rest feature logos, slogans, and other messages.

Electronic Paraphernalia. One large drawer is devoted to unused chargers, power cords, adapters of various types, remote controls, etc. A large box in the garage barely contains miles of assorted wires and cables of varying lengths.

Obsolete Technology. I’ve got enough antique MP3 players, headphones, ear plugs, digital cameras, and old cell phones to start a museum. My CD collection sits unheard in a a big Rubbermaid storage container.

Light Bulbs. I have an impressive collection of light bulbs. As far as I know, the vast majority don’t go to anything I currently own. More than a few are older than the kids in my class.

Buttons. Dozens of buttons cover the bottom of my belt drawer. Most are in little plastic bags. I don’t know why I keep them. I couldn’t thread a needle to save my life. Even when I could, a missing button was grounds for dismissal from my wardrobe.

Paintings and Prints. I’ve acquired quite a lot of art over the years. Most was left to me by deceased loved-ones. Unless there’s an Antiques Roadshow surprise hidden in my collection, the frames are likely worth more than the work they contain.

My list would have been longer ten years ago. Moving to a smaller house in 2012 was an opportunity to deal with a lot of excess stuff. The surprise is how much I’ve managed to pile up since then.