One of the hardest things to swallow after declaring bankruptcy is how little you are actually worth. All those beautiful things that need to be dusted, the clothes that were on-trend, the furniture you saved for and dreamt about: they are not worth much to anyone else. Or if they are, you have to find that singular person who puts the same value that you do on your treasured possessions.
Our assets were listed and valued. Things that may be sold have to be sold or, essentially, repurchased if we want to keep them. I have discovered that although I bought something for $900.00 and I think it’s still worth $750.00, there are few people who agree with me. In this case, a solid, steel-built hay bale feeder went for $375.00. It’s pathetic. It’s worth much more but I have to dispose of it so as to pay the Trustees and creditors. I’ve had it listed since well before we went bankrupt but it seems that the people who are searching for bargains are not the type to appreciate quality. They want cheap and disposable, two things I equate as being totally wrong with our society. No wonder the world is heading to the dogs.
Our house is full of crap. I mean, we have expanded to fill our space but it’s impossible to sell anything for more than garage sale prices. It’s flat-out depressing. We look around at the things we have and are, occasionally, horrified by how much money we spent and/or invested in something. We will never recover the money we put into DVDs ($10,000?) or CDs. Linens are worthless. Books are turned away at the door of the used book store. Forget about clothing, unless they are designer, which we don’t own. I can’t sell my designer shoes, even on their own re-sale pages. Furniture: practically valueless. Kitchen appliances: nope. Knick knacks, no way. Even my horses, non-purebred lawn ornaments, are considered a liability.
It does make it easier to not purchase things now. We don’t have the money, true, but we also see how much we can get second-hand and how little things are worth except to us. I want to downsize in everything, clear it all out, because it takes up space and time and is of no value except to me.
How did this happen? Even for us, who try to buy smart and avoid the disposable society in which we live. I hate crap that is pumped out from China and costs us a dollar, then breaks and heads to a landfill. We see the landfills here in the north: in a small town you haul your own garbage and recycling. It’s frustrating to see how much gets tossed without a second thought. However, when you try to value it as we have, it’s sickening to realize it’s not even worth the drive to the dump.
Bankrupt In BC 