Sunday, March 19, 2017

My Name is Connie, and I Hoard Sinks

I thought I had this tendency under control ... the overwhelming inability to resist the lure of an awesome sink.  It's been years since I added one to my stash.  Perhaps it was the stress of having too much going on at once lately, or maybe I underestimate the depth of my problem ... but, whatever, yesterday I caved.



This was the listing photo in the Craigslist ad.  "Sink (cast iron) $50".  It is exactly the type of sink that I was looking for when we were planning the renovation of our basement bathroom.  (My husband balked at the utilitarian look of this type of sink, and we ended up with a sink/vanity combination that is a lot more civilized.  It looks lovely, but my heart still ached to have a sink like this.)  The seller assured me that almost all of the discoloration in the photo was dirt and gunk.

I made arrangements to meet yesterday afternoon to see the sink in person.  When I called to say that I was on my way over, the seller was on his way out and only had a minute to wait.  City traffic, and one minor wrong turn, and I was late.  Seller called to tell me that he had to go.  He left the sink on the curb and said that I could just have it if I wanted it.  (I should have taken a picture of it sitting on the curb, but I didn't.)



Cast iron sinks are heavy ... way too heavy for me to move by myself.  At that moment, a helpful-looking college-aged lad walked by.  Turns out that he WAS very helpful. 

When I got home, I gave the sink a not-so-quick cleaning with an abrasive pad and some cleanser.  Hard-water deposits were scraped off with a single-edged razor blade.  There's still a lot left to do to get the bottom of the sink clean and relatively stain free, but I can see that it's going to be just fine.



Where am I going to use this new sink, you ask?  I have no earthly idea.  We already have the aforementioned nice sink in the basement bathroom.  None of our three remaining still-to-be-remodeled bathrooms are appropriate for something like this.  Maybe the laundry room, but we installed a new sink in there last year, and I'm not removing it just to have a place to use this one.  The redo of our Shack is a possibility, but I already have an awesome 42" vintage drainboard sink stashed away to use for that. 

It doesn't matter, really.  Eventually the perfect use for this sink will become apparent.  Until then, it will rest safely in our garage ... keeping company with rest of my hoarder's stash of sinks in there.

(If you want to see the post from 2010 about the final reveal of our basement bathroom renovation, click HERE.)

27 comments:

  1. What a transformation! Wherever it looks it will be a great addition. It's got such a nice shine to it now.

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    1. Amazing what a good scrubbing can do for something that looks ready for the scrap heap! For now, it's fine stashed safely in the garage.

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  2. My name is Karen and I horde vintage light fixtures.

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    1. I have a bunch of those, too. Shhhh, don't tell anyone.

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  3. Maybe for the greenhouse? I know you will find a place.
    The weight makes you wonder how they stayed in place so many years? lol

    xoxo

    Andie

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    1. There's an ingenious way to mount sinks like this to deal with their weight. See the metal bar-looking thing in the photo from the CL ad? That's a mounting bracket. Bolt it firmly into the wall's framing, slide the sink down onto it, and lugs on the back of the sink catch onto the bracket and hold the sink flat and securely to the wall, handling the physics of that much weight very efficiently.

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  4. I can see it now... "Hi, my name is Connie and I have a sink collecting struggle" because it isn't a problem, right?

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    1. I struggle with collecting SO many things ... sinks are simply the most recent example of my problem. I'm going to have to photograph and document the rest of the 'collection'. Facing a problem and admitting that it's a problem is a big step toward recovery, right?

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    2. You do know me, right? Everything becomes a collection in my world. You just need to focus on smaller items to collect... or you need more space, unless you have enough already. Then, you're perfectly fine. Remember that I have that giant antique baby carriage in our den/kitchen area and it sticks out to everyone who doesn't live then and even stuck out to Johnathan until he got used to it so...

      Are you familiar with the book __The Life Changing Method of Tidying Up__ by the Japanese professional organizer, Marie Kondo? She describes a simple method to declutter your life based on the idea of joy. Here's the reason it doesn't work on me. I LOVE my stuff. I like to dust so that I can look at all my little knickknacks. So when she asks, do you love it? Why YES! Yes, I do love it! (sets item back on shelf) Ha ha ha

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    3. This may also make me an enabler ;D

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    4. I'm making good progress on decluttering the things that I don't love and use. The volume of stuff that we have collected over the decades is the issue. Until recently, everything that I collected would 'one day' have a place to belong. This was true for a long time. Now, the collection has exceeded its potential usefulness, and it's become a problem to be dealt with.

      I have been stern with myself, selling, donating, and trashing a LOT of stuff. My goal is for everything in this house and its outbuildings to have a place where it belongs. My hope is that I live long enough to see real results from this effort.

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  5. Hi Connie, Well, it's a lovely sink. I hope you find a way to use it! Changing the subject, I had to put my little dog Rufus to sleep last week. He was a 14 year old Shih Tzu that we rescued from the pound. There was a little inner voice that told me he was the dog for me all those years ago and I loved him with all my heart. I know you understand how I feel. Thank you for your lovely blog.

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    1. Fourteen is a fine old age for a dog, but it's never enough time for us humans who love them. You already know that I truly believe that our pets find us. Our inner voice is a wise thing (most of the time), and our lives can be much richer if we listen when it tells us that we have been chosen. I do, indeed, understand how you feel. Take comfort in the fact that you saw Rufus off to his next life knowing how much he is loved. It is the kindest, most heartbreaking thing we do. I am very, very sorry, Anne.

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  6. Love the sink.....CLR (or the cheap Dollar Tree knock off) will work wonders on your hard water deposits. Also WD40 to remove the rust on the drain. And Clorox Cleaner in the blue or green bottle will give it the rest of the shine you are looking for without too much effort. I agree it WILL find it's rightful location.
    My most heartfelt condolences to your follower, Anne B, who lost her baby last week. Having stood in her shoes too many times to count, my heart aches for her this morning. Anne, thank you for rescuing and not buying. People just don't realize that there are breed-specific rescue groups that will help them get the breed they want and save an animal's life at the same time. Our motto, in our home, is "Adopt, Don't Shop". My prayers for you and your family as you try to adjust to that empty place by your side.

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    1. I am SO going to try your cleaning suggestions. Thank you!!

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  7. It is an awesome sink and I'm so glad you 'saved' it!!

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    1. Even though it has no real purpose yet, it feels awesome to finally have the sink that I have been dreaming about. As soon as I figure out where it will live, I will let you know.

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  8. I have a sink just like your new acquisition from CL. A friend gave it to me recently. I have it sitting by the back step gathering rain water until I figure out what I will do with it. Somebody has to rescue these pieces of antiquity from being trashed. I look forward to seeing you find a purpose for yours. It may give me some ideas. :-)
    I prefer to call myself a collector instead of a hoarder, so apparently I have not progressed as far as you have in admitting I have a problem.

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    1. The line between collecting and hoarding is very thin. I figure that my sink issue became hoarding when I had more sinks than places to potentially connect them to plumbing. Once I get a little farther in my renovation of various spaces, I can get rid of whichever sinks that I don't use ... that time isn't now. :)

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  9. I love it! And hey, it could be worse; at least you don't hoard urinals or toilets... ;-)

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    1. See, you DO have boundaries, and I'm sure you stick to them! Remember that the next time you feel a guilt trip coming on. :-)

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  10. Oh my gosh. I have to resist the urge to buy them all too!

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    1. The problem is REAL! For me, at this point, I think I have them ALL ... so there should be less temptation to deal with in the future. I wish you success with your struggle to resist, and I hope the ones that cause you to cave are AWESOME!!

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  11. I meant to post a comment sooner....Vinegar, will dissolve hard water stains/crystals, but you need to be careful, it will also remove chrome. I soak a rag and lay on the stain/crystal, and they will dissolve, rather quickly. Love the SINK...I know i hoard things also...I am reminded about it daily, but in my vision there will be a place one day....lol... ;)

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  12. Hi.My name is Joan. I have a stash of cast iron sinks in my barn...

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