The meaning of stuff

In my line of work, I am in homes all the time. Sometimes the homes I am visiting are vacant, but often they are still occupied and furnished. We Realtors advise our clients about what to or not to display in their homes while the home is on the market for sale. Our advice usually leans towards doing things that will make the home feel more spacious (decluttering),"depersonalizing" by putting away personal photos etc. to allow a potential buyer to envision the home as theirs, and advising certain color palettes that are neutral and unlikely to solicit strong reactions. All of this stuff is proven to be effective and it's pretty easy to see why, but the things that I often notice (and often my buyer clients do also) are a bit more subtle. For example; the books on the book shelves or the ABSENCE of books, the clothes in the closet, the type of products left lying around the bathroom, and in my case specifically, because of personal interests-- is there music around in any format, or instruments? Recently, I was in a home that had an entire room dedicated to the owner's AWESOME vinyl collection. I know nothing of the person that owns this home, but I am undeniably curious about them and find myself wanting to know them. It is not a rational reaction, but an emotional, even sentimental one that I find very interesting. I mean just because some person has an interest that I share is no guarantee that they are a cool person, but in my mind the odds are already stacked in their favor.

On my list of things to read presently is a book by local author Sam Gosling called -
Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You.

The following is from www.monitortalent.com:
"Sam Gosling is an author and associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a nationally regarded researcher and innovator in the field of personality and social psychology. His work has been widely covered in the media, including The New York Times, Psychology Today, NPR, and "Good Morning America," and his research is featured in Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. Gosling is the recipient of the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution.

Gosling’s recently published book, Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, is a provocative and witty look at how our private spaces—from boardroom to bedroom—reveal our personalities, whether we know it or not! Does what's on your desk reveal what's on your mind? Do those pictures on your walls tell true tales about you? For the last ten years Gosling has been studying how people project (and protect) their inner selves. By exploring our private worlds, he explores not only how we showcase our personalities in unexpected—and unplanned—ways, but also how we create personality in the first place, communicate it others, and interpret the world around us."

My home is furnished with a pretty motley assortment of items that I have collected over the years and many of them are from thrift stores, Craigslist, and sometimes the garbage (for reals)or the side of the road. I like to think that what this says about me is that I am frugal and whimsical, however perspective is all relative and one person's whimsy is someone else's tacky. One thing is for sure, in this economy (or any economy) decorating your home or yourself with second hand or found items saves money and creates a unique look that you won't see in the pages of the West Elm catalog or at The Gap.

I have included some photos of them here for admiration or ridicule.