What I Chose to Sell When Life Happened
I cannot express how happy I am to be writing this blog post. While I do not like the circumstances that led to this, I feel extremely fortunate that I have a platform to share my experience. I never want this to happen to anyone. Unfortunately, life happens. So, whether you have a future move, unexpected bills, illness, or similar circumstances, I hope this story let’s you know you aren’t alone!
What Happened?
A combination of chest pressure, shortness of breath, and a racing heart finally pushed me to see my primary care physician. What I thought was a chest cold was, in fact, a pulmonary embolism. After ER visits and extensive tests, I received my bills, and I am shocked at what wasn’t covered through my insurance. So, I looked in my lolita closet and made some tough decisions.
I Took it One Piece at a Time
I’ve been collecting lolita items for over ten years. Like most Lolitas, I take pride and cherish the items in my wardrobe. For me, I knew if I looked at my wardrobe as a whole would be overwhelming. So, I grouped items by their type and arranged them on my bed. I decided that the more simplistic I could be with this process, the better!
2. I Chose My Absolute Treasures
Once the items were sorted by category, I chose a piece I couldn’t part with. As an example, Milky Planet was my choice for dresses. I compared each dress to Milky Planet. Did I love this piece as much as Milky Planet, a little less than Milky Planet, or something I could pass onto another Lolita?
3. I Thought About My Style
As you probably know, I am mainly a Sweet Lolita. I do wear Gothic as well, though infrequently. Of my four dark themed pieces, the brand-new ones were the hardest. Lost Kitten and the Magic Lantern by Metamorphose, Unicorn Séance by Angelic Forest, and a Cat Headdress by Antique Beast. After a few days, I decided that, while I enjoy these pieces, I really stick to Sweet Lolita. For me, a decision to stay within this style made this choice easier.
4. I Spent Time with My Items
With the wisdom of my therapist and Marie Kondo, I used the KonMari Method and thanked the items I chose to sell. I appreciated the beautiful craftsmanship and design of these pieces. When I was finished, I bagged or boxed them up for their next home.
With the items I was indecisive about, I hung them on my closet door and would look at them throughout the day. If I could part with it after some time, then I could list it. If not, I’d put it back in the closet and try again.
5. I Let Myself Feel
There are pieces that I sold I’d love to get back in the future, but for the most part I’m happier watching the balance on my medical bills decrease. I’m very fortunate to have a partner that I can speak openly with, which helped me through this process. I left myself feel sad and frustrated for a healthy amount of time, and now I’m moving forward happy that I made some financial progress!
Final Thoughts
While it wasn’t easy, I reduced some bills, made my closet more accessible, made a smaller wardrobe so I can wear items more frequently, and refocused on my personal lolita style.
While I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone, I hope this is informative and answers some questions. Thanks so much for reading!