Gothamist: Collyer Bros.: Pack Rats to End All Pack Rats

brittany gunter

Thu, 10 May 2007 13:46:23 -0500

i thought my mom was a pack rat i just told her that the other day cause we moved out of our house into a new one and that wasn't any fun moving her stuff. she has alot of stuff but none of that compares to the collyer brothers i just so want to know why they kept all of the stuff??? it makes someone wonder why? small town girl from texas brittany gunter

Jeff Alterman

Thu, 27 Jan 2005 23:00:30 -0500

I have the perfect tool that can help to control clutter to some extent and it is also fun to use. It is a Tonka Sanitary Service toy garbage truck. I bought mine on eBay in late June 2004 and I use it to help contain the junk mail. I enjoy using it and it makes getting rid of clutter an easier chore. Even though it was a children's toy, it can help an adult to help keep clutter under control. Once the truck fills up, I simply dump the contents into the recyclables since I only put paper (junk mail) into the truck. Jeff Alterman

Jeff Alterman

Tue, 16 Mar 2004 22:23:43 -0500

I remember hearing about the Collyer Brothers on Eyewitness News back in 1983? when Joel Siegel did a story on New York in the 1940s. They hoarded an incredible amount of junk. Their bodies were found amid the debris. They must of had obsessive compulsive hoarding syndrome. On Sunday Mrach 14, 2004 Dateline NBC just had a story about a man who hoarded everything he could get his hands on. His house would remind one of the Collyer Brothers.

LRT[joy]

Fri, 12 Dec 2003 15:31:41 -0500

this is really sad. u know what? this is my 2nd time here 2day. i came by way of links on other pages and seem 2 always end up back here.

Jen

Fri, 31 Oct 2003 11:15:18 -0500

Yeah, I know the Times covered this. Read the post.

Jim Beam

Wed, 29 Oct 2003 23:19:55 -0500

I think the Times covered this one.

U-nanimous

Wed, 29 Oct 2003 20:49:43 -0500

This reminds me of artist/avant-garde filmmaker Harry Smith, who collected all sorts of things: books, Ukrainian Easter eggs, antique door knockers. He lived in rooms at the Chelsea Hotel among other places, including a flophouse in the Bowery for a while. Like Franz Lidz's uncle in the Times article, Smith used to find paper airplanes all over New York, and supposedly donated his huge collection to the Smithsonian. Pack rats are amazing.