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The World’s Biggest Hoarders in Modern History

April 13, 2019 By Richard Farrell

Each time the media trot out a story about a hoarder it usually concerns a poor old person who could not throw things away. This overlooks a large part of the truth. Some rich and famous people have been the biggest hoarders in modern history. Top up your favourite beverage, settle down and prepare to be amazed.

Thomas Jefferson – Founding Father of the United States

Jefferson was a logical fellow and a descendant of British aristocracy which do not always go well together. He wrote the Declaration of Independence and famously said “The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers”.

However he did both. Would you believe Thomas Jefferson was a closet hoarder? He had thousands of books he sold to Congress. Then he started all over again.

Ida Mayfield – Wealthy Socialite Turned Recluse

When Ida Mayfield became bored with society she locked herself into a two-bedroom apartment, and only spent a few dollars a day on food she ordered in. Social security winkled her out after she turned 92.

The ‘poor old dear’ had 50 $10,000 bills pinned inside her nightgown, and a fortune in diamond jewellery stashed away in empty cracker boxes.

William Randolph Hearst – Collector of Buildings

A career as a sensationalist journalist-cum-newspaper owner taught William he could do anything with money. He didn’t have time for politics, remarking “A politician will do anything to keep his job, even become a patriot.

So William became a collector of buildings, whole buildings in fact. He also hoarded building bric-a-brac: doorknockers, warming pans, tile stoves, musical instruments, pipes, and lanterns you name it that he sent direct to storage.

The Collyer Brothers – Death by Hoarding

These two gentlemen lived with their mother until she died. They stayed in touch with society until one went blind and the other quit work to care for him. Somewhere along the line they started hoarding until their hundred tons of treasures were stacked to the ceilings.

They ended up digging tunnels through the debris to get to the loo, fetch a beer, whatever. They died after a tunnel collapsed on them. The council demolished the house and made a park over the foundations named after them.

Andy Warhol – Old Pizza Crusts in Original Boxes

This pop artist was a classic, often writing to friends complaining he could never throw things away. After he died, his executors found those old pizza boxes piled high although we doubt they sampled them!

Warhol was fading from the media limelight by then. He spent his declining years packing half a million objects into boxes he called ‘time capsules’. Would that be a hoarder’s diary?

Stranger than Fiction – Weirder than Truth

That was quite a revelation, wasn’t it? Hoarding is no respected of persons or status. Some hoarders begin with the best intentions in the world and then things get out of hand.

Why not bookmark this page to start your own hoard of interesting things you’ll always find on these pages? We’d love it if you came back again.

Related

Filed Under: Compulsive Hoarding Tagged With: andy warhol uneaten pizzas, hoarder house clearance services, ida mayfield hoarder, the collyer brothers, thomas jefferson closet hoarder

Our House Clearance Services

We provide a full house clearance and property management solution:

  • We clear hoarded houses, regardless how big or how cluttered
  • We clear all types and sizes of property, irrespective of location, or access is restricted or where parking is difficult or not available.
  • We can help avoid water damage by draining the central heating system.
  • We can secure the property and change the locks.
  • We can reinstate the gardens and maintain them whilst the property is empty.
  • We can provide 24 hour security to eliminate the risk of squatting or unlawful occupation.

As well normal house clearances we specialise in clutter clearance and we can clear a hoarded house which may contain years of accumulated possessions, or which have abnormal amounts of general household items, sometimes as a result of compulsive hoarding syndrome.

Equally we can help to clear a property where the occupants were previously unwell and unable to care for themselves or their property which sometimes results in insanitary, dangerous or just plain unpleasant conditions.

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Client Reviews

Jenny Schon
Dec 3, 2021
 by Jenny Schon on Avery Associates
Well done

This truly is a 'one stop shop' for all things relating to Probate valuations and clearance. Jeffrey is a 'facilitator' and full marks to him for finding... Read More

Kevin Anderson
Oct 26, 2021
 by Kevin Anderson on Avery Associates
Fantastic and Reliable

Our aunt was a recluse and hoarder. She died leaving two properties in London that were dilapidated and completely hoarded. Unfortunately, because everything... Read More

It was a pleasure to assist Kevin

T. Hackett
Aug 26, 2021
 by T. Hackett on Avery Associates
1st Class Service

Avery Associates Appraisal I have just moved house after almost 30 years of occupation. My initial choice of movers, Pickfords, decided at the last... Read More

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