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Husband used to have a hobby of selling collectibles, many years ago. Things of value, he used to go to flea markets, etc. Now with dementia, he cuts every page out of any magazine People, even the front cover with my name and address on it, puts it in frames from the dollar store and has ads in newspaper trying to sell each for $3 each. You can not convince him there is no market for this. We have cleared out our garage twice in two years and gave him almost $1,000 for the crap he thinks he sold. I can't afford it anymore. My kids say it keeps him busy, but the garage is filling up again, he finds magazines at thrift stores, I try not to take him there but I run out of places to take him. I can't stand it that his mind is so gone and does not understand. It is sad to see, but he angers easily when I tell him there is no more space in garage. Any suggestions?

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I'm not sure I understand. Your husband buys things at thrift stores and puts them in the garage until he can sell them or until he thinks he's sold them when it's really the family that is clearing the garage and giving him money to believe his thrift store finds have sold. Is that right?

Regarding the People magazine thing, I agree with your kids. It's a harmless activity that keeps him occupied. So many families of people with dementia don't know what to do with their loved one with dementia but your husband has a hobby. I think it's a positive thing. How much space do magazines take up in a garage?
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Could you “redirect” him? Check out art studios and adult day cares in your area to see if they might offer classes. We have a good one here that offers everything from preschool classes to paint, wine and cheese parties for adults. Or, maybe there is another form of art or crafting he might enjoy. Iunderstand your not wanting to keep magazines in your garage, especially at this time of year because they draw rodents. And newspaper ads can get expensive. Try redirection. It’s what we do with our preschoolers.
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If you or your kids work, maybe tell him you'll "sell" them at your office, then come home once a week with some cash to give him.  Keep the frames and tell him you bought more while you were on your way home from work.  Just an idea. Best of luck.
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he filled the garage twice in a year and a half, full. My kids took the stuff and gave it to salvation army and gave him cash, but he just keeps doing it over and over. garage is filled up again, and car is outside. Recently he is taking any magazine he finds and cuts out the pictures and puts in $1 frames, and the garage is filling up again. He has no reason. He found a book with pictures of cars and he will cut out each cr, he said he will make $1,000..hard to live like this. He just went downhill fast. In 6 months a dramatic change. Hard to get him to brush teeth, even eat, he lost a ton of weight.And his frustration makes him angry a lot. I will have to look at other avenues but for now I let him do this, but it is sad. He used to havea high powered job in the law profession, and sometimes he talks about disbarring a lawyer, he used to do that for state of New York at one time. Such a sad ending.
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Ahmijoy Jan 2019
I understand. My husband was a business owner. Now, he’s bedridden and I do all for him but feed him. Not the retirement I imagined. I completely understand how you feel.
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...maybe dwindle down the “sales” and hopefully HE will make the decision it isn’t a lucrative “business”. Maybe if he goes through the work, then doesn’t reap the return he will realize what you have told him about no market for his goods is true. PWD cannot be reasoned with, but if he comes to the decision himself...maybe... for sure not an overnight fix, but hopefully the “phase” will pass...
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Can you stop giving him cash? Tell him the money is directly deposited- maybe get a statement of some sort put together to show him- and recycle the frames. He probably won't notice. This can cost you nothing. Maybe one of your children can come on a regular schedule to "bring them to the consignment shop". Then they can return with a "great deal on frames" that they found.

It's sad. But with our Alzheimer's patient, there are moments where she's back. which are nice. I wish you more of those moments.
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We are coming up with inventive ways like saying a friend wants the stuff and we give him afew dollars. I didnt think to recycle the frames, next time I will tell the kids to take stuff out of frames and use them. I have to give him a few dollars, he earned it his whole life. I give him like $50 every couple of weeks, he goes to dollar store like a kid. He had such a high powered job before...it is sad all the way around.
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againx100 Jan 2019
Maybe you don't have to fill up the garage but just keep giving him back the same frames. I wonder if he would reuse the pages that he's cut out already if they were removed from the frames and put in a folder or box for him?

Very sad, but you can at least reduce the impact on filling up your garage. Maybe there's another kinds of money making scheme you can get him interested in that would be easier for you to handle? I have no idea what that would be, but.....
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