Stashing and destashing: an Etsy phenomena and a blog giveaway

In March 2008 in one of the Etsy forums spookylane said:

I see the word "destash" on Etsy every now and again. I tried looking for the explanation of this on Wiki, but couldn't find anything. Will someone enlighten me as to the meaning of the word "destash" please?

Well I went searching too and found two years later destash is yet to have an official definition anywhere but that it is everywhere on Etsy. It is so ubiquitous on Etsy that that I have just opened my very own destash shop (daxdestash.etsy.com).

If you think about what ‘stash’ means it’s pretty easy to see why ‘de’ stashing has become a well-used word on Etsy. According to various dictionaries to stash something is to put it away in a secret or safe place for future use. For nearly ten years according to this definition I have been building a bead stash that is now rather out of control. I have containers of all shapes and sizes full of things I have safely put away to use in future beading projects. The trouble is that once something is safely put away it’s very easy to forget you have it. It becomes it’s own secret that is only revealed in a major foray into the beading stash containers. Every foray into the bead containers creates a great urge to tidy and sort the stash so that the clutter it creates is reduced, more space is created for the next contribution to it and so that I can remember what is in it. The urge to reduce clutter, tidy and sort can mean that very little beading ever gets done as managing the stash becomes it’s own job. Hence, the attraction of ‘de’ stashing.

In English ‘de’ is a prefix that can be used at the beginning of a word to modify or change it’s meaning. De- is a prefix to that can mean to remove or reverse something – so to ‘de’ stash means to remove clutter and reverse the secrets stored in the stash by selling them or giving them away. In destashing lies the promise of a clutter free, secret free life with my beads and beady things. The tagline for one of the other destash shops on etsy is ‘releasing goods back into the wild’ http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeStash gives you a good sense of just how out of control a crafter’s stash can get. So, here I am full of hope, destashing to reduce clutter and create more storage for my current work and projects in that tidying no longer dominates what I do with my beads. Wish me luck!

In the spirit of destashing I am have a blog giveaway for the most entertaining comment about destashing made by a Dax Designs blog follower posted on my blog by 11^th Feb 2010. The giveaway will be a pair of very beautiful pink kunzite gemstone beads (see photo). Looking forward to hearing from folks.