A SURVEY carried out by an online auction site has shown Britain to be a nation of hoarders - and people could be sitting on a goldmine of unwanted junk.

Internet site eBay has worked out that our cast-offs could be turned into hard cash, which would make the average household £325 each - or £17.7billion in total.

That's not bad going for something we have had lying in the attic for the past five years.

Ebay spokesman Richard Kanareck explained: "While we might want to keep a teddy bear or treasured piece of jewellery, there's no sense hanging on to an old mobile phone or the power tool that you're never going to put to good use, but which someone else might treasure."

One person's junk is another man's treasure - and this could well lead to a priceless and unique collection which could turn into one of the most comprehensive in the county.

Avid music collector Seamus Kelly from Worcester, has proved his thousands of records and CDs are an asset to him leading a happy life.

Mr Kelly, aged 73, has said he regularly listens to his collection and still adds to it every week.

He claims to have the biggest record collection in the city. He keeps it in his flat and a garage.

The music fan, who is an expert on the legendary Bing Crosby, has said he is having to put up more shelves to store his growing collection He has more than 2,321 tracks recorded by his hero, and has the singers lifetime works captured on EP, CD, LP and tapes.

He first heard the music of Bing Crosby when he was in his native Ireland in the late 1940s and listened to the song Rose of San Antonio.

He was unable to buy the record as he was young and did not have any money, but when he started his first job at the age of 17 he knew it would be the start of his collection.

"When I heard the song I knew then that when I did get a job I was going to buy a record of Bing Crosby. I started working in a textile factory and spent by first wage of £1 1 shilling on a 78rpm of Bing," he said.

Mr Kelly, who also enjoys listening to his swing, jazz and country music, says he has a huge interest in many of the old-time classics.

"I would never sell. To me it is a very valuable collection. I spend between £20 - £50 a week on the music. Sometimes I buy from the market but there is a few of the old time records coming out on CD which I get from a specialist company in London."

Mr Kelly, who is retired, says to him collecting the records is infectious. His wife, Christina, is also a fan and the couple spend their Sundays listening to a variety of tracks.

He said he was unable to put a number on how many he had and estimates it to be in the thousands.

"Music collection is like a disease. You just can't stop collecting and you are trapped."

"In terms of music I can't put a price on it. It is everything to me. My love of Bing Crosby has made me a lot of friends across the world. It is an absolute passion."

Instead of selling our unwanted items there are a few more ways to rid yourself of household items which you no longer have a use for.

Worcestershire County Council has said that while Britain may be hoarding its objects, the county's residents are signing up to Freecycle to get involved with getting rid of, and gaining items, for free.

A council spokesman said: "Environmentally-friendly households are catching on to all the secrets of good recycling habits if membership of an international organisation is any measure.

"Thousands of residents are signing up to the Freecycle website www.freecycle.org.uk, which allows people to re-use facilities others may feel are no longer of any value.

"And the number of people registered with the site across Worcestershire and Herefordshire - where the countycouncil's waste management team has been promoting it - has hit 10,000."

Households can put something they no longer want on to the site and they are contacted by others who might be looking for that item, saving it from being sent to landfill sites. Everything posted is free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.

Chris Atkinson, of the county council's waste challenge team, said: "Take-up of Freecycle's services is going really well and to have reached 10,000 across the two counties is great news. In Malvern alone there are more than 2,000 members, while Worcester has more than 1,000 and the other districts are catching up fast.

"It's great to see a web-based voluntary organisation actively supported by the county council really making a difference in terms of reducing the amount of household items that are going to landfill."

The county council waste challenge team can be contacted on 01905 766883 for advice or see the website at www.wastemission impossible.org.uk l Are you a collector? Do you have a house packed full of prized possessions? If so get in touch with us at Worcester News. Phone newsdesk on 01905 742244 or e-mail on

wenedit@worcesternews.co.uk.

OUR TOP 10 MOST TREASURED ITEMS

1. Books 2. Watches 3. Records 4. Mobile phones 5. VHS videos 6. Jewellery 7. Soft Toys 8. Camera 9. Ornaments 10. Computer