My grandma was a bona fide hoarder. Back when I was a kid, I was afraid to bring my friends to her house. There was stuff stacked floor to ceiling with just a deer trail leading between the rooms. 

This was back before people were really aware of hoarding. Now it's more widely known. Heck, there are even reality TV shows about it.

So I have the hoarding gene. And I like to shed hunt. That's a dangerous combination!

Things wouldn't be a problem for me if I only shed hunted locally, especially in northern Minnesota in recent years, where whitetail numbers are low. But I've got the shed hunting addiction and I'm willing to travel to scratch my antler itch. You get out west in a mule deer wintering area and I can find as many sheds in a day as I can find in a whole season back home!

So naturally, when people find out that I'm a shed hunter, they want to know what I do with my antlers. The answer? Nothing, really. 

At first I put them on shelves. But I soon ran out of space. Eventually they just ended up in plastic bins where they sit, unseen and unappreciated. But do I want to get rid of them? Heck no!

But there are better uses for sheds. They should be utilized and appreciated. Recent finds end up on my mantle where I can look at them, fondle them and admire their beauty. But soon, they get pushed aside and more recent finds take their place.

If you're lucky enough to have the problem of too many antlers, you might start to put them to use.

For one thing, you can sell them. Antlers are in high demand these days. A big part of the market is for dog chews. Companies saw antlers into pieces and sell antler chunks for insane amounts for dog chews. They are durable, long lasting and natural. Dogs love them.

Another outlet is the craft market. If you don't want to make crafts out of your antlers, there are people who do. 

You have a couple options for selling antlers: by the piece or by the pound. For average-sized antlers, a lot of buyers pay by the pound, especially for the dog chew market. If the antler is large or uniquely shaped, you can get more money selling it individually. Antler collectors are willing to pay premium prices for high-scoring or oddly shaped antlers. And crafters are always looking for cool curves, configurations or if the antler can stand on its own for display.

I swore I would never sell my antlers because I enjoy shed hunting just for the thrill of finding them and for their natural beauty. But alas, even I admit I have too many, so I have started to part with a few. It's a lot easier for me to sell antlers from a trip out west, where I was picking them up one after another and they start to blend together. The sheds I find locally I remember because they are few and far between. Plus, they might be from a deer I have history with. I don't sell local finds. They mean more to me.

Good places to sell antlers are eBay, Etsy, Craigslist, local auction houses or even garage sales. Selling animal parts is not permitted on Facebook Marketplace. Out west there are people who make their living entirely by buying and selling antlers. They drive from town to town, advertising where they will be next, and the locals bring their antlers to town to sell!

If you're artistically inclined, you might decide to make something out of your antlers. We've probably all seen beautiful antler chandeliers in major sporting goods stores or lodges. These giant pieces of functional art may contain dozens of antlers. That could be a lifetime of shed hunting for a lot of people! If you've got the antlers (and the ambition and know-how) that would be a cool project! But you can drop down a few notches and make a simple sconce out of a single antler. It's functional and it looks good. You could even make a few to line a hallway. Or turn out the lights and use an arching antler as a multi-candle holder.

Those who are artistically gifted can turn antlers into stunning pieces. Skilled artisans carve them into eagle heads and the points become wings. Broad antlers - especially moose paddles -- are the medium for carving intricate scenes. Other artists would rather paint them than carve them.

It takes a real craftsman to fashion these works of art, and not everyone has the skill. But there are simpler projects. Antlers have been long used as handles for knives, fireplace tools, letter openers, bottle openers and other crafts. They provide a functional use with rustic beauty. Cross-sections of antlers can be sliced to make buttons or jewelry. Or, if you have a drill press and a good-sized antler, you can make an antler cribbage board.

If you drill into an antler and hollow it out, you can make a variety of crafts, including rings, toothpick holders, game calls, pens, pipes and more. 

Personally, I cringe at the thought of cutting or carving my precious antlers. So for me, making crafts that don't require destroying an antler's natural beauty is more palatable. Antler-handle baskets are functional projects that don't require you to cut or drill an antlers. So are antler dream catchers.

I admit, I have cut up just a few antlers, but I only did so when they were already badly chewed by rodents, so it didn't really feel like I was "hurting" them. One such project was a fish "skeleton." I'd seen one on display and decided it couldn't be that hard. I used a very badly chewed moose antler for the head and tail and deer antler tines for the ribs. It didn't turn out too bad!

I've also made a simple coat rack out of antler points attached to a board. It's functional and kind of cool looking, although you can't even tell when it's being used!

Come Christmas time, I've seen some pretty impressive uses for antlers. Some people arrange them into a wreath. If you've got a lot of antlers in a lot of different sizes, you can even build an antler Christmas tree, starting with large antlers stacked at the bottom, with ever-smaller sheds as you work upward.

However, mostly, I just want to see antlers as they are; not altered. Each antler is already beautiful on its own. When I find a large shed or a special shed from a deer I have history with, it's nice to just display them. They look just fine lying on a coffee table or mantle, but you can also get metal or clear acrylic holders to display them upright on a table or attach them to a wall.

The next time your significant other asks you what you're going to do with all those antlers, just remind him or her that antlers have many uses. You're only limited by your own imagination!