|
Post by MakingChanges on Jan 25, 2015 18:48:44 GMT -5
What are you able to sell or donate??
For me, I have found that I have a fair amount of stuff. (Can we say....to the ceiling?)
I am creating this thread so we can help each other gather clothing and jewellry for selling or donating.
I want to hear the process happening and to hear when you have actually taken something to a store!
Scary for me!! Never done it!
So far, I have 5 rings, 5 necklaces, and two red tops (new) in a nice bag. That was hard!
I called the store to check - seems Buffalo Exchange is a good place - and all over the country.
Let's do this!
-MakingChanges
|
|
|
Post by casper on Jan 25, 2015 18:55:07 GMT -5
This past week I sorted out my linens and bedding and took all the items I no longer need or want to the local animal shelter. They especially need lots of blankets for bedding and anything that can be used for cleaning rags.
|
|
|
Post by MakingChanges on Jan 25, 2015 19:19:00 GMT -5
They do? I didn't know that. So maybe my local animal shelter could use stuff too?
What do they need - towels blankets?
Thanks, MC
|
|
|
Post by ohblondie on Jan 25, 2015 19:34:40 GMT -5
I always have such good intentions about donating. But then they seem to fall apart.
Sometimes I'm good about getting stuff to the church rummage sale but I always feel like people get judgmental about donations. I sometimes it take it to the Salvation Army but I kind of have mixed feelings about that. I wish I had a really good spot to sell items because I'm coming across the brand new item still in the box. Sometimes I sit there and think is it worth $2 to hang on to this, but all the sudden I'll have a box of $2 items and then all the sudden I see $40 there.
I have some things I'd love to get to the dog shelter but I don't always have a car and the bus is not as always on that route. I seem like I'm full of excuses excuses excuses excuses.
I did give a friend some clothes for my kids and she used the last past a lot of long. I did give about 12 to 15 bags to some friends at work and they went through my stuff and kept quite a bit and donated the rest. I am getting some stuff out of the house.
|
|
|
Post by joyinvirginia on Jan 25, 2015 19:42:32 GMT -5
great thread topic! I had put aside some unwanted Christmas decorations add I was packing things up last week. This afternoon finally put the things in a box for donation, along with couple of decorated baskets. I have another box upstairs of things for donation. And a bag of clothing that has been in back of my car for two months, I keep forgetting it. Sometime this week I will take all this stuff to thrift store.
|
|
|
Post by canna on Jan 25, 2015 19:43:28 GMT -5
Resale shop experience
I volunteer at a nice resale shop. We sure do get a lot of donations! All things are sorted, price tagged, and then put on display - every two weeks there is a change of color put on the tags (red, blue, purple, yellow, etc.. There is also the "racks in the back" where clothes are $1.00 each or sometimes 50% off. - one week it will have blue tagged clothing, next, purple, etc. And sometimes nice designer $$ clothing is donated - such a deal! All things in the store are arranged on the shelves very well. Good selections of clothes men's women's children's and a huge rack of baby clothes and items. We watch what we put on display at sorting room no stains on clothing, children's toys are all checked for safety and working order. Household appliances, kitchen ware, cd's vhs tapes and dvds. Ha the biggest donation times are after weekends in the summer, all leftover garage sale items wow!
Yes, you sure can call a resale shop nearby or bring things in and ask if they will take the items. Have no fear, you'll be helping someone who would like to have the items you donate.
The shop is run by an organization that helps those in domestic violence situations. Counseling, shelters, support, etc. And the families in the shelters get vouchers for items in the store.
|
|
|
Post by hiding on Jan 25, 2015 20:19:54 GMT -5
I haven't tried to sell anything. I have too many privacy concerns to have my own yard sale and I don't want to bother with consignment shops. To me, the money for the items is already gone. I am not concerned with recovering any of it although I do understand why people want to get some of their money back. More power to them. Some folks are quite successful with it. But at this point in my life, I want the things gone. So anything that is good condition I take to a thrift shop. So far they have accepted everything I have taken them.
Before I started taking things to the thrift store, I was putting free boxes out on the sidewalk. People did take things. Unfortunately, folks would look through the items and leave what they didn't want in a jumbled mess. So I stopped doing that unless I could fill a whole box that would likely be taken as a package deal. For example, I filled a box with Halloween decorations a few weeks before Halloween. As I had hoped, someone took the whole box at one time.
Sometimes items are too far gone to be successfully repaired (by me). In those cases I throw them away.
|
|
|
Post by bittyboo on Jan 25, 2015 20:30:58 GMT -5
Buffalo Exhange may not be the best place to go for people wishing to get rid of things. Yes, they will buy items, but they are extremely particular about what they buy. It doesn't matter if it's a brand new item with the tags still attached, or if it's an expensive designer item. If it doesn't appeal to the buyer, they won't buy it. They always prefer that you trade your items for other items.
The Buffalo Exchange in my town has a terrible reputation for pressuring people to trade desirable items for other, less desirable items and then, after the customer leaves the store, they take the item they just refused to buy, jack up the price and put it on the buy only racks.
This may not be the case everywhere -- this is a university town -- but I suspect this is their business model.
ETA: Buffalo Exchange is also notorious for selling items left with them to be donated to charity. In other words, if they won't buy something, and you don't want to trade but are willing to donate the item to charity, they are not above raiding the charity box to maximize their profits
|
|
|
Post by MakingChanges on Jan 25, 2015 20:40:30 GMT -5
Ohblondie - I wish you were here - Alameda, CA. has superb garage sales! How fun would that be? 12 to 15 bags at your work! Wow!!! That is massive!!!! Gee wiz!!
JoyinVa! Hi! Please tell me when that stuff is out the door - sounds great. Lotta hard work to get there!!!!
Canna! I would go nuts shopping in that store... but I have done enough shopping, and now it's timeto let others enjoy the good stuff I have, especially the new stuff!!!
Hiding - I hope I can do what you do. I'm 47, but I'm a full time college student and single Mom. I need the $$, but that said...I am so wounded by my lack of space...and we only have this one life here....so I hear you - sometimes it is OK to just get rid of things and not worry about it. It is OK for us to do that - permission granted!!
Love you all, MC
|
|
|
Post by casper on Jan 25, 2015 21:05:10 GMT -5
They do? I didn't know that. So maybe my local animal shelter could use stuff too? What do they need - towels blankets? Thanks, MC My shelter loves to receive clean towels, blankets, quilts, sheets, pillow cases, fabric, pillows, cushions, wash cloths, furniture moving blankets... Almost any fabric type thing they can get. They also like plastic shower curtains and drop cloths to use when they have to shave the fur off of a critter. I also send along all the cat toys, scratch posts & cat furniture my cats don't care for and any harnesses, collars and leashes I don't need. You can always call your local shelter and ask them.
|
|
|
Post by BetsyMarie on Jan 25, 2015 21:10:27 GMT -5
My favorite thift store to donate to has a website that tells you what they will take. And several drop off places with easy access. They (and several others) also will schedule pick ups at your home by phone - just leave stuff near the street and they will come by with a truck for it.
If you have things you'd rather go for more direct help, see if your town has any rescue missions or women's shelters. Look in the phone book and give them a call.
I also may have a yard sale 'someday' but only keep to sell items that would be worth more than $2-3. And in the end I may end up donating it all anyway.
I find it difficult to give away 'good' stuff, but once it's gone, after some natural regret, it feels great to be rid of it.
|
|
|
Post by hiding on Jan 25, 2015 21:26:22 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by papermoon on Jan 26, 2015 1:11:27 GMT -5
I am not allowed to go inside thrift stores... they give me extreme anxiety attacks. Luckily, my Goodwill has a big receiving dock at the side, far away from the store entrance. I love taking stuff there and walking away empty-handed... it's one of the best feelings in the world. I take old towels, sheets, and blankets to the animal hospital, after being freshly washed in hot water. Sometimes they'll tell me they have plenty, but they will donate my stuff to VET-SOS, which is a mobile veterinary service for the pets of street people. I'm happy that my stuff can be used for the aid and comfort of animals, no matter where.
|
|
|
Post by desireelafleur on Jan 26, 2015 9:55:50 GMT -5
I always have such good intentions about donating. But then they seem to fall apart. Sometimes I'm good about getting stuff to the church rummage sale but I always feel like people get judgmental about donations. I sometimes it take it to the Salvation Army but I kind of have mixed feelings about that. I wish I had a really good spot to sell items because I'm coming across the brand new item still in the box. Sometimes I sit there and think is it worth $2 to hang on to this, but all the sudden I'll have a box of $2 items and then all the sudden I see $40 there. I have some things I'd love to get to the dog shelter but I don't always have a car and the bus is not as always on that route. I seem like I'm full of excuses excuses excuses excuses. I did give a friend some clothes for my kids and she used the last past a lot of long. I did give about 12 to 15 bags to some friends at work and they went through my stuff and kept quite a bit and donated the rest. I am getting some stuff out of the house. I don't know where you are but some charities will pick up at your door. The Boys and Girls club sometimes has pick-up services...
|
|
|
Post by homesteph on Jan 26, 2015 10:09:01 GMT -5
I am so grateful that there is a Goodwill donation spot a few blocks from the house, literally a minute drive away. Open 8 am to 8 pm daiIy. It is not attached to a thrift store so there is no temptation to bargain hunt. Just not many excuses left to avoid donating! Yesterday I photographed a few dozen items of nicer clothing and donated them. I will use the photos as a reminder for valuing and documenting 2015 taxes. But in December I did a large donation and gave myself amnesty on the photographing part. Sometimes I give myself amnesty from even dealing with a receipt and just let it go completely.
We have thought of selling items, but do have security concerns, though I have bought a few items from Craigslist. Mostly it is just that my time and energy are limited right now. I try to think of those small dollars not captured as an investment in regaining health faster.
|
|