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Post by ohblondie on Jan 26, 2015 12:09:40 GMT -5
homesteph I have to think like you - that the small dollars not captured aer really a long term investment in a welcome and inviting home.
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Post by Unswamping on Jan 26, 2015 19:45:49 GMT -5
I have had yard sales in the past. I had a brand new, unused, still in the box with the price on it ($20) cake pan set. The only person who looked at it, hemmed and hawed over it. I think i had it marked as $5. She told me that she was buying it for someone else and refused to pay more than a dollar for it. Finally after a half hour of her hounding me, i let it go for a buck. Honestly everyone was like her. Brand new, nice clothes with the tags still on, i had marked a dollar and people still wanted to pay less. One woman pulled out a large shopping bag and asked if she could fill it with clothes for a buck (she wanted to pick which ones to). Someone else wanted to come in my house and try the stuff on. (That didnt happen and put up a nicely worded sign after that).
The effort of lugging everything out, setting everything up, spending all day outside watching my stuff and taking care of customers. Alot of work. Go to a thrift store and see what they charge for things. You will not be able to charge more than that and make a sale. Everything has to washed, dusted, cleaned up. If its not, you may as well just give it away. Yes, i had some great customers and did sell a few items for more than a buck or two (mostly furniture). There were days i was lucky to sell $15 worth.
I just dont think its worth the trouble. If its junky, i toss it in the trash. If it is decent, i donate it. If it is worth some money i might consider selling it online, but only items i know that i can get at least $20 for. Anything less than that is worth the time and effort. As homesteph and ohblondie said, a clean, uncluttered house is more important to me.
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Post by needmorecoffee on Jan 26, 2015 20:08:22 GMT -5
My mum is the best for hauling away bags. They get stuck in the boot of my car for months but she comes to town and piles it all in, drops it off wherever and buys a coffee on the way home! She is the best. I have a lot bagged right now though, I should try and get one bag done a day on the way home from taking the kids to school. maybe that's achievable? there's a place not to far that literally has a drive-in donation point and they don't go through your stuff, they just take it.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2015 20:12:16 GMT -5
I have had bad luck with yard sales. It is much easier for me to take it either to the goodwill or the local thrift shop. They will take almost anything. I have also just put stuff out by the road and it disappears. If you are very anxious, you can put stuff in those donation dumpsters they have all around. But I am not to sure they actually benefit the charities they advertise.
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Post by joyinvirginia on Jan 27, 2015 0:20:34 GMT -5
Update, today I went with older dd on some errands. I took two small bags of clothes and two boxes of miscellaneous decorations, knick knacks, and Christmas decorations, dd had one box of miscellaneous stuff. We went to goodwill close to her house, their attendant comes out to the car to take your donations. My car is lighter and my upstairs hall has one less obstacle.
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Post by hiding on Jan 27, 2015 0:54:03 GMT -5
I just dont think its worth the trouble. If its junky, i toss it in the trash. If it is decent, i donate it. If it is worth some money i might consider selling it online, but only items i know that i can get at least $20 for. Anything less than that is worth the time and effort. As homesteph and ohblondie said, a clean, uncluttered house is more important to me. I agree. And how much is your time worth? I feel I can be more productive and/or have more fun doing something other than holding a yard sale. Now I do know some folks that honestly enjoy having yard sales and are not particularly attached to how much money they pull in. For those folks, having yard sales are great. They pull out the lawn chairs, the BBQ, music, and the sunscreen to make an enjoyable day of it. That's not me. Funny thing is that I enjoy going to yard sales, I just don't like holding them.
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Post by lucie on Jan 27, 2015 6:40:18 GMT -5
There is another point in donating. I have been donating for ages, no garage sales here and trying to sell is too complicated, so I just donated. And now it sort of pays back, the Universe sends free things that I need or want my way all the time. I have been spending a lot less money on presents lately, as I usually get the presents for free (as in I am given free things that are great as a present). So I say donate.
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Post by ohblondie on Jan 27, 2015 8:26:10 GMT -5
lucie This is a good point. that karma thing coming back in a good way. The universe has a way of working things out.....
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Post by lostchild on Jan 29, 2015 17:12:32 GMT -5
Lucie the universe looks out for me too. I pray every day and its been working. I have been given everything from bicycles to dining room table,a car ,vacuum and more.
Yesterday I was given money back on purchase I didn't make. It plus school money paid mortgage.
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Post by hiding on Jan 29, 2015 17:34:11 GMT -5
Lucie the universe looks out for me too. I pray every day and its been working. I have been given everything from bicycles to dining room table,a car ,vacuum and more. Yesterday I was given money back on purchase I didn't make. It plus school money paid mortgage. Lostchild, it doesn't surprise me that good things come your way. You're such a generous, caring, good person.
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Post by turkeyhill on Jan 30, 2015 8:02:57 GMT -5
This thread inspired me! I donated 1 wooden tray yesterday! I bought it for $5 from a thrift store in a different city but we never used it.
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Post by Unswamping on Jan 30, 2015 21:52:54 GMT -5
Hey turkeyhill! Great to see you and great that you got rid of that tray! Hope youre doing well.
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Post by homesteph on Jan 31, 2015 12:41:13 GMT -5
I heart this thread!
I have a cheap restaurant catering delivery bag that holdd 2 cubic feet. Today my goal is tp fill it and make a donation run to the Goodwill Donation Station around the corner.
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Post by homesteph on Jan 31, 2015 14:08:34 GMT -5
Okay, the bag is full! I went through some desk cubbies, a bookshelf, and some kitchen cupboards. To day I am donating:
Three plush soccer balls Two Christmas cookie tins A large snowman cookie jar A glass cat treats jar Three heart shaped wall plaques A small leatherette photo album Small leatherette wallet Three small Willow Tree keepsake boxes Four small pool toys A magnetic travel game set A book A binder A pair of glass candlesticks A card game Some kind of catch game 3 strings of Mardi Gras beads Microwave bacon cooker Wooden mortar without the pestle.
In the process I tossed out a tall kitchen bag worth of trash, and put a few dozen wayward but useful items into new appropriate homes. Now I am off to the Goodwill Donation Station!
....and DONE.
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Post by Arid on Jan 31, 2015 14:23:26 GMT -5
Good work, homesteph!!
Arid
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