One of my blog post readers wrote in and asked, "Do you have any tips on whether to just sell the clutter I'm letting go of online or donate it? I think I should sell the stuff because it's worth money. But I haven't done it. The stuff's just sitting around. What should I do?"
I suggest you do what suits your nature.
Do you enjoy going online and selling things? Is it a pleasure to set up the page on ebay or Craigslist, take and download photos of the stuff, write the copy, read the responses, and then ship it out to the buyer?
Or would it be simpler for you to donate the stuff?
I have clients who told me they had hung on to stuff they wanted to let go of for months, sometimes years, with the sincere desire to sell the stuff. They keep telling themselves, "Yeah, I'll get around to it." But they didn't do it. Planning to sell the clutter was clutter for them because it didn't get the stuff out of their home or life.
Plus they got a constant reminder, like I'm sure you do, every time they saw the stuff they wanted to sell, "Oh, here's something I'm not doing. I want to do that. I need to do that. I should do that." Overtime that's debilitating.
They decided it would be easier on them to donate their unwanted things.
I think it would be simpler for you to donate these things too since it appears that the selling doesn't come naturally to you. It would be easier on you to take an action you can simply do and complete now. You could load up the things you are letting go of into you car, and then take a drive over to a charity storefront, or to a charity drop off bin, and let it go. I think it would give you a huge sense of relief. The clutter would be out of your life and you wouldn't have to think about it anymore. Plus you would get the good feeling of helping others.
Lastly, you say that the items you are letting go of are valuable, however no matter how much they are worth, your time and your sense of well-being are more valuable.
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10 comments:
I think this is great advice. I'd add that a) clutter is often much less valuable than we think it is and b) if it actually does have value, you can claim it on your tax return after you donate it.
I was just looking up some old books I'd decided to get rid of and was so relieved when it turned out they were worthless, and I didn't have to even consider whether to sell them or not! It never seems worth the effort.
Willaful, thanks for pointing out that it's often less valuable than we imagine. I'm glad you were easily able to let go of your old books!
Good advice, I think most people tend to overvalue what they have...Beanie Babies anyone? Unless it is jewelry, precious metals, or original artwork, donating is probably the best option. There are always exceptions (graphic novels and baseball cards come to mind)but if you have to do a lot of research first, in most cases, it isn't worth the effort.
Hi Brooks, I think not letting go of things because they "may be valuable" is the biggest obstacle of all.
My husband was brought up very frugally and he thinks if he gets rid of something, he is being wasteful. He has intentions of selling things but the opportunity rarely arises. It's maddening!
On one hand he knows he wants to get rid of something, yet on the other hand he feels there is inherent value in the item and it would be wrong not to get any money out of it.
Clutter "clutters my head" - but doesn't have that same affect on him...he just ignores it.
Very good post...very thought provoking...thank you.
Great article! I sell some things and donate others. I've selling my kids' outgrown clothes on ebay for years so I do it because it's a piece of cake to me and I have a general idea of what they are worth. I have to do very little research and I do it in just one day.
General household things, I just donate. I figure I like going to thrift stores to browse and find a thing or two that I could use, might as well give someone else the chance to find these too.
Sometimes telling ourselves that something is worth money, but then not selling it, is a subtle way for us to continue hanging on to the item, Linne. We may not even be aware that's what's happening.
Monica, I like that you said, "It's a piece of cake to me." The people that do sell things find it natural, easy and even sometimes fun. That's great that you can do both.
I actually enjoyed the selling, but that was the spring that eBay went down the toilet. I was selling really well for about a month. Then, suddenly, nothing! I've been too skittish to try again, so I have been trying other venues. Most of what I am trying to sell now is some things of my MIL who passed. I may just give the rest of it to my sisters-in-law and be done with it.
Another option is to use a "Trading Assistant" in your area to try to sell the items on eBay for you. Most will work on the condition that if the items don't sell (in 1 or 2 tries; up to you) they will donate the items to the charity of your choice. You can ask them to get a receipt for you, so you get the deduction. Find a Trading Assistant in your area at http://pages.ebay.com/tahub/index.html
Melissa
Well.. I try telling people the same thing all year round. A person tries to sell an item for 1 full year, not because he wants the money but because its thinking by default. A freind of mine had a garage sell for things from his old house but only a few got sold. He ended up donating to children at savekids.comuv.com. Told him you should have done that long back.
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