It’s warming up and with that we are all starting to clean out closets, basements and the garage. If you’re like me, you’ll end up with piles of stuff you don’t want or need. Yes, you could have a garage sale or put your stuff on Craig’s List, but are there other options for the nice stuff that might make a buck? How about the broken computer monitor that is ready for the trash heap?
Consignment Shops
Bringing your stuff to a consignment shop can yield about the same as selling it in a garage sale without the hassle. First order of business though, is finding one near you. Locally, I’d recommend Hennepin County’s Choose to Reuse directory as a great resource for stores in Hennepin County. Beyond that, YellowPages.com is the most comprehensive resource I could find. There are a number of websites that claim to be consignment store directories, but I didn’t find them to be very thorough.
How much can you expect to get? Prices vary by store and type of merchandise, but generally, expect to be paid about 1/3 of what the store sells it for. That is still better than what we get if we donated the item and took the tax deduction and about equal to a garage sale. For clothing items, they must be gently used and brand is key. Call your local store to see if they accept off-season items and if you will be paid the same price as if it were in-season. A store I checked with pays the same in season and out, but is more selective during the off season.
Just Get Rid of It
If you are anything like me, then you have some stuff that you don’t want to sell, but is too nice to throw away. You’d just like to get rid of it with as little headache as possible. There are options beyond the local thrift store and Craig’s List. Freecycle.org is a site dedicated to giving and getting free stuff. Locally, Twin Cities Free Market is another forum where freebies are traded amongst members.
I’ve seen A to Z Guides for Disposal that might include specific locations that are out of your area, but are full of ideas on who you can call to get rid of old cell phones, appliances, mattresses and even cars and engines.
Pay to Dump
Some things though, we might have to pay a fee to get rid of. Old computers, electronics, carpet and other things that we can’t imagine somebody just happily accepting. Locally, every county operates a hazardous waste program where you will pay nominal fees to drop different products. Fee schedules are available on each county’s website (this is a directory of Minneapolis/St. Paul county websites).
If you are willing to look around for a deal, call retailers of the product you want to get rid of (call appliance stores if you have an old stove, for instance) and ask about their disposal programs. Many take items themselves and may charge a small fee. Some will give you a store credit or gift card in exchange for the fee.
For instance, Best Buy stores have an electronics disposable program and an electronics trade-in program. They take most small appliances, cords, etc and TVs (up to 32 “). They charge $10 to accept anything that has a screen – a laptop, TV, monitor, etc. You pay the $10, but they give you a $10 Best Buy gift card in exchange.
Your turn: With spring cleaning at hand, what do you do with all the stuff you want to get rid of?
I often bring books, CDs, DVDs, tapes, etc to Half-Price books. They don’t pay a lot, but they do give you cash. And they recycle everything they don’t put on the shelves.
Many times there are also stores that accept and/or give a $3 credit for old cell phones. An idea: keep a cell phone and charger in the glovebox of your car. Then if you don’t have your cell phone/lose one during the accident, you can still call 911 (even if the phone isn’t on a plan).
sometimes I prefer to do a yard sale over even donating because most donations go to savers or arc which the $ they make helps others which is great but if there is a family out there who really needs clothing for their kids I can sell my items way lower than they can and I feel that I am helping those people out. Also when I had baby items I knew were safe that I personally used I could help them out, at savers you have no idea where they’ve been.
We’re looking to get rid of some paint and would like to donate it vs just dispose of it, but don’t know where/if that’s even possible. It’s a green color that we purchased and didn’t like so we have 3 full gallons of it.
Does anyone know of anywhere that takes it and maybe uses it to paint homes (like a Habitat for Humanity or Brush with Kindness program where volunteers donate time to paint people’s homes that can’t afford it)?
I live in Washington County, and at the hazardous waste dropoff location in Woodbury, they also have a reuse room- they take anything usable, like paint, cleaning supplies, etc., and give it away free to anyone who wants to come look through the reuse room. I’d bet that other counties have the same sort of thing. At least then you don’t have to throw it out.
Hennepin county has the same kind of program.
There are habitat for humanity stores called The Restore that will sell old paint. You can look for one in your area. http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore_detail.aspx?place=56
One option for getting rid of clothes, paint, furniture, etc. is to donate it to your local community theater. I promise that they can use. Most community theaters are non-profit, have extremely low budgets and anything you would be willing to donate will be appreciated.
I take the good kids’ stuff to Once Upon a Child. They give you half of what they would sell it for, and in cash. A lot of times, many consignment stores make you wait until a particular season is approaching before you can bring in items for that season. The OUAC in our area takes all seasons year round and then I don’t have to hang onto it for 6 months.
I’ve had great success selling my kids clothes, baby items, maternity etc. at Just Between Friends childrens consignment sales. There are now several of them around the twin cities. Just this afternoon I was going through BINS of kids clothes getting them ready to sell! http://www.jbfsale.com
I also have had good luck with the JBF Sales!!! I made a couple hundred off my maternity clothes this fall! It is a bit of work to get started but once you reap the rewards of your money back it is well worth it!! Not to mention you save your time having to hold a garage sale and you make a lot more than a garage sale. I am super excited because they just added a new sale location to Elk River!!! Both the Maple Grove and Elk River are coming up!!
I use half.com to sell my old DVD’s, CD’s, Video Games and Books. You don’t make a ton of money, but they do reimburse you for shipping. Since half.com is a division of EBAY, you can use your existing EBAY account.
My friend recently told me about a website to recycle books- and she made $73.00 . They email you a free shipping label even! Check it out: http://www.cash4books.net
I tried the book website out but they are pretty selective about what books they take–none of mine passed the test so I sold them at my gsale last summer.
Check this website out…they have over 30 websites they search for used books. If anyone is interested they put there bid on the page and you can sell to them. That is where i sell all my books through. Another good place is http://www.garotsmedia.com but you pay the shipping. They give a small reimbursement for it thou if you ship them over $25. Another place is http://www.secondspin.com – dvd’s, games, etc. They pay no shipping thou. I have personally used all of these and have made over $300 just cleaning out around the house!
I actually have found I can make more money at a garage sale selling my kids’ clothes than at consignment. The extra hassle is worth it because I have made so much more money. Also, I usually do a Saturday sale from 9 – 12 and have sold most of my items.
This summer my 13 year old is going to the National Boy Scouting Jamboree in VA. It costs a pretty penny, so we are boxing up all of our goodies and he is going to have a garage sale fundraiser to pay off (hopefully!) the rest of his trip. We are doing all the relatives a favor by taking all of their junk off their hands for our sale too!
Great tip about Best Buy taking anything with a screen for $10! I can turn around and use the $10 gift card on the tv I’ve been looking at.
We just held a “fashion swap” on a Saturday morning at my church. Women brought in clothing, purses, jewelry and shoes that they no longer used. We had a clothing rack and lots of tables to display the items on. We took wooden clothespins and placed a sticker with our name on as many clothespins as we wanted. Then everyone “shopped” and clipped their clothespin to the item they wanted. When people were finished shopping, they could take the items that they had marked with their clothespins. For items that had multiple clothespins on them–we simply dropped the clothespins into a basket and drew one out. It was great fun and people got a kick out of “winning” when their clothespin was drawn. The “leftovers” consisted of 3 huge garbage bags and 1 box of clothing, etc. These were then taken directly to Goodwill. Next time we’ll do a children’s clothing or a home decor swap. It was a great way to share things so that others could make good use of them rather than letting them sit around in the closet collecting dust.
I am in the process of planing a clothing swap! This way I can get rid of the clothes we have outgrown or just never use and get “new” stuff to wear w/out all the extra costs that we’d normally come across. I went to a clothing swap this summer and got a lot of great things for myself and my 5yr old daughter! Hoping to do one twice a year
I suggest abcgiftcards.com is best website for online buying,selling of gift cards at cheapest price.
In response to those getting more money from a garage sale for kid’s clothing, shoppers in our area expect to not pay more than a $1 for nice kid’s clothing at garage sales. Most items go for a quarter to 50 cents.
I have found that the consignment shops are very particular not just brand but if they think that the item is more then a couple of seasons old. As a result I do better at a garage sale, even if I sell most things for $1 and under. They are all out there going to good homes and it’s a way to get rid of more then kids clothes at the same time.
I have had great success with Clothes Mentor, a resale shop like Once Upon a Child but for women’s clothing. They have locations in Burnsville and Minnetonka and maybe other locations as well. I find women’s clothing is harder to sell at a garage sale so this is a great option.
I must comment – I know someone mentioned this above but I will again – if you have kids clothes or toys in great condition, sell them at the Just Between Friends Sale. You keep 65-70% of the profits (depending on whether you volunteer or not) PLUS the owners run the sale for you! Customers can even use checks or credit cards to shop. You can pick up your leftovers or they will donate them at the end of the sale. They have an on-line tagging system and it’s very profitable, plus if you shop there, you can get great deals! They are expanding all over the metro.
http://www.jbfsale.com/
I swap clothes with friends. Whenever we get together (for hair night) we just bring whatever it is we want to get rid of. SOmetimes I may be the only person giving items away other times someone else is giving stuff away. I like the clothespin idea. i was hoping to have a larger swap at my house and that idea works perfectly.
If you do long form taxes, it’s worth the extra time to itemize your donations. Fair Market Value is generally pretty favorable, and computer programs make it very easy to find the correct value for your items. You can even deduct your mileage to the thrift shop!
We have a box in our staff lounge for people to bring clothing, books, dvds, etc. to give away. I’ve had garage sales, but always end up with lots left over (esp. children’s clothing), which I then donate to either Goodwill or Salvation Army.
Check out the other kids consignment sales in the Twin Cities too. Munchkin Markets has 3 locations; MN State Fairgrounds, Anoka County Fairgrounds and the Washington County Fairgrounds. Consignment sales are different from consignment stores in that you are setting your own price and earn 70-80% of the selling price of your items instead of the 30-40% most consignment stores pay. Items sell for more than they would at a garage sale, plus you don’t have to sit there all weekend. There is a little work involved in getting items ready for a consignment sale, but no more than a garage sale, plus once you drop the stuff off, you are done. For information on Munchkin Markets, go to http://www.munchkinmarkets.com. There is also a website for kids sales throughout the metro; http://www.twincitieskidssales.com. It has a nice listing of the sales including many ECFE and MOMs sales.
Hi Carrie
What about the companies that take over a past due credit card balance? How do I know if I give them the agreed upon amount of money to settle and dismiss the debt, that they are in fact, a legitimate second party who is authorized to erase that debt? I hate to write a $4,000. check, only to find out it’s a scam!
Thanks
Karen,
Unless you have no other choice, it isn’t wise to use one of those companies. In the end, you wind up paying about the same you would have had you paid your credit card bills. It would still go against your credit. Your best bet is to contact your credit cards directly and see what they can do for you. Good Luck!