View Full Version : Selling the "stuff": netted $2,886 so far.
In 2010 I started to get rid of "stuff" that I no longer wanted, stuff I had hauled around from state to state in my various moves. Childhood stuff. Family stuff. Some vintage and antique.
I sold dishes and family silver and toys and dolls and a few books as well as general decorative stuff. Oh yeah, and some gold jewelry. I am up $2,886.78 on this "stuff." I'd like to sell just a bit more to reach an even $3,000, just so I can remember the amount. But at this point I'll be donating other stuff to our Park Conservancy's sale of Antique and collectibles.
I only sold 2 things on ebay, all of the other stuff was sold through going to shows (toy show) and contacting vendors (Silver Queen for the sterling, local China buyers for the pottery & china) and finding the local doll collector's society. I just didn't want to deal with ebay. Part of this was a booth DH and I had at our local Anitques on the PArk event that netted $800 of this amount.
I feel lighter to be rid of this stuff because I wanted to dispose of it in a responsible way. And it took 4 years! It's not a fast process. At the time when I started this, our Park Conservancy didn't have their sale I would likely have just donated it all.
Now all of my stuff (I'm not talking about DH's huge load of objects--that is another whole issue) are things that I really like or else are things that I could give away tomorrow. Well, I'm still always culling and setting up piles to be gone, but I really am MUCH lighter in the stuff department. I am not sentimental about it. For instance, this year I sold for scrap the gold ring my mother gave me. Horrors! But I just didn't want it any more. OTOH I love and wear the family piece that she gave me, that will leave my finger only when I am dead. And it goes to a young relative.
What an inspiring story! Thanks so much for sharing. I have been doing the same thing for the las tcoule of years also. I am down in the "stuff" numbers, but still have a ways to go. You have re-motivated me! Congrats on your success!
Thanks for mentioning Silver Queen. I have a lot of old silverware and I didn't really know how to get rid of it. I'll have to check into it and see if what I have matches what they are looking for!
When I looked at their site, it reminded me of a sterling silver tea set I had inherited from my favorite aunt. It was stored in my MIL's attic. Her brother became addicted to drugs and one day she noticed that my silver set was missing. We assume he stole it and pawned/sold it. I remember how upset she was and afraid to tell me. I guess it's a good thing I had no clue what it was worth, because I just said, "Oh, it's OK. It's just a silver set." She was SO relieved!
But thinking about that, plus the fact that I've had my diamond earrings stolen, plus I had one diamond drop out of a setting and get lost, and plus one time my DH bought me some nice jewelry when he went to Venezuela and that was stolen out of his suitcase just makes me feel that I am simply not meant to own nice things. What I relief.. I can go about my simple life without yearning for them, because if I get them, they're only going to disappear somehow.
Sorry for straying off the topic... that is awesome about the sales, IL! Very motivating!
This is something I want/need to do before our big move coming up. My dilemma is in not knowing where we are moving to - would I possibly enjoy keeping some of this stuff in our new environment or would it be best to start anew? An example would be my collection of anthropomorphic salt and pepper shakers. Perhaps looking at it from the money angle would make more sense.
gimmethesimplelife
4-5-14, 10:06am
Good for you, IL! I have been slowly getting rid of my stuff myself, too, mostly via the ebay route and by giving some of it away. It is amazing how much of our stuff can be given away to constructive causes - case in point - eyeglasses from my time working at a hospital where I actually had vision coverage ten years ago - these glasses can be donated to a charity that gives them to the poor, and I think it's wonderful that I have been such a pack rat with things like glasses as this is a cause I fully support. Like so many other things, for glasses now I go to Mexico but at the time I was so dazzled by having vision insurance I had them made here. Turns out they would have cost less in Mexico anyway lol. But if someone else can use them, I'm glad. Rob
iris lilies
4-5-14, 10:11am
Good for you, IL! I have been slowly getting rid of my stuff myself, too, mostly via the ebay route and by giving some of it away. It is amazing how much of our stuff can be given away to constructive causes - case in point - eyeglasses from my time working at a hospital where I actually had vision coverage ten years ago - these glasses can be donated to a charity that gives them to the poor, and I think it's wonderful that I have been such a pack rat with things like glasses as this is a cause I fully support. Like so many other things, for glasses now I go to Mexico but at the time I was so dazzled by having vision insurance I had them made here. Turns out they would have cost less in Mexico anyway lol. But if someone else can use them, I'm glad. Rob
That's another batch of stuff I got rid of last summer: about 4 -5 pairs of eyeglasses. And my eyeglasses are usually in pretty good shape. My optician collect them for that charity.
iris lilies
4-5-14, 10:15am
This is something I want/need to do before our big move coming up. My dilemma is in not knowing where we are moving to - would I possibly enjoy keeping some of this stuff in our new environment or would it be best to start anew? An example would be my collection of anthropomorphic salt and pepper shakers. Perhaps looking at it from the money angle would make more sense.
I think that if you can picture your new place with your salt shakers even vaguely, you aren't ready to get rid of them. Most of the stuff I got rid of was packed away for decades. It wasn't stuff that I had actively collected here in the last 20 years (well, most of it.)
Now my "own" collections, I'm not getting rid of! :)
Sad Eyed Lady
4-5-14, 10:42am
There is such a feeling of freedom when we can get rid of "stuff" that has accumulated and we no longer have a want or need for. Like gimmethesimplelife I have sold most of my stuff through ebay, and also end up giving some ,(like clothing mainly), to local missions to resale. I also have donated old eye glasses to the Lions Club which repairs (if needed) them and they are then used for others in need.
awakenedsoul
4-5-14, 10:59am
That's a lot of money, congratulations! I live very near our local Salvation Army. I usually just donate to them. I've bought a lot of my furniture there, so it feels good. I wish I was more motivated to sell my stuff. I don't have that much stuff, though. But it's that time of year...
This is something I want/need to do before our big move coming up. My dilemma is in not knowing where we are moving to - would I possibly enjoy keeping some of this stuff in our new environment or would it be best to start anew? An example would be my collection of anthropomorphic salt and pepper shakers. Perhaps looking at it from the money angle would make more sense. This is the situation with my sister and I (we own a house together that we will - hopefully - be selling soon). I am a minimalist who plans to get rid of everything I own because I don't plan to settle down right away (will travel full time for a bit). But my sister is a packrat and has a huge amount of stuff she wants to keep. She has already found a new place to live near her work and can't take much in her tiny space, Yet she won't sell off anything - keeps saying she'll do it when we sell the house. Problem is the entire garage, spare bedroom, her room (master) and the back patio has all her things piled up floor to ceiling and it's hard to show that way. Not sure how to motivate her to start selling stuff without turning into The Naganator but she seriously needs to do something. I tried to entice her with the money angle (look at all the money you'll get if you sell! Look at how much it'll cost you to put it in storage) and the freedom from stuff angle (just think at how freeing it will be to not have to keep all that stuff and probably have to store it - stuff you never use) but nothing works. Sigh...
Thanks for mentioning Silver Queen. I have a lot of old silverware and I didn't really know how to get rid of it. I'll have to check into it and see if what I have matches what they are looking for!
When I looked at their site, it reminded me of a sterling silver tea set I had inherited from my favorite aunt. It was stored in my MIL's attic. Her brother became addicted to drugs and one day she noticed that my silver set was missing. We assume he stole it and pawned/sold it. I remember how upset she was and afraid to tell me. I guess it's a good thing I had no clue what it was worth, because I just said, "Oh, it's OK. It's just a silver set." She was SO relieved!
...Sorry for straying off the topic... that is awesome about the sales, IL! Very motivating!
It's completely on topic! But now the loss of that sterling tea set will be in my head for a while. That's real money! In today's money you could probably make half of a house payment if not the entire payment with it, ah well.
I will caution those who want to get rid of stuff and especially sterling: you are getting the wholesale price, not retail, from Silver Queen. That was fine with me, I didn't want to invest my time in selling the stuff on ebay. I'll give a little more detail and say that the first set I actually sold to Replacements. That was a much nicer pattern, an ornate and classic one still being produced. Replacements gave me the same money as Silver Queen gave me for a simpler pattern so I suspect that Silver Queen pays more. I was also happy when they did not discount a knife that was dented. They gave me a quote and their check was exactly that amount. I got $600+ for a set of--was it 8? ... edited to say: about $18.75 per piece. what a bad math person I am!
Most people are horrified by this low price and won't consider selling it and will continue to store the stuff, unused. That's where I differ from "most people."
I still have silver but now in amounts that are reasonable.
Teacher Terry
4-5-14, 2:29pm
I have sold some stuff in garage sales, ebay, craigslist etc & some I just give away. It really depends on the mood I am in. I have also sold a ton of my jewelry. I no longer care about having a lot of jewelry-just my favorite pieces. I will have stuff in my house for years & then one day I am sick of it & just pack it up. However, I will usually have things for a long time before I am tired of them. Every time I am tempted to buy something I ask myself if it will eventually end up at Goodwill & this really makes me think before buying. Also if I want to buy something I usually wait a week and most of the time I just forget about it. If I don't then it is probably something I really need.
Iris lily
Great idea to add up all you have sold....made me think about it and was surprised that I am up to approx. $1700...frp,
Kijiji, consignment and gold.......makes me think it is worth my while to keep it up.
Plus all the good from a lot I have given away,
I don't miss any of it! And, I do find it has helped to spend time deciding who to give what to.
It feels good when things are going to put to good use. e.g. one charity picks up at the door and they
make their money on the actual weight of the pick up so they get all the heavy stuff, bowling balls, safety shoes...lol
I volunteer at a City run seniors home and one of the women cleans up and puts in boxes and sells cheaply all the jewellery they get donated.
The older ladies/day patients just love the long necklaces (they don't have to get someone to put them on for them) and clip on earrings, bracelets etc.
All the money they make from these things go to activities for the residents.
I have sold some stuff in garage sales, ebay, craigslist etc & some I just give away. It really depends on the mood I am in. I have also sold a ton of my jewelry. I no longer care about having a lot of jewelry-just my favorite pieces. I will have stuff in my house for years & then one day I am sick of it & just pack it up. However, I will usually have things for a long time before I am tired of them. Every time I am tempted to buy something I ask myself if it will eventually end up at Goodwill & this really makes me think before buying. Also if I want to buy something I usually wait a week and most of the time I just forget about it. If I don't then it is probably something I really need.
That's me exactly.
DH is made anxious by my "sweep through the house and gather up stuff and get rid of it" activities. He is very different--once he has something, he wants to keep it forever. FOREVER! The only thing that saves us is that he is not acquisitive.
I see things as enhancements to my life and once they change from enhancer to burden, out they go! DH sees each thing as having intrinsic "value" and all of his stuff in his mind is worht whatever money he paid for it on today's market. That isn't realistic IMO but you know what, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. When we moved here we had a company-paid move which I've never had. So therefore we did not get rid of anything because why should we, didn't cost us anything. DH hauled along his old, ugly dining room set that I hated. I stomped my foot and said I would not live with that thing and low and behold he sold it for more than he paid for it. I never would have guessed that.
Teacher Terry
4-5-14, 2:56pm
Your hubby sounds a lot like mine-ugh:|(. He has many wonderful qualities but I sure wish he would be willing to get rid of more things. This summer we plan to clean out huge shed & small basement & garage of mostly his stuff. I will let you know how that works out. If he does it alone he will work all day and only get rid of a bag of stuff-mostly he just moves stuff around.
DH is also averse to getting rid of things. I hate to look in his man cave area as it makes me fret. One of the items there is an old imac sitting on the floor in the corner. He knows we need to find it a new home but says he doesn't know best way to wipe the hard drive and/or whatever excuse he can come up with to not deal with it. Some people just don't do well with minimizing for whatever reason.
Sad Eyed Lady
4-6-14, 12:16pm
http://laundrylist.org/community/clothesline-map/
I love this website - just click on a state or take a tour, (I think you can still do that - I haven't looked in awhile), and you will see clotheslines of
various kinds and sizes. I love the little racks drying in front a window in a Paris apartment. I even have a couple of pics on here too if they are still available.
Not that anyone cares, but I corrected my math for selling silver to Silver Queen. I don't know where my head was when I wrote that post. I got about $18.75 per utensil from Silver Queen.
DH is also averse to getting rid of things. I hate to look in his man cave area as it makes me fret. One of the items there is an old imac sitting on the floor in the corner. He knows we need to find it a new home but says he doesn't know best way to wipe the hard drive and/or whatever excuse he can come up with to not deal with it. Some people just don't do well with minimizing for whatever reason.
Right now, I have an old desktop with a hard drive that is apparently soldered to the frame. I've removed the connector cables, every screw I can see, and it's still firmly in place. It doesn't work, so wiping it is not an option. I feel like throwing it in the lake.
catherine
4-19-14, 10:29am
Not that anyone cares, but I correct my math for selling silver to Silver Queen. I don't know where my head was when I wrote that post. I got about $18.75 per utensil from Silver Queen.
Cool! I definitely have to get my old stuff out of the garage.
Re the DH thing--I think when you're married it's always "one man's meat is another man's poison." He yells at me for keeping every letter I ever got in my life and I yell at him for keeping every ragged old golf shirt he's ever bought in his life. Decluttering is stressful for this reason-- we don't understand each other's "needs."
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.