View Full Version : Trying to declutter and sell stuff
I've been trying to sell some mixed media/crafting supplies that I no longer use. I did sell some of them over the weekend, and I'm happy for that. But it's been a real lesson for me. I'll never get back what I paid for them. Sometimes nobody even wants to pay half what I paid for them. It's making me think twice about buying anything new.
Also, I'm kind of disgusted about a bag I bought from a very well-respected manufacturer. This company has its own forum, where you can trade or post links to your sale for items from said company. Everyone on the board encouraged me when I was on the fence about buying the bag, saying "You will definitely be able to sell it." Well, it cost me $50, and on ebay, someone offered me $5 (before I removed the "best offer" option). I threw in a couple of extras plus expedited Priority Mail shipping for less than what the durned company ships for in the first place. A few watchers but no buyers.
Rant over.
I've been trying to sell some mixed media/crafting supplies that I no longer use. I did sell some of them over the weekend, and I'm happy for that. But it's been a real lesson for me. I'll never get back what I paid for them. Sometimes nobody even wants to pay half what I paid for them. It's making me think twice about buying anything new.
Also, I'm kind of disgusted about a bag I bought from a very well-respected manufacturer. This company has its own forum, where you can trade or post links to your sale for items from said company. Everyone on the board encouraged me when I was on the fence about buying the bag, saying "You will definitely be able to sell it." Well, it cost me $50, and on ebay, someone offered me $5 (before I removed the "best offer" option). I threw in a couple of extras plus expedited Priority Mail shipping for less than what the durned company ships for in the first place. A few watchers but no buyers.
Rant over.
I went through some similar experiences! I tell myself: "Live and learn..."
:/
The part about thinking about buying anything new is so true too! My hesitancy to buy stuff is extreme because I know if I resell it I will be lucky to get 40% of what I originally paid.
I am going through the declutter process too and am surprised by how many blogs and websites there are on the topic. It seems there are a lot of us struggling with all aspects of stuff. My dilemma is the psychological part of letting go period, but I wonder if worrying about the lost cost is just as burdensome as the stuff. What's done is done.
Yes, I read somewhere (it might have been here, actually) that you might as well accept that it is money lost, whether you resell or not.
I am going through the declutter process too and am surprised by how many blogs and websites there are on the topic. It seems there are a lot of us struggling with all aspects of stuff. My dilemma is the psychological part of letting go period, but I wonder if worrying about the lost cost is just as burdensome as the stuff. What's done is done.
When the item is out of your life, you'll forget all about the money you've lost.
Don't worry...there will be another item to focus on : )
Miss Cellane
9-4-15, 8:04am
One thing about selling your stuff is that people are conditioned to think that Craigslist and Ebay are nothing but bargains. So they will pay only a bargain price. There's also the fact that buyers get no guarantee, that they have to make the pick-up themselves, perhaps driving further than they normally would.
You can make some money selling your stuff; you just aren't going to make a lot of money.
For me, I usually hold on to stuff until it is causing problems for me, in one way or another, so then I am just delighted to get rid of it. Donating instead of trying to sell frees up my time, the space the stuff occupied, and my spirit. And maybe sends a bit of good karma out into the world.
I know what you mean about bargain-hunters. I've also heard that some people "test" during the "Make an Offer" thing on ebay. They'll lowball, hoping that the seller doesn't know anything about the item they are selling and will take anything. Hence, the $5 for a $50 bag.
I do donate a fair amount to our local Salvation Army and to the library for their Friends sale. I guess I just thought it was gonna be super-easy to unload the craft supplies, given the amount of people out there into rubber stamping, etc.!
Chicken lady
9-4-15, 3:02pm
Frugalone, I have some rubber stamp sets bought new from a known name company, so I know what they cost. I have found $20 sets at goodwill for $2. That's 1.80 fo seniors and $1 on half price day. That's your competition.
Basically, there is already too much stuff in the world. My daughter's generation doesn't want much of it unless it's useful, and my parent's generation is staging the largest rolling estate sale in the history of the country. Supply and demand. I rarely buy anything new any more. I think 4 pairs of jeans, a hose nozle, some jar lids, and supplies for my pottery class since Easter. And almost all of that was on sale.
Here is something else to consider. I have mentioned this on other threads, I think.
But let's say you are going to sell a widget for $7. And in order to do so you have to dig it out of the attic, clean it off, shine it up, take pics of it to put it on eBay and CL, tinker around with your ads on eBay and CL, then check your emails and texts for buyers you have to negotiate with because they only want to be $3 instead of $7, and then you have to set aside other obligations to meet that person so they can give you the money and you can give them the widget.
All that takes time, resources, and labor. So you'd have been better off simply taking the $7 loss by tossing it or just giving the item away and working a minimum wage job for an hour!
Now, with certain big ticket items you can recoup some money with less time/resource/labor investment. But even then, factor in the time/resources/labor you put into selling this stuff. It might not be worth it...
TVRodriguez
9-4-15, 4:40pm
For me, I usually hold on to stuff until it is causing problems for me, in one way or another, so then I am just delighted to get rid of it. Donating instead of trying to sell frees up my time, the space the stuff occupied, and my spirit. And maybe sends a bit of good karma out into the world.
+1.
UltraliteAngler: You just neatly summarized why I donate & almost never sell stuff.
Yep, I only bother selling if it's approaching the $80+ range.
Yep, I only bother selling if it's approaching the $80+ range.
I lower that bar to around $50. But, otherwise, yeah, donating is far "simpler" than making a few bucks off cl/epay. I understand that some people do well at it and others feel they have to do it. But, thank goodness, that's not us. Yet.
ApatheticNoMore
9-5-15, 1:27pm
It depends on how easy it is to sell, if it's jewelry you don't use many places will buy old silver or gold and even old scraps of what used to be jewelry (and rip you off of course), if it's something that can be sold to a pawn shop like one of too many guitars I had then yea (and rip you off of course but musical instruments are not worthless monetarily). But no CL or Ebay or any of that required. You just kind of know your going to take a loss though.
I have some horse-related gear, all in good condition, that I was thinking of selling on consignment at the local tack shop. They keep 20% if you get paid in a store credit. I have a metal bit that might sell for $10, so not really worth it. Instead I'm going to donate my things to a therapeutic riding center's used tack sale. They can either use the stuff or make money from it.
Same thing with the rest of my culled books (about 20). A struggling local town's tiny library is looking for books/cds/dvds for their shelves and to sell. All my books are practically new, they now have a purpose and I'll be rid of them.
My mom just donated a lot of really nice things that just weren't worth the hassle of selling. These just went to a church's thrift store. They have a HUGE warehouse full of stuff and a really nice store. Recently I gave a lot of animal-related dust collectors to an animal rescue's thrift store.
I feel better about giving things away when they'll be seen and possibly used by people who are looking for those types of things.
Williamsmith
9-6-15, 7:31am
eBay is the same old tired commercial business model that is run by Ivy League educated lawyers who bank millions of dollars in income for merely being lucky enough to be born in a certain social circle. They produce nothing, merely siphon money off transactions between producers and consumers. IRS issues aside....all your profit is lost in fees and taxes.
When you log on to their site you should hear a loud sucking sound like a vacuum cleaner. That's the sound of the middle class being relieved of their hard earned dollars.
craigslist at least claims a nobler mission. I know someone very well that has sold countless items to neighbors for decent return. All cash transactions. He conducts business in public places....not at his home. He lists larger ticket items and he does a little background investigation before committing to any meeting. He lists anonymously and is selective about who he sells to. Craigslist is also useful for bartering which is becoming more popular among the stressed middle class.
We are having fewer and fewer choices of new quality consumer goods available. Most of the new stuff is junk. Designed for one user and throw away into the landfill. All of it is being produced abroad by slave workers making a comparative dollar an hour. Meanwhile, our businesses and corporations sell out the American worker and go for the global free trade instant money. NAFTA and other job killing legislation enables this.
So there is this underground economy for quality products. Some of it made many years ago. Some of it very useful. You can browse the Salvation Army and the bargain stores and find some of it still. Donated by people who just want rid of it and have no use for it. That stuff needs to find a home because it is still useful.
So there is value in craigslist, a site that facilitates anonymous transactions where third parties don't make money just because they happen to be able to force themselves into the arrangement. At least organized crime is up front about their willingness to hurt you if you don't comply. These businessmen are liars and scammers and sneaky back door scum suckers. But I Digress.
Teacher Terry
9-6-15, 11:27am
I only sell items that are worth my time or if it is something big that i can sell cheap. For instance our old washing machine worked fine but was 12 years old. So I listed it on CL for $30 & it was gone in an hour & they did not haggle. I didn't want to charge more in case it died the next day & they hauled it off. A win-win.
Yeah...I just sold an old wall mirror off craigslist. Probably paid double for it years ago but I'm elated to have the cash to add to my bag lady (just kidding) stash which is up to around $700 just from selling odds and ends. It mystifies me now that I'm older why we humans collect so much stuff and then spend hours paying for it, cleaning it, storing it, moving it, selling it, etc.
I'm all for Craigslist, but it's not for me. because of my work schedule, I just don't have time to set up meetings with people, check up on their backgrounds, etc. If it came down to my not being able to sell any of these items, I will just give them to the Sally's.
I like donating, too.
If the item is unused and you still have the receipt, you might be able to deduct the value of it on your taxes. So I try to donate to non-profits and get receipts.
btw - I did some volunteer work with Craig of CraigsList years ago. He is a very socially-responsible guy and founded the site with "power to the people" and "grassroots-level" changers. He's tried to keep the sites true to his original ideal as much as he can.
happystuff
9-12-15, 5:07pm
Yeah...I just sold an old wall mirror off craigslist. Probably paid double for it years ago but I'm elated to have the cash to add to my bag lady (just kidding) stash which is up to around $700 just from selling odds and ends. It mystifies me now that I'm older why we humans collect so much stuff and then spend hours paying for it, cleaning it, storing it, moving it, selling it, etc.
This realization hit me a couple years ago also. Plus, I've seen too many people have to deal with "stuff" after the death of a loved one (also have done that myself), and I realize that is not what I want to leave to my children. I don't want them to start a conversation saying they miss me and end the conversation with how much "junk" they had to deal with after I died!
Good news: I did manage to sell the bag to one of the fellow bag enthusiasts on the forum I mentioned. Glad for that. I'm beginning to view the craft items as a large donation.
Frugalone, I donated most of my needlework projects to Goodwill. I always thought I'd get back to them and have not regretted getting rid of them at all. I assume some hopeful person bought them at a cheap price to try a new craft. I got rid of a lot of fabric through my friend who makes quilts for Africa with her church. Beautiful cotton prints that I planned to make into jumpers, but never did, then retired and haven't worn a skirt since! So a win for my friends group and me. Lest you think I have cleared everything....nope, just those.
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