How to get rid of excess stuff

Landor n Stella · Post by **Landor n Stella** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 7:33 pm

....without losing the money in it?
We've been trying to simplify, starting with purging stuff before we moved (goal was not to move junk). Now we have gotten rid of all the things we thought were not worth much via donations. Now we're down to the nicer stuff, that still has lots of life. I've tried selling and posting at work. Not many people seem to bite. So, I'm looking for ideas....garage sale? Craigslist? Ebay? What are your success rates with selling stuff in these venues? Is there anything I'm overlooking?

chenda · Post by **chenda** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:06 pm

Maybe try to sell it to students/graduates ? Many people have a taboo against buying second hand stuff no matter how much better value it might be, so you may find yourself having to sell it at a massive discount (I'm assuming we're not talking antique stuff)
There seem to be quite a few websites which specialise in buying/selling second hand furniture which could be worth a try.

S · Post by S » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:19 pm

I've had good luck with craigslist for both selling and buying used stuff that has value. I think it's best for things that have a broad appeal or things that are too big to ship (furniture, home maintenance equipment, sports stuff). Smaller or specialty items may be better sold through ebay (collectible cards, video games, small electronics). When in doubt, I'd try to sell through craigslist to avoid the fees, but some specialized items won't get enough traffic there to get the price you're looking for. I haven't tried doing a yard sale.

LiquidSapphire · Post by **LiquidSapphire** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:23 pm

"without losing the money in it".
The money you spent to buy that object is gone. The technical term is that it is a sunk cost. No matter what you do, that money has been spent and there is no way to "unspend" it. The proper way to deal with a sunk cost is to discard it entirely from your reasoning process.
An object is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, regardless of how much it initially cost. You should unload objects in the forum where people will pay the most for it (or where your profit margins are largest).
CL is a good option for stuff that doesn't make sense to ship. Ebay is good for smaller things; the market is much larger than CL. Amazon isn't a bad place for certain things either. Both Ebay and Amazon will take their commission.
Some things make more sense to sell in lots vs selling individually and vice versa, like on Ebay if you have lots of clothes in low end brands, it could make sense to group clothes by size and/or brand and sell it as a lot, rather than one at a time.
Garage sales probably aren't a way to maximize profit but might still be worth it if you value your time. Everything left over at the end goes to charity, for instance. Then you're only out a day or two on the whole deal, rather than dealing with CL for weeks on end.

grendel · Post by **grendel** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:28 pm

+1 LiquidSapphire
The money in it is mostly gone. You may be able to get something back... it's really about supply/demand and how much time you're willing to spend marketing it.
The above ideas are good. I'll also add *group* garage sales to the list.
While I don't want to undersell your particular goods without knowing what they are, you shouldn't be surprised if you can't average more than 10-20 cents on the dollar for many goods, even in good condition. Of course it varies by type... a camera lens in good shape might sell for 70% retail... a table for 30%... picture frames... 10% or less... jet skis... good luck.
happy simplifying.

Spartan_Warrior · Post by **Spartan_Warrior** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:45 pm

In my opinion and experience, eBay is your best bet for anything you can ship in the mail, ESPECIALLY if it will fit in one of the USPS "flat rate" boxes. With craigslist, you pay no fees, but you also have a much smaller pool of potential buyers (therefore lower demand, therefore lower final sale price) and you have to deal with transportation, meeting strangers, etc. The eBay and Paypal fees are annoying, as are certain other aspects (for instance, Paypal will sometimes "hold" your money for a month unless the buyer leaves good feedback immediately), but for all that you are getting THE biggest market for used/resale items (as far as I know), with a competitive auction process to jack up the prices, and the convenience of basically printing a postage sticker, slapping the items in a box, and putting the box in your mailbox.
Personally, I would only ever use craigslist for things you can't sell on eBay (perishables?) or things that can't fit in the mail.
I haven't tried a yard sale but I would imagine a yard sale would have an even smaller pool of interested buyers than craigslist. I would consider this a last resort before donation.

Post by **jacob** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 2:48 am

Depending on the quality of the stuff, I definitely do NOT consider it sunk cost. In fact, I consider some of my tools an inflation hedge that is better than gold [for some scenarios].
Quality of stuff? If the (used price-shipping ~ new price), that's what we're talking about.

Ego · Post by **Ego** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:15 am

Another option is to sell the stuff through a website / message board specific to the type of item.
For instance, if you have bicycle parts you might list it in the For-Sale section of Bikeforums.net. Google the type of item and the word forums.
I've had some luck with this. It avoids the ebay/paypal fees and is more targeted than craigslist.

m741 · Post by **m741** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:37 am

The process of getting rid of stuff is so labor-intensive that in almost all circumstances I would prefer to donate. Donating is as easy as dropping the stuff off while running an errand. Or you can give to friends/family members who might find it useful.
The process of selling on amazon/ebay, where you must list, stock, package, mail, await payment, and then transfer that payment to your bank account (and hope nothing goes wrong anywhere on that chain) is just too much work for me, to get rid of some little thing and earn a few bucks. Craigslist is a bit better. You can underprice the market and devote minimal effort, and make a sale more easily. Then someone can come pick it up from you.

dragoncar · Post by **dragoncar** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:19 am

Send to me at 15 Yemen Rd., Yemen.

C40 · Post by **C40** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:50 pm

For many things, selling stuff can take a lot more time/work than buying it. I think this makes me much less likely to buy things that I might end up getting rid of in a few years.
Like others, I use Ebay/Craigslist, Paperbackswap, or donate.
Generally in that order -

1 - Check Ebay prices to see if it's worth selling it there. Some things I try on Craigslist first (big things like bicycles... and with unique ones, people will find it from far away - someone from New York bought a bike I had on the Madison, WI Craigslist. )
2 - For books, I put them on paperbackswap for at least a while.
There's also Freecycle. I haven't ever used it myself but I feel like it's a better way than just dumping stuff at Salvation Army not knowing if they will actually sell it.

CryingInThePool · Post by **CryingInThePool** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:16 pm

I've been using www.amazon.com/tradein as I purge all my DVDs, video games, electronics and cellphones - even a few old textbooks. Probably not great ERE advice as it funds future shopping vs. cash but it's has been great for getting rid of stuff. They don't take everything but for the kind of stuff I had it worked out pretty well. No music CDs so still working on that one - probably going garage sale.

Plus Amazon gave me $10 free credit (x3 for 3 different DVD shipments) for their video on demand service so I don't feel guilty renting a download now.

As someone who had a rather large DVD collection I made a game of it - every time I said 'ohh but I want to watch those DVD special features or I haven't seen that in so long' I put it on top of the entertainment center. When I wanted to watch a movie and I didn't choose that DVD it went in the tradein box.

MacGyverIt · Post by **MacGyverIt** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:55 pm

I prefer to donate to the local library or Goodwill, it seems to take less time and effort than craigslist or eBay ($$$). Then you can always write the donation(s) off on your taxes as a charitable deduction.

akratic · Post by **akratic** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 5:11 am

Thanks for the amazon trade in link CryingInThePool!
That service is perfect for me.
You guys find the best stuff.

dot_com_vet · Post by **dot_com_vet** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:44 am

I use a sledge hammer and reciprocating saw to break items into small components. Then they go into trash/recycling. You can dispose of a car body this way too, btw.

Unfortunately I've been stood up too many times on Craigslist, even for free items. Locally Craigslist has just turned into a waste of time.

themoneymonk · Post by **themoneymonk** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:05 pm

I sell a substantial amount of stuff on eBay and craigslist.
I tend to sell everything on ebay that I can ship, and use craigslist for furniture, tools, or other larger items.
craigslist works very well in my area. Other areas may be different. You could always have a garage sale / yard sale too, or contact a local auction company.

Roark · Post by **Roark** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:43 am

"....without losing the money in it?"
You already lost the money when you spent it.

george · Post by **george** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:19 pm

My family enjoys a trip to the recycling. We take the dogs for a ride and a walk, and at the same time get rid of stuff.
We don't have anything worth much money, and it's not worth the hassle.
I'm at the point where I can find absolutely nothing to get rid off, but I'm always hoping.
I feel so much better now that we're rid of that stuff.
I agree with the comments above, you lost the money when you paid for it. I put my previous expenses down to experience.

4hrwweek · Post by **4hrwweek** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 5:45 am

We did an estate sale because we were moving out of our home. This helps simplify the process of selling big items and getting them out of there. The company takes the other items away that don't sell (items that are not high-priced) and cleans the place.
Estate sale is the way to go if you are moving and don't want A LOT of large items.