Freecycle or Garage Sale

[Crystallas]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

If you dont enjoy having a garage sale, and mingling with neibors, then dont do it. Your vibe will kill the profits that you could get. Then just ebay anything that has value or donate/freecycle.

[scrava]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

Did you say 2 jobs soon? I saw donate it now. get rid of it and be done. You are going to be busy enough!

[Jaynen]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

I say eBay or G-sale; then donate the rest

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

You have to decide do you need some extra cash for your things? Or are you will to let Goodwill sell it & you get zero?? Or freecycle it knowing that someone who may need something gets it or that they just may turn around and sell what you gave away (lots of drama about that on our local board)

Well you could start going thru one area @ a time like a closet and when you get enough. Have a rummage on your day off even if for a few hrs, closing time is when you take your sign down.

[Ima saver]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

I am going to have a garage sale. It will only be my 2nd one since I moved to this area 22 years. I don't like the haggling either. I have a flat bed trailer. Every thing I don't sell or don't want to keep, I will just put on that trailer and say free! My husband has a garage full of new windows. Problem is, none of them match. Maybe I can get $20 for a $200 window.

[~M~]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

I live in the country and have tried the G- sale thing with no luck. I didn't even make enough for my ad in the paper. That being said, I Freecycle everything now. I was so pleased last month when we got rid of a wood furnace that was in our basement when we bought our house 8 years ago. Someone came, took it all apart, and are able to use it. It's a win/win situation!

[TinyFish]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

I'd say unless you have a strong need for the money or some really good stuff that would go well at a garage sale, give it away! As Flylady says, you can't organize clutter! Are you really going to store all that stuff for 8 months? And then still have the enthusiasm to set up the garage sale too?

Maybe as a compromise you could sell a few big-ticket items using craigslist or some such and give the rest away.

Depending on how you give it away you can either get a deduction (charity) or possible future 'credit' (freecycling). I've had people on freecyle offer me first dibs on things because they know I often give away nice things that are in usable condition.

Funny the remark about people selling things from freecycle. When I re-did my kitchen I freecycled some old appliances that were functional, but for various reasons not suitable for the new kitchen. The guy who was doing the renovation was around when a freecycler picked up a stove. Renovation guy told me indignantly that 'That guy had all kinds of appliances on his truck, I think he's selling them or using them to set up rental properties'. I replied 'GOOD, glad someone is using them!'. I think of freecycling as like a gift. You give it to someone and they are then free to do what they want with it.

Ima, wish I was near you and could get some nice cheap windows

Regards,
TinyFish

[mountainmist]

Re: $24???

If it's new with tags (less than 1 yr old) you could probably still deduct the store value, but you'd need to be able to back up your claim if it were ever questioned.

For everything else, it's thrift store value--what would they be selling it for at the Goodwill.

I will admit, I'm a garage sale haggler even though I'm not needy. I always thought that was an accepted thing for garage sales. Very few people turn down my offer!

I've gone to plenty of thrift shops in my life, and see plenty of current fashions in them, but I've never seen any article of clothing having the RETAIL price, so I do not think that this is accurate information.

If you have something with a really good label, which is in current fashion, purchased within the the last three years, has NO stains, NO rips, is not worn out -- you can try taking it to a consignment shop.

It the article originally retailed at 24 bucks, they will probably price it around 8 bucks, and your cut would be around 3. IF it sells

[MonkeyMama]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

I son't have the energy to garage sale.

I generally donate goodwill and what they won't take, or all the crap I Freecycle. I love love love freecycle because I do not like to throw things away. & I rarely do anymore. I find it super convenient as well - I just leave things on my doorstep all the time for freecycle people to pick up. I tend to post things a few at a time though because it does take a while to sift through responses.

A garage sale and then freecycle/donate I think is a good idea. Get some money and then easy way to get rid of the rest.

[Saving in So Cal]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

Depending on where you live, listing somes items for sale on craigslist.com may be an option. We have successful sold items through that site.

[JanH]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

I don't know that we have freecycle here. But you can put stuff on the curb every two weeks here to get rid of by the city. However, before they get to it, it's gone! People know which neighborhoods are due for that week. So they come around (some with trailers) and pick up what they can use. Most stuff doesn't work and they fix it or use it for parts. The stuff that is good and works, we take to goodwill. We are getting consignment shops now, but I don't have that many clothes anymore.

[kealina]

Re: Freecycle or Garage Sale

i love going to yard sales but don't like having them as there are easier ways to get rid of stuff... my mom has a stall at the swap meet (local flea market) so i just take my small amount of extras down there to sell... certain items we might craigslist or even Ebay...

i actually like the idea of freecycle for cheap but usable stuff (stuff you wouldn't get much if any money for)... there are lots of people out there who aren't poor enough for government assistance but could still use the help... honestly, hard-working people that i don't mind giving to...

unfortunately in practice it is difficult to implement... i see people on freecycle asking for things that just make me shake my head... so i try to practice freecycle in a more personal style... for any useful item that we have that don't sell, i try to make sure i give it to somebody i know who can hopefully use and enjoy it... we try not to throw things away if possible...

[joshuaking]

If you are already working a 2nd job then you can obviously use the money. You'd be amazed how much you can make by clearing out your house of clutter. A one day garage sale will probably bring you a lot more money than a day at work at your second job.

[SavingSweetOneL]

My five cents worth.

I would just get the things out of the house. Actually, by letting go of things, you can open up, vibrationally, for new things to come into your life, that are a better fit for you. Sometimes, this can come in the form of new work opportunities.

It happens, because there can be a greater sense of freedom, for letting go of the stuff.

It is stuff. it doesn't care if it resides in your house, someone eles's house, or in the dump.

I always collect and donate my unwanted things. In the past, to the church yard sale, Salvation Army, Goodwill, and to the local Women's Shelter Thrift shop.

I feel good in the giving, and I don't have the hassel of the yard sale pricing and haggling.

SweetOneL

[violet80907]

I use the "6 month rule". If I haven't used it in six months, it gets donated to charity or given away. (Season items get a 1 season exemption.)

This also reduces or eliminates issues related to posts with titles like: "how to clean up my house for a showing prior to sale".

I've been doing this for about 20 years, and I don't think I've given away anything that I later wished I had. I have also received a lot of good will from friends who have been on the receiving side.