Why is it so hard to give away stuff?

[questions]

My office has been trying to give away "gently used" furniture. Over the last several weeks, we have been TURNED DOWN by Salvation Army, several women's shelters, and other local charities because the furniture was USED. There's some wear on it, but originally this stuff was $$$$ (it came from our President's office). We're not just trying to dump our trash on someone, but we are going to end up throwing it out because no one will take it.

We also had a little internal drive to get together books from home that we were going to donate to a women's shelter, but they refused to take them because they were not NEW books. (Most of them were best-sellers that had been read once or twice max).

Goodwill turns away toys that are not NEW in original packing. This I could perhaps understand given the recall issues.

I also tried to donate some used computers, but the charity I contacted would not take them unless they had at least 3 gig RAM and over 100 gig hard drives. Heck, I'm using those! So the old ones have to go to landfills? Which contributes to yet another problem?

Is this crazy or what? This seems like such a colossal waste when everyone's trying to pinch pennies and make do in this time and donations are decreasing. What's up with these charities? Where did "charity" go? Isn't part of some of these charities to put people to work repairing and reselling these items?

Maybe I've got the wrong idea about how these charities work today versus a few years ago, but I'm thinking of donating slipcovers to my office rather than throw out some really good furniture!

[simpleyme]

that is exactly what happens to me when I try to donate things!

my stuff is not good enough for the less fortunate , so I give things to real people instead and if noone wants it I put it in the trash

[disneysteve]

I totally agree. I get so annoyed every year around the holidays when numerous charities have drives to collect toys and clothing for the underprivileged and they say everything must be brand new. Hey, if my family and I shop for used items at thrift shops and yard sales, why isn't used stuff good enough for people who have very little. Are you telling me a person without a winter coat wouldn't appreciate a used one in good condition? Would kids who have nothing not appreciate the toys that my daughter no longer plays with? It is ridiculous. I understand the charities don't want worn out or broken items, but they can always throw those away and just keep the good stuff.

[cantretire]

For the furniture: Is your company large? Maybe send an email to the employees or put on the company intranet. Craigslist is another option. A small business may be thrilled with free furniture.

books: send to soldiers overseas

AnySoldier.com

I use this site, but there are many, many more.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I think with places like Goodwil and Salvation Armyl, they just get so damned much stuff that they cannot sell it, especially if it is barely older technology. It sits on the shelf getting tossed around, worn, dirtied, and broken. Then Goodwill/SA has to pay for its disposal, instead of you the original owner doing so. Goodwill/SA probably cannot even use the public landfills (just as your business probably cannot, at least without a fee), even if landfills do accept computer equipment. So donations like that end up taking up space, using employee time to move around, and eventually costing them money to dispose of.

With the furniture and women's shelters-- Well most of those places are run on a shoestring and are jam packed. They have no place to store furniture for women who may be moving out. Maybe if your office provides a storage facility for the shelter, they will be able to accept them. They don't have the money to rent storage and their space on premises usually is filled by people. Picture a woman and her two kids in bunks in an 10X12 room, but they hear about another little family, maybe a woman with a newborn who needs a place. The first woman understands the desperation, and she herself begs the shelter to let the woman and baby come share that little room even if the place is considered full already. So where are they going to put the office furniture?

Honestly, yes, I do think it would be a good idea for someone to reupholster or slipcover the office furniture. If it is really good, use it. Don't waste it. Don't over-consume and overspend for new.

At this point there is still a humongous GLUT of donations to second-hand charity stores. Those stores used to be much smaller, with many fewer things for sale and there were a whole lot fewer such stores. But as our consumer spending ballooned and as our taste for ever changing fashion sped up, people had more and more which they were wanting to donate so that they could fit the newer "better" stuff in their own homes. Right now, charity stores are still in that state--dealing with a glut so huge that every frugal minded middle class person in the country can now furnish their homes and closets from a second hand store. It used to be hit and miss to find something suitable even if you were poor, did not have to "dress" for work, and less able to be choosy. But that is not now the case. Used stuff abounds.

I think that if this recession continues and people cut back their buy-buy-buying, in-kind donations will see a huge decline. Offices will hold onto their computers longer, as will schools and individuals. The shelves won't be over-full at the charity stores. They will see people willing to buy those old computers of unknown functionality when there are fewer of any computers turning over into the secondhand market. The clothing, furniture and everything else that is currently at glut level will become more valuable, too,

By the way, if you really just want to be rid of the computers, try giving them to a computer business interested in selling them. I would not buy a computer at Goodwill because it is a huge hassle there. The machines have been roughly handled and I cannot even open them up there to see what may have been scavenged from them. I'd prefer to buy secondhand from an accountable individual or computer business. (And I do buy a lot of things secondhand, including at charities.)

Lastly, try offering the items on Freecycle. Freecycle was originally intended for businesses and charities to easily give away or get things like this. It quickly was opened up to individuals as well. I have used Freecycle a number of times. I even found someone to accept my broken glass! Lisitng something on Freecycle gets the word out to thousands of people, some of whom may be able to use the things you offer at exactly the time you need to get rid of it.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Disneysteve, I've worked on a more humble collection for poor children. We got very little that was not used. We would accept anything. Actually I was surprised at what poor condition toys parents were happy to take home for their kids. Things with parts missing, even. Things like a baseball glove that needed missing stitching and had become brittle from age or having been wet. Even some stuffed toys that were nappy and frayed. I have thought that perhaps fear of lawsuit or fear of being thought stingy made some of the big toy drives specify new-only. But we'd have some of the same parents return year after year, so I'm sure they appreciated the used toys.

That may seem to contradict what I said above about stuff in suspect condition not selling well at secondhand stores. But secondhand stores were probably not often frequented by the really poor people I'm talking about now. The prices are too high for them and they have transportation trouble getting there and home.

P.S. I have found that the American Kidney Foundation accepts computers for its charity stores.

[mdcrim]

With the furniture, it's actually not a "no place to store it" issue. It's a state regulated health issue. I was at a thrift store once when a state investigator popped in. Didn't know they had those for thrift stores. But apparently there are serious health concerns with used couches and beds (and other fabric type stuff that could trap germs and bacteria). If they do accept them as donations, there are lots of cleaning regulations that they are required to follow. Most places don't have the staff to make sure the regulations are being followed, so they just don't accept those types of donations.

[SavingCash]

I use Craigslist to give away stuff. The last things I gave away were an old sofa, coffee table and recliner. All three items were gone 2 days after I posted the ad.

[LuxLiving]

On giving away big stuff, I set it to the curb, I post on craigslist and freecycle. Between people driving by and the other two it's usually gone within 24-48 hours. I live semi-rurally so stuff by the curb isn't a major concern for the neighbors. I often taken a pickup load to the Goodwill (everyone gives me stuff because of my junque' booths so there's often lots to sort through). Because there is so much and we have a nice drive thru area with staff at our GW store & I usually take one or both of the boys I send them out there and they are just tossing bags & boxes, and furniture and stuff off there so fast that nothing gets rejected. They are overwhelmed by the speed at which we can get the truck unloaded and we are out of the parking lot.

BTW, got some stuff by the curb right now, come on by!!

[kilapapipa]

Put it by the curb for a while for FREE. If no picks it up, put a sign on it for $50 and someone will steal it within 48hrs.

[simpleyme]

Put it by the curb for a while for FREE. If no picks it up, put a sign on it for $50 and someone will steal it within 48hrs.

we have put things out by the curb on a regular bases for years one day we had something out there with a Free sighn on it left for a while and someone had added an item while we wern't looking it was an old TV

no body took the damn TV and we had to dispose of it!

[cicy33]

I think with places like Goodwil and Salvation Armyl, they just get so damned much stuff that they cannot sell it, especially if it is barely older technology. It sits on the shelf getting tossed around, worn, dirtied, and broken. Then Goodwill/SA has to pay for its disposal, instead of you the original owner doing so. Goodwill/SA probably cannot even use the public landfills (just as your business probably cannot, at least without a fee), even if landfills do accept computer equipment. So donations like that end up taking up space, using employee time to move around, and eventually costing them money to dispose of.

Maybe if they would lower their prices they might move a little quicker! I went to a goodwill Friday. jeans are over $3. so are shirts, skirts, kids clothes, etc. What happened to a $1? I am not personally complaining about the prices, as I can afford the $3+ but for other people that are even worse off than me, that is high for used clothes. They had a hutch for $170!!!! That is nuts. DVDS were 3.99. I can do better at yard sales.

[moneytutor]

You may have been looking in the wrong place when you have things that you truly want to give away. Post a note on the local churches bulletin board and grocery store bulletin boards. The church, no matter where it is located, always knows of a family in need. The church has a good-will coalition and strives on helping needy families.

Contact your local newspaper. They make a list of the communities 100 neediest every Christmas. They will have recommendations of families that may have additional needs that couldn't be honored during their Christmas promotion. Also, they are probably compiling a new list for this year.

Contact the fire department in your area. A fire can cause anyone to have a hardship. Today's cost cutting ideas are making people not carry content insurance. The dwelling/home may be insured but the contents were uninsured.

Your friends and co-workers may know someone who is down on their luck. This could be an opportunity to talk to your neighbors and let them know these items are available free. One man's junk is another man's treasure.

[simpleyme]

Maybe if they would lower their prices they might move a little quicker! I went to a goodwill Friday. jeans are over $3. so are shirts, skirts, kids clothes, etc. What happened to a $1? I am not personally complaining about the prices, as I can afford the $3+ but for other people that are even worse off than me, that is high for used clothes. They had a hutch for $170!!!! That is nuts. DVDS were 3.99. I can do better at yard sales.

I stopped at the brand new goodwill superstore the other day the retail space is half as big as the store they moved from even tho the building is 3 times larger so I am not sure what they are really doing

I was hoping to find some running shoes ( I was hoping some one threw out a new pair) but all I found was beat up ugly outdated shoes for more than I would pay new at walmart, really every thing except the jeans can be found cheaper new at walmart I think that is sad

when I was a kid we used to buy things at salvation army mom would send me to the cashier as the prices were not set the cashier could set prices and we would get clothes for a quarter ;-) that sure would not happen now!

[DebbieL]

I had the same problem last year when I called a couple charities (Salvation Army, Women in Need, etc) trying to give away a dryer (that worked well). I wound up advertising it for free to anyone who could pick it up in our local Craigslist type site. The first people to respond got a good free dryer. It was gone that day.