2021 Decluttering Thread

[scfr]

Clutter prevention: Just finished reading a book, stuck it in my purse, and will donate it to the library on my next visit.

[disneysteve]

Holy smokes. That's a dedicated collector, or something. So what is SHE doing with them?

I haven't asked, but I really get the impression it's for their personal collection because she's mentioned trying to complete certain years and sent a list of issues she was missing.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

She’s about 2 hrs away. I was willing to meet halfway. Would have been easier for me than packing and shipping them all.

Turns out she doesn’t want 15 years worth. She wants 21 years plus a few extras. Total of 260 issues. I’ll start packing them tomorrow. It will be a few cartons.

I can see why it would be easier to meet. But then she'd have to drive and have space for all of that.

[kork13]

She’s about 2 hrs away. I was willing to meet halfway. Would have been easier for me than packing and shipping them all.

Turns out she doesn’t want 15 years worth. She wants 21 years plus a few extras. Total of 260 issues. I’ll start packing them tomorrow. It will be a few cartons.

Holy smokes. That's a dedicated collector, or something. So what is SHE doing with them?

[disneysteve]

Really? Even given gas prices & ultra-cheap media mail rates? Probably a big box or two of them, but unless the meet was within a couple hours' drive, I wouldn't think twice about shipping it. In any case, she should cover the shipping costs.

She’s about 2 hrs away. I was willing to meet halfway. Would have been easier for me than packing and shipping them all.

Turns out she doesn’t want 15 years worth. She wants 21 years plus a few extras. Total of 260 issues. I’ll start packing them tomorrow. It will be a few cartons.

[kork13]

I'm perfectly okay with it.

The hard part will be shipping. I actually offered to meet her midway and deliver them in person but she didn't want to. It would have been easier and way cheaper than shipping probably 50 pounds or more of magazines.

Really? Even given gas prices & ultra-cheap media mail rates? Probably a big box or two of them, but unless the meet was within a couple hours' drive, I wouldn't think twice about shipping it. In any case, she should cover the shipping costs.

[disneysteve]

That is crazy!

I'm perfectly okay with it.

The hard part will be shipping. I actually offered to meet her midway and deliver them in person but she didn't want to. It would have been easier and way cheaper than shipping probably 50 pounds or more of magazines.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

The buyer responded this evening.

She wants 15 years worth of the magazine, so 180 issues. I also have some duplicates that she might want as well. I sent her a list to check. As you can imagine, 180 magazines takes up a good chunk of space. It will be nice to move them out in one transaction.

That is crazy!

[disneysteve]

The woman who bought them messaged me yesterday to let me know they arrived safely and to ask if I have more. I had just listed 96 more, which she saw. She said she'd be interested in buying all of those plus whatever else I may have. I'll get into the garage tomorrow and take inventory and send her a list. Sounds like I will hopefully be clearing out a few cartons of stuff shortly if she follows through.

The buyer responded this evening.

She wants 15 years worth of the magazine, so 180 issues. I also have some duplicates that she might want as well. I sent her a list to check. As you can imagine, 180 magazines takes up a good chunk of space. It will be nice to move them out in one transaction.

[disneysteve]

Smooth, easy transaction and the elliptical is sold! The freed up space will be nice to have back (once we move the walking desk in there).

That's great. It's so nice when you get rid of unwanted stuff and make some money in the process.

[kork13]

Listed the elliptical online last week for a fair but higher-than-average price, and was about to drop the price on it for pack of interest... But yesterday we got a promising-looking bite from someone an hour out of town! She's been looking for this exact model, so she's going to drive our way on Sunday & hopefully take it away. Happy result for all of us, if this goes through!

Smooth, easy transaction and the elliptical is sold! The freed up space will be nice to have back (once we move the walking desk in there).

[disneysteve]

Listed a lot of 16 books/booklets on ebay.

Someone is coming shortly to pick up an item (set of car floor mats) that I listed on our Buy Nothing group.

This itself isn't decluttering but it goes toward it. Stopped at the post office last night and got several flat rate boxes and envelopes. I find that I'm using more of those lately so this saves me from having to go over there every time I need one.

[disneysteve]

A part of helping my mom with decluttering has been emphasizing the positive as a way to keep her motivated. Before most of you were born, my late grandmother knit matching sweaters for my siblings and me. I found one of them buried in a bag full of dirty stuff in the back of my mom's closet. A friend converted it to a couple of super cute decorative pillows that I'll be delivering to my mom tomorrow. I know she's going to be delighted! Converting no longer useful "sentimental clutter" into something that can be displayed and used is really rewarding.

That's great.

My wife makes and sells t-shirt quilts for just that reason. Lots of people have a drawer or closet or bag full of old t-shirts that they don't want to get rid of because they have a lot of memories attached. Making them into a quilt is a great way to repurpose them into something that you can actually use and enjoy. Same with making clothing into pillows. She has also done that, specifically making memory pillows when someone has died and she takes some of their shirts and makes them into pillows for the kids or grand-kids to have to remember them.

[scfr]

A part of helping my mom with decluttering has been emphasizing the positive as a way to keep her motivated. Before most of you were born, my late grandmother knit matching sweaters for my siblings and me. I found one of them buried in a bag full of dirty stuff in the back of my mom's closet. A friend converted it to a couple of super cute decorative pillows that I'll be delivering to my mom tomorrow. I know she's going to be delighted! Converting no longer useful "sentimental clutter" into something that can be displayed and used is really rewarding.

[disneysteve]

I just saw that I got a bid on another item that ends tomorrow.

I originally listed this item for $10. Last week someone offered me $5 which I declined. A few days ago someone else offered me $6 which I also declined. It just sold for $10 which I'm perfectly satisfied with.

I really don't understand why "Accept offers" is even a thing. If I was willing to sell it for $5 or $6 then I would have listed it for that amount. The fact that I listed it for $10 means that's the least I was willing to sell it for.