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runninginplace

Yard Sale or Goodwill????

runninginplace
18 years ago

I really can't decide which way to go. Like many others I'm determined to get rid of a lot of STUFF that is cluttering up our home. I've been working on putting things into boxes slowly but it is clear that there is a major load that will be accumulating. It will include unused bed and table linens, kids' clothing, dishes, and the other zillion miscellaneous items that just seem to float around!

Anyway, I know I will have enough for a decent yard sale and of course that would net some cash. To encourage my daughter and son to help dig through and get rid of their junk I've told them whatever they sell of theirs, they can keep the proceeds. I could probably even talk to a few of my neighbors on the block and do a multi-family sale which would really bring people in.

But...a yard sale of course takes some organizing and planning and meanwhile I'll be looking at piles of boxes and bags of the sale items stacking up in my florida room. Also, I very much prefer to do these with my husband and son around. Not only are they are good at helping set up, move anything heavy, etc. I feel more comfortable with strangers all over our front yard when my husband is here to help me deal with all of it. But due to my son's sport schedule they don't have a free Saturday for a looooong time to come, at least a month :(. Which means if I do the yard sale I will definitely have piles around for a good long time.

Any recommendation? I have to admit the ease of just putting boxes and bags in the car as I fill em and dropping off at Goodwill is tempting...

Ann

Comments (26)

  • jamie_mt
    18 years ago

    I've done *one* yard sale...that was enough for me. Now I just donate - much easier and less work than the whole sale thing. :-)

  • talley_sue_nyc
    18 years ago

    I'm not much help; I usually choose between Goodwill and the garbage.

    The other thing you could do it sell stuff on Craig's List (if you've got one in your area).

    Is there any place BESIDES the Florida room that you could stack stuff up? The dreaded garage, perhaps? If you normally park in there, maybe it would be worth it to park in the drive for a month or so? since you don't have to scrape the windshield in the morning, being in Florida....

  • teacats
    18 years ago

    Take them to Goodwill -- and bless other souls with those items.

    FRankly a number of friends have tried garage sales -- and lately they have found that the negatives far outweigh the cash at the end.

    Frankly -- the "bottom line" is now when they clear out stuff -- it goes to Goodwill or other charity shops!

  • runninginplace
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    It's unanimous :). I just talked to my sister, who told me she is gathering things to sell at 'my' yard sale though! But I guess getting them out of my hair and off my mind is probably the best idea. I'll keep stockpiling but I am leaning toward that option.

    Ann

  • quiltglo
    18 years ago

    Goodwill. Frankly, I need the tax deduction. We take between $2-4,000 annually on non-cash donations. Even the last van that needed replacing went to the Salvation Army's used car lot.

    If you aren't tracking the stuff you donate and using some type of program like It's Deductible, you're cheating yourself. The DH gives one of these booklets to all of his clients and the ones who track the stuff have found they pay his tax bill with what they save on taxes.

    I keep a running list next to my donate spots (laundry room has a bag and master closet has a bag). When I pick up the receipt I just put it in the donate file. I figure I spend maybe six hours over the course of the year keeping track of stuff. Definately worth my time.

    No garage sales for me.

    Gloria

  • Julie_MI_Z5
    18 years ago

    I vote Goodwill, but I work full time and don't want to spent my weekend time supervising a yard sale.

  • kali
    18 years ago

    I think some people really enjoy holding yard sales; they like hanging out meeting their neighbors and others who stop by. The revenue certainly can't make all that work worth it. To me, the little bit more I would net holding a yard sale or selling on craigslist/ebay doesn't come close to compensating me for the extra effort. After all, a tax deduction is certainly worth something.

    More importantly perhaps, donating to charity means that the proceeds, and maybe even the stuff itself will go to the truly needy. I might be wrong, but I guess that low-income people are more likely to go to one Salvation Army thrift store than they are to drive around to various yard sales.

    Or maybe I'm just rationalizing my laziness :-)

  • intherain
    18 years ago

    It really depends on what you are selling. The only successful garage sales I've had are those with baby and kids stuff. My friend and I sold over $600 worth of stuff! I enjoyed watching people get excited to buy stuff. I got very emotional when I watched someone haul away the crib my 3 babies had slept in, but they were so excited to get it, that it made me feel good.

    In my experience - at least in our area - you need big items like furniture, etc. in order for it to be worth your time. Putting together a garage sale is a lot of work. (Again, some people enjoy this. When I was younger, I sure did!)

    Sheryl

  • foxykitten350234
    18 years ago

    Another vote for the Goodwill here. If given the choice between the yard sale and the Goodwill I would run as fast as I could to the Goodwill.

    Foxy.

  • Kelly_68
    18 years ago

    In Canada, we don't get receipts for things we donate to Salvation Army :( . I send my daughter's toys to a women's shelter, household goods go to another shelter for women "starting over", I freecycle some, and bring some stuff to work for co-workers. I know this is more work that dropping off in one spot, but we cater to other's needs first which is more important to us.

  • steve_o
    18 years ago

    I don't even give away things through Freecycle/Freemarket/Craig's List anymore. Too many people who jump to express interest only to vaporize after the initial contact; too many missed connections, ... It's much easier to take it to Goodwill, when it's convenient for me and where the smiling people gladly accept the donation and give me a receipt for taxes.

  • maddiemom6
    18 years ago

    DONATION!..Bless someone else with your things. Just rmember to make sure that they really are in GOOD condition. My local charity place spends a fortune on dumpsters to throw away much of the junk people give to them.

    Maddiemom

  • jannie
    18 years ago

    I had two garage sales. The first was hard but I made a little over $100 and encouraged me to hold the second. The second was a disaster. People look for "deals", not for useful stuff. For example, I had a working vacuum and TV that went unsold, and an antique Pepsi bottle holder I knew was valuable that someone wanted for fifty cents! People stole my merchandise while I was talking to other people. After both sales I was left with a lot of stuff I either had to bring back in the house or donate, so the work lasted long after the garage sale. From now on, I will donate anything in good shape and THROW OUT EVERYTHING ELSE.

  • jenn
    18 years ago

    We made over $400.00 at a garage sale we had last year. We plan to have another one very soon, and whatever is left over will go to Goodwill. The garage sale was A LOT OF WORK and the number of people we had at the start was totally overwhelming, but I'd do it again. If you do have a garage sale, recruit some friends or family to help you.

  • esga
    18 years ago

    I've done 2 garage sales; one joint with a friend, and one by myself. You can't do it alone - you'll have to go in to use the bathroom at some point, if nothing else! It is a horrendous amount of work. I made a couple hundred dollars at the joint one, maybe a hundred when I did it alone. Never again - for one thing, around here, people don't want to pay more than $10 max, no matter what it is - and mostly much less!

  • broodyjen
    18 years ago

    I vote donate, too. I had a yard sale, and I didn't make much money. But even worse, I realized how embarrassed I was by some of the stuff I was getting rid of. I live in a small town, and I guess I realized I didn't want the neighbors going through my "junk." So I boxed it all up and listed it on freecycle, and someone came and picked it up to take to their church's garage sale (it was all priced and ready!).

  • marie26
    18 years ago

    I also did one once and decided to never do it again. Although I see no problem in giving away stuff to Goodwill, I found myself getting angry that some people offered such low prices for items that were definitely worth something. And one person lied to me about wanting the lawn mower for the Church and had hardly any money to pay for it because of that reason. I found out later that she wanted it for herself.

  • bianchi2
    18 years ago

    I give all my stuff to Goodwill now, after one and only one garage sale. People take off with some stuff, ask to use your bathroom, all kinds of inconveniences. It's so much easier, give it away and its out of the house for good. If it's really bad I throw it out.
    Bianchi

  • jiggreen
    18 years ago

    i just did a major de-cluttering with the help of freecycle.org. you just submit a posting with the stuff you want to get rid of, then pick the first person who responds..or who seems the most needy and sincere. in my experience, most items have been picked up the same or very next day that i've posted them. it's the easiest way to go, and sure beats dragging the stuff to goodwill.

  • jannie
    18 years ago

    The goofiest thing that happened during one of my yard sales was this: I had a glass candy dish marked 35 cents. a woman came up to me with it, asked if I'd take a quarter, I said sure. She drove off with it, then came back a little later. She said "I found a chip on this, I want my quarter back." Also, even though I had advertised the sale hours as 9 to 3, two cars pulled up between 7 and 9 am, saw me setting up and asked if they could "watch". I was too embarassed to say no, but now I know why some ads have the phrase "no earlybirds".

  • runninginplace
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Jannie, that is so funny, though of course how obnoxious can you be?! A money back guarantee for a quarter item at a yard sale...that might be one to add under the definition of 'chutzpah' wouldn't it?!

    I think I will go ahead and start hauling boxes to Goodwill. I'm totally convinced by everyone (well almost everyone, admire the folks who are energetic to do repeat yard sales) that getting this stuff OUT of my sight and home is the best way to go.

    I do have a lot of girls' uniform type skirts (no logo, just the pleated khaki or navy type) and other kids' clothes that I'm going to offer to a local after-school program based near my house. I can drop those off and I bet there are some kids who could really use them. And maybe my sister wants some random kitchen items; she just moved into a nice apartment after several years vagabonding it in rented studios.

    Otherwise, I'll tell my husband to keep bringing home the computer boxes*, as I fill them and move 'em out!

    *Aside-I LOVE computer boxes for this kind of discard. Not only are they an easy shape to stack and pack, they are a good size to put only what I can easily lift and haul and best of all they have lids! We get an endless supply of empties from the student computer labs at the college where we work but if you have any way to get 'em I suggest trying them out. I wonder if Kinkos or that type of place would give them away?

    Ann

  • steve_o
    18 years ago

    I wonder if Kinkos or that type of place would give them away?

    The ones here in Minneapolis/St. Paul realize what gold they have sitting there; they sell them.

    Might try an independent copy store/printer.

  • jannie
    18 years ago

    Yes, I too love those computer paper boxes for storage. Altho I quit work last year, I had a good supply at my job. I could get two or three boxes a week. I would keep my eye open to see when the box of paper was getting low,then empty it out and grab the box! THey are the perfect size,fit easily on most shelves, easy to lift and best of all-FREE. Then one day I noticed another employee hanging around a near-empty box. She liked them as much as me! It was a true contest to get the boxes. I used to feel a little guilty carrying the box out to my car. Hoped no one thought I was stealing from my employer,but the boxes were empty,so if I was spotted , I had committed no crime!

  • Julie_MI_Z5
    18 years ago

    Ann,

    Good for you! Haul that stuff out of the house and be done with it!

  • intherain
    18 years ago

    Good decision, Ann! You will feel so good after you drop it all off. This was me last weekend!

    As for copier/computer paper boxes, definitely try Kinkos or other copy places. My husband's family owns a print shop and they LOVE to get rid of those boxes! I must say they are the best - very sturdy, great size, nice lids.

    Sheryl

  • bouncingpig
    18 years ago

    I used to do lots of garage sales . . . mostly with my ebay overstock (things that didn't sell after two or more listings.) I always made between $800 to $1500 so it was very lucrative and I did it with my best friend so it was also kind of a "social event" but these days my life has gotten so hectic and now I have an antique booth at a local antique store, so most of it goes in there. Things such as clothing go to friends who have smaller kids and the rest to Goodwill. For now my garage sale days are over.

    Brenda