# Stuff We Don't Use or Don't Need



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I'm working on getting house ready to sell. This morning, without planning to do so, I started cleaning out laundry room and kitchen of things I should sell at a yard sale. In about an hour, I had 2 tables completely covered plus big stuff on the floor to get rid off, and that's only 2 rooms.

From canning supplies (I never started canning) to yogurt making jars (which I used a few ties) to wine making equipment (I have more wine than I can drink in a lifetime), it is amazing how much stuff we have just taking up space. Some is just older stuff that still works, but I'd rather get a dollar for it and not have to move it or even just throw away.

I came up with a good business idea for someone. Run yard sales for people. I would gladly give someone 50% of take to handle the yard sale for me. Probably not a huge amount of money, but figured on a per hour basis it would be pretty good. Plus they would get 1st shot at buying the good stuff.


----------



## DKWunlimited (Sep 11, 2006)

Around here there are many companies that will do that. I bet there is someone in your area. Ask around.

On a side note, on our cleaning binge a few weeks ago we decided to clean under the kitchen sink (Had not been done in 5 years) apparently that is where old flower vases go to die because I had 32 flower shop vases under there.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Stuff we don't use or need? Almost everything.
Americans have so fallen into materialism it should be obvious just looking at the modern homes with 3+ garages, storage rental units now as dense as McDonalds and Walmarts, car lots at every corner, etc.

Only other thing I might mention for families preparing to move is to be sensitive to your spouse when determining what goes out to the curb. It is just as easy for me to throw out piles of shoes and purses I cannot ever remember my wife using as it is for her to bag and trash my shop full of tools and gadgets sitting under a veil of sawdust. Ease into that pool don't jump.


----------



## SpringCrkAromas (Aug 21, 2005)

Here we have auction houses. Take a load of stuff to them, they auction it off and charge you 30% of the sale.


----------



## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Lots of thrift/antique places do consignments...there are plenty of online services too. Craigslist, FB groups, those new apps like letgo...


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

dmm1976 said:


> Lots of thrift/antique places do consignments...there are plenty of online services too. Craigslist, FB groups, those new apps like letgo...


The thing is it quickly gets into how much time and effort is it worth to sell the item?

If it is over $50, then I try Craigslist. Under it either goes into trash or yard sale. But then is it worth all the effort of a yard sale to make $100-$200? It might actually be better to load up the van and take to Goodwill.

Take something like an electric knife or a set of kitchen canisters. Not much value in them even though they are still usable. When you are competing with Walmart, you have to price things so low it's not worth the effort.


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

MoonRiver said:


> I came up with a good business idea for someone.


There are already companies that do that by auctioning off unwanted items.
Or you can take them to consignment stores.


----------



## tiffanysgallery (Jan 17, 2015)

If one set's stuff out at the curb it goes quick.
Facebook's Buy Sell and Trade is popular. 
This week I sold two new rolls of barb wire for $10 ea. on CL, sold within the hour. 
When I get a truck load of stuff I go to the local flea market. The buyers help unload, so they can have first pick. By afternoon, I put everything left into boxes and mark them fifty cents. After that, whatever doesn't sell, I give away to one of the regular sellers. The only thing I take home, at the end of the day, is a wad of cash and pockets full of change. 
I tried having yard sales, but I live too far out of town.


----------



## DKWunlimited (Sep 11, 2006)

MoonRiver said:


> The thing is it quickly gets into how much time and effort is it worth to sell the item?
> 
> If it is over $50, then I try Craigslist. Under it either goes into trash or yard sale. But then is it worth all the effort of a yard sale to make $100-$200? It might actually be better to load up the van and take to Goodwill.
> 
> Take something like an electric knife or a set of kitchen canisters. Not much value in them even though they are still usable. When you are competing with Walmart, you have to price things so low it's not worth the effort.


This time of year many kids groups ( boy scouts, church youth groups etc) have yard sales to raise money for going to camp. They will usually come pick up for free to run through their sale.


----------



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Gkad I don't have anything extra like that LOL.


----------



## vickinell (Oct 10, 2003)

I don't do garage sales. When I get ready to get rid of stuff I take it to People Helping People, a second hand shop. I just give it to them. I have bought stuff at Goodwill and garage sales that was just what I needed.

It is just when I get ready to get rid of stuff, I like it gone, not boxes every where and leftovers.


----------



## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

MoonRiver said:


> I'm working on getting house ready to sell. This morning, without planning to do so, I started cleaning out laundry room and kitchen of things I should sell at a yard sale. In about an hour, I had 2 tables completely covered plus big stuff on the floor to get rid off, and that's only 2 rooms.
> 
> From canning supplies (I never started canning) to yogurt making jars (which I used a few ties) to wine making equipment (I have more wine than I can drink in a lifetime), it is amazing how much stuff we have just taking up space. Some is just older stuff that still works, but I'd rather get a dollar for it and not have to move it or even just throw away.
> 
> I came up with a good business idea for someone. Run yard sales for people. I would gladly give someone 50% of take to handle the yard sale for me. Probably not a huge amount of money, but figured on a per hour basis it would be pretty good. Plus they would get 1st shot at buying the good stuff.



During my flea marketing era while I had my produce and store grade stands , I often would go with some friends to evaluate potential yard sales we got advance notice of and if it looked like potentially good second hand /almost antique range, we would make a offer of a few hundred dollars at most for the whole load.

If the owner accepted, we paid them and truck and car trailer loaded the merchandise to take to the sorting building to divide among our second hand flea market stand, the load to go to auction for other flea marketeers and a load to go to the consignment store one of the guy's wife ran.


----------



## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

You're all welcome to stop by my place on Memorial Day weekend. I'm having a yard full of free stuff for anyone who wants it. It'll be there until gone, or until the next trash day. There's a pretty big flea market about five miles from here; on Monday the flea marketeers make the rounds of the countryside looking at stuff to pick up and take to their stalls. Scrappers, too, looking for metals.

geo


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I've decided no yard sale. Too much work for a chance at making a couple hundred dollars at best. I'll focus on selling the bigger dollar items through Craigslist and facebook. Should be a better use of my time.


----------



## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

When we moved from TN to MN, I totally decluttered. The farm equipment and livestock we auctioned off, but things in the house went to goodwill, to friends that wanted them, and even to daughter-in-laws. I was shocked at the stuff found in my closet that I that I haven’t worn for decades (like the purple mini-skirt from the late 80’s! Yep Purple!). When I got done de-junking, it was AWESOME. I felt lighter all the way around.


----------



## alida (Feb 8, 2015)

When I downsized a number of years ago I had my first, and last yard sale. I paid for a ad in our local paper under the "yard sale" heading, and it worked beautifully. Cars were lined up and down the street and I cleared about $300. Everything that was left over went to the Salvation Army. Two weeks later I'd be hard pressed to tell you what I sold. 

Now I'm decluttering again, just because there is stuff I haven't looked at in at least 10 years. However a yard sale isn't a option and It's tricky going the craigslist route where I live (safety). Easier for me is to put stuff in our condo recycling room bit by bit. It almost always vanishes within the hour and that suits me fine. 

I also had some "stuff" from my mothers estate, and now a uncles, plus paperwork for both that I'm obliged to maintain as executor. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep all the memories "stuff" from both forever, but for now I'm not prepared to discard any of it. I have done a mountain of shredding though, of my own and their paperwork (who needs a tax return from 1995?), or 10 year old phone bills?. However I did find and plan to keep a "master" account book my mother started in 1959, the year she and my dad married. Every year she noted highlight purchases, anything from first bike for Alida, to new roof after windstorm. She kept the book until 2014 when she passed away. It's a snapshot of our family history and priceless in my eyes.


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

I don't have junk clutter or anything around
You wont find anything on my farm
I get a track Bobcat about every two years and dig a deep pit
All goes in it...metal trash anything
Go through barn once a month and out it goes
Can't stand trash clutter disorganized or anything like that


----------



## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

elevenpoint said:


> I don't have junk clutter or anything around
> You wont find anything on my farm
> I get a track Bobcat about every two years and dig a deep pit
> All goes in it...metal trash anything
> ...


I hope you get caught, that just an awful thing to do.


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

Do you have trash service?
That's awful
Mine is burnt to nothing
Caught by who?
Thanks for todays laugh


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

hiddensprings said:


> I haven’t worn for decades (like the purple mini-skirt from the late 80’s! Yep Purple!). When I got done de-junking, it was AWESOME. I felt lighter all the way around.


 Yeah it’s been a while since I wore a purple mini skirt


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

coolrunnin said:


> I hope you get caught, that just an awful thing to do.


It’s his stuff why shouldn’t he keep it where he wants it. ?


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

elevenpoint said:


> Can't stand trash clutter disorganized or anything like that


Why not ?
Chaos is good!


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I love the Internet, but it sure killed the used resale market for paperbacks, vinyl records, and cd's. Looks like Goodwill is going to be the beneficiary.


----------



## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

We seem to have a lot of neighbourhood garage sales here. All the people on a street will get together at someones house (driveway) on a particular Saturday with all their items. When this was happening on our road the traffic was non-stop for 3 hours and our neighbours sold just about everything. It seems to be a lot more fun when you are doing it with others.

We also have a lot of organized garage sales/flea markets held in parking lots, parks and even in greenhouses as well as charitable organizations holding sales in churches or at the Humane Society. You rent a table and can then sell anything - legal. Once again always very successful.

We tend to declutter on a regular basis so never have had the need for a garage sale. We donate whatever we have to the fund raiser sales or give it away to friends etc. When we were starting out many people gave us things and some of these things really were special and helped us enormously. So we are just doing the same.

If you do want to figure out a price for an item and you want to sell it then it is never good to over price. Things are not worth as much as people tend to think. I figure out how much we paid for an item and how long we had it and from that how much it cost us a year. For example a china cabinet we paid $800 for 40 years ago cost us $20 a year so to give it away is not losing much and not worth the effort of selling - even if it is great condtion.


----------



## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

elevenpoint said:


> Do you have trash service?
> That's awful
> Mine is burnt to nothing
> Caught by who?
> Thanks for todays laugh


If its burn't to nothing why the backhoe?
I've dealt with 2 places where the previous owners thought it was cool to bury there junk, ut wasn't pretty.

While landfills are ugly and not really desirable, at least it's all in one spot.


----------



## coolrunnin (Aug 28, 2010)

AmericanStand said:


> It’s his stuff why shouldn’t he keep it where he wants it. ?


Because it has the potential to affect others besides himself


----------



## Elevenpoint (Nov 17, 2009)

I don't bury trash
I burn it then cover it with 3 foot of dirt
Everybody I know has a burn pit out here


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

coolrunnin said:


> Because it has the potential to affect others besides himself


Right. The city or county needs to burn and bury it!


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

It's funny what we attach meaning to. I have been taking pictures of tools, kitchen appliances, stereo, wine making equipment, my bicycle, printers, etc, and it was no big deal.

But then I wheeled my set of golf clubs out of the shed and felt really sad. After 20 years of not playing, I'm giving my clubs away. From time to time, I would take a club and hit a few balls in the back lot. But now I'm admitting I'll never play golf again. Very sad. My back just isn't stable enough to handle the golf swing.ETA:

ETA: I think I came up with a good compromise. I'm keeping the pitching wedge.


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

I just put 15 items on FB Marketplace. I'm giving my lawn tractor away as it caught on fire last time I used it! It's funny, out of all the things I posted, 2 guys were interested in a half roll of wire fencing. I put some deals out there that are almost unbelievable, if anyone figures it out.


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

If you haven't used Marketplace for selling stuff, I highly recommend it. I've only sold 2 items so far, but that is in 12 hours.

And I'm having an accidental yard sale. People are coming by the house to get their items, so I put everything that can get rained on in the side yard where they will see it when they drive in.


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

This is getting harder and harder. Things I thought would sell right away are mostly unsold and things I thought wouldn't sell are sold. 

I've decided that all I am going to keep is either going to be in my travel trailer or in a 10' x 5' storage room. That's probably 3 or 4 pieces of furniture and a bunch of boxes. What to keep? 

The mice have really set me back. I assume it was mice, but something stored acorns in every container they could get into in the garage. I have an inflatable kayak in a canvas bag and they got inside the bag and left acorn shells. The acid from the shells stained whatever they came in contact with and burned 2 holes in the rear wave skirt. It took several tries, but I finally got it patched, or so I thought. After about 24 hours, I can tell some air has leaked out. The skirt is just to help prevent water from splashing into the boat, so a slow leak isn't critical, but it brings the value down.

I found acorns several other places and really had to scrub to get things cleaned up.

Got to fix water damage to the bathroom floor. I've put this off a long as I can, so going to have to pull the toilet and get at it. Then finish cleaning out the garage, repaint, and clean the concrete floor. Plus I still haven't done touch-up paint throughout the house yet. Once that's all done, Clem offered to help replace some beams in the shed that ants have destroyed.

And I've only got a week to get everything but the shed done!


----------



## vickinell (Oct 10, 2003)

Sounds like you may have squirrels. I am having rat problems. I need to patch some spots where they are coming in and open my pool and here I am on my IPad. We both need to get on the ball.


----------



## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Oh that back pack sprayer and ladder look handy. 
Not that I need them now.........


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Finally sold my bicycle. Driving to Roanoke this weekend to hopefully sell my belt sander, telescope, and 75 w solar kit. Only a few big items and a bunch of smalls left.


----------



## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Was that the bike you bought a few months ago when you had vehicle problems?

Mon


----------



## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

frogmammy said:


> Was that the bike you bought a few months ago when you had vehicle problems?
> 
> Mon


No, it was a 5 speed Schwinn I bought about 30 years ago that was still in near perfect shape. I put new tubes, tires, brakes, and bearings on it recently. I finally had to drop the price to $25 to sell it. It is easily a $100 bike in today's market.


----------

