It’s been years since I organized a yard sale and afterwards I swore NEVER AGAIN. It wasn’t worth the effort not to mention I quickly discovered there are garage sale stalkers who will descend upon your lawn at 6 a.m. on sale day and haggle you on prices until you practically give everything away.
Decluttering our home is always an ongoing process, especially where our closets are concerned. Seriously, how can one family own so many t-shirts?
Because I have two girls 33 months apart I save quite a bit from their wardrobes but at least every few months I purge items from their closets, making donate and consign piles. I also have been diligently “pruning my wardrobe.” I have cleared out some nicer high-end items that I considered resale worthy (like barely worn boots.)
Want to clean out your closet, make a little cash, or help a good cause? Here are six ideas for consigning that are much less stressful than organizing a yard sale:
1. Consign Online – Consigning used to be index cards, wire hangers and strict rules. There are more and more online options these days, however, and I love ThredUp. They’ll send you a bag to fill with your nicer designer and label clothing items and you can earn cash, credit, or donate your sales to charity. I sent in some nicer items from my donation to charity pile and made a little under $30. Not that that’s earth-shattering, but considering ThredUp sent a bag with a pre-paid shipping label and all I had to do was fill the bag and schedule a pick up at my office it was a stress-free process. Schoola is another great online option that works somewhat similarly to ThredUp with the worthy mission of raising proceeds for the local school of your choice.
2. Donate – Ask around your community and you’ll get a ton of suggestions for local charities that need gently used clothing. Some local charities will even pick up items at your home through a scheduled pickup time. As a busy working mom, I don’t always have time to drop off items, so this is a great option and great way to help a local nonprofit.
3. Share – For several years my next door neighbor would bring me her daughter’s gently used play clothes. I also will pass on some items to a friend’s daughter. Pay it forward with the play clothes mamas! Nobody wants to really spend a lot of money on shorts and t-shirts that will get muddy, grass-stained, or paint splattered, right? Once your kids hit middle school, the appeal of this will wane but it’s great for toddlers and younger school-age kids.
4. Facebook Groups – I don’t know if private buy/sell/trade Facebook pages are popular in your community, but there are several in Middle Tennessee. We’re talking great deals on designer bags like Kate Spade and Hunter boots. I’d advise only meeting people in public places, however, if you sell or purchase something. I like to meet at Walgreens or Target. Just be smart about the private information you give to strangers. Porch pick up (code name PPU) is also a popular option.
5. Instagram – I’ve seen a lot of fashion bloggers host #shopmycloset sales. It’s worth a look and a great way to snag higher-end or unusual items that some of your favorite online fashionistas are clearing from their personal closets.
6. Poshmark – A coworker once told me about the Poshmark app and she is hooked. It’s a very visual heavy app that lets you easily sell items.
Do you have any favorite charities or online consignment stores or helpful apps?
Categories: Family