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Original poster

sell vs chartiy shop??

23 replies

scrimper · 06/12/2014 08:43

I usually sell everything on Facebook and Make good money from it, de cluttering the house constantly. But I've got behind with it recently and with Christmas coming up - both time and space are short.

Half of me wants to just fill the car and take it all to a charity shop. The other half of me sees it as money rather than junk as I know it would be a few hundred pounds if it was all sold. It just kids clothes, toys, unwanted gifts and general stuff so not mega value but we are saving for an extension and I'm not working. We have 5 children so extra cash is always good. But then again so is space!

My parents are hoarders and I don't want to end up with a house like their one!

OP posts:
cece · 06/12/2014 08:47

TBH I tend to choose the charity shop option as can never be bothered with the hassle of selling on eBay. I do however sell a few things on the facebook selling pages. I find this can be easier to organise. Or I also give things away on freegle.

Mitchymatchy · 06/12/2014 15:52

Set yourself an arbitrary time. Say you'll spend 3 good evenings on selling, or do what you can by, say, 1st Jan. Sell what you can in that time, then charity shop the rest.

Original poster
scrimper · 08/12/2014 10:42

ah why can't I just do it!?!? my house would be so much more useable. I wish i didn't care about the money. we are not skint. but only because we are carefull with money and selling stuff is one thing that does make a difference!

OP posts:
AalyaSecura · 08/12/2014 11:55

Or decide to sell what you think you can get above a certain amount for as an individual item - £10 or £20 say - and charity shop everything else. Means that you get a better return on your time.

IssyStark · 08/12/2014 16:23

I would go through and realistically work out what is likely to sell for a good enough price to pay you back or your time. Put those on eBay and charity shop the rest. If things that you decided were marginal haven't sold after 4 weeks, then charity shop. So for example, I have the monsoon jumpers and jackets on eBay but the individual kids tops, even in good nick, I have taken straight to the charity shop.

I've been ebaying with a vengance this autumn but I have packed up most of what I'm selling so it isn't 'out' and then just dig it out when it finally sells. With Christmas coming up (and two dc birthdays beforehand), the ebay stuff is going to end up in the loft for most of this month.

EthelCardew · 09/12/2014 19:00

We have a charity shop around the corner and everything of little value (clothes, books, toys, homewares) goes there unless it's specific baby/kid equipment, which I offer for free on the local Facebook group because it's nice to pass it on to someone who needs it and the shop probably won't want it anyway.

I just like the fact that it goes right away and it's great that the charity benefits. I hate using ebay and getting a couple of quid for all the hassle. Anything of real value, DH lists and deals with.

BL00CowWonders · 13/12/2014 08:06

Can you Gift-Aid the charity shop stuff? That way you're doing A Good Thing Grin and it might make you feel like you're not just throwing the stuff away.
Not cash for you but moving towards win-win maybe.

erin99 · 13/12/2014 09:32

I've got on better with ebay since I've started selling the bigger stuff on BIN, collection only. Works like freecycle only you get paid!

EthelCardew · 17/12/2014 08:11

BL00 I gift aid mine. You get a card with your number and just log it with any bags you take in. The first year I got a otter telling me how much they'd made from selling and gift aid that year, it felt really good!

EthelCardew · 17/12/2014 08:12

*A LETTER, not an otter!

But that would have been awesome too! Grin

punchkins · 17/12/2014 09:50

ethelcardew I wish it had been an otter!

EthelCardew · 17/12/2014 10:12

Yeah, they could send an otter round in a little suit to ring on your doorbell, give you a little bow in thanks and tell you how much they've made from selling your old tat.

That would make my day!

Imperialleather2 · 17/12/2014 10:24

Take it to the charity shop. I used to have piles of stuff hanging round the house waitibg to be sold etc and to be honest the last few buts I sold were for such paltry sums its actually not worth the effort of having to package it up and then queue in the post office.

Now I bag it up and take it straight to the charity shop. Especially at Christmas you'll feel like you've done a good thing.

Original poster
scrimper · 17/12/2014 10:25

I did it! Whole carload (7 seater car load!) went to the Charity shop. And loads more to go too! I am just trying to concentrate on the idea that I will NEVER have to tidy/move/deal with those items ever again!

By doing this we will be able to save £200/300 by having my daughters birthday party at home now we have more space :-)

OP posts:
BL00CowWonders · 19/12/2014 10:06

OP, how do you feel now, 2 days later?
Hope everything feels lighter and that you're enjoying your extra space.

Original poster
scrimper · 20/12/2014 07:19

It's nice. and i was able to move my dining room over to make my living space bigger (had previously had all the selling stuff hidden behind the table!)

i still need to do more though i think. and i have the motivation now, i want to get rid of more. now its just a time issue. won't have much time before Christmas to do a proper sort out as any child free time (which is not much at all) will be spent wrapping.
but what I'm doing now, i have a big laundry bag downstairs, and one upstairs. and each time i come across something i can part with, its going in there providing its not valueable. and then before Christmas it will go to the charity shop.

i feel motivated. everytime i get rid of something i just think about the fact i will never have to deal with it ever again, and that's worth it. i will have more time with my family.

i also got rid of a couple of bin bags of baby clothes Smile

OP posts:
PigletInABlanketJohn · 20/12/2014 14:01

I also put stuff on the small-ads board at Tesco. If it doesn't go, I put it on Freegle where a local person might make use of it. This include things which are awkward to carry away, like large appliances in good order. I try to avoid traders, so e.g. for good clothes, I insist the person wanting them has to collect to see if they fit.

Original poster
scrimper · 23/12/2014 22:08

I'm on a roll. more and more bags to go!

OP posts:
Original poster
scrimper · 27/12/2014 16:42

have sorted out another car load ish. i can't get to the charity shop for a few days so going to list it for sale as a big cheap joblot. if it hasn't sold before DH next gets a day off to take it to the charity shop then it will go there. feels good to have the space for the Christmas toys Smile

OP posts:
Violetta999 · 28/12/2014 19:00

Totally addictive isn't it! I enjoy chucking stuff out so much!

Original poster
scrimper · 28/12/2014 20:21

yup. somebody just bought the stuff i listed as one joblot £35 so they got a huge bargain and i got space and a bit of cash. would have gone to charity shop but they are not open till friday now.

OP posts:
Violetta999 · 28/12/2014 22:34

I think we have made £200 on ebay and an nct sale in the run up to Xmas. However we have also given away bin bags full of kids clothes to friends and probably a small skips worth to the charity shops.

MissMarplesBloomers · 30/12/2014 08:43

I sell stuff on Gumtree quite a lot, rather than eBay as it moves quicker & you name the price, they collect. Any unsold items go to charity shop.

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