Decluttering - too good for charity shop but won't sell on eBay??

[Peanutbutternutter419]

I have been on a major de-clutter this year as planning to move next year.

Just wondering what you do with things that are too good to give away but having trouble selling on eBay?

For example, I have a big bag of designer clothes including Coast, Ted Baker, French Connection etc most of which have only been worn a couple of times and so in almost perfect condition. I didn't really want to give them to charity if I can get a bit of money for them to put towards house fund but I have put them on EBay and they just don't seem to have generated any interest. A quick search tells me that there are plenty of very similar items on EBay which don't appear to be selling either.

So my question is what do you do with them?
Do you just accept that no-one is going to pay a small amount for them other than from a charity shop and donate them?
Are there any other sites that I may have more success with?

I really don't want to hang on to them and keep reposting the adverts as I need to just get cleared out now.

I would advertise on a Facebook selling page, or organise a home sale, notice up at local / your kids school, put a note on fb timeline and hold a sale at home. I have done this with some success. Otherwise you could donate to a charity - I cant recall the name - possibly work smart, they provide interview clothing for women who have been out of the workplace for a while (if you have anything officey in your collection)

How about a swishing party? Invite a few friends round with their stuff the don't need and swop?

We have a second hand clothes shop nearby which gives you a cut of your item sells. If it doesn't then you can pick it up or they give it to charity.
I do mostly just give it all to charity though, I've decided not to make many other donations and treat that as my contribution to whatever charity. If you get a sensible shop yey should know to charge more for decent stuff/eBay it themselves.

I consider giving clothes to charity the same as giving money to charity.
This stops the 'oooo, I am giving this AWAY' guilty feeling and replaces it with the 'oooo, this will be really helpful' feeling. Can you look at it as giving £100 to your favourite charity as a Christmas gift?

Some charity shops do have a 'designer' rack, and some even have posher looking charity shops, (the Oxfam one in Bath looks like a boutique) where they charge a little bit more for the goods and don't stock any bobbly jumpers and cracked leather shoes. This might make you feel that they are getting a price they warrant.

Mainly though, well done for de cluttering, that is the bit that actually makes me feel happiest

Pick a charity that you care about (e.g. maybe you feel more strongly about CRUK than about Oxfam, or maybe you have a reason to support Scope).

Give them the clothes.

They are now no longer in your house.
You have not had any hassle.
You have done something good for a charity you care about.

How about looking up the thread on project shoebox, for w women's refuge? A/c one poster, she walked out with only the clothes she had on her back and had to wear them for a month, washing them every evening. They might save someone's sanity and give her a much needed boost?

If your goal is to make a bit of needed spare cash then try facebook selling pages but if you main goal is to declutter and have them gone then I would charity shop them. I used to do a lot of car boot for stuff like this but found that it just leads to having to store unwanted items in much needed space and spend time for very little money trying to get a couple of quid.

Personally I now find much more satisfaction in dropping of a car load of stuff to a charity shop and seeing it gone than the pennies i'd have got for it at a car boot.

I don't really get the 'too good for charity' thinking, tbh.

However, if you are desperate for the money the options would seem to be :
Local facebay / selling page
Car Boot
Table Top Sale
Stall at one of the millions of Christmas Fete's coming up in next few weeks (either donating a % of your takings or pay a fee for the stall)

I had this dilemma after a massive clear out . In the end, I took some very good quality designer items to the hospice shop linked to the hospice where a dear friend died . My clothes made the shop nearly £1000 and I was thrilled, as was my friend's widower . My home remains de-cluttered and I felt the years of expensive mistakes had been resolved.

Give good stuff to the charity shop. Let them make a good sale. Give another shopper the thrill of finding something lovely. Pay it forward.

Something on eBay is only worth wfst anyone is willing to pay for it, which may be nothing.

What exactly is 'too good for a charity shop'? Charity shops should get the best of the things you no longer want.

I don't understand the too good for charity either. You are doing a great thing by helping charities raise needed money by donating good quality clothes.

I just give them to charity shops if they don't selling on eBay and gumtree. Never had any luck with fb selling pages. I find people won't pay even £5 but plenty will take freebies.

If they're not selling on eBay, I don't think you can class them as too good to give away - you haven't been able to sell them after all!

You might have more luck putting them together in bundles? Maybe try that and if they still don't sell, admit defeat and charity shop them.

Exactly what Trilby said!

Have you tried ebaying on BIN instead of auction? Price roughly in line with charity shop prices. You won't make a fortune but if you can clear a few quid per item it'll add up. I think a lot of people are a bit over waiting round bidding but prepared to spend £5ish if it's easy.

I also use ebay as an easy way of getting rid of unwanted furniture etc. if it's basically sound, put it on ebay BIN for a nominal amount of money. It'll sell fast and your buyer will be motivated to pick up their bargain. It needs to be collection only or the hassle of posting, and risk of buyers trying to claim partial refunds for mysterious new defects, is too high. I split our stuff between charity shops and this method.

You could try one of those dress agency shops if there is one near you. Otherwise charity. I agree with considering it a cash donation as they will get a fair amount for good stuff. I can't see people buying it on Facebook.

Thanks for replies. I probably didn't word my post well and didn't mean that charity shops don't deserve them, I have had a major de clutter and believe me I have donated a lot of good quality clothes, toys etc lately.

The few bits that I wanted to sell were things that cost me a lot but I only ended up with one or two wears out of them prior to the joys of pregnancy changing my body forever!

I have taken your advice and will locate a shop of a charity closest to my heart. As others said, I bet the shops would be able to generate more money from their sale than eBay would!

YAY!
And happy clutter-freedom. :)