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Sale & Donations - Getting Items Back into Use
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:30 pm
by Harriet
When we declutterers sort clutter for sale (which is a lot of work!), we're doing society and the environment the service of getting usable items back into the stream of use. When we donate, we add to that service the blessing of charity.
What decisions are you making about usable items - holding yard sales, selling online, using Freecycle or barter, neighborhood Swap Shops, requesting charity pick-up or gathering/transporting donations yourself?
Use this thread to report your sales and donations, when trashing things just isn't the right choice! You deserve a pat on the back!
Re: Sale & Donations - Getting Items Back into Use
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:51 pm
by catnipper
When making donations, be sure to keep a list of donated items and their approximate value. A good way to acquire these values is to go to shopgoodwill.com and search for an item similar to what you donated. Create a spreadsheet with the items on it and you can print it for your taxes.
My tax preparer loves it when I do this.
Re: Sale & Donations - Getting Items Back into Use
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 10:59 am
by Harriet
Thanks for that, catnipper. I didn't know shopgoodwill.com existed so I will have to explore it a little to catch on. Your idea seems wise for anyone who donates something they know is of value but doesn't know how to express that at tax time. I've probably underrated some donations on taxes because it seemed embarrassing to say they were worth as much as I believed if I couldn't prove it. For instance, dsecondmil saw a glass bowl at a local auction place for $20 and tells me it was just like one of mine - but that's not provable, and besides, wasn't a donation but speculation if not virtually like a retail sale. But on shopgoodwill.com there would be documented comparable sales of donated items and if you'd like you could even print them.
Re: Sale & Donations - Getting Items Back into Use
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:54 am
by blessedw2
I stopped keeping things to sell (dreamed of big garage sales) but found (for me), that keeping the things kept my mind cluttered and when I did have a garage sale it was okay but no money (I didn't list in paper) so ended up with making it a free garage sale and that went great. 90 % went and it was great.
now with dharriets goals I go to the donation center almost every Wednesday and now they know me by face. I am greeted like an old friend.
Re: Sale & Donations - Getting Items Back into Use
Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 1:03 pm
by Nancy
In the basement I have a table full of things I've rounded up
and need to box and take up to the shed
neighbor was going to have a sale next door in June
but has hurt her back so
not sure when that will be now.
I'm glad to get the decisions made of things
I can let go of
that are no longer in use
don't fit or what ever.
Re: Sale & Donations - Getting Items Back into Use
Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 6:52 pm
by Harmony
I had a nice wood shelf with brackets, very country-looking. DH and I brought it into the house twice now and held it up on all the bare wall spaces. It either didn't fit or the style looked goofy.
I was going to take it to goodwill next week, I mentioned it to my friends today and it's outa here in the back of their truck, they were thrilled and so was I!
Re: Sale & Donations - Getting Items Back into Use
Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 10:47 am
by Nancy
I think it's time to think about clearing off the table
down stairs and get those items up stairs
and outside in to the shop.