Spring Cleaning: Donate or Sell?

Spring cleaning can be such a daunting task. Just dedicating the time to clean out your closet can be incredibly overwhelming. And if you're really good, after going through all of your belongings, you have some big time piles of items to donate/give away/throw away. So after one long day of cleaning {maybe two, or three} now you have another chore to add to the list.

Deciding to get rid of items can be really challenging, but once you make that commitment, now what? Should you donate it? Try to sell it? Just toss it because it's easier? I almost always vote for donating versus tossing, unless the item is completely unwearable or unusable. But what about those items that you spent a pretty penny on, but never really wore? Or the item that is still in good condition but doesn't fit your size anymore? Then the question becomes, do I donate or try to sell this item?

Donations:

Donating always jives some good vibes in me. Even if an item was difficult to let go of, it makes me feel better picturing who would use it next. The other perk about donating is you can claim it on your taxes. Keeping track of everything you donate isn't always as easy though, and how do you know the value of each item? The Salvation Army offers a estimated price range on certain items on their website, but when I'm in the throws of cleaning out I can't be bothered with constantly checking the site. So I created my own document to keep track of items we donate and their value {get your copy here!}

The list is separated into categories to make sorting through the items a little easier. I included an estimated price range, which makes it easy for me to tally up the total value as I go. 

After dropping the bags off at the donation location, I attach the receipt, and file it away for next year's taxes. 

Goodwill is a very common place for people to donate almost any item, however don't forget about other organizations in your area who may be looking for specific items. For example, Dress for Success is an organization that provides professional attire to disadvantaged women. Many shelters accept donations, as well as domestic violence or foster care agencies. It's worth it to do a little research in your area to see what's out there, and also see who provides pick up services! {this is a great site for those of you in NYC, link here)

Selling: 
What about that pair of shoes you never wore but you've hung onto because they were just so darn expensive. Or that sweater you're certain you'll never wear, but it still has the tags on it. There are options out there to help you sell it {without having to organize a huge yard sale}. eBay has been a go-to for people for years now, and every time I go on there it seems they're making it easier and easier to sell items. You can even sell items straight from your phone now.

There are just a few key things to remember when it comes to eBay.

1. Compare cost - research similar items either on eBay or other parts of the web, and see how much it's going for. If you feel that your item is worth a similar amount, and you feel the amount is enough to justify the time it takes to sell, then sell, sell, sell! 
2. Take good, quality photos - Make sure there is enough light {snapping shots with natural light typically turn out better}. Also, try to have a clean background in your image. If there are any defects, let the potential buyer know and snap a shot so they can see it. 
3. Be considerate - try to answer any questions and keep the communication lines open with potential buyers. Also, leave feedback for a buyer as soon as possible, chances are they'll return the favor. And package your gift nicely, it will mean a lot to the purchaser and make them more likely to buy from you again. 

Ok, so maybe that's a little too much work for you. Isn't there someone else who could sell things for me? There are a few websites out there that will take your unwanted belongings and pay you for them. Thredup.com and LikeTwice.com will send you a bag to stuff your belongings into and they will pay you for items they feel they can sell. Both websites offer an estimator online for about how much you will get per item, however there are some reviews out there saying the payout was much less then expected. I haven't had the chance to use these websites yet, but I am willing to try it out. Anyone out there have any experience with them, or one like them? I'm anxious to hear how it went!

**Update: I sent in a large bag of items just after this post. The maximum pay out for the items would be $158, and the minimum $25 {estimations from ThredUp.com} I received $80 back, which I was super excited about! I definitely plan to use them again for those high quality items I just don't have the motivation to sell online. 

This spring cleaning cycle, I was able to round up about $300 worth of items. Not too shabby for a quick closet clean out!

Cost: +$300 toward donation value for taxes
Time: About 2 hours for this round. There will probably be a round 2 in a month. Just to keep things lively in our home.

What do you do with your spring cleaning piles? Have you had success with buying/selling online? Feel free to share your input.

Thanks for visiting!