Author Topic: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?  (Read 13403 times)

Roland of Gilead

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Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« on: March 31, 2014, 11:01:27 AM »
Our retirement date fast approaches (2015 age 45) and I am still a bit overwhelmed at how much will need to be done to make us homeless.   Aside from fixing up the house, putting it on the market and actually selling it, there are 14 years of possessions by two almost hoarders, although the horded items are things like Addams Family and Twilight Zone pinball, cnc milling machine/lathe, ceramic kiln, pool table, and perhaps 30 or 40 other similar items.  Then there are the small things that have some value, like china, stereo, speakers, classic lego sets, neon signs...about 200 of these items.

Just drowning here.   The thought of craigslist or ebay makes me ill, although I could do it for the 30 big items I guess.  A yardsale probably wouldn't work (who is going to pay $3000 at a yard sale for a mint Twilight Zone pinball machine?)

Have any of you ever gotten rid of a large home and all of the possessions in a few months?  How did you do it?  I do donate to charity but I would like to maximize our nest egg if possible so we don't need charity in the future.  I certainly would take extra unsold stuff to goodwill if it had value to them instead of just tossing it.  There is going to be a big internal struggle on which power tools to keep and how to sell the rest.   Choosing between the MIG welder and the TIG is like having to pick which child lives...

soccerluvof4

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2014, 11:06:03 AM »
We downsized and the agreement was to sell everything and buy new because the stuff was for a monster house we owned at the time and wouldn't fit.  We sold everything from Baby grand Piano to Bar stools on Craigs lists. Walked away with over 20k.  It really wasnt a hassle at all. We simply put cash n carry only. The thing was just getting it to the right price.  We did donate a lot to Goodwill as well.

Khameleon

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2014, 12:29:14 PM »
We are in the process of moving to a much smaller house, so we have sold a ton of stuff on ebay, craigslist, and facebook swap groups, over the past few months. You just have to start doing it. If you are finding it overwhelming just start with the larger items like you said, but start today! Once you sell a few, the combination of the cash and having one less item to worry about should keep the process rolling. It has become pretty fun for us actually. The key is just not being attached to the things. You really don't need all that stuff.

James

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2014, 12:42:42 PM »
We downsized to a much smaller house last year, and got rid of huge amount of "stuff". I learned a few things in the process.

First, just get started now. We worried about having the house "full enough" for showing it, or thought it might be easier to wait until we were closer to the move. In hind sight it was great how much we got rid of before starting in earnest. Once you start going through the house and just getting rid of stuff every day or at least every weekend, you start to feel better about how you will get rid of the rest. You learn along the way, so start early so you have time to learn.

Second, some stuff just isn't worth selling for what it is worth. That means cheap things go free, medium things go cheap, and expensive things go medium. Reduce your expectations of income from things you are going to sell and you will probably enjoy the process a lot more.

Finally, it really does feel good to have it done. Use that motivation to get started and get it done. In the end you are correct, it is hard work, but the reward of having that stuff gone is so entirely worth it! We only got rid of half our stuff and it still helped so much, so don't worry about figuring out everything, just pick something to sell or give away and start there.

Spork

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2014, 12:49:30 PM »
I agree with reducing your expectations.  There is a realization of "what it's worth" and "what I paid" is always in disparity.  True of a new car or a lathe or a pinball machine...  Think of what YOU would be willing to pay for a used MIG welder from a stranger, for instance.  If you can buy it new for $500 (no idea of what level of welder we're talking about) ... expect that you'd probably not pay more than half of that even for one that is in good shape.

We downsized from a 2500 sqft house to a 600 sqft tiny temporary living arrangement (and lived there 6 years).  Things that we expected to sell for a higher price we put on ebay/craigslist (mostly ebay).  For the rest we had a garage sale and sold it at deep discount.  What didn't sell a charity picked up the next day.  (They were smart.  They went to the garage sale and left us their card with "we can be here tomorrow at 8am with a truck.")

Your goal is to reduce loss and keep only what you absolutely have room for.

Roland of Gilead

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2014, 12:54:33 PM »
I do have reduced expectations and am not thinking I would get retail for a 10 year old tube TV but some of the items do have value.  The pinballs have actually gone up about 300% in value from where we bought them according to recent ebay completed sales and classified ads.   The inverter TIG welder was around $1600 new IIRC and has about 15 hours use but I would probably sell it for $300.  I just don't want to put it out by the street in the trash if I can get $300 for it.

I think you are right that once I get started it will snowball and I will enjoy downsizing, but right now it is just like an episode of hoarders when you open our door.

Spork

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2014, 01:02:21 PM »
I do have reduced expectations and am not thinking I would get retail for a 10 year old tube TV but some of the items do have value.  The pinballs have actually gone up about 300% in value from where we bought them according to recent ebay completed sales and classified ads.   The inverter TIG welder was around $1600 new IIRC and has about 15 hours use but I would probably sell it for $300.  I just don't want to put it out by the street in the trash if I can get $300 for it.

I think you are right that once I get started it will snowball and I will enjoy downsizing, but right now it is just like an episode of hoarders when you open our door.

Good.  It sounds like you might have reasonable expectations.  You might be surprised then how much you'll get for them.  If you live in a reasonably large city, you can list them on ebay with "local pickup only - no shipping" and probably unload them. 

You'll get a handful of idiots that will bid from across the country and expect you do deal with them... but that just means re-listing or giving a 2nd place bidder a 2nd chance offer.

phred

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2014, 01:03:28 PM »
ceramic kiln - put up a flyer at wherever you bought your pottery supplies; milling machine - flyer at school(s) teaching machine shop, flyer at any model machining clubs in area, classified ad under machinery; pinball machines - Craigslist and flyer at upscale groceries; welder - put up a flyer at vocational school and at welding supply house (with permission)

MKinVA

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2014, 01:09:10 PM »
I know what you are asking. That online stuff is a pain (especially stuff that really can't be shipped easily). I have the same problem with some of the quirky things I have acquired over the years (several dozen tablecloths from the 40s and 50s). Organize a list of things by category according to where you would buy it (antique dealer; swap meet; collector only). Remember where you bought this stuff. Make some calls to antique/stuff dealers and find out if they want to buy it, have a customer who wants it, knows of anyone, and ask them to call you by X date if they know of anyone who would buy it.

That's for the large quirky stuff. For the china, dolls, small collections, antique clothing, etc., contact an estate sale company. They will come into your house, or take your stuff to someone else's house, and sell it in an estate sale. Serious buyers, upscale clientele, usually these companies know their stuff and price accordingly.

Lastly, a yard sale for the stuff that won't sell above. But advertise it for what it is. Collections of board games, etc., just need to attract the right crowd. Not scavengers looking for cheap baby clothes.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2014, 01:11:19 PM by MKinVA »

Spudd

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2014, 01:12:53 PM »
We're in the midst of downsizing now and have just been chipping away at it by putting up 3-5 items on Craigslist every weekend. For the low-value stuff we're just going to have a garage sale later in the spring.

I have been pricing the stuff somewhere between 25-50% of what it would cost for a brand new one, depending on condition. It's been selling pretty well. A few things haven't sold and those I've been bumping up every Saturday, and after 2-3 bumps of no bites, I'll just add them to the garage sale pile.

vespito

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2014, 01:28:06 PM »
What about contacting a company that runs estate sales?  Not sure how they get paid - flat rate of percentage of sales - but might be an idea to do a sale of all possessions.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2014, 01:37:28 PM »
What about contacting a company that runs estate sales?  Not sure how they get paid - flat rate of percentage of sales - but might be an idea to do a sale of all possessions.


there bandits!

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2014, 01:56:40 PM »
In 2005, we moved from San Diego to North Carolina in a minivan (with four kids, so the seats were all occupied...just cargo space and under the seats for "stuff").  We put our clothing up on the roof rack and sold everything else we owned that didn't fit.  Mostly we used Craigslist, but we also had a huge garage sale, and ultimately gave some things away.

It was a real experience in breaking the attachment to objects.  I went through an emotional crisis with each thing that left our possession, just KNOWING that I was going to miss that item, be thinking all the time about its absence, etc.  I learned a lot about myself...six months after the move, I missed exactly two things: my Kitchenaid stand mixer, and some recipes from cookbooks.  Everything else had just been taking up space.

YK-Phil

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2014, 01:58:40 PM »
When I moved from Yellowknife to Calgary permanently (or so I thought, I came back last October for my last career stint) back in 2009, after spending over twenty years in the Canadian North, I basically gave almost everything away, including one boat with a 35hp motor and trailer, an old Subaru, a VW pickup truck, and a VW Camper (that one I kind of regret), and hundreds of items such as Sorel winter boots, Canada Goose parkas, tools, etc. The only thing we kept were our personal items and a few pieces of furniture such as beds and couches. Everything was packed in a U-Haul van, with my old Honda Civic on a dolly at the back. I will redo the same thing again when the time comes. It felt really good.

acroy

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2014, 02:14:48 PM »
You bought it all - You can sell it all!! Whoo - DO IT!!! It'll be rough at first but you'll love the feeling of freedom & extra dollars when you start making progress.
IF you need the tax break, charity is awesome.

To maximize the incoming $$, take nice pics & sell it all on Ebay. I've made a mint (well, I should say, recovered some of a mint) selling car & bike bits on Ebay - people will pay for all kinds of crap. One man's trash.... !

Just sold a window washer switch from an 80's mass-produced Japanese sports car for $51.. Fifty-one Washingtons!! Yeah!

Eric

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #15 on: March 31, 2014, 02:38:26 PM »
What about contacting a company that runs estate sales?  Not sure how they get paid - flat rate of percentage of sales - but might be an idea to do a sale of all possessions.

there bandits!

Where?!?

Norrie

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #16 on: March 31, 2014, 03:26:24 PM »
We just bought a piece of furniture off Craigslist. The guy was selling multiple things, and so he was posting them on Craigslist in batches on weekends when he was able to deal with the calls, etc. So he had a listing for a set of chairs, a listing for a credenza, one for a sofa, etc.

I would pick five items that are likely to sell easily on Craigslist and list them on Thursday. See how it goes. Decide how you want buyers to contact you (email, text, calls only), and post at least three photos of each item.

In terms of china, the pinball machines, and other higher end items, I'd take great photos of each and post them to eBay. You'll often see listings there that specify that the buyer must pick up locally. My husband sold a motorcycle to a guy who lived across the country, but flew to our city to get it because it was exactly what he needed. And my husband bought a large mixing console and had to rent a truck and drive 20 hours each way to get it, because again, it was exactly what he was after. Just flat out refuse to deal with shipping. My guess is that if the pinball machines are as valuable as you've noted, they'll go quickly.

We were just about to donate a little table that I bought from Goodwill 11 years ago, but I Googled it and learned that they go for about $300-500 all day long. A bit more work than donating, but worth it for us.

Good luck! You'll get there.

Cassie

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #17 on: March 31, 2014, 04:03:39 PM »
I have done this a few times and craigslist & ebay for the big things & yard sale for the rest-then the charity truck. People who specialize in estate sales take way too much $. When I helped a friend do this she had an expensive item so I said let's put it in the yard sale for the heck of it and if we don't get offered what we want we will sell it another way. We honestly did not expect it to sell. Two people got in a bidding war and it was gone so you just never know what will happen.  Also for china we were going to ebay it but even though it was old after much research the pattern was one that was not worth much although it was a well known brand so that made it easy to take it to Goodwill. It may seem overwhelming but once you get started it will go fast.

abhe8

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2014, 05:02:49 PM »
yes, we downsized drastically before this move. but i found my "treasures" were worth no where near what i would have liked them to be. i would say sell what you can quickly and easily (say, in a week or 2 on craigs list) and donate the rest. use the tax deduction and with all the time you would save from the hundreds of hours researching prices, listing, dealing with potential buyers, selling and shipping, pick up a couple of extra shifts at work (or work another couple of months) all the while enjoying the freedom that will come from the lack of stuff hanging around. :)

Cassie

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2014, 05:28:15 PM »
You really can make a lot of $ at yard sales if the items are clean, well displayed, marked, etc and if you are flexible in negotiating with people. If you really want a certain price for an item mark it somewhat higher so you can come down. People love to haggle no matter how cheap an item is.  Also don't mark items too high or people will not even make an offer. It is work to do one though.  If you have some other people to help you it can even be fun. 

Cpa Cat

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2014, 05:46:10 PM »
I've sold a few things on Ebay - I hate it. But it works. Make sure you do what people say here - don't let international buyers bid and set it for pick up only.

BUT - I've also had amazing success on Craigslist. You'd be amazed - someone might just be out there willing to pay cash money for that pinball machine AND move it AND haul it.

Anything you can sell at a yard sale, you should. It's cheap, it's quick. Make a deal with yourself: anything that doesn't sell gets taken to Goodwill and not back into your house.

As encouragement: When I moved from Canada to the USA, anything I was moving had to be shipped or carried on the plane. Well, the cat took up most of my carrying-capacity, and the shipping costs were high. I sold/gave away what I could and then left everything else by the curb (random people came and took it all before garbage day). I ended up reducing my stuff to three shipped boxes + 1 cat + 1 suitcase. I have never, ever thought to myself "Gee... I sure wish I had kept X. I sure miss that thing." Actually, once in awhile I encounter something and say, "Why on Earth did I put that in one of my three boxes?"

As soon as it's gone, it's forgotten. Purging all your stuff just reminds you of just how little "stuff" matters.

The cat was the only thing worth packing!

YK-Phil

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #21 on: March 31, 2014, 06:33:49 PM »

The cat was the only thing worth packing!

I forgot to mention the cat. A few hours before our long and slow drive from Yellowknife to Calgary, he managed to escape. He had done that a couple of times before, the last time having been gone for a few weeks, so we were in a bit of a panic. Luckily, we found him a couple of hours later and the day was saved...

AccidentalMiser

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #22 on: March 31, 2014, 06:40:38 PM »
I don't know where you are geographically, but it sounds like you have a bunch of high quality stuff.  Perhaps you should consider having an auction. 

www.auctioneers.org might be a good place to start.

In the right venue with the right advertising, this may be the best way to sell your stuff.

ShortInSeattle

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #23 on: March 31, 2014, 06:51:30 PM »
We did a major downsizing five years ago. Craigslist was great.

A tip: Group items together and take attractive photos. No one wanted our shovel, but when we stuck a whole assortment of yard tools in a rack and sold them as a yard supplies kit it went in a flash.

Also be clear that they need to pick up and you only take cash. Don't take a bad check. Try not to be alone at home when they pick up. Use good safety sense. If someone is a flake, don't bother with them.

Start with your high value items and sell them.
For medium value items try to sell them then donate what can't be sold.
For low value items just donate - don't waste your time.





zachd

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #24 on: March 31, 2014, 08:13:26 PM »
Our retirement date fast approaches (2015 age 45) and I am still a bit overwhelmed at how much will need to be done to make us homeless.   Aside from fixing up the house, putting it on the market and actually selling it, there are 14 years of possessions by two almost hoarders, although the horded items are things like Addams Family and Twilight Zone pinball, cnc milling machine/lathe, ceramic kiln, pool table, and perhaps 30 or 40 other similar items.  Then there are the small things that have some value, like china, stereo, speakers, classic lego sets, neon signs...about 200 of these items.

Just drowning here.   The thought of craigslist or ebay makes me ill, although I could do it for the 30 big items I guess.  A yardsale probably wouldn't work (who is going to pay $3000 at a yard sale for a mint Twilight Zone pinball machine?)

Have any of you ever gotten rid of a large home and all of the possessions in a few months?  How did you do it?  I do donate to charity but I would like to maximize our nest egg if possible so we don't need charity in the future.  I certainly would take extra unsold stuff to goodwill if it had value to them instead of just tossing it.  There is going to be a big internal struggle on which power tools to keep and how to sell the rest.   Choosing between the MIG welder and the TIG is like having to pick which child lives...


Not to sound harsh, but you need to suck it up and just start listing things.  Yes it is kind of a pain in the ass dealing with craigslist flakes or ebay but those are your best options.  Craigslist takes no fees, and it's really the best way for larger items like a welder that are probably going to be sold to someone in your area.

Just pick one thing, take great pictures of it, make a good write up, and post it on CL - don't post it at some weird time do some research... weekdays when people are on breaks at work or about to go home are popular times as are weekends.

Start it on the high side and let it go.  If you get ZERO responses then your price is too high for CL.  When your add comes up for renewal (3 days I think) edit it, and lower it some.  In the meantime, list a new item or two every day and it gets easier and easier finally you are just editing/renewing your adds and lowering them a bit until you get in the range where you are getting a few responses per week.  If you get 2 or 3 responses a week but people flake.. you still know you are in the right price range so just keep fishing.

I would recommend use ebay the same way if it's something you can ship.. do 10 day Buy-it-nows not auctions and lower the price if it doesn't sell.  Adding a best offer to the BIN is also good after you try it for 10 days at your semi-high starting price.  For some things you could even list simultaneously no harm in that just don't sell it twice.

My junk is way less cool than yours and I made several thousand, just get to it you will be rolling in $$$ soon and you'll be glad to have gotten rid of everything.
Good luck!

OH one more thing, in your CL ads you might make a brief mention of the other cool stuff you have in each add. Makes for more exposure.
You could also post in garage sale a combined list with pics of what you have since it kind of is a garage sale/estate sale with the amount of stuff you are selling.






Roland of Gilead

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #25 on: April 01, 2014, 06:33:43 AM »
Not to sound harsh, but you need to suck it up and just start listing things. 

Best advice.  I will make it a personal challenge to start listing X items per week.  I just need to get started and it will work.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2014, 07:08:39 AM »
I would start with Craigslist before doing eBay with local pickup to avoid the fees.

If something is small and still current, Amazon is much better than eBay from a fees perspective. I offloaded all of my PC parts there, except some old/strange stuff that amazon wouldn't list.

Welders in my area are in very short supply. I would bet someone will snap that up in no time. I'd start high and slowly lower the prices. Unless the ad specifically says "price firm" I will always throw an offer out to see if the seller is willing to come down. THEN I look at the item.

twbird18

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #27 on: April 01, 2014, 09:23:50 AM »
Craigslist & yard sales are the best. I sold my entire house full of stuff this way last time I moved - granted I wasn't too concerned with prices & just wanted to be rid of all of it. The idea of putting up flyers at relevant places is a good one. Also, most areas have a Facebook "yardsale" group where you can post all your items for sale. Usually these are good places to move things.

WRT the pinball machines - if you let me know what area you're in, I can try to put you in contact with a local pinball group some areas have pretty good sized groups. It might be easier to sell them that way for a higher price with pickup and removal. DH plays in the local state group on a competitive level & I know certain people are always looking for new machines to add to their collections.

Forcus

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #28 on: April 01, 2014, 09:32:37 AM »
I didn't read all the responses so my thoughts might have been covered. You mentioned that you two are hoarders, I used to be a hoarder, so I can completely identify with getting rid of stuff, value or not. So here are my two trains of thought.

If the income is important:
Separate items in to income potential. Above $100 or so I tend to list on eBay, CL, etc. $30-100 most of the time is CL. $0-30 I tend to do flea market. We have a once a month indoor flea market around here where I have had great success. This is because most of the exhibitors at the flea market want way too much for their stuff so they tote it weekend to weekend and don't sell anything. Therefore the people who come to buy stuff have a much more limited selection than the breadth of the tables would lead you to believe. Price fairly, negotiate freely. In fact I sold out my table by usually mid-day while the "professionals" had made maybe $20. They hated me. Anything left over goes to Goodwill, etc. I trick myself in to believing they never throw anything away so whatever I give, no matter how crappy, goes to a good loving home.

If the income is not important:
Only keep the big ticket items - $100 and above (and use CL / eBay). Everything else goes to the curb (try "curb alert" on CL) or if you have a day to sit and watch the pretty girls go by, a garage sale, and of course the above mentioned Goodwill as an option. Again, trick yourself in to thinking everything is going to a good home and you won't have to live through the pain (very long) that hoarders have when separated from their stuff.

It has worked for me.

Roland of Gilead

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #29 on: April 01, 2014, 09:53:12 AM »
Forcus, I like the flea market idea!  I think we have one near us at the fairgrounds but I have never been.  I wonder how much it costs to rent a booth...

Cash is important.  I deposited a $0.70 check from a class action lawsuit the other day.

Could you sell things like ballscrews, robot modules, servomotors there?  I have about 50 or 60 linear modules, some with brushless or stepper motors attached.  I also have a bunch of 8020 extrusion (maybe 700 feet).  Maybe those should go craigslist...

Some stuff is really hard to part with, although I don't need it.   I have five or six working CO2 lasers when I really only need one.

What do you do with books?  I have 25 boxes of books, ranging from technical books on hydroponics, woodworking, and metalworking to paperback Stephen King novels.  Goodwill, fleamarket or Half Price Bookstore?  About 1500 books in all.

Halloween stuff?  We have 200 to 300 Halloween props, including some full size animatronic mannequins.  Craigslist or fleamarket sometime in August close to Halloween?

#$@$ we collected a bunch of crap.  I need to get started today!




zachd

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #30 on: April 01, 2014, 10:38:59 AM »
Forcus, I like the flea market idea!  I think we have one near us at the fairgrounds but I have never been.  I wonder how much it costs to rent a booth...

Cash is important.  I deposited a $0.70 check from a class action lawsuit the other day.

Could you sell things like ballscrews, robot modules, servomotors there?  I have about 50 or 60 linear modules, some with brushless or stepper motors attached.  I also have a bunch of 8020 extrusion (maybe 700 feet).  Maybe those should go craigslist...

Some stuff is really hard to part with, although I don't need it.   I have five or six working CO2 lasers when I really only need one.

What do you do with books?  I have 25 boxes of books, ranging from technical books on hydroponics, woodworking, and metalworking to paperback Stephen King novels.  Goodwill, fleamarket or Half Price Bookstore?  About 1500 books in all.

Halloween stuff?  We have 200 to 300 Halloween props, including some full size animatronic mannequins.  Craigslist or fleamarket sometime in August close to Halloween?

#$@$ we collected a bunch of crap.  I need to get started today!

Man it sounds like you have some awesome junk.  The flea market idea is good, I didnt' think of that.. most people don't have THAT much junk to set up a booth but YOU do haha.  Flea markets are fun, I always wanted to have a booth but I got rid of all my stuff.  Maybe when I retire.

Books are tricky.. you probably have some interesting, out of print ones that might be worth a bit.  If you happen to have a bar code scanner amongst your junk, you could look them up on amazon by the bar code.  If there are any where there are only a few people selling them and the price is high you might put those aside to try and put on amazon or ebay.

There are also some phone apps you might look in to that let you scan the books bar codes and see what the average price is.  I have seen people at thrift stores endlessly scanning every book looking for something they can flip online.

But for the most part.. probably most of your books are not worth much IE Stephen King or other fiction paperbacks from the last 20 or 30 years are so mass produced there aren't a lot that are going to be worth much at all.

If you picked out the ones that you thought were worth trying to put online, the rest I would take to half price.  They will NOT give you very much, I'm always a little irked by their low offers.  I had/have a record store and we try and give people 1/3 to 1/4 when buying used records but half price seems more like they are giving you 1/6 to 1/10 of what they plan to turn around and sell them for.

Anyways, don't get me started with those guys but yeah you might get $150 out of a 1000 books better than nothing.  Find one close to a thrift store as they wont' take a lot of them probably.

If you can't tell I'm really excited for you haha.. I like buying stuff second hand and selling stuff second hand and at one time I did have a ton of junk also.. books, 8-tracks, classic video game consoles, posters, etc.  I divested myself of everything except my record collection and I do still buy/sell/trade records but it's great not having all the other stuff cluttering up my house/life.

LASTLY, I suggest picking out a really valuable thing to list first, like get those pinballs out there on Craigslist.  Dont' start with something like the books you may bog down.  I know it sounds obvious but it's easy to gravitate towards what is fun/easy to sell versus what's difficult/profitable.

Just remembering back to when I had a broken juke box and a half working pacman cocktail arcade unit at my house.
Maybe when I retire I'll become the junk man again but not until!

edit: trying to sell the lower end books for $1 each or 3 for $2 at a flea market or garage sale wouldn't be a bad thing to try if you are going to do a sale or booth anyways. 

« Last Edit: April 01, 2014, 10:46:01 AM by zachd »

Roland of Gilead

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #31 on: April 01, 2014, 10:54:42 AM »

If you can't tell I'm really excited for you haha.. I like buying stuff second hand and selling stuff second hand and at one time I did have a ton of junk also.. books, 8-tracks, classic video game consoles...

.. half working pacman cocktail arcade unit at my house.


Thanks.  I forgot all about the room full of classic video game consoles.  We have one of every game system that has come out since Magnavox Odyssey pong.  We made a game room for DDR and Xbox/Playstation and put the old game consoles in shadow boxes on the wall.  They all work and we made it so you could take them down and play them on a tv in the gameroom.   That room also has a 3 person Atari Rampart upright game that needs to go (one of my favorite arcade games).  Damn I forgot all about that room.

I think what I need to sell first is the internet router so I will get off my butt and start sorting through this mess!

phred

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #32 on: April 01, 2014, 12:09:11 PM »
You have every game system?  A technology or contemporary arts museum may be interested in acquiring the entire collection.  You might not get any money, but can probably list a heck of a charitable contribution on your tax return

Cassie

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #33 on: April 01, 2014, 12:27:56 PM »
We had 25 boxes of books so advertised how many & type we had and we had book collectors come & buy a ton of books at our yard sale.  The ones that did not sell went off to charity.

zachd

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #34 on: April 01, 2014, 12:40:01 PM »

If you can't tell I'm really excited for you haha.. I like buying stuff second hand and selling stuff second hand and at one time I did have a ton of junk also.. books, 8-tracks, classic video game consoles...

.. half working pacman cocktail arcade unit at my house.


Thanks.  I forgot all about the room full of classic video game consoles.  We have one of every game system that has come out since Magnavox Odyssey pong.  We made a game room for DDR and Xbox/Playstation and put the old game consoles in shadow boxes on the wall.  They all work and we made it so you could take them down and play them on a tv in the gameroom.   That room also has a 3 person Atari Rampart upright game that needs to go (one of my favorite arcade games).  Damn I forgot all about that room.

I think what I need to sell first is the internet router so I will get off my butt and start sorting through this mess!

I had some idea that you probably had console games too haha.  I had most every console too going back to Fairchild Channel F which if I remember was the first or second game consoles.  I had a vectrex also.  I went up to Colecovision/INTV and stopped there (No NES, Sega Master, that was after my time)

I had 350 Atari 2600 Carts that was my main focus. I had a few of the different console variations, some with the box still.

What rare carts do you have?

Are you going to sell all the console stuff or hang on to it?

I had RCA Selectavision discs and a player also.  These were really cool. But super heavy, I can't imagine moving them again and they ended up not being worth much.

Like I said now I just have records.. about 1200, but they can be stored in one Ikea expedit shelf.  I did sell maybe 1000 last year and I'm going to pair down to 'just the essentials' as Steve Buscemi says in Ghost World (as he is showing off what looks like about 600 78s).

FrugalZony

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #35 on: April 01, 2014, 12:44:48 PM »
When we moved to the US, we had to downsize from a 1100 sqft apartment with lots of storage space to what we could fit in 4 suitcases and a liftvan (a wooden box, less than 1/3rd of a 20ft container). This sounds like we could bring a lot, but I assure you it took some major downsizing and weeding out.
We had been living there for 9 years so we had accumulated A LOT of stuff!

The suitcases fit most of the clothes and items we needed the first couple days.
The liftvan, mostly fit my husband's art and a couple small furniture pieces, that I did not want to let go, plus some other things of sentimental value.
We still had to get rid of most our things and that was PAINFUL but at the same time LIBERATING!

The options available here in the US are much better (craigslist, yardsales, donation with tax write off), most of those were not available to us back then.

We gave away A LOT to friends, pretty much each time someone came over, I offered stuff for grabs.
We sold some of the higher end furniture and most of the appliances..
We grouped other items in boxes and offered them for a flat rate as "fleamarket boxes" to resellers for peanuts, but at least they came and picked them up.

We also made sure, each time someone walked through the door to look at an item or purchase something, to let them know, what else we are selling and to ask what else they may be looking for.
Often times I cut deals. Like this young couple who had just bought the Fridge, I offered them a box of China and cutlery for a flat 5 Euro on top of the Fridge deal etc. This made it easier to sell the small stuff and made a lot of people real happy.
The guy who helped his friend carry the washer down the stairs, needed a water kettle, I gave him mine, for helping out his friend etc.
For all my books (that hurt!!) I sorted them in areas of interest. One area was interesting to students at my former university so I put a note on the bulletin board and offered them as a bundle there (for a small pick up fee, because if you offer for free, you'll get 100 calls, but still no one will commit). This took care of about 1/3rd of the book collection. The others went to friends and in the fleamarket boxes.

It took several months to dwindle down all the stuff, but at the end, we only had a very small amount of items that we actually had to toss at the recycling yard (you have to pay for that) and we had a few extra $$ to spend, for stuff we needed when we got here ;)

I would say START NOW!!! Start with the stuff you can get rid of right away and list the things you are still using last!
There are so many options here in the US and it sound you have some awesome stuff to get rid off!!!
I know it's a pain to deal with the listing etc. But once the thing is gone and you have some extra money in your pocket, you'll be so happy you did!
Plus, once you see the first few things go, you start getting on a roll, trust me with this one!!

What annoys me most is we arrived here really light, with not a lot of stuff and somehow have managed to fill up an entire house again!

Roland of Gilead

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #36 on: April 01, 2014, 12:52:47 PM »

What rare carts do you have?

Are you going to sell all the console stuff or hang on to it?

I am not sure I have any rare carts.  I have Kool Aid man for the 2600 because I sent off for it as a kid.  I have the SwordQuest series because I read Ready Player One (great book if you were into video games in the 1980s!) and wanted to see what the contest had been like.  I miss those good old days when things were simple and you had to use your imagination to see two pixels as a treasure chest.

All the stuff has to go.  Maybe the Xbox One stays with us.

tmac

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #37 on: April 01, 2014, 02:27:54 PM »
Just unloaded some valuable furniture, decorative items, and jewelry at a local consignment shop. I'll get 60% when/if it sells. If it doesn't, they'll donate it somewhere. Works for me.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #38 on: April 01, 2014, 03:36:12 PM »
I'd +1 what FrugalZony said. The few times I've bought stuff off CL, the sellers are almost always getting ready for a rummage sale, so their garage is already set up to poke around in.

Forcus

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #39 on: April 01, 2014, 07:02:56 PM »
Books are kind of a crap shoot. Sometimes they aren't worth a penny and you end up just lugging them around place to place. BUT it sounds like you aren't a cheap book collector (that is, any free book is a good book) but that you have specific books that would appeal to a specific segment. Same with your servo motors and special tools. I would not bother taking those kinds of things to a regular flea market. The flea market is more for mass appeal. For the specialized stuff I would do CL, eBay, and online forums that have to do with the equipment you have. Or a swap meet for, for example, tech geeks. Some of the stuff you have sounds like it would appeal to people who collect vintage game equipment. I've heard that stuff can be quite expensive, so it pays to do research so you don't give it away.

Sounds like you have some neat stuff that's worth selling right.

zachd

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #40 on: April 01, 2014, 09:44:52 PM »

What rare carts do you have?

Are you going to sell all the console stuff or hang on to it?

I am not sure I have any rare carts.  I have Kool Aid man for the 2600 because I sent off for it as a kid.  I have the SwordQuest series because I read Ready Player One (great book if you were into video games in the 1980s!) and wanted to see what the contest had been like.  I miss those good old days when things were simple and you had to use your imagination to see two pixels as a treasure chest.

All the stuff has to go.  Maybe the Xbox One stays with us.

One of the swordquest games is very rare.. I think it's waterworld.  I don't think it was officially released.  I remember playing the first one, it was pretty unique at the time.  I think the rarest game I had was Rubik's Cube... it could only be ordered through the Atari Club.  I found mine at a garage sale I'm sure.   

I'll have to check out that book for sure.

The old carts are easy enough to sell online and easy to ship too.. they are virtually indestructible!

 

goodlife

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #41 on: April 02, 2014, 01:05:42 PM »
I just sold pretty much everything I own because I am going traveling for 3-6 months and then moving to a different continent. I sold all furniture on craigslist and walked away with a chunk of cash. I didn't have much to begin with, so not quite comparable to your situation, but all my belongings now fit into one suitcase and I am storing three boxes at a friend's house. Felt so good to get rid of everything!!

I think craigslist for bigger items is pretty good, just make sure you leave enough time, as in start right now, because some people are flaky and never show up or bail out in the last minute. I didn't leave enough time and had to accept some sub-par offers in the end, but still got a good chunk of cash though. I learned that some stuff just isn't sellable, so best to give to goodwill. They actually come to your house as well if you have a decent amount, but again, leave enough time to do this as they usually book out quite a while in advance for pick-up dates.

As for books, I found that mostly it's a waste of time selling them. If you do sell them on ebay, make sure the buyer pays for shipping too...otherwise you will probably lose money (as in sell a book for $2 and then ship it for $5). I ended up donating all the books to the library.

greenmimama

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #42 on: April 02, 2014, 01:42:29 PM »
This may have already been said, but we have a pretty active 5k+member Facebook yard sale page that I have unloaded quite a bit on, the people are local and are often looking for just what you are selling.

Each group has their own very specific rules, but read them, follow them and it is a diff. way than CL to reach a local market.

Cassie

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #43 on: April 02, 2014, 02:54:49 PM »
If you advertise the types of books you have & how many you will get book dealers to come & they usually buy a lot of books.  I had 2 show up at ours & buy a bunch in addition to the books the regular customers bought.  We did well.

snellbert

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #44 on: April 04, 2014, 04:35:26 PM »
We sold a pinball machine on Craigslist a few years ago (Star Wars Ep 1, got it free, fixed it up for ~$100 and sold for 3k, I think)-- wasn't hard at all. The guy who bought it owned a pinball shop, picked it up and paid cash. It was a good deal for both of us. It was a really fun machine, though!

Roland of Gilead

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #45 on: April 04, 2014, 04:39:19 PM »
We sold a pinball machine on Craigslist a few years ago (Star Wars Ep 1, got it free, fixed it up for ~$100 and sold for 3k, I think)-- wasn't hard at all. The guy who bought it owned a pinball shop, picked it up and paid cash. It was a good deal for both of us. It was a really fun machine, though!

It is amazing how well pinball machines hold their value compared to almost any other entertainment item.  I passed up about 6 pins when I got Twilight Zone and Addams Family, including a mint Star Trek TNG and Indiana Jones for $1400 each.  Today they are worth 3K easy.

okashira

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Re: Anyone have experiences selling most possessions?
« Reply #46 on: April 04, 2014, 05:39:36 PM »
Where are you located? I want to look at that Lathe / Mill; hell everything else :-D