Tackled my sock drawer this evening. Between droopy, holey, mismatched (only one), and not really the right size, I'm keeping fewer than I'm parting with. I'm going to try with the much reduced selection for a while. I may eventually get a few more of the kind I like that fits and lasts.
I even pulled a couple t-shirts, which are hard for me to part with because they often say things I want to remember.
In general, how do folks here decide what to donate versus what to put on Buy Nothing?
Various factors can influence what I choose to do at any given time, but donating is the fastest way to give stuff away because you don't have to work with another person's schedule. This can be especially helpful if you have a large quantity of items and are at a moment in life when you may not have mental energy to describe and post everything.
Assuming limitless time and energy (ha!), other considerations for me are the (1) the uncommonness of the item and (2) if I think it can sell at a resale shop. Breaking this down:
- If the item in question is something that might not be self-explanatory to a random stranger, I like giving it away on Buy Nothing because I can say in my post what it is and therefore maximize the changes it will get used instead of going to the landfill.
- Buy Nothing would also be my first choice for items that are brand specific in terms of what they work with, like say a car window reflector/sun shade that's sized to a certain make and model of vehicle, or extra parts for an item I no longer own that I later find around my home (vacuum cleaner bags, e.g.).
- Examples of items likely unsellable in a thrift store items include things like beauty or cleaning products you tried but didn't like and don't want to pour down the drain. Or something that may require repair before being usable but is structurally sound, like furniture that needs repainting. On my Buy Nothing group I also see a fair number of food posts for fridge/pantry clean-outs, especially when people move, for things that would likely not be suitable for a food kitchen donation, like a partially used bottle of olive oil or holiday-specific candy or an assortment of frozen food.
There's also an emotional element to it. Sometimes if I have an item to get rid of that I still have a lot of attachment to, I will choose Buy Nothing over a thrift store donation because it seems too special to do anything other than give directly to another person. It's a more personal interaction, and avoids the risk that the item may slip through the cracks of a thrift store's sorting system and never find a new home. Of course, the person on Buy Nothing could turn around the next day and donate it themselves if they change their minds about the item, but it can be really satisfying to feel like you've found the right home for a special item.