(Photo: Are you holding onto certain items because they might be “worth something?” If so, it’s time to take the Ebay Reality Check. Just about everything imaginable has been sold on Ebay.com—which makes it a great reference with which to value your items.
Unless you are dealing with some true rarities, why pay for an expensive appraisal when you have all that Ebay info at your fingertips? Chances are, if you want to sell an item, that’s where you’ll end up; and no matter what valuation an appraiser gives it, you can only sell it for what someone is willing to pay.
Tired of dusting around that vase you inherited? Don’t know what to do with that old turntable in the basement? No longer interested in the figurines, paperweights, or sports memorabilia you once avidly collected? Take a few minutes, surf over to Ebay, and see what it’s going for!
Chances are, most of your clutter is not fetching a fortune—and in my opinion, any item unlikely to sell for more than $10 is hardly worth the time and effort to photograph it, list it, and ship it.
But that doesn’t mean you have to hold onto it… Feel free to let it go! If you ever have the need for such an item in the future, look how inexpensively you can acquire it!
And for those few treasures for which you can pocket some serious cash—why not go for it? If you don’t need it, and don’t love it, take some snaps and put it up for auction. You’ll have the photographs for memories, and some extra space in your house. And don’t you think Aunt Edna would be pleased if her old silverware helped finance a kitchen makeover?
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My parents just downsized from a 2000 sq. foot home with 3 bay garage to a 2 bedroom townhouse. All the “antiques” my Mom thought she was going to fetch a fortune for ended up making her only $5000 at auction…still a lot of $$$ but in contrast to what she spent over 40 years of collecting, hauling, storing and worrying about someone breaking into the house, I think she was a little disappointed. To watch things walk away for mere dollars just about did her in. She was shocked at the low value in them. The one good thing is she now lives with just what she wants and her place looks great!!! : )
Thanks for sharing this, Heather; what an eye-opening experience! I think that all too often, the perceived “value” of our stuff keeps us tied to it–when in reality, freedom from it is priceless.
I so needed to read this. I’m trying to downsize for a move and there are a few “valuable” things I was hanging onto that I “might” be able to sell for $$ on eBay… by the time I photograph and list and answer questions and mail it off, would I really make any money?? THANK YOU!!
It’s almost easier to sell locally via sites like Craigslist or to give away items via Freecycle. No worries about packing, insuring and mailing an item!
You can only sell it for what someone is willing to pay…I say this so often. My adult sons have all of these sports memorabilia items that they collected and never took out of the boxes. They store them in rented storage units and never even see them. They think that they are valuable, BUT..it makes no sense to keep something that you have to pay rent to store! They are both sentimental and have a very hard time parting with childhood treasures. I’m a mimimalist and would work fulltime as a declutter specialist. I love helping others declutter. BUT, it’s a difficult task…not the labor, working with people who fight you to keep their “stuff”. I’ve been trying to declutter my mother’s house and what a headache. I use psychology on her and quote some of the things that are on your blog. Slowly, but surely, she is parting with 65 years of accumulation.