Selling on Craig's List

For those of you that read my last posting on "Letting Go of Children's Clothes" I am happy to report that I sold my remaining kids' clothes on Craig's List within the day I posted. The most difficult part was finding a place and time to meet the buyer, but the whole thing went smoothly. I have sold other items on my local Craig's List and have a few tips if you are looking to let go of your things this way and earn a little cash.

• Always include a photo. When looking to buy on Craig's List, I won't even click on the item unless there is a photo.

• Set up your photos on a clean uncluttered surface (see photo at right). If the background looks cluttered or dirty, I won't consider an item.

• Arrange to meet the buyer in a public place. Let's face it, there are weirdos out there and this goes for buyers and sellers.

• Ask for cash and list at a reasonable price (similar to a garage sale). Expect buyers to want to negotiate. I think of Craig's List as an easy way to get rid of stuff that has some value, but if I have something really valuable or collectible, I will turn to eBay.

Happy decluttering!

Letting Go of Kids' Clothes

Since becoming the parent of two kids, I have been surprised at how hard it is to let go of some of my children's old clothes. However, I do let go and as a little consolation for myself I take a photo of favorite outfits on the kids as they start to outgrow them.

Lately, my favorite place to buy (and sell) children's clothing is the Grow With Me Resale Boutique in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I really try to practice what I preach and minimize the number of clothes I buy for my kids. Even though I do not buy or sell much at Grow With Me, they are always friendly and courteous. I should note that they are VERY picky with what they buy, but the stuff they sell is similarly priced and much nicer than the Children's Orchard store in Ann Arbor. Many of the items even have the original tags attached.

Recently I sold (or rather exchanged, because I turned around and bought some things with my store credit) some of my kids' clothes to Grow With Me. They took maybe half of the stuff I brought in and gave me a small store credit. It was easy.

I also recently took some children's clothing to Children's Orchard, as I had sold some maternity clothing to them some time ago. They didn't take ANYTHING and after I got home, I discovered they had lost a couple of small items. When I called the next morning, the lady at Children's Orchard remembered me, but couldn't find the items. She said small things get lost in the shuffle and either donated or tossed. So much for being organized.

So now, after both a good and bad experience with children's resale, I am going to try to sell the remainder of my outgrown kids' clothes on Ann Arbor's Craig's List and see what happens. I can always donate them to Purple Heart or Faith in Action. Next time I will skip the trip to Children's Orchard.

Winter Adult Outerwear Needed

Now is a great time to take a look at your coat closet and find out what you are really wearing. Wash or dry clean those coats that need freshening up, especially out of season coats that can be stored elsewhere during the off season.

While you are at it pick out the coats that you no longer wear to donate. Currently Ann Arbor's St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop is seeking out adult sized winter coats among the items they normally accept.

Donate Card Tables

Ann Arbor Rec & Ed is looking for square folding card tables to use for its bridge class. If you have a table that you no longer need, please contact Linda at 734-994-2300 extension 53203 to learn more. Your donation is tax deductible through the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

Keeping Resolutions

There was a great article on keeping resolutions in the December 30th Wall Street Journal. Of course, I particularly liked the example of the woman who resolved to get organized. She is quoted as saying "my life is so much easier" now that she is organized. I couldn't have said it better.