Selling or giving that encyclopedia really got me thinking. Sometimes our "trash" is someone else's treasure. Here are some ideas I have to help out this season. I would be interested in others:
1. Ebay sales: If you - or more probably son or daughter or grandson or grandaughter - has an active ebay account, they may be visiting soon. Have them bring their notebook and camera and then look around your home, garage and attic. Sort of a take off on the HG show Trash in the Attic. Look for five to ten things you can sell that would be fairly easy to ship, have them place the item or items on ebay account for sale for seven day auction stopping on a Sunday and then donate the proceeds to any to your favorite charities. It is also creative, kids can play with their digital equipment while at your house working digital, having fun creating a meaningful add etc. How about an old ski jacket that is cute but way too small? Something small, however and lightweight is what you are looking for as you do not want to ship a bunch of heavy work tools, ceramic dishes etc. Unfortunately most books have little value on ebay but sometimes really technical books do - engineering, osha inspection manuel, old college text on statistics, books on preparing for LSAT, GMAT, public employee job entrance test books etc.
A friend recently helped his Mom clean out her garage and they got $700 for an old orange apple computer just sitting in storage in her garage that they placed on ebay. (Vintage Apple product is great; however, general used computers/notebook area is dominated by professional sellers and you may not be successful there). Also high school kids here in Dallas were asked to volunteer at a sweet but dusty thrift shop for the terminally ill. They went to the shop for the terminally ill, and instead of doing a couple of hours behind the counter - which the older ladies love to do anyway - they found two or three vintage dolls gathering dust on a top shelf and put them on ebay and generated a couple of hundred dollars for the store.
2. Donate old magazines to hospitals especially hospital chemotherapy or other cancer centers:
Hospital patients have lots and lots of time on their hands and often the "last magazine standing" is Oil and Gas world or something like that. Any People, Good Housekeeping, Home and Garden, Time, Newsweek etc are well appreciated. Sometimes the hospital has a volunteer station at front where you can leave magazines, or sometimes you can walk in, ask where the chemotherapy center is - often cancer centers are free standing buildings - and just leave them on the table in that waiting room. Believe me, any magaizine that is five years old or less will undoubtedly be appreciated.
3. Shop the canned good or coupons sales up to a specific predetermined amount and then drop in food box at church, bank or other store. I just went to a 50th wedding anniversary dinner and the folks needed nothing and asked to please not to bring a gift. I complied but did later donate food in their name. Turns out they really appreciated it and gave me great suggestions before my trip to Krogers as they had learned a lot of rules imparted from their church food bank - basic ones like what was really needed and getting canned goods and non perishables and staying well away from all glass containers for the food (in other words Chili or Chef BoyarDee in a can but no spaghetti sauce in a jar.
4. Children's books: Clean out those old children's books that are gently used but are now just in the closet or attic and donate them to a children's hospital, homeless shelter or other place.
5. Donate books to the VA: Go through old books gathering dust and donate to the VA hospital - many have book shelves and books just fly off the shelf at the VA hospital as they let the vets take them home etc. How many John LeCarre novels can a vet center absorb? Lots and lots. Older vets love the spy and cold war stuff etc. Call Volunteer services at your VA hospital first and they can probably tell you if they have a program.
6. Last and cheapest of the cheap ideas: - instead of recycling cans at the curb, I save them, put them in plastic bags and keep in the trunk. When I see an older gentlemen clearly down on his luck collecting cans in an alley I pull up, use trunk opener and tell them to take the cans in the plastic bag and to have a nice day! (I know this one will probably get a chuckle but it works for me.)
Any other ideas? Best this season. Funtime
1. Ebay sales: If you - or more probably son or daughter or grandson or grandaughter - has an active ebay account, they may be visiting soon. Have them bring their notebook and camera and then look around your home, garage and attic. Sort of a take off on the HG show Trash in the Attic. Look for five to ten things you can sell that would be fairly easy to ship, have them place the item or items on ebay account for sale for seven day auction stopping on a Sunday and then donate the proceeds to any to your favorite charities. It is also creative, kids can play with their digital equipment while at your house working digital, having fun creating a meaningful add etc. How about an old ski jacket that is cute but way too small? Something small, however and lightweight is what you are looking for as you do not want to ship a bunch of heavy work tools, ceramic dishes etc. Unfortunately most books have little value on ebay but sometimes really technical books do - engineering, osha inspection manuel, old college text on statistics, books on preparing for LSAT, GMAT, public employee job entrance test books etc.
A friend recently helped his Mom clean out her garage and they got $700 for an old orange apple computer just sitting in storage in her garage that they placed on ebay. (Vintage Apple product is great; however, general used computers/notebook area is dominated by professional sellers and you may not be successful there). Also high school kids here in Dallas were asked to volunteer at a sweet but dusty thrift shop for the terminally ill. They went to the shop for the terminally ill, and instead of doing a couple of hours behind the counter - which the older ladies love to do anyway - they found two or three vintage dolls gathering dust on a top shelf and put them on ebay and generated a couple of hundred dollars for the store.
2. Donate old magazines to hospitals especially hospital chemotherapy or other cancer centers:
Hospital patients have lots and lots of time on their hands and often the "last magazine standing" is Oil and Gas world or something like that. Any People, Good Housekeeping, Home and Garden, Time, Newsweek etc are well appreciated. Sometimes the hospital has a volunteer station at front where you can leave magazines, or sometimes you can walk in, ask where the chemotherapy center is - often cancer centers are free standing buildings - and just leave them on the table in that waiting room. Believe me, any magaizine that is five years old or less will undoubtedly be appreciated.
3. Shop the canned good or coupons sales up to a specific predetermined amount and then drop in food box at church, bank or other store. I just went to a 50th wedding anniversary dinner and the folks needed nothing and asked to please not to bring a gift. I complied but did later donate food in their name. Turns out they really appreciated it and gave me great suggestions before my trip to Krogers as they had learned a lot of rules imparted from their church food bank - basic ones like what was really needed and getting canned goods and non perishables and staying well away from all glass containers for the food (in other words Chili or Chef BoyarDee in a can but no spaghetti sauce in a jar.
4. Children's books: Clean out those old children's books that are gently used but are now just in the closet or attic and donate them to a children's hospital, homeless shelter or other place.
5. Donate books to the VA: Go through old books gathering dust and donate to the VA hospital - many have book shelves and books just fly off the shelf at the VA hospital as they let the vets take them home etc. How many John LeCarre novels can a vet center absorb? Lots and lots. Older vets love the spy and cold war stuff etc. Call Volunteer services at your VA hospital first and they can probably tell you if they have a program.
6. Last and cheapest of the cheap ideas: - instead of recycling cans at the curb, I save them, put them in plastic bags and keep in the trunk. When I see an older gentlemen clearly down on his luck collecting cans in an alley I pull up, use trunk opener and tell them to take the cans in the plastic bag and to have a nice day! (I know this one will probably get a chuckle but it works for me.)
Any other ideas? Best this season. Funtime
