CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE, YOUR ATTIC
OR YOUR CLOSET--AND EARN MONEY DOING IT!
Would you throw away $200 in your trash bin? We’ll bet you wouldn’t but that’s exactly what Joan Burrow’s husband did when he finally tackled all that junk in his garage. David Burrow tossed out several old car manuals and his wife rescued them, eventually selling them for $300!
Then there’s the guy in Arizona who got tired of looking at that old box of "stuff" under his bed. When he was about to toss it into the trash his young grandson came to the rescue and all of that "stuff" was very valuable indeed -- over $8,000 worth!
With the approach of Spring, many people get tired of all of that clutter in their closets, attics or garages and they anxiously begin tossing much of it into the trash. Stop! You may be losing money! If you are going to get rid of it and you just don’t have the time to invest in research, call your local charity-operated thrift store. Almost everyone is a "gatherer" yet if you have tossed out your son’s Buck knife, an old nonworking radio, comic books, old magazines, Pyrex bowls, even photos or letters, you could have missed earning a few (and in some cases, lots of) easily earned dollars.
Even if you have tossed out lots of items recently, all is not lost. Take a look in dresser drawers, browse into the back of your kitchen cabinets, crawl up into the attic, visit your parents or grandparents, go to the rear of a fully stocked closet, check out your bookcases, browse in your kids’ empty bedroom, check your husband’s tool box and above all else, learn the value of all of it and just as important, what everyone is buying these days! How? There are several ways to educate yourself about what you may or may not have but one of three best are these:
(1) go online and search for the item on antique or collectible sites, do a google.com search or check out ebay.com Your description, year or origin and the condition is critical.
(2) visit your local antique store or mall. You can get a pretty good idea of the retail value through this method but remember, antique dealers are in the business to make money and many antique store items have a hefty markup (depending upon how much the store paid and what the market will bear).
(3) do a little research via local or online booksellers. One guide by Tony Hyman, called "The World’s Most Accurate Price Guide" lists what some of the country’s top experts will pay for specific items. And there are many others -- not just price guides -- but buying and selling guides as well.
Years ago I purchased a wonderful California poppy painting for $5.00 at a local rummage sale. I researched it, found someone who purchased early California paintings and was offered $250. But then, a little internal voice kept telling me: "Gee, if he’s offering me $250 sight unseen, before he even sees it, this painting must be worth more!" Sure was! My "inner voice" was correct; I found a local buyer who paid $500 cash. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I didn’t do enough research. I learned many years later that as a popular California painter, this painting was worth several thousand dollars!
Remember, you do not need to be an expert to make money on all of those treasures. It’s fun to do the research, especially when your initial investment is so low. Or, you can choose to hang onto whatever you feel may be valuable, to pass on to future generations. Urge your children to keep their toys. For those of you who still have 45 rpm. records, hang onto those too. Or pass them on. Or sell them. We could go on and on about collectibles and antiques or just plain treasures. But the key message here is -- don’t toss any old stuff out UNTIL you investigate its value! If you’re selling, you owe it to yourself to obtain the most money you can. That involves research and -- finding someone who is willing to buy at your (researched) asking price. For assistance with all that clutter, log on to www.awaywithclutter.com or call (858) 481-9191.
