Purging the closet: 6 great ways to part with your stuff

Recently I stumbled upon this article in my Facebook newsfeed and was inspired!  I wonder if this mom knew she would be changing closets across the country?  I'm not cleaning house completely (you bet I'm keeping my yoga pants) or buying a new wardrobe (that's not realistic right now), but I am taking my Spring cleaning to a whole new level this year!  My purge is in progress, and it feels great!  The truth is all of the closets in this house (mine being the worst) are full of clothes we don't wear and things we don't need; it's time to simplify!

My closet pre-purge!

My favorite part of purging (aside from the aesthetics of a clean closet) is what happens next.. For me it's a mix of making some extra money from the items and paying it forward.  After you've pulled everything out of the closet and start to make your piles, here are 6 great ways to part with your belongings:

DONATE- There are so many great organizations that will gladly take your items; Goodwill, salvation army, local shelters, local organizations (like my son's school) have big Spring yard sales etc.  If you're local, Birth Roots is a great organization in Portland that will take baby and maternity items (gear and clothes) in good condition for their Baby Booty Sales that happen a few times throughout the year. 

HAVE A SWAP PARTY- These can be fun and really helpful.  Have friends over for food and wine, and everyone brings a bag of clothes they're ready to part with.  Make a few signs to help your guests organize the clothes by size and once it's all out, everyone can have fun "shopping."  Whatever items don't get taken can be donated.  This is also great to do with your favorite playgroup moms swapping baby/kids clothes, maternity wear, and baby gear etc.

HAVE A YARD SALE- This is best if you have a lot of items and a good amount of larger items and household items that you don't want to cart around to sell elsewhere etc...  Traditionally you won't make quite as much on each item but it can be easier then lugging items to shops and can be a quick (one morning) way to make a little extra money, or donate the proceeds to your favorite charity.

SELL ON EBAY- There are fees involved and it takes time to get set up, but it can often be best way to get the most for your item

SELL ON FACEBOOK-  I've had great luck with buying and selling on Facebook groups lately, both with local yard sale groups and more brand focused groups for clothes and gear.  For instance I sell the boys Boden in this group and baby carriers in this group. 

TAKE ITEMS TO A LOCAL RESALE STORE- This is often the way to go if you don't want to spend the time selling yourself.. no posting, no shipping, no meeting buyers etc.. With many resale stores they'll buy your items off you for cash, however they tend to pay very little.  Some stores will do consignment where you don't get your money until your item sells, but you tend to get 40%-50% of the sale price.  


Ok, now back to Spring cleaning and project purge!  How's your spring cleaning going??  Thanks as always for stopping by!

xx
Rebecca