[Previous entry: "Comprehensive Waste Management Program for Los Angeles"] [Next entry: "The End of "Drive Until You Qualify""]

04/21/2008: "The Value of the Spontaneous Sidewalk Sale"

When you think you need more space, it may be that you need to get rid of stuff. There are four common ways to do this. The first is ebay, the second craigslist, the third a yard sale and finally, take it to Goodwill. In my recent experience ebay was the first to come to mind. This seems to work great for items like CDs and DVDs and some other smalls, but often things go unsold or the shipping exceeds your estimates and you end up paying to get rid of some stuff. I am sure some more frequent ebay users have worked thru these kinks. The second way is craigslist, which I like many others have had a good experience with. There's usually a buyer for most anything, the problem is connecting by phone and actually scheduling a time to meet. Then there's the issue of people you don't know coming in your house to look at stuff. Another way is to take it to Goodwill. You don't receive money, but you can request a receipt for a tax write-off.

There's another way that doesn't always enter the modern psyche used to computer methods of disposing of unwanted items. That is the sidewalk sale. First, I should say that our neighborhood also has a flea market that anyone can use to sell their stuff. It hadn't opened for the year yet, however so the idea of just taking stuff outside and putting it on the sidewalk came to mind. This is a pretty high-traffic street, so just the stuff itself brought in some customers, a few signs helped as did some craigslist posts and emails to neighborhood email groups. By the end of our second day, most of the stuff was gone and we'd met some new people.

When it was over, some things were then listed on craigslist, some went to Goodwill and others were discarded in what I call the San Francisco way, put them on the sidewalk with a "free" sign. Oh, and anything metal was gathered up and taken to the Warhola scrap yard (yes, this Warhola is related to Andy). That may be the easiest and most profitable way--you can immediately dispose of stuff and get paid, except they won't take anything that's not metal.

One observation is there is so much stuff in the world now that much of it doesn't have much value. Most of what we buy depreciates dramatically when we take it out of the store. Perhaps this will change when we run out of cheap labor or oil prices necessitate manufacturing closer to home, but for now stuff is everywhere and abundant. So think next time before you make an impulse buy. Consider buying second-hand furniture or other goods at yard sales. Think about buying items like antiques that might actually be worth more in a few years when its time to get rid of them. You'll also be saving a tree or two. Think about how much stuff you actually need. If you aren't able to kick the impulse purchase habit, consider having a sidewalk sale now and then. You'll make some new friends and liven up the street, if only for a few hours.

Eric Miller, on 04.21.08 @ 14:53PST