So What Do I Do With All This Junk?!

Hello MIG Fans!
Today's Spring Cleaning Tip is all about where to stick it....your extra junk that is.
Here is a list and links to some wonderful sites and business that will gladly take the extra stuff your spring cleaning flurry leaves you with. Who knows, you might get a clean house and some extra cash out of it  ~

Gazelle
http://www.gazelle.com
Gazelle will buy most Apple products (iPhones, iPads, iPods, Macbooks, Macs, and a select group of other smartphones. (Make sure the model number on your items matches the one they buy exactly!) You find you gadget on their site, answer some questions about your item and ship for free (for items worth more than $1) then get paid. This is a great way to get paid for your Apple products if you upgraded at Christmas or have just bought a new model.
http://www.buymytronics.com is another website with a similar format


Dress for Success Michigan
http://www.dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?sisid=41&pageid=1
The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. They need contemporary, interview-appropriate, skirt and pant suits, crisp blouses, blazers and jackets, professional shoes handbags and briefcases, along with coats for all season (they particularly need larger sized suits and apparel). Here is the contact information for the Michigan affiliate:  michigan@dressforsuccess.org, (734) 712-0517

Gamestop
http://www.gamestop.com
Do you have a kid or a husband? Then you probably have a pile of videogames that they tried once and hated, or simple are played-out on (I mean, how many times can you save that princess?). If you have never been in your local gamestop, take a look, in addition to games for all the major gaming consoles and hand-held games, most accept and sell things like iPods (I have been eye-balling a re-furbished iPod that I want for my birthday that is a fraction of the price of a new one) And they guarentee all of their pre-used items, so no worries that you are buying a piece of crap. If you have a stack of games or a gaming console (wii, gameboy, etc) that you no longer want, take them into your nearest Gamestop and tell them you want to trade them in. They will give you a value, you decide if you want the offer (they do not negotiate, it's a take the offer or walk situation) and if you do, they will give you a gift card with that value on it ( I love to take games in and use the gift cards as gifts to my son and nephew for birthdays, etc).


Consignment Stores
Everyone knows how much I love selling stuff on consignment, and I still think it is the best way to make extra cash or "trade in" items and clothes that your family no longer needs or wants. Do an online search for consignment store in your area or look in the phone book. Make sure the store "matches" you. If you have mostly dressy women's things to consign, don't take them to a shop that has mostly kids clothes in the window. If you have a mountain of baby stuff, look for a shop that deals mostly with children's apparel and gear. Know what sells: don't drop off your power suit with should pads that has been in the closet for 15 years, they will just throw it away. Also, no fading, stains, tears, etc. If you want it to sell, it needs to be sellable. Call ahead and ask about their policies, then it's full steam ahead!


The Salvation Army & Goodwill
http://www.use.salvationarmy.org/use/www_usn20.nsf
With more than 2,300 donation droop-off locations in North America, this is a wonderful charity to donate gently used clothing, furniture and household items to. You can even call 1-800-728-7825 to discuss a free pick up of your items (or just call your nearest location) 

http://m.goodwill.org
Not only is Goodwill a tried and true place to donate your no-longer needed items, you can also check out their auction website at http://www.shopgoodwill.com for those of you in a hurry to replace the stuff you just off-loaded.

Craigslist
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites
One of the best places to sell you stuff. I have lost track of the stuff I have sold on craigslist, from treadmills to hunting gear to snowboards. It is great for those folks that are nervous about shipping something or waiting for payment. Someone in your area can show up, check out your stuff, then hand over cold hard cash (I always recommend cash or money order only, do NOT take checks from strangers) Make sure to meet people at a nearby gas station or grocery store parking lot so you don't have to worry about strangers in your home. Setting up an account is easy and free, posting is a simple set by step process they walk you though, here is an example of a simple ad~
http://nmi.craigslist.org/atq/3615202720.html
p.s. if your stuff does not sell right away, make sure you have a realistic price on it (do a search to see what compaible items are going for) and re-fresh your ad so it does not expire.

Freecycle
http://www.freecycle.org
I am a happy member of Freecycle and it is another great way to make sure your spring cleaning leftovers don't end up in a landfill. The Freecycle network is made up of 5,086 groups with 9,340,043 members around the word. It's a grassroots, nonprofit movement of people giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns. Membership is free and each local group is moderated by local volunteers. Search for your community on their website today to get started. You can post you items (I have even seen where the person "giving" lets the person "getting" know the day to get stuff and leaves it on the porch or in the front yard, no muss, no fuss) and if someone wants them, they can pick up or you can drop off. You can even sign up for emails that let you know each week what the items available in your area or what folks are currently looking for.

Don't forget the old standbys~ Your local newspaper & Facebook
I have sold several things in our local newspaper. This is a great option if you are getting rid of items like lawnmowers or you son's set of rims. Check out the fees and terms online or by calling your local paper. For example, my local paper will let you post an item for free that you are charging $300 or less for. Since I can fill out the form online, that is a whole lotta reach for my items for zero $ and a few minutes of my time.
It takes about 5 seconds to make a post for Facebook if you have something really nice that you think folks you know might be interested in. Keep it low-key! A simple photo and a "Hey everyone, we are selling the kitchen table and chairs for $200, let me know if you want first crack at it" and see if anyone bites. I have seen everything from televisions to couches being sold this way between friends, but BEWARE, you are selling to people you will deal with everyday, make sure you are confident that your items are worth what you are selling them for so the buyer doesn't end up disappointed and comes back looking for you (and they will).