Good morning all! :wave:
Since you all are talking about Spring cleaning - I found this while reading my AARP Newsletter!
Declutter Your Home - 20 ways to downsize or just clean up
Start in the Attic - When you're up against your memories, remember: You've simplifying your life, not erasing your past.
1. Wedding dress: If no one is going to wear it again, hae some nice pillows made out of it. Or save it to wrap bouquets in your daughter's wedding. Or clip off a piece of fabric and display it in a frame with a photo of your wedding day.
2. Love letter: Keep them if they're yours. But if they're your parents', they're not really yours: They're part of a romance between your parents, never meant for you. Burn them ceremonially and send the love back into the universe.
3. Boxes of photos: throw out landscape shots. Pick three with people in them from each vacation or holiday. With the rest, pull out the great shots. Send the keepers to an online scanning service to store in the cloud, or make albums.
4. China set: if you like it, use it. If you don't, sell it thru eBay. Be realistic, though. Not long ago, fine china commanded a nice price. But today's consumers want fine tableware that's safe in the microwave and the dishwasher.
5. Antiques: Take high-end antiques to a local antiques dealer, who can take them to an auction house. Find out what the house's take is upfront (typically 10 to 15 percent) as well as where it will place the starting bid.
6. Greeting cards. Their job is to greet you over the holidays. They did that. Now you throw them away. Or put them in a recycle bin, if you saved the envelopes, you can go thru them to update your address book.
7. Old applicances. Like a yard sale online. Craigslist is the right venue for usable appliances. With local buyers, you skip shipping costs. Tip: Sell only to buyers who pay cash and will pick up the item. When they come, have someone with you.
8. Your kids' stuff. It's not your job to save everything from your children's lives. Box up what belongs to the kids and send it to them. Or tell them to claim it now - with the date you plan to have house cleared out - or never.
9. Books. If you're going to read it, or it just feels too much like family (The Cat in the Hat0, put it on your bookshelf. If not, give it away. You can drop books off at a library or donation center. Or call around for charity that will pick it up.
10. Luggage. That graduation gift from your grandparents? If it's in decent shape, sell it at your own or a neighborhood garage sale and tell stories of where you've been. If not, donate it to a charity such as a women's homeless shelter.
11. Hand-me-down furniture. Consignment stores can be a godsend for a chair or sofa in good condition that worked for someone else-but not for you. They sell it and usually split 30/70 (30 percent to you), but sometimes 40/60.
12. Clothes. Can you answer yes to "Do I love it?" "Do I need it?" or "Will I use it?" If not, then out it goes. It doesn't matter that "I only wore it once." "It's still in good condition" or "It was expensive". THen make three piles: toss, donate, sell.
13. Jewelry. Decide what to keep, then give family members their choice. Sell the rest on eay. Polish the jewelry and light it well, then photograph items in high resolution from several angles, include a close-up of any label or stamp.
14. Art. Appraising fine - or not-so-fine - art is an art in itself, so you might need an appraiser who specializes in that area. You don't want to give away that ugly painting or sculpture only to find out it later sold for $50,000 at an auction.
15. Old tennis racket. "But I might play again someday!" Living your life for one day in the future robs you of today, if that racket is old and outdated, give it away thru Freecycle. If it's still in good shape, sell it on Craigslist.
16. Curio collection. Select three pieces to keep, then photograph the rest and put the photos in an albumm alongside the display. EBay is the place to sell smaller, more valuable items like collectibles.
17. Musical instruments. Craigslist is already flooded with dead musical dreams. Spread the word around your neighborhoold; ask your kids' former music teacher. Even if you sell at a loss, it will fill a home with music. Just not your home.
18. Closet. Rather than fishing thru and deciding what to eliminate, take everything out, down to the bare walls. Then physically put back items. Choosing to keep, rather than choosing to let go, will net in clinging to fewer things..
19. Paperwork. Scan important papers - birth and marriage certificates, school records, wills and other legal documents - electronically, and back up your hard drive. Store originals, organized, in a lockbox or sealed plastic tubs.
20. Household junk. Rags, cans of rusty nails, buckets, vinegar: Hold a garage sale. Put price tags on items: $5, $50, make an offer. Post signs in the neighborhood and advertise on Craigslist. Estate sales dot com and Pennysaver dot com.
I got a "private message" in my Facebook the other day; a lady asked if I had been in CampFire girls - her daughter bought a comic book locally and found my certificate for CampFire girls in it. My bro when he was here sold a bunch of comic books locally, so I believe she found it in one of those! Just a note - he got $1000 for one of his comic books!!
Okay - long post... sorry if there are any spelling errors above! :facepalm: see you all later! :seeya:
