Strategies for elderly who wants to sell (not donate or trash) old stuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Estate by Gail.

In Iowa? Are you going to send breakable junk there?

I think they meant Sale by Gale which is an estate sale company I see a lot in Old Town area of Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ This poster had a good idea. A family at your church had a fire and they need EVERYTHING. Drive it away and donate.

Excellent tip. My mom has “donated” a lot of stuff this way. She thinks it’s gone to needy kids at my school. Most of it went to the dump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why wouldn't you donate and trash? So much of it will be nearly impossible to sell. The amount of free time you put into trying to sell it will cost you far more than any money you make. Donate, but don't donate stuff with holes or in terrible condition.

This goes really deep for hoarders, though. They are invested heavily in the idea that this stuff has value, and they will be able to take some pride in being savvy and making money from buying low (or not throwing away) and selling for profit.

If that's not true, then they were just living surrounded by trash that nobody wants, making roaches and dry rot more likely, and leaving a mess for other people instead of bestowing them with a valuable gift. If that's true, then everyone who criticized them was right. They will die on that hill, PP, because they can't bear it.

Hoarding is its own peculiar mental illness with some aspects of OCD, but that's not equivalent. It has elements of what you see with addiction disorders, too. Lack of insight is one of the features, but it's not just a lack -- it's a dogged commitment to resisting the truth as well. Part of the disorder.

This is the problem OP. I have seen it with a good friend who has hoarder tendencies. Really need someone who’s experienced with the mental aspect of hoarding. Or else lie, but most people who hoard will change their minds about what they are willing to let go even if you have a “buyer” for it.

[Anonymous]

Max sold or caring transitions will sell and donate and trash, in that order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not in the DMV but wanted to comment that it helps to find certain types of charities.

We had luck giving brown wood furniture and unable to be sold oriental rugs to a charity that helps poor people furnish entire homes for free. It's like a Goodwill that doesn't charge. People can come and pick out an entire apartment worth of stuff.

The other place where we had luck was a single outlet charity store in an area where people go antiquing. They were more interested in small brown wood pieces.

The world has truly changed. You could furnish an entire Boomer house for pennies on the dollar.

This has been devastating for some people of that generation. The deal was that you saved up and bought what was considered high end, and it was supposed to have lasting value. Many cannot compute that nobody wants the china sets or heavy furniture that they worked so hard to afford.

This is so true. I was able to donate some but what went to the dump and junk truck was disheartening. I’m glad they didn’t see it. The small amount of money it would have brought in if I put in max effort wasn’t worth the time or energy. It has changed my thoughts of what I buy for my own house.

[Anonymous]

Having now attended to clearing out my late grandparents’ and parents’ home, there really isn’t much of value - even the things they or you might expect.

Armoires? Worthless. Some thrift stores have stopped accepting these. Pottery Barn furniture? Same - especially the once popular oversized pieces.

My mom wanted to sell her 1960s semi rare china set through Replacements Ltd, so I reached out for a price list. They weren’t buying very much and certainly wouldn’t pay the amount that would even be a ROI considering it has to be expertly packaged and mailed. I recall something like $75 for a large serving plate and a whopping $20/dinner plate.

My MIL spent about one year shopping her late sister’s vast collection of early 2000s Coach and Dooney & Bourke bags at local consignment stores- most wouldn’t accept. She cleared about $100 and several she had to go back to collect because they were unsold. She gave me and DD about 7 - we eventually donated as they were oversized and dated.

[Anonymous]

Just lie and give her some of your own money as the fake proceeds of the purported sale.

[Anonymous]

Estate sales companies will handle this but you make very little money. My girlfriend made around $2000 during the 4 day estate sale at her house. Her house was chock full of furniture and stuff.

The people traipsing through her house dirtied the carpets.

I don't think it was worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Estate sales companies will handle this but you make very little money. My girlfriend made around $2000 during the 4 day estate sale at her house. Her house was chock full of furniture and stuff.

The people traipsing through her house dirtied the carpets.

I don't think it was worth it.

The above point is really good. Every time I hear a suggestion for an estate sale I think about the significant amount of wear and tear on a house. Not worth it imo if someone is still living there, especially given the small amount of $$ that will inevitably come out of it.

[Anonymous]

I’m toying with the idea of doing a seller-managed estate sale where I take the pictures and keep the items at my house and the company runs the online sale through their platform, collects the proceeds, etc and I have one five hour block where people come pick up their items. I can leave everything in the garage so no one enters my house. Seems like a lot of work but I’m dealing with the same issues that OP is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are people who will come and take stuff to sell on eBay, FB marketplace etc for a % of the sales price. There are some fairly new tax regs and if you sell over I believe $600 or $699 you will get a 1099. Would your mother be open to the idea that a tax deduction might be better (if she itemizes)? Depending on her expectations and your budget, the least stressful thing may be just doing as you suggested, get rid of it and tell her it sold for whatever amount.

This is true. But they are going to cherry pick, and it probably won’t put much of a dent into the hoarder house situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much stuff? Like a few boxes or a hundred boxes?

100 boxes. Clothes, collectibles, some furniture (nice, antique, but not in style).

This is all trash. Literally, unfortunately. The insistence that your mother has about wanting to sell it because it has value is the hoarder mind getting you to allow her to hold onto it. She does believe it has value, but it is still a stall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are people who will come and take stuff to sell on eBay, FB marketplace etc for a % of the sales price. There are some fairly new tax regs and if you sell over I believe $600 or $699 you will get a 1099. Would your mother be open to the idea that a tax deduction might be better (if she itemizes)? Depending on her expectations and your budget, the least stressful thing may be just doing as you suggested, get rid of it and tell her it sold for whatever amount.

This or the storage unit.

[Anonymous]

No one is going to buy any of it. If it’s anywhere close to a hoarding situation nothing is going to sell. Just pay someone to come clear it out. There are tons of companies that do this.

-cleared out parents extremely cluttered but not hoarding house and threw away 95% of the junk. Some of the large furniture was able to be donated but most stuff was pure trash. This process took about 2 months.