Declutter and Discover Money in Your Pocket

Declutter project - The Settlement

2011-11-13T18:16:00.005-06:00

This has been an interesting three day yard sale. Keep in mind it is November and Kansas temperatures were in the 60s, not much wind and lots of sunshine. People kept coming back for all three days.

Friday was our best day and although the scheduled time was from 1 pm - 7 pm, the actual hours of selling were 9:30am - 5:30 pm (once the sun went down and it got cool it was over). We started setting up tables in the yard about 8 am and we started selling by 8:30 and I do not turn people away. I'm here to sell. Friday bought the buyers out and they bought. One lady was a little huffy, "at yard sales nothing should be over $2," she said, and left.

"Bye, bye, " I said as I sat counting my money. *g*

Saturday's 8 am time was too early as it was chilly so people started coming about 10 am when the sun warmed things. For the most part, Saturday brought the garage sale buyers spending money on less expensive things. They kept coming until about 5:30 pm too and I kept selling.

Sunday's 10 am start time was good and our last sale was about 4 pm and sales matched Saturday! Mostly higher priced items with some bargains tossed in. I had a sign up that said. "Today is a Make Offer day". Funny thing several people made me an offer and when I accepted (without arguing) they actually paid me more!! *lol*

Since the sale had a strong holiday theme with 'Christmas" the star it was a lot of fun to listen to people's plans for their new items. :o) Once little girl came her dad and they bought a Lemax Sugar n' Spice house, it needed repair and I felt a little bad so I had another upstairs that was in perfect shape. I gave her the broken one that "daddy can fix" and let her pay for the good one. I'd love to see their little village when it's set up for Christmas. She was a happy camper.

Even though the Declutter divorce isn't final and there is still more to come- this weekend's settlement was nice. And you know as I looked out over my past loves departing--I felt relieved and no remorse. *lol* Maybe even a little giddy.

Next: Still more attic cleaning to go and making a decision where it is going? Consignment auction, online selling and local classifieds. where the best fit is.

Lesson learned: Be accommodating, friendly and remember a little extra goes a long way in making a good experience.

Running total on the Declutter project including gold and silver: $3,329.00

The Declutter Divorce.

2011-11-13T08:14:00.010-06:00

Decluttering and sorting is a lot like a relationship that's gone sour. Loved the process of romancing the stuff, lived with it a long time in mutual admiration. But finally it wore out its charm, usefulness and functionality. So best to make a clean break and hope there are better relationships for both of us once it's over!! :o)

Friday rocked!! and we moved a lot of stuff for good prices. It was a steady stream of people all day long and the weather was wonderful for Kansas in November. We were lucky to hold an indoor/outdoor sale which let us spread out nicely.

Some of the best moments were when I watched a new romance bloom between someone and their "find"!! It was a sigh of relief that it moved on to a better place and such a pleasure to have it gone. *lol*

Had some (leftover) Beanie Kids so the children who came along with mom and dad received a new friend to take home just for fun. They were so excited it made everything else pale in comparison.

We will be done at 1pm today. Remember the object is Decluttering and moving things out of the attics. The more we sell the better. What are we going to do with the rest of the items left? I can tell you it's not going back in the attics or basement or garage!

This evening I'll let you know how we are moving the rest of the yard sale stuff and remainder of the attic cleaning process.

I am about to reclaim my clutter-free life and soon the divorce will be final !!! Yay!!! And make a little $$ in the process!!--you know settlements are nice. *g*

It's been a long Declutter day :o(

2011-11-10T22:31:00.007-06:00

Anticipating the new day and adventure into a major declutter project

Right now I am sitting here almost too tired to go to bed and wondering if a night's sleep will refresh me enough to bounce out raring to go in the morning. "Raring?" um, I think I would settle for creeping out of bed and getting dressed+ ! :o) But it will be fun to see what this big declutter project brings by tomorrow evening at 7 pm. I brought down Mr. and Mrs. Santa window display units this evening. Ohmygosh!! They are even cooler than I remember. Parting is going to be the pits. But I have a solution. I'm putting a BIG price on them and if they don't sell--well they are going to be part of my Christmas display this year. *lol* Mrs. Santa knits while Santa holds the yarn and bends toward her. Santa is about 4 ft tall.

Found this great looking thing and traced it through the patent number: It is a mixing jar by the Hazel Atlas Glass Co. circa 1930. Some were used to make malts in drugstores but this one has wicked prongs on it and I suspect it was used for crushing ice.

Austin (4 years old) and his mom will be over in the morning to help with more getting ready. Can you imagine a 4 year old in the middle of all this stuff? Guess I better get to bed so I can see what other treasures we can get out of the attic. The garage and basement are done!!

Declutter Yard sale is hours away

2011-11-10T13:35:00.012-06:00

Okay one more day to go!!!! Are we ready...Nope!! But working on it

Tomorrow (Friday 1 pm) started the entire event. I'm telling you this is the grandmother of all garage sales!! Fortunately the weather is beautiful so we are moving a lot of it outside.

These are embroidered and cross-stitched quilt pieces. One box has 15 yards of backing fabric. Lots of cross-stitch and embroidered samplers. Really nicely done.

A table full of Fire King and Noritake dishes. An entire batch of Fire King over
60 pieces for $10. You can tell I don't want to bring these back in the house. This is a downsize, get rid of, don't take any prisoners kind of sale *lol*

We are working at a steady pace but are only about half way through the process. Still have a 1930's vintage, maple chair with stool (one of the first recliner type chairs), a 1940's drum table, a Dell p713w combo printer ($30 almost new) yet to be added.

The front porch is beginning to look like a yard sale in process:

Some things you have to think about and I have a pair of 50 + year old animated window display Mr/Mrs Santas that were window displays when we had a the flower shop. They are going to be sold!!! Pictures tomorrow.

These early sales are fun

2011-11-08T19:27:00.010-06:00

Tables are filling up, the Declutter Project is on a roll

It helps pay for the advertising for the Huge Indoor Attic cleaning sale!! Just put an ad in the area newspaper and on the cable channel. The sale is for three days. Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

The real progress is bringing stuff downstairs and starting to stack the tables.

There are some pretty cool cross stitch and sampler pictures, one is dated 1934. The one on the back of the table to the right is the Lords Prayer and vintage. There is a beautiful Millennium Nativity (new) in the blue boxes. and some Hallmark bells for 2007/2008 new in boxes too. On ledge is 30 cross-stitched quilt block and some vintage linens including a child's gingham apron.

It is interesting what dollar value can be found with a little research. I found a 3.4 oz full bottle of Gio by Giorgio Armani. Checked it out on eBay and it's selling for $90 to $100 a bottle!! Hmm, I know I won't get that much for it but I'm sure I'll get more than originally planned I'm putting $45 on it.

Finally brought the boxes of books down. There is a boxed set of Home Repair Encyclopedias by Time-Life and a boxed set of Gardening books by Time-life too and some wonderful plant and garden books.

Oh and did I say I had Christmas village houses and accessories? How about this Lemax Sugar n' Spice house. You know even one would make a great display. I guess there are about 25-30 more houses. :o)

I am so excited this is exactly the kind of sale I'd love to go to!! I welcome emails: danse@media-net.net or calls 785 483 6300 if there are any questions.

Now back upstairs only 8 more tables and the floor to stack!! Wanna help? I can use all the help I can get *lol*

Okay, I admit I lost something in the mess

2011-11-06T12:29:00.004-06:00

Losing things in plain sight

I am one of those people who can lose something in the middle of a mess and not see it-even if it's right under my nose. Clutter absolutely boggles my thought processes. So you can imagine what it's like to lose something in the middle of a big cluttered, messy, no end in sight piles of junque!

This morning I lost something extremely important and if I don't find it I may not survive this big indoor attic cleaning sale. I can't quite remember where I was at when I realized it was missing but I believe it was in one of the boxes I was sorting through yesterday.

It could have been back under the eaves where I cracked my head on a beam yesterday. I know my entire family is wishing I could find it because they know how rattled I get when I lose something important. I can wander around for days in a confused fog.

*Sigh* I'm going back up to look again and try to be patient and retrace my steps so I can find it and get back to work.

What did I lose?
My sense of humor!!! Did you see it laying around anywhere? :o)

Oh ouch, banged my head on the attic rafter

2011-11-05T18:58:00.013-05:00

When I bang my head, the price goes up

It is amazing just how much cool stuff is in the attic that probably hasn't been looked at for a few years. Right now I am sorting "like" things into separate areas and I have some plastic bins I'm putting things in that I may keep or at least have a second look at. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Then you have to deal with memories!

For example I found four Vintage Wizard of Oz mechanical display dolls that have never been used. They were originally sold for $185 per unit, wonder how much I should ask for them?

Also found a beautiful Hallmark tree topper from a few years ago, never out of the box. Original price was $49 and I'm thinking $10 might make it interesting to buyers.

It is kind of exciting to see some of the fun stuff I've accumulated - as long as I don't think about how much is invested in it in the first place *lol*

Declutter is moving along with some success

2011-11-05T17:45:00.009-05:00

The attic has it's own charm..or will when it's clean

Called a reseller to come in and go through a few boxes of items that were designed to be sold and ended up with over $200 in my pocket. There is so much seasonal stuff to be sold I made the decision to have an 'in-house' sale next Fri/Sat/Sunday and sell it from tables set up in my living and dining room. There are some nice holiday and Christmas items to go and since it's cold and weather can be contrary it seemed like a logical move.
Quite a stack of Department 56 houses and accessories to be sold (I'm keeping a few of my favorites and checking out prices on eBay as I go. I also have a few Lemax Sugar n Spice buildings in boxes. So we will see what they bring.

Moved into the back attic which is the real challenge as it's pretty packed. I don't like to handle things two or three times so the indoor sale seems logical. Starting Monday we will set up the tables and bring them downstairs, price and get them ready to sell. Also will be listing on eBay depending on fragility and weight.

Tally to date from the Declutter project (including gold) $2131.00

Big TIme clutter sorting and listing to make money

2011-11-03T14:34:00.009-05:00

Clean attics and Butterfly quilts

Slow progress the last two days. Moving into some major decision making projects. Plus had to take time out for a 4 year old's birthday party and a little Halloween
.The small front attic is beginning to look almost tolerable. Sold a book on Amazon for $20 and a box of books on Nextech for $25 but still haven't started listing the heavy duty stuff.

Spent time sorting through things bought at auctions and garage sales for reslale. Found a box of 30 hand-embroidered 18" butterfly quilt squares, plus uncompleted printed border fabric and enough plain fabric in white or pink for a completed quilt or spread (50% cotton/50% polyester). These were someone's project 'in process' and I'm wondering where the best market for them would be. Local or eBay. The embroidery work is nicely done. According to the instructions 20 completed squares would be enough for a king size bed. So there would be enough for pillows too. Would make a beautiful bedspread-butterflies are in muli-colors..

Decision for online vs local selling

2011-10-30T11:49:00.006-05:00

Books and Magazines, what to do with them

One thing I've noticed as I sort and look for ways to eliminate the clutter is the decisions that have to be made. Originally I thought it would be simple to sort into bins and get rid of 'stuff' that way.

Blasted WRONG!!. Emotions, logic, realization that everything is not high priced gold and bah! humbug! Decisions take on an unrealistic complexity.

So yesterday I spent hours sorting.............magazines and books!! Agh! Now I go to enough Country Auctions to know that not many magazines and books bring huge prices (reality check like $1 a box-or less). So what to do?

Sorted the holiday magazines into separate piles: Tried not to angst over the really neat stuff between the pages of 1981-2000 McCalls, Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day Christmas editions (you know back when a magazine had super great stuff in them to tweak the imagination and Christmas crafting?

Was only moderately successful. Today I listed the magazine on the local Nextech Classifieds at $1.50 each or make offer for the entire bunch. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

But wait!! Maybe I better go up and look through them before someone buys that one magazine from 1983 that I can't live without!!..Do you hear them calling me? Maybe it's just a ghost outside my window as it's almost Halloween. Better go check.

Back to Declutter Basics

2011-10-29T16:45:00.010-05:00

I've made little progress since I started this project a couple years ago. What can I say-life got in the way. Energy level tanked and the process slowed down to a halt for awhile.

I did make money from my first effort to start the declutter project but it was easy money. Sorting through old jewelry and turning it into cash with high gold prices was enough to keep me happy . But that was a two sided sword because with money jingling in my pocket that didn't require much work I found I could ignore the mess upstairs and in the attics pretty easily.

Perhaps watching the TV Hoarders show renewed my interest and made me think harder about the declutter project in the past few weeks-or perhaps it was the need to see just how much can be made from the clutter and the 'stuff'' accumulated over 40 years in the same house. So I am on a roll again and this time I'm not quitting until it is sorted, saved, sold or sent to the kids (if they want something).

I am going to see if I can finance our Christmas this year with my clutter. Think I can? I don't know but it's worth a try. Come along for the journey and let's see how it happens.

Just for a little more motivation I am on the Christmas Holiday Home tour December 11--so it has to be done, decorated and delightful by then.

Now I'm ready for a tall glass of tea.

Dollars in my pocket.. Golden Treasures

2009-11-22T20:17:00.015-06:00

The declutter adventure has been a little slow but it took a big leap of motivation last Saturday. In addition to decluttering my junque room I am also cleaning and decorating for Christmas with the assistance of Austin, my two year old executive assistant.

Wow is gold worth some bucks today!

I discovered some old jewelery during my cleaning and since gold is at an all time high decided to take it to the local jewelers Woelks House of Diamonds and see what it was worth. $529!!!! Wow!! That was fun and motivated me just fine. Naturally I took to the road and went shopping on Saturday and Sunday. Two craft shows and about 2o stores later I was in marathon mode for sure. True to my promise I only bought some sand plum jelly and peanut brittle. I'm going to have to hurry if I want any new Christmas stuff. :o)

The jewelry was nothing much a few rings and old pieces that had no sentimental or monetary value to me. You know, the kind you tuck back in the drawer because it's gold and too good to toss or has stones missing etc. Boy!! it's a good time to dig that old jewelry out and sell it.

Check out your sources for selling gold

My jeweler told me to avoid the compelling online sales pitches and take it to someone you know who will pay a fair price. He said one lady sent some in to one of those companies and received about $80 and after looking over the invoice - he said he would have given her over $200 as a fair market price!!!!

eBay is getting some of the fun stuff

Found one piece that is going up on eBay. It's a 14k gold Seiko Noah's Ark watch. Kinda cool, don't you think?
Wonder if there is anymore old gold jewelry lurking in drawers or boxes, or cupboards..or or or.

So my first project in the declutter project was worth $529.... And we are keeping track, so stick around the next week may get interesting.

I am so ready and motivated I'm probably going to be up til the wee hours digging, selling, and making some holiday money for 2009

Joyce's Declutter Discoveries Echos in my mind

2009-09-17T12:55:00.018-05:00

Did you ever come up with a "great idea" and think, "wow this is going to be the most interesting and fun thing to do?" (usually about 2 am) You are all excited and immediately start planning the great adventure in sleepless anticipation?

Morning dawns and life routines set in and you think, "um, well maybe in a couple days or next week" when there is more time. After all it is a wonderful idea and certainly worth taking time to "do right" (an echo). Oh boy! then the echos in your mind begin fighting the valiant battle for doing--and not doing. The great adventure melts and thaws during morning chores.

There is beautiful Fall weather to enjoy, Austin (2 year old) grandson to take care of, craft shows and auctions to attend. Clients to assist. I mean a few more days won't matter will it? Mom used to say, "it will still be there when you get back (that's an echo in case you wondered)?"

The echos in our mind are fighting for attention: "Do it now." "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today." "Need to make some money time to get busy." Hah! "Success is born on doing, not thinking about it."

I'm sure you have a few dancing around too that make you feel guilty no matter what you do. Okay I'm grinning now because we know I'm working on this blog and not tending to my great adventure.

Be still echos, go on, get outta here, shoo. I am on my way as the "great idea" is compelling me back up those dark stairs to the clutter cave of great adventure. Well maybe.

Begone noisy echos and let reason prevail..shhhhh, quiet and I'll play a lullaby while we work. What I really need is some motivation, you know, something that drives the engine of energy and accomplishment.

Oh look at the squirrels playing in the oak tree *sigh* do I hear another echo, "tomorrow is supposed to be cold, rainy and windy, good day to stay inside and work--tomorrow." *g*

The time is now, eBay, auction, garage sale

2009-09-07T16:15:00.011-05:00

Here we go, the declutter adventure

eBay, Auction, Garage Sale, Donation? Time for those big decisions about what to do with the junque that has accumulated.

This is just the beginning and I hope you come along for the fun---um work! I need all the help I can get! *g*

I'm baring my junque soul to the world so you can see that you are not alone when it comes to clutter, messy rooms/attics/garages, basements.

For this ride we are going to sort, categorize, tag, store, ebay, garage sale, donate, and find a way to bring rooms back to intended purpose, attics cleaned and neat (geez big dreams)

We are going to find out if there really is $3000 in disposable junque for eBay sales and we are gonna do it and blog about it here and on my website.

Heck, you might even help me decide what goes on eBay, garage sale, donate, store, and heaven forbid goes in the trash.

First step the trip up the stairs to the second floor bedrooms, I have to tell you it was spooky. The anticipation of opening that door was just--well actually kinda fun cause I'd forgotten some of the neat stuff there. :o)

Don't you just love adventures?

Here is the way the room once looked after my granddaughter moved out, where did all that stuff come from?

You know I think I'll turn it into my eBay room when I'm done

PS. If there is anything you want to see or suggest, please do it. I think I'm going to reactivate that old computer so I can use it to document my mess.

It's time to declutter

2009-08-29T14:47:00.020-05:00

I have to tell you after going to the auction Thursday evening, I've decided it's time to really get busy and declutter my mess. As I walked around the tables and all I could see was my own cupboards, closets and hidden places staring right back at me. Geez, what we keep hidden until it shows up on eBay and at auctions, garage/estate sales.

Not many tables for this downsize auction. Most boxes of "stuff" were bringing under $5 per box or boxes.

This was a Rohleder consignment auction of two households that are downsizing. One couple is downsizing into an RV and traveling through their retirement (Another brave couple, Louise and Gene Sanchez are living the RV life and blogging about it. I hope you are enjoying the Colorado State Fai r in your RV). The seller at this country auction are also selling their house and rolling across the USA without a nice big bathtub to come back to. Don't think I'm that brave but I admire the idea.

The pickings at this country auction were slim and illustrates how our interests change through the years and how our age dates us to the olden days. Makes me smile as I poke through those boxes on the tables and think, "I've got some of those old records in the basement." Remember the grease drainer that sat on the stove or better yet remember grease? Well they don't have much value other than memories at country auctions. The boxes of acrylic paints found a new owner the auction for a few dollars.

Anyone remember the reel to reel tape players that were so popular in the 1950s? Could have had this one with speakers attached for $5

How about this art deco night stand --one of a pair that went for $10

After I got home I thought, I'm going upstairs to check out my clutter rooms and attic. Then I froze, glued to my chair with the anticipation of facing my clutter paralyzing my intentions. And it was Thursday evening with Keeping Up Appearances about to be on the TV, everyone needs a role model.

I looked!!! aagghhh, do I really have to take pictures of this mess!!??? Next post I'm doing it. Okay now maybe I don't feel quite so alone. eBay here I come.

The Declutter Country Auction

2009-08-23T16:18:00.012-05:00

This is a different kind of auction. Around here it may be an evening auction or a Sunday afternoon auction. It is marked by what a seller determines they can live without while they clean house or open a closet door full of stuff. Or better yet what they have tucked away in cupboards, drawers and closets that may still be new in box --albeit the box a little yellowed around the edge.

Who needs three sets of flatware, or two of those Frybabies so popular in the 1970s. How about Sampsonite suitcases, you know the prestige ones that are way too heavy for air travel and too bulky for the trunk of the car. Pencils, pens, flashlights, rulers and wrapping paper. It amuses me that some people sell (and others buy) old sets of sheets, old pillows and bathroom towels. Then there is plastic containers, with and without lids, boxes and boxes of them.

For decades we've been accumulating, collecting, and building equity in what we save. Now we look around and think, "I've got to get rid of this stuff." The "stuff" may not work, it might be a piece of broken crystal or a floor lamp that wobbles when touched. Or it may be boxes of patterns and fabric that once had lofty intent.

I have to smile because I'm one of those people looking to declutter 40 years accumulation and once I get started I'm going to let you watch me do it in this blog. Getting started is downright hard and I empathize with people who have gone through the process and are finally getting rid of it through auction, estate/garage sale and eBay.

So this Thursday I'm going to a country declutter auction and we are going to see how well the items sell and what people are willing to pay for all that clutter. Maybe even find out where the items will end up.

So tune back in Friday, August 28, to have a look at what one declutter auction had for sale and what people pay for it.

Keep watching because I'm taking my credibility into my own hands and heading for the attics to let you see what real clutter looks like in the "before" state. oh my...

At the Auction Part 2 Rohleder Auctin Service

2009-08-02T17:58:00.024-05:00

The auctioneer is Randy Rohleder (leaning on the chair), he is interesting and fun to watch. He keeps his good nature and humor all through the auction and sometimes imparts some brief but funny comments to keep us interested. His entire family is involved, dad, mom, wife, son and daughter. His grandfather was an auctioneer also.

When Randy had his first auction he called me for consignment and I managed to come up with a load of items.

Today we are walking in the door of the Russell County 4H building on a Thursday evening auction that started at 5:05 PM and looking at what some people buy and what they pay for their purchases

The auction was snappy and interesting. The seller was a woman who was moving into assisted living and selling contents of her house. Sadly we see a lot of these auctions nowdays

Randy called the auction "I have $25 do I hear $30" - his dad trekked up and down in front of the buyers with the old wooden phone which had the insides intact. Note the lack of a dial. In those days people turned the crank and asked the operator for the intended recipient by name or two digit number. The phones were on party lines and each person had unique rings (one short two longs or three shorts, etc) everyone could hear the rings and everyone listened to the lines enjoying the gossip.

This was the earliest form of community interaction via technology. During severe thunderstorms it wasn't unusual for lightening to spurt out the mouthpiece when it struck lines so you kinda made a wide berth around it when lightening was nearby: The phone sold for: $105.00

Two boxes of Photographic Dry Plates were a good find and in another market might have sold for more. They brought $45 for both boxes. Some of you may remember how these were used during the days when studio photography was an art.

Here was an entire box of goodies, ahhh such treasures which pleased many relevant junque collectors. The box contained Mrs. Stewart's Bluing bottle (full) used to whiten clothing (no they did not use it to whiten and tint grey hair *g*). Tetley's Tea tin and I'll bet those tea leaves were well aged. To top it all off were the insulators (obviously copped from some unknowing telephone pole). The entire box: $8-maybe some of these will end up on eBay.

10 years ago these primitive washboards might have brought $75 to $100 at auction but in today's country auction market Randy worked hard to get $13.

Maybe without the party line on the telephone to break up the monotony of lye soap and sore knuckles from scrubbing overalls on the washboard lost it's luster.

The washboards might have lost some of their luster but country auctions still have drawing power, people chat, mill around looking at the potential treasures, get a number and bid, bid, bid. Next we will talk about why people buy what they buy and what they do with it. Thanks and share some of your memories about these primitive items sold at Rohleder Auction in July 2009. Food supplied by Fairport market

Country Auctions what we buy-why we buy

2009-07-20T14:40:00.004-05:00

Real Time Country Auctions

Buying for resale, eBay, Antique malls

Tables of treasures

In our part of the world country auctions are community events. People come to bid, buy, chat and eat. Most are held indoors in a rented community building and usually last one day (there are exceptions). People often arrive an hour or so early so they can check out the goods before the auction starts and serious buyers make a list of their intended buys. Buyers who are auction savvy and buy for resale have a $ number in mind for their final bid.

Auctions make me smile, they give me a lift and I love the sense of community and talking with friends I haven't seen for awhile. But here is a big warning!! There are no friends when bidding starts at an auction--you have to be a good shoulder shrugger--when you lose a bid you shrug your shoulders, smile and move on!! Conversations can stop in mid-sentence when a coveted item comes up for bid and resume once it's completed.

Here is the look and feel of a country auction in Kansas. This one occurred a few weeks ago on Saturday and started promptly at 10:05 am-completed about 4 pm

Tables of treasures

Items are sold individual and in boxes or in stacks

Stack of games sold for $1.
Three boxes of glasses and china cups sold for $2

Country Auctions 2 coming soon.