From trash to treasure, tis the season
The weather is getting warmer and summer is right around the corner. That means it’s time to open the windows and let the warm air in. You’ve been cooped up all winter and now it’s time for a reawakening. That means its time to purge things you’ve been holding on to for a while. Whether it’s all of your grandmother’s old things stored up in the attic or the things you’ve managed to accumulate around the house all winter, it’s time to think about getting rid of some stuff. Before you do that, however, you need to figure what goes, what stays, and what might be a hidden treasure.
The trick to doing this “purge” is to take one room at a time. Bring boxes or plastic containers with you. Label each one: Trash, donate and sell. Go through the room and find things you no longer need to hold on to. Determine if it’s just junk or maybe someone else’s treasure. If you aren’t sure if it’s worth anything, put it in the sell bin for now.
Once you have gone through your home and let go of “stuff” that no longer holds validation in your life, you can figure out where it’s all going to go. Some things, although a treasure to you, may just be meant for the junk pile. Like that plastic umbrella holding the candied almonds that you got from your cousin’s wedding last year. That was meant to be eaten and the plastic thing thrown away some time while they were enjoying their honeymoon.
Donations like clothes that no longer fit or old books can be sorted and sent to Goodwill straight away. Don’t keep them lingering around for a few days because the more you look at it, the more you will want to hold on to it. For what? Get rid of it. Someone else needs it more than you do.
For items you are thinking about selling, you are going to want to divide these into more piles. For no brainers like the old PlayStation you no longer need or the designer handbag that no longer suits your lifestyle, places like eBay and Poshmark are great online places to sell these items. Other items such as your grandfather’s pocket watch or your aunt’s table linens probably deserve to be looked at by a professional vintage or antique dealer. You never know what you might have and it could very well be something of value.
To find out if your older items have value or deserve to be sold at an antique shop, you are going to have to do some homework. Call several dealers, tell them what you have and ask if they are interested in looking at it. Chances are, someone is looking for it. Many antique malls and larger vintage stores will have you bring your item in and will have someone with expertise in what you have. You won’t know until you ask.
