Old Stuff 9/28/14
Like many Americans, John Magoun and his family are downsizing from a large home to one half the size. And they’ve had to ask themselves some tough questions.
“‘Do we need to keep this really anymore?’ And it’s not just furniture; it’s possessions, it’s books, it’s things your kids grew up with,” said John Magoun.
Consumer Reports has determined the best ways to get the best price for your furniture and everything else.
“To maximize your profit, you’ll want to match your items to the best places to sell them, whether that’s an auction, a consignment shop, online, or a yard sale.”
Valuable furniture and antiques in excellent condition could bring the most profit at an auction or consignment shop.
“This should be very easy to sell. We go to your home, we assess your items, we pick up your items, and we sell your items. The only thing you have to do is collect your money.”
Furniture in good or gently worn condition should be sold on the Web – using Craigslist or a community Facebook site makes it easy to list heavy items as “pickup only.”
“We started that this week, and I think we’ve sold a dozen pieces so far,” said Magoun.
Your artwork will get a better audience in an auction or consignment environment, and make you more money.
As for clothing, consignment is a good idea if it’s less than two years old and in good condition.
If you hold a yard sale, don’t tag your items. You’ll make more money asking buyers for their best offer. But there are some things you can’t even give away.
“There’s zero value to a big-screen tube television,” Magoun said.
There is always that final choice when nothing else works – a ride to the recycling center or the dump.
All Consumer Reports Material Copyright ©2014 Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.
COPYRIGHT 2023 BY NEWS 8000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
