Paper is an easy target for de-cluttering. I found a bunch of old Outside magazines tucked away in a file. It's not that I was keeping them, I didn't have a system for keeping them where I would read and then recycle them. Over the weeks I've pulled out a lot of New Yorkers and though I still have my Dad's habit of keeping the cover art, I've recycled the body. I did keep some of the special issues, but I should read them and recycle or put them up on eBay. (All of the fiction issues from the last few years--who knows? Sell them for enough to cover the fees and postage, it's no big deal to stuff them in a mailer and send them on their way).

I enjoy eBay, it gives me an opportunity to learn something more about the item I've decided I don't need before I make the final move to sell it, or if it is something that won't fly at eBay, to discard it. I sell only a fraction of this stuff there, sometimes junk is just junk, and that's all there is to it.

From Clutter's Last Stand (page 26)

Selling Your Junk . . .
Some False Hope

"It may be worth something someday."
"It will be an antique someday."
"It will be valuable someday."

The glittering illusion of the possibility that someday you might be able to sell that piece of junk for a phenomenal sum creates an excuse to cling to even the most worthless items. All sorts of appetite-whetting success stories appear in the media, telling how some lucky soul wandered into his attic and found a rare old coin, kettle, or credenza that made him rich. Don't let that hope get you out of perspective--only a few pieces of junk in tens of thousands are rare and valuable, and if you averaged the value of all the hours spent to sort and clean it up to sell it, your wages would probably be about 7 cents an hour. There isn't much cash in your closet, mostly clutter. I've seen many people spend $100 on gas, signs, and advertising for a garage sale to take in $50--and that isn't profitable either in terms of the pocketbook or of your life's time taken.

I think this applies to eBay, though with eBay you have such a broad marketplace that far exceeds the range of those who would walk up your driveway. Have a plan to do a quick thumbnail search to see if your item is something that sells online. If not, donate or toss.

SRS