A big part of it is asking the right price. Whatever you think an item is worth, multiple by about 60%. When you have so much stuff to sell, you can't spend time waiting and haggling.

When I held a yard sale in TN, I couldn't believe how low-ball some offers were. I already had priced up at ridiculously low prices. I think someone offered me about £1 for a nearly-new barbecue set that cost over £100.

In some situations like that I just gave to charity instead of giving to someone for a dollar.

I went too far with that strategy last year. For years, we'd had an almost new treadmill that neither of us used any more. It was still a current model, priced $1,200 new. So I advertised ours at $600. Not even one enquiry. A year later, I advertised it at $60, and sold it immediately to a VP at my university. I happen to know her salary was about four times mine. An hour or two later, someone else contacted me .... Was that $60 a misprint for $600? She was willing to pay $600!!

How did you all get rid of books? They just don't sell on Craigslist. I thought of calling Amazon to see if they want them but I am not sure you get much for them that way.

I have cookbooks, computer programming books, sewing books . . .

I gave my books to a local charity. Once a year they have a huge book sale and the local fire department collects the books at the fire stations throughout the city. That made it very easy to get rid of them.

To get get rid of my other things I used a combination of:

Garage Sale
Kijiji (Cdn online sale site)
Consignment Store
Gave the rest away to charity and friends

Through the garage sale and Kijiji people got wind that we were moving so they asked to look at other things. One chap came to look at the dining room table and ended up buying lots of other items, one of our cars and almost ending up dating my next door neighbour!

Amazon and they will buy some books off you and take care of all the selling and posting to customers. They send you a post paid label to ship them to their warehouse too. Go on their website and you'll be able to see which books they'll take and for how much.

Do you have a 'Half Price Books' store near you? We have used them in the past - they are super convenient. Take a batch of books in and wait and they will give you a price there and then. Take it or leave it... couldn't be simpler.

http://www.hpb.com/

I have also been finding it challenging to move stuff... it goes a little bit at a time... but, like others have said, it's exhausting sorting things out... and seems to require a constant mess... things to sell, things to donate, things to store, things to use for now, things to use up until the last minute...

As time goes by I'm becoming less inclined to sell and more inclined to donate... but there are some things I can't justify giving away.

Strangely, no one seems to go to garage sales in our neck of the woods. I think I'll try an auction house next. At least the "stuff" will be out of the house.


PS: Just read the previous posts with advice about selling books. (I just gave away about 40 books!! Grr )

I think someone else mentioned Facebook. As well as posting ads on your own Facebook page so your FB Friends will see them, there are now many local Buy and Sell Facebook sites. There may be one near you and you don't realise it - I discovered two near me and have advertised and sold several things. The good thing is that because it is (very) local, people tend to actually follow through and turn up - unlike eBay and Gumtree (and presumably Craigslist) that are full of time-wasters.

The unfortunate thing is, that you will end up losing a lot of money because towards the end you'll find you're so desperate to get rid of things, you'll be glad of anyone who will just take them off your hands.

I sold a few bits and bobs on Craigslist and was quite pleased with what I got. I also had a yard sale (although I know you can't due to living in a condo) but even then, as Dunroving said, people offer buttons for stuff that's worth much more.

In the end, it was a work colleague of mine and her family who took a lot of my furniture and TV's. But again, I got next to nothing for them all

It's not a nice situation to be in when the clock is ticking and your date to leave is edging closer day by day.

I am planning to move back to the UK next June and having started selling stuff now. For now I have sold some things on Craigslist - priced a little low but I would rather get some money for items than be left giving stuff away. I have also sold some stuff at the local consignment sports good store. The store obviously takes a % but again something for my things is better than giving it away. I tried unloading books at a book store but they were only interested in a couple of books.
I am trying to take back only personal/sentimental items to the UK as by the time you pay for shipping I don't really think it is worth shipping a crate load of furniture back.
Unfortunately my townhouse complex doesn't allow garage sales but I might try and ask a friend if I can have one at their house to try and unload books and some household appliances closer to moving time.

I couldn't find the part on Amazon where it tells you what they will give you for your books. I would give them away but I need to maximize every penny and also I have TONS of books.

I might just take electronics to the pawn shop - stereo, Kitchen Aid food mixer, Cuisinart food processor, etc. I don't think I will get much for them if I do try to sell them myself, although the Kitchen Aid was expensive.

Do I sound as if I am leaving soon? Well, I don't know that I am but I need to get rid of all these things anyway so that when I can see my way clear to leaving, I can be GONE!

I gave to the local public library.

Just wondering... has anyone had any luck with cash converters?

What is that?

We've done a mixture of Trademe (which I am so over now!) all the questions and then they don't bid. Drives me insane. Then there's the quibbling over postage or they bid and you state quite clearly it is pick up only and you get the "any chance you could deliver it" Anyway as we are down to the last 28 days we must push on.

Hubby has been advertising at work and that has gone well and he just takes it in with him so saves all the trips to the PO.

Have sold quite a lot to our buyers which is great.

Made the mistake of hanging on to some things that people wanted and now they have changed their mind.

Took a lot of books to a second hand bookshop although they didn't buy many from us in the end so have given lots away.

All in all I think we have made good progress but I may not be saying that in 3 weeks time!

May have garage sale or bbq and "take what you like but put some money in the pot" kind of thing in the next couple of weekends.

We have a few boxes safely in the storage unit so actually feeling quite organised.