Decluttering 101: Selling on Ebay

Mickey Mouse and friends - Pinocchio, Daisy Duck, Pluto, Bugs Bunny



Parting with Mickey Mouse - or Not

I've been on a major decluttering mission.  The prize would be to have closets that look like those in Real Simple magazine.  Realistically, I just don't want to have a shoe fall out and hit me on the head when I open my closet door.  I've been tackling one closet at  time, making piles of items to give to charity, to give to friends or family, to throw out, to save, and to sell. 

It's really hard to get rid of things I've been saving for years, but I keep reminding myself that I haven't regretted getting rid of one thing.  Because my house has very small closets and very little storage, I still have a long way to go.  For followers of my blog, you know that I was inspired after hearing Gail Blanke speak and reading her fabulous book, Throw Out Fifty Things. 

I recently discovered selling on ebay as another way to declutter.  A great way to get rid of that old camera that I never used but was very valuable to a collector in Illinois.  I also parted with a handmade patchwork quilt that was taking up a whole shelf in a closet - several bidders went crazy for it!  Then I started selling my old toys (yes, I still have some) and my son's old toys.  So, that's why I took this photo of Mickey and friends and put it up on ebay to sell.  Turns out, my mother saw my ebay listing and wanted to bid on the Disney figurines!  I told her that I could simply withdraw them from sale and give them to her.  Which I did.  When I gave them to my mother, she said she didn't want them because she thought they were much bigger.  So, there they are back in my storage room - together with Winnie the Pooh, Owl, Piglet and Eyeore - you'll see them on ebay next week!

Winnie the Pooh and friends - Piglet, Eeyore and Owl

What We're Reading - Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke

Decluttering 101:
I heard Gail Blanke speak at an event a few weeks ago and immediately bought her book, Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life.  Gail was funny, engaging, and insightful.  Her book is an easy and fun read, and manages to find the task of decluttering to have profound effects.


The first seven chapters take you room by room through your house - your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room, attic, and garage.  She encourages you to clear out the physical clutter from the mismatched socks, to the unidenitified keys, to the expired medicines for ailments you no longer have.  Gail next takes you into your office to not only get rid of old credit card statements, but to also streamline your brand. 


After letting go of the physical clutter, Gail encourages readers to let go of the mental mess - letting go of regrets, letting go of having to be right, etc.  Gail shows how de-cluttering your house helps declutter your mind.  This book is definitely not one of the fifty things you should throw out!

~ Laura