10 Tips to Get Back What You Paid--Tricks and Tips on Becoming a Indy Resale Pro

Savvy shoppers can often break even on purchases by buying items and re-selling them when they're outgrown. With everything from books and music to kids resale shops, swaps and online selling, here are 10 ways to sell your stuff and make a little Green while being green:
1. Books, Music, Movies & Games: Cash offers are made while you wait. Bonus: It's a great way to clean out bookshelves and a potentially free outing, depending on how many books wind up in your shopping basket.
2. Consignment Sales: These sales, often held in three-day increments in the spring and again in the fall, offer current baby gear, toys, clothes from newborn to size 12 and maternity clothes. Consignors earn 60-75% commission from sales.
3. Kids Resale Shops: Parents may sell clothing and accessories purchased within the last five years for cash.


4. Sports Equipment: Some sporting goods stores will turn your used sports equipment that has lots of life left into cash, or trade it for new or used equipment.
5. Women's Consignment Stores: Consigning your in season and current clothing is a great way to make 40-50% of the selling price. Stores usually consign clothing for 90 days, after which it's either donated or can be picked up. Some consignment stores also offer cash buyouts.
6. Online Selling: Whether selling on eBay or craigslist, the best way to sell clothing via these venues is usually by the lot in order to make it worth your time.
7. Mom Forums: Local forum www.indianapolis.momslikeme.com has an active Buy & Sell page. With categories for Baby & Kids, Toys, Clothes and Household, it's a free and easy way to let other moms know what you have.
8. Garage Sales: If you're planning a garage sale in the spring, here are some tips: neatness counts—keep clothing items grouped by size and gender and on tables and racks. Advertise on craigslist and local forums. Price to sell. Good signage is key, as is neighborhood participation. (People are more likely to stop if there are other sales nearby.)
9. Online Swaps: Who doesn't like getting packages in the mail? For just five bucks plus shipping, thredUP online clothing swap allows parents to pick from boxes of gently used kids clothing, buy it and get it in a few days. Then you list a box of your own (it is a swap after all) and ship it for free.
10. Local Swaps: Indy has a monthly free swap at Earth House Collective. For small groups, organizing a swap at someone's home is a fun & frugal way to acquire some new clothes or accessories as well as declutter some items you'd donate anyway. Leftovers get taken to Goodwill or other thrift stores.


Indy's Child website.

Curb Shopping—a new Noblesville springtime tradition?

                       
Curb shopping is a practice that has its origins in New England, where towns designate a week or so once or twice a year, often in the spring, and folks set out items they no longer want at the curb where they’re up for grabs for curb side shoppers to pick up and tote home.
It’s what communities did before craigslist, freecycle, or Goodwill, which are all great, but this is a tradition I’d like to see revived. I have actually wanted to organize something like this, ever since we got a flyer several years back stating that there would be a dumpster placed just down the street for people to haul their unwanted items to. That’s great for real trash, but why put completely useable items into the dumpster just because you don’t want them when those items might find a good home with other people?

That year I may or may not have climbed into the dumpster to rescue three completely serviceable (and cute!) outdoor chairs that may or may not still reside in my yard today. Ahem. And that’s when I got my idea, but by then it was really too late to organize something for that year. Since then it’s floated in and out of my consciousness , waiting.

But now. Now I have a great way to get this idea out to many people (thanks, Current!) and see what we can start right here. And why not? A little neighborhood swap, strolling along the streets in my neighborhood and coming home with some new-to-me items without spending a dime sounds like great fun to me.

I’m just a one woman show though, so if this piques your interest and you’re interested in helping to start this, contact me.