Advice, please

[neadods]

Before I go on to tonight's trauma du jour, I'm working on the essay on racism. I realized that I could be a lot less twitchy about it if I didn't try to do a 5000 word essay on "Conscious Colorblindness, Unconscious Racism" covering the fate of every character of color in the last 6 seasons of Who and simply went with a 1000 word-ish personal essay on Mickey, Martha, Mels: Troubling Subtext for Companions of Color.

I also realized this interesting tidbit: arguably Mickey and Martha are the only two to leave team TARDIS on their own terms and keep their own agency. Rose was dropped back off in an alternate universe with a Doctor substitute and orders to take care of him (as opposed to Nine's orders to live a fantastic life of her own choosing). Donna got mind-wiped. Amy and Rory were booted out, albeit kindly. Only Mickey and Martha said "enough's enough, my life is elsewhere" and left on their own terms and under their own steam... although they both made that decision after feeling not valued enough *and said so.* Really a mixed message there.

Anyway, that's not tonight's trauma. Tonight, I need some advice. I'm drowning in sheer *stuff.* Stuff I wanted but never found time to play with. Stuff that I needed as reference in a pre-internet age but don't anymore. Books that I bought in print, still haven't read, and could get in ebook (less stuff to archive, but I'd be buying it twice). Stuff that I might be able to sell, but don't know if the return is worth the effort.

That last is a biggie. All of my habits howl for me to hold onto things lest I want them later, even if I haven't wanted them for decades now. My mother (and until very recently, my circumstances) suggest getting every penny I can get for them. But... I'm not sure if the $$ is worth the effort - it was a real eye-opener to discover that sending some of those quilting books to England would cost more than the actual books. On the other hand, I've recently made a real chunk of change by mass selling off the Big Finish CDs and Who tie-in books that weren't on my favorite lists. (Which reminds me - Pers? Do you still want that Klein/7 trilogy?)

On the third hand... I can't help but think that just getting all this stuff GONE would allow me to start over concentrating on things that I want in my life. That archiving two shelves of old mystery books just because I may someday sell them online or trade them at a future Malice con isn't worth the space and effort when they could all go to the Book Thing and net me a rebate on my taxes.

It's not like I'm doing well cashing in on the lightning struck wood. I've sold one piece... although I was going to make another pitch when the tree comes down and there's more wood available.

[Poll #1787669]

Comments

[kefiraahava.livejournal.com]

Can you divide this into two things to think about? As in, can you quickly and reasonably estimate which stuff will yield a net $ benefit within X amount of time (not "someday," but in a definite time frame) that's higher than the cost of time/$ taken in listing/prepping/selling/shipping?

And then can you dump or quickly give away for tax credit/whatnot the things that will take more time/effort/$ to sell than whatever you'll clear in cash?

To me the Big Finish sounds like something that fits into the first category (since you know its value), but the mystery books you "might" sell or trade "someday" would fit into the "take it to the Book Thing and get it gone" category.

OTOH, if it's going to take you months to research value, pricing, shipping, etc. on all of it, then I'd follow your instincts and clear it out. My two cents.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I don't know what's going to be valuable until I try. What I think ought to be doesn't move; but sometimes something I think isn't interesting gets a lot of attention.

Still, I seem to be doing most of my sales in volume.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

If you're trying to figure out value, I'd recommend typing each ISBN into amazon.com and checking out the used price. That's what I do and it works really well.

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely on the side of 'it's too much hassle'. If you don't want the stuff and it's not a quick, easy sell, just donate or dump it. The time and effort involved in listing, responding to enquiries, packaging, figuring out postage costs, taking to post office and so on is just not worth it. There's not enough hours in the day, and your time alone is worth more than the effort involved, whether or not you get a fairly decent yield - and I'm suspecting you don't.

A friend of mine does a bit of selling on ebay now and then - she does get money out of it, occasionally enough to allow her to replace items with newer versions, but then that's because she's a smart seller. She sells stuff she knows will make money, and doesn't bother with items where the postage is more than the sale value.

If you don't want it, it's already worthless to you. Cut your losses and get rid :)

If I had a West Wing 'Take out the Trash Day' icon, this would be the perfect time to use it, but since I don't you'll have to make do with Jackie Tyler instead *g*

[neadods.livejournal.com]

If you don't want it, it's already worthless to you. Cut your losses and get rid :)

That's a very good point.

And I always got a giggle out of that icon.

[lagilman]

....along with "the money is already spent" (when you acquired the object) so you're not actually _saving_ anything by keeping it.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

But could I recoup anything by selling and would that be worth it?

[lagilman]

Generally, resale of anything not-collectible nets about 1/3 (max) of what you originally paid. If you paid a lot, then it might be worth it. If you can bundle things in lots, and make up sales in volume, then it might be worth it.

Otherwise, considering your already-busy schedule/stress levels....

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've got some signed first editions, those won't get trotted off to the Book Thing. But the paperback cozy mysteries...

[fourzoas.livejournal.com]

Essay sounds interesting!

I voted for dumping it--it's always worth it to me to just get the stuff away!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

That essay keeps mutating, but I think this version is going to work. Mels has her own issues, not least of which the idea that she exists just long enough to turn into a crazy white woman. Which... ugh.

As for the stuff - I got rid of some Torchwood magazines and later found I could have sold them, although not for much individually, it would have just been worth it in bulk. But there's so much... bulk... around here that I feel I'm drowning in who I used to be, if that makes any sense.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

well, as a felow "too much stuff" person...

1. bring it to Darkover and sell it there/give it away to good homes?

2. how much is it worth to your peace of mind to have it GONE.. because in my case that was a lot.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I may go to MediaWest next year just to dump fanzines on a giveaway table...

[lizvogel.livejournal.com]

Zine reading room/Fan Fund is usually up for donations, FWIW.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

EXCELLENT point! I'd rather donate them to a cause than just toss them in a "make it go away" box; it's passing them on, not throwing them out.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

personally what WE did was take the books to a good used book store.. as it HAPPENS there is a mystery specialty used book store in down town phila.
they dont pay a lot, but they pay.

whatever they didnt want went to charity.

thats what i suggest...

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Maybe list them on paperback swap and offer the credits as xmas gifts for colleagues/acquaintances?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

TBH, that sounds like just as much effort as selling them only without a profit to show for it.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Personally I'm just as happy with reduced expenses as with profits.

[tacnukesoul.livejournal.com]

I found it best to go with the most restrictive resource. I think what you need more is space and stress easing rather than the money. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm leaning in that direction, but every now and then something that I thought I couldn't dump suddenly becomes valuable in bulk.

[jeff-morris.livejournal.com]

I've run into this situation myself lately--try fourteen boxes of comic books and about 20+ containers of Barbies. It came down to "how much effort for how much return?"

I would have had to index and price everything out...AND find a buyer willing to pay my price. And possibly ship it all out...and be willing to wait until everything was taken...

...so I dumped it all on the St. Louis Book Fair. And I'm pleased to report that my act of selflessness led to a new rule--don't dump your damn comics on us, take them to the local comic store for them to go through.

The Barbies were more fun--this was November, so I went all over St. Louis and filled Toys for Tots bins with Barbies. I felt like Santa.

So it comes down to "how much effort will it take?", "will I find buyers?" or "hell, out with it all!"

[neadods.livejournal.com]

It came down to "how much effort for how much return?"

It turns out that I'm surprisingly bad at judging that.

[tamnonlinear.livejournal.com]

I'm unclear on the specific meaning of dumping used here- trash vs. Donate. I can't be bothered to sell stuff, because the post office is a pain, but donating is usually as good to better for me, and trash only an option for ruined objects.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Books would be taken to the Book Thing, a charity. I'd get a tax receipt, they'd get stamped not for resale, and given away to whoever wants them.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes I do want it still!

I didn't see your BF/Who tie-ins post. Or did you not make one? You may have posted it at a time when LJ was being wanky about sending out email notifs of new posts, of course - which it took me several hours to realise was happening so I may have missed the post on my Friends page...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I haven't made that post. It's one of the things I keep wondering about - worth the effort to do or not? (the mass sale was to a fan at work and most of the BFs are being held for someone buying on installment). But I knew you wanted those three, and if it's not going to cost something silly to send 'em back over the sea...

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay...

Well, yes, I do still want the Seven & Klein series.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Noted. I'll probably list the remaining Who books before I give up on them as well; I think some are getting hard to find, like Ninth Doctor ones.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I didn't realise the Ninth Doctor books were becoming scarce.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

You can't get them *here* which is not necessarily a sign that they're rare.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Ah...

[rheanna27.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'd vote for just clearing out things you don't want rather than selling them. Selling things is only going to put another stage of work, time and organisation in the process of clearing out. I think your key question is whether your key objective is to clear out unwanted possessions or whether it's to generate extra cash. If your top priority is to get rid of stuff, then get rid of stuff in the minimum number of steps required.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Last week I really, really needed cash. This week I really want space. It makes me dubious that I know what will be most important next week.

[lukadreaming.livejournal.com]

I'm behind on LJ because of crap, so I've only just seen about the Who essay. It sounds awesome and what you said above sounds like a very strong angle for it.

As for the other thing, I don't know, but I have totally the same problem. So I'm reading the comments for advice.. My clutter has reached critical proportions ...

[tchwrtr.livejournal.com]

Let it go, declare the donations on taxes.

I'm about to do a real, serious, fabric-and-patterns purge. For similar reasons. There just too much, and I'm not really in that hobby any longer.

Free the space in the house, free the space in your mind.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Free the space in the house, free the space in your mind.

That was, to some degree, how I was feeling when I handed on box after box after box of books to you! :D

I'd ask to be in on the fabric purge, but I've got many bins in the basement that are under the heading of "I don't want to be rid of this" but I don't have time to sew either.

I keep hoping that once the house is reorganized I will have time to sew. And to knit. And to invite people over.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Not having seen your essay, I can only ask a question: are you specifically examining only the core DW continuity, or do you consider the extended DW universe? Specifically, I'm thinking of the Sarah Jane Adventures, for reasons that should be obvious.

Also wondering if you're confining your consideration to NewWho, or if your thesis is meant to cover all cases. (In the latter instance, there are certainly other Companions who left on their own terms and their own volition.) In either event, it sounds fascinating, and I'd love to see the finished version.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

There is a lot of meaty stuff to be said about the wider DW universe, but casting my net that wide exhausts me. If I focus on the companions (counting River in her Mels body) then it doesn't seem so daunting.

And yeah, New Who. The most that can be said about race in classic Who is "wow, what a white universe."

[themis1.livejournal.com]

Well, we never did sort out the crazy patchwork books! I did suggest you scope sending them by the cheapest method as I wasn't in any rush and included my email in the post ...

But I agree it's a lot of hassle to get rid of a couple of books.

As someone who can't bear to part with books, I'm not a good person to be offering suggestions. Last time we moved, Ireckon books comprised about 75% of the contents of the VERY LARGE lorry ...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I know, I need to email you. I went by the post office and they didn't have anything cheaper, which appalls me. We used to have a media mail option, but apparently that's no longer an option in this economy.

[alizarin-nyc.livejournal.com]

I struggle with this SAME THING. So I leave it in my apartment in a place where a cat will pee on it and then I can safely throw it away because EW cat pee.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

*snort* I'm trying to be a little more proactive about it!

[lizvogel.livejournal.com]

I suspect the real answer is a mixture, depending on the thing in hand at the time.

But I will say this: A few years ago, we had a yard sale. It was by some standards a disaster; we sold almost nothing, and can only claim to have broken even if we count in the scrap price of the old cars we had hauled away to make space in the driveway. So afterwards, we loaded almost everything into the Big Damn Truck and made the rounds of the local charities.

We emptied the truck, didn't make a dime, and it felt great. Still does.

We only kept a few select boxes of things that we thought might be worth some real money. Years later, we still have those same boxes. The theoretical potential profit doesn't feel nearly as good as the absence of the weight of all that stuff that went away.