Turning Your Trash Into Cash

by: Nandang S Nugraha | Total views: 97 | Word Count: 879 | View PDF | Print View

 by: Jeffrey Strain

Junk. We all have some of it lying around the house.
Whether it's boxed items cluttering the attic or everyday items that
just don't fit with the room's decorating theme anymore, many of us
have more than we need. At some point it all gets to be too much and in
a fit of energy we decide that our place needs to be cleaned. Then the
junk gets moved, typically to the nearest trash can. But wait. Before
you throw out all that stuff, it pays to take head of the saying "one
person's junk is another person's treasure."

If you are about to throw out something because you
think it has little value, you may come to regret it later. Those
things that you consider to be trash many times have great value to
collectors. If you have an item and have no idea if it has any worth, a
quick first step is to head to the online auction sites like eBay.
Input the item you have into their search engine. If similar items come
up and there are bids on them, then someone out there thinks that the
item you were about to trash has some worth.

If you are trying to get rid of a few select items, the
online auction sites may be the perfect place. Simply place the item on
auction for a minimum price and let others bid away on it. This is
where you may find that old, ugly toy you could no longer stand the
sight of looks like a perfect jewel to somebody else. You don't even
have to know how to list the items yourself anymore since sites like
eBay offer services that will match you with someone who will list the
auction for you for a small fee.

Even if the item doesn't sell at auction, it still may
be worth some money to you. If you have a large number of items that
didn't manage to sell on the online auctions, having a garage sale or
heading off to sell at a local flea market for a day may bring in some
extra cash. This is also a good way of getting rid of those everyday
items that still have life, but you are certain are not worth a lot of
money.

If you have an item that you suspect has some value, it
pays to do a little research before placing it on auction. While the
auction sites are a good place to see if something may have worth, they
are not a good place to determine what the true value of something.
Auctions can easily turn more emotional than sensible, and items may go
for far more than their true worth. In the same vein, unique items that
may not be familiar to those frequenting the online auctions may sell
for far less than their true worth.

If you want to find the general true worth of
something, the least expensive alternative is to head to your local
library and check out collectible books and price guides on the
subject. You can also search for Internet sites dedicated to the
particular item in hand that can give you a good approximation of what
the item may be worth. Another low cost alternative for those who don't
want to take the time researching is to take it to a pawn shop and see
if, and how much, the shop would be willing to give you for it. Pawn
shops will buy the item for a fraction of it's true worth, so if you
are offered a decent amount, you know that you have something of value.

For items that you believe may be worth quite a bit such
as antiques or if you have a lot of items and want to make sure the
gems don't get accidentally placed with the ordinary items, it may be
worthwhile to hire an appraiser. Appraisers charge between $150 and
$300 an hour and you want to make sure that you get an independent
appraiser that has no interest in purchasing the items you are having
appraised (if the appraiser is interested in the items, he or she will
be tempted to lowball their true worth in order to get them for a good
price). You can get references for appraisers from organizations like
the Appraisers Association of America: http://www.appraisersassoc.org

Even if you are not willing to put in the time and effort
for any these events, there is always a better place than the trash can
for most items. Simply load them up in your car and take them to a
local charitable organization or the larger nationwide organizations
like Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Not only will you be extending
the life of the item, your donation will entitle you to receive a tax
deduction for it if you itemize your tax return, and that's certainly
better than getting nothing at all.

Copyright (c) 2004, by Jeffrey Strain

This article may be freely distributed so long as the
copyright, author's information and an active link (where possible) are
included.

A complimentary copy of any newsletter or a link to the site where the article is posted would be greatly appreciated.

About the Author

Jeffrey Strain has published hundreds of money saving articles and the creator of the Daily Money Saving Challenge Program. He is the co-owner of http://www.savingadvice.com -- a website dedicated to saving you money.

savingadvice@gmail.com

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