Things that have gone – 14

Well, I managed to get rid of some more items! Despite thinking that I wouldn’t. I filled another bag for charity – I finished reading a couple of books that had no trade in value. Likewise we watched a DVD that was worth 1p to trade-in, so better to let a charity take it. I had a picture frame that I’d been holding onto for 20 years +, planning to frame a tapestry I completed as a child. I gave away the mounts last week, so it was time for the frame to go. I didn’t even like it! It was dark wood and ugly.

I also traded in a corduroy shirt that was a bad buy from a charity shop because it was a colour I’d never wear, with ridiculous cuffs. I’ll put that one down to experience. Finally, I found some polystyrene Christmas trees I’d been intending to turn into Christmas decorations, by covering them in sequins. Well, I completed 1 and it took so long, I never got down to the rest. Almost 2 years later, I was ready to accept that I wasn’t going to complete the rest.

I also took 3 DVDs to CEX and traded them in, one was a box set. So that’s cleared some space under the TV. Then, I traded in 2 books I’d finished reading and netted myself just over £6 for them. Not bad when I only paid £1.75 for them in a charity shop! The minimising continues…

CEX- A second-hand/trade-in store

I don’t know if you’ve heard of CEX? I hadn’t until about 3 years ago, I think. CEX stands for Complete Entertainment Exchange. I thought it was about time I wrote about them, since I now mainly use them to trade in old DVDs as there is no minimum amount required and the payment is instant. That is if you trade-in, in-store. Please check out their website for online trade-ins because I’ve not used it.

We tend to treat CEX a bit like a library in our house, as they allow you to buy, sell and exchange technology products. According to their website, they have stores in the UK, Spain, USA, Ireland, India, Australia, Portugal, Netherlands, Mexico and Poland. So there might be one near you? We mainly use them for DVDs, but they will also take CDs in some larger stores. They also deal in computer games for various games consoles, mobile phones, computers and associated peripheries, laptops, iPods, iPads and more! I once traded in my old iPod with them and it was very straight-forward. They check all electrical items like that, so you get a ticket and leave it with them for 30 minutes or so- to protect them and the next person who comes along to buy your old stuff. Everything you buy comes with a 12-month warranty, so you’ve got additional peace of mind. You can choose to either receive cash or a voucher when trading-in. The voucher is worth more and valid for 1000 years! So you have plenty of time to spend it!!! You can even now choose to donate your money to charity- how fab is that.

I love the fact that one of the founding principles of CEX was to save the environment. They really got on board with zero waste about 20 year ago! They saw built-in obsolesce as a business opportunity as they recognised the need to recycle. Happily, they also saw that not everyone has the money (or has enough sense!) not to buy brand new and they thought that there would always be a market for these types of second-hand goods.

So you see, I think CEX is proof that second-hand, minimalism (i.e. don’t hold onto stuff that you no longer need) and zero waste really can change the world. They are also a really friendly place 🙂

P.S. I don’t work for them and they have not paid me to write this blog post!

My top tips for minimising

Today I thought I’d share with you my top tips for minimising your stuff!

1. Start with one small area- a bookshelf, a drawer, a cupboard
2. Sell the good stuff on eBay. I try everything on there first! You’d be amazed at what sells and you’ll probably get the best price
3. If you have really good stuff to sell, try your local freeads or Preloved
4. Sell your books on Amazon Marketplace. It’s really easy to list items and you’ll generally get a good price. It even has this handy feature which shows you how much you’ll earn and how much you’ll pay in fees, before you list. I wish eBay had that feature!
5. Join up to a group on Facebook and sell your niche items there. For example, I sold the vast majority of my degree books through a book sales site related to my profession. It was dead easy to do and best of all, there are no fees attached. You can take payments through Paypal (for which you will pay a small fee). Or if you’re local- why not arrange to collect/ drop- off?
6. Join up to a local selling group- I found one near me on Yahoo Groups. I found it very easy and straightforward.
7. Sell your books to a trade -in store. I use these as a last resort because the prices won’t be as good, as if you sell the book yourself. Try several and check around for the best price. I recommend; www.webuybooks.co.uk           www.zapper.co.uk www.amazon.co.uk/Trade-In        www.fatbrain.co.uk    www.musicmagpie.co.uk
8. Do a car boot sale. Google your nearest one. In my experience the biggest isn’t always the best- as you have too much competition. Go as a  buyer first, to check it out. Compare fees, as some are really expensive!
9. Give stuff back to its owners! You’d be amazed just how much stuff I had around- mostly books and DVDs that belonged to other people
10. Freecycle it! Search for a group local to you, list your item with a short description and wait for the offers of collection to roll in! Beware, choose your buyers carefully- some are trying to make a quick profit by selling your item on and abusing your kindness. Some will ask for it and never turn up, wasting your time! Don’t be put off though- there are some great Freecyclers out there. There are other similar sites- like Freegle. Find the one that’s right for you
11. Donate it- bag it up and take it to a charity shop, or fill a charity bag and leave it on the curb (I don’t like these schemes, as there are so many non-genuine ones out there!) Or dump it in one of those recycling type, charity banks (especially good for clothes or shoes)
12. Donate all sorts of items to a local re-claim scheme for people on a  low-income. They usually like furniture and appliances. But can take smaller stuff, like pictures, mirrors and cans of paint
13. Some libraries take puzzles and allow people to swap them there
14. Look out for opportunities in your local area. My local Homebase has a thriving book swapping section. They also carry free DIY items and plants/ seeds. Maybe your item could be used as a prop in the school play? Maybe your local Drs surgery would really appreciate that stack of magazines?

Share your tops tips with me now!