by Kate Holmes

If you took our 52 Thing Challenge, chances are you ended up with at least 52 possessions that you didn't like, love, care about or choose to care for any more. Here's how I passed on my underloved things, and how you might too.

Rush placemats and  plastic placemats: DONATED. Took them to my favorite consignment shop, and donated them for use as furniture-protectors. The shop currently uses awful blue mesh mats to keep knick-knacks from scratching the for-sale furniture. I figured these would look better.

Hurricane lamps: CONSIGNED at same shop, as well as the ice bucket, tray and wall shelf/bracket.

As you read earlier the purse went to Sis who replaced it with the straw Stetson, which I took to the shop as well, to be put in the migrant workers' bin: DONATED. The shop maintains this area to help the Mexican workers here, and a straw hat is right, since much of the work these men do is under the brutal Florida summer sun.

The feather-covered balls I put aside for holiday-present decorations. If I don't use them there, I'll take them to the thrift shop. Mid-Century bowls: SOLD to local vintage-furnishings shop. Art-show bowls: CONSIGNED.  Orphan salsa bowl, in the DONATE bag for the local thrift shop which raises funds for a cause I believe in.

Rainbow stripe tote, black patent bag and yoga knapsack: CONSIGNED. Four black vintage handbags: UNDECIDED. I thought I'd try them on eBay, since I never have done that. But seeing the listings there, perhaps I'll just consign them or ask at a few local antique shops. We have no great vintage shops around, although this might send me on a quest.

Fairy-bunny-ballerina: Give to the little girl down the street wearin' the tutu she tools 'round the 'hood in.

Sweaters, skirt, mules, flats, 2 totes: CONSIGN.

Wire-art shopping bag to thrift as a DONATION as well as the 4 t-shirts which are too well-loved to consign.

10 books to used-book store for store credit. I can always find another book or 5 to buy! Sea gull: although full of priceless memories, its beak's been mended: DONATE. 

8 necklaces and bracelets: SOLD outright to a local resale shop. Well, except for the two bracelets Sis seems to find a liking for, and the necklace put aside for my friend Merry in NYC who has an inordinate love of primary colors...and in whose company, come to think of it, I bought the darn thing. 

Final score...and the economics of recycling. What I bought (approx) and sold (approx) these 52 Things for: 

Placemats: Bought for $6 (sample sale, home furnishings store) and $18 (closeout home decor store) Return zero, just the satisfaction of helping a nice shop. 

Other home decor: Hurricane lamps: Bought for $12, used for charity fundraiser, sell for $6 (my consignor half). Ice bucket, tray, bracket: Outlay, around $15, sell for around $15 (bracket inherited.)

Stetson and bowls: Bought second (or third?) hand for about $10 total, donated and (Mid-Century bowls) sold outright for $19.

Totes: Bought for $12 (stripe tote, $1 at a garage sale, Saks tote, $6 at a consignment shop, yoga thingie $4 same shop = $11) If/when sold at consignment shop, $15-ish.

Clothes: Bought for $115-ish (many, bought used to begin with. Overspent on silk sweater, catalog purchase, $49.) Should sell for (taking into account any automatic markdowns the shop may take) my take, $30.

Books: Spent anywhere from "real retail" of $15 each to garage-sale prices of 50 cents each. If I want to read it, I'll buy, whatever the price. Received $29 store credit (= perhaps 4 or 5 books new to me.)

Jewelry: 7 pieces, bought for maximum $25 (I'm a bargain-hunter from way back). Consignment take, perhaps $45.

Still in my life: feather balls (bought for $3, church bazaar) and vintage handbags (bought mostly at thrift stores, all four, around $35). Silly things to worry about, huh?

Total spent: $275-ish Total (perhaps) received: $163 plus, of course, the good feelings of having donated some possessions to my favorite community charities.*

Free of all extra cost: Less clutter in my life. The gratitude of my Sis and the little girl down the street and the recipients of the goods or services derived from my charitable donations.

* Your mileage may vary. I seldom purchase anything "new", so all my purchases were deals to begin with. That's what happens when you ReSell, RePlace... you get to ReJoice!

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