I save all of my clothing – it’s the worst manifestation of my pack-rat tendencies. Somehow, I manage to develop a sentimental attachment to each item in my closet. It’s hard to detach myself from these physical possessions, even if I haven’t worn them for years. I see the black mini skirt and remember fun nights working as a bartender. Will I ever wear it again? Probably not, but I can come up with a number of unlikely situations when it could come in handy, so I keep it, along with everything else.
I also have to contend with the faulty perception that these clothes were an “investment.” I worked in retail and as a waitress during my teens and early twenties. All of the money that I earned – including cold, hard cash from tips – was spent on fun or clothing. I purchased expensive, name-brand clothing. It wasn’t the thousand-dollar purses you would find in New York City, but still pretty pricey. I remember buying full-priced outfits to match the mannequins on display at the front of the store. It’s hard to reconcile these high expenditures with tossing them in a box for Goodwill. One example is the $100 pair of jeans that I probably wore less than ten times. I still love them, but don’t fit in them (even when not pregnant – thank you expanding hips). So what became of this “investment?” I have boxes, duffle bags, and storage bins filled with once-fashionable clothing which will likely never be worn again . . . at least not by me.
On a Saturday morning back in December, I ambitiously decided to move forward in my goals towards minimalism and bringing in extra money. I gathered up a large pile of old clothes that were still in great condition and headed to the local consignment store. It was hard for me to set aside the sentimentality and memory of how much was spent on the items, but I kept focused and determined. I set low expectations in my head before arriving at the store, calculating minimums for which I should be pleased. I kept reminding myself that these clothes were just taking up room in our house and any return on my “investment” could be applied towards debt. Also, we were getting close to Christmas, so I could use the money towards purchasing a few, small gifts. It felt like a positive move and I was proud of myself.
My feelings of accomplishment quickly dissolved when the girl at the counter called me up about two minutes after receiving my bag of carefully-selected items. She said, “Unfortunately, I can’t take anything.” This young woman rather disdainfully explained that she could tell by the tags that the clothing was too outdated. I couldn’t believe it! The store had tons of similar clothing. This nice vest, worn a handful of times, is one example of the items that she summarily dismissed.
For the first time since I started this new frugal journey, I felt judged by my clothing. The feelings were reminiscent of high school. I was resentful and wanted to explain to her that I choose not to waste money on the newest fashions anymore because there are new, more important priorities in my life. That’s why I don’t have any more-contemporary items to sell to her. I wanted to tell her that she was stupid for wasting her money on material possessions and falling prey to advertising. However, I took my clothes and went on my way. There is a better path and I’m thankful to be on it. The majority of the population seems too brainwashed to understand that happiness doesn’t come from a closet filled with trendy things to wear.
I remain determined to recoup some money from my collection of old clothing, because every little bit counts as we battle our debt. I was able to sell some clothing at a garage sale last year, but wasn’t that happy with the results. Most of my customers barely looked at the clothing. The things that did sell went for approximately $1 each. And no one was interested in the winter clothing on a warm day in May. My newest adventure in making some extra money is with eBay. I am pleased to report that we have been able to sell some items, and for a decent price. I am still figuring out how to maximize our sales and will be posting about my learning experience with eBay selling.
What happened to that green vest? I sold it on eBay for over $7. A few negative feelings tugged at me as I packaged it up to send to a stranger, but they were outweighed by a sense of triumph. These little wins will add up over time and allow us to live a better life – free from clutter and debt.
I think that vest is lovely! Glad you were able to eBay it! And, way to go on clearing out your closet. I tend to save clothes for far longer than I should. I just always wonder–what if I need it someday? Not the best approach, I know…
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I liked the vest, but never ever wore it. I sometimes rationalize that maybe I should keep clothes in case my daughter wants them someday. But then I think of how little interest I had in wearing any of my mom’s clothing.
Have you tried organized consignment sales? Every major metropolitan area has a number of these. They are usually held in a rented space (like a large warehouse) usually twice a year before the winter and spring seasons. Most sales are orientated around kids clothing. But a lot of them include adult clothing as well. Some sales are smaller and specialize in name brands. Some are huge and they take everything! In my more ambitious past, I would do both sales and sell the nice stuff at the small sale and everything else at the big one. That got to be too much after baby #2, so I just did all in a big sale and would routinely get a check for $200-$300 afterwards. The only drawback is the time commitment of tagging everything. Lately, i got way too busy (or lazy) and just donated to Goodwill and got a tax write-off which is still better than nothing.
I love the kids clothing consignment sales. They are where we buy all of our children’s clothing. I plan to sell the clothing at one of these sales once we’re done having kids. I wish there was an adult version, that would be perfect. I will keep looking for one in my area.