Cleaning out The Wardrobe - What to Do with It?

SaberX on 16/01/2015 - 21:14

So usually the cleaned out second hand clothes goto the good sammy collection bins etc. I don't know how efficiently these get used, sometimes i hear stories where they shred them into rags.. which quite frankly i think is a waste.

Much of my clothing is unloved, but generally new, goodcondition tshirts , pants, jackets, things I picked up overseas shopping which I just simply didn't wear much, or i just had too many print tshirts etc. For someone who may like that style of clothing it'd be considered good condition to wear. I want to make the most efficient use of spring cleaning my wardrobe as I am usually very bad with letting go of stuff, but am moving house and so this is the one hoorah for me so there will probably be alot more going out this time around.

Just wondering some advice - is there firstly a place I can jettison clothing for some money back to myself? Overall i would've spent abit on some shirts (e.g. clubbing shirts) RRP, so it'd be a shame not to get anything back. Provided nothings hugo boss or armani, designer labels etc to that extent, if I can't sell them in bulk to somewhere (cbb doing garage sale styles or market sale store) then what would be next best alternatives? IS there anything more productive than the good sammys bins (in terms of donating to worthy causes where the tshirts and other items - business pants etc can be used specifically as i would have, not shredded, or sold for a penny profit by the collector).

Thanks.

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Comments

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 17/01/2015 - 03:18

    Do you have "Savers" in Perth? I don't know if they still do it, but here in Melbourne they used to issue a certain amount of store credit, in return for decent stuff. An understandably LOW amount per item, but it was something.

    • SaberX on 17/01/2015 - 17:52

      I've never heard of that store… i assume not. Thta would be a great way.. i wouldn't mind dumping a bag of stuff for $20,40,50 and be done with it.. better than nothing. Would hope a few good shirts for clubbing which might've been $80+ aud brand new would get me $30,40 in themselves, but i guess you can't put much hope on second hand clothing fetching much as retail RRP.

  • ms_caz on 17/01/2015 - 08:11

    I've just done a similar thing. Spent the time and effort to sell a whole heap of things on Ebay (new without tags - things I had bought but decided weren't me, or spur of the moment, or near new - worn once kind of thing). Most of my clothing had a recognisable brand which would make it saleable. No name or generic things don't sell. It takes an effort for little reward.

    I did also donate a pile of very wearable clothing to our local goodwill. They were grudgingly accepted - this particular branch of the organisation were apparently overwhelmed with clothing donations. I think perhaps smaller organisations may have accepted my donation with more enthusiasm, so that might be something you could consider. Charitable organisations want high quality clothes - their client base deserve to wear things that are clean, fresh, up to date etc. Anything that is slightly tatty will be sold for rags. Obviously, once you have donated, they are no longer your clothes and the organisation does with them what they will to make money. Surely it is better for them to be sold for rags than to go to landfill as rubbish?

    FInally, something you might investigate is a local Business Clothing Bank. The idea behind these are to provide a source of appropriate attire for job seeking/interviews for those who have been long term unemployed etc. I did have contact details for one but can't find it now - although I am fairly sure your local council might be able to help you.

    • SaberX on 17/01/2015 - 17:56

      So basically it's not worth the effort selling branded items which aren't recognisable western brands you'd see in the poshy upmarket stores, david jones, myers etc? The brands I got still are recognisable but more affordable middle tier.

      Which goodwill store did you give to? I know there are good sammies, salvos, but if ther eare some lesser known ones that make better use of getting these clothing to people or sell them for better profits (I hear some of the salvos sell them at ridiculously low prices, and tbh I think sometimes it isn't the lower-socio economic people getting these, but middle class paying lower dollars - i'd like to see them paying more so more can be redeployed to lower class, or at least lower class buying it at the cheap prices) then I'd like to know.

      I like the idea about the job interview business clothing bank thing… Not sure where to get started apart from your local council suggestion? I had a few $30,40 single and loose business pants I bought from myers during boxing day sales - bracks, carter etc. Most are worn a dozen or so times, some i never got to wear. As i grew up in the business world after one or two years i realised i bought full matching suits anyway, so the mis matching shirt and pants no longer worked. Then again my job required full suit attire, my first job was just a shirt hence why i could get away with just the pants…. so i'd like these to goto the use they wer emeant for - business wear, than rags or the cheapo bin.

  • Geewhizz on 18/01/2015 - 08:23

    Take some pics and list them as a bulk lot on Gumtree or a local Facebook classifieds site?

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