72 Killer Resources for Getting Rid of Stuff

Whether you’re moving, spring cleaning, downsizing or just ready to “unstuff” your space(s), once you’ve started identifying the things you’re ready to let go of, it can be hard to know exactly WHAT to do with All. That. Clutter. 

Recently, I wrote a series of articles on one option: how to sell some of your more specialized stuff for cash—from collections and collectibles, to used and antique furniture, to clothes, purses, and accessories. 

But what about resources for selling other stuff, or getting rid of all the stuff that you don’t (or can’t) sell? 

And if you’re working The Organizational Triangle® and want to have ONE place to find ALL the resources you need … here it is—One list of resources to rule them all!

I’ve culled the top apps, sites, and resources for selling, donating, recycling, or otherwise disposing of your stuff, and gathered them here. 

Sending items to the landfill, unless they’re beyond repair or reuse, should be your last resort. Even when you’re disposing of a body. (No kidding; read more here.)

SHOW ME THE MONEY: TOP PLACES TO SELL YOUR STUFF

It can be challenging to sort through and purge the things you no longer use or need, especially if you’ve got some story running about the items … so a little cash can help soften the blow. 

CLOTHES, SHOES, AND ACCESSORIES

1 - Crossroads Trading - J. Crew, Zara, The North Face, Patagonia

2 - Couture USA - Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co.

3 - Current Boutique - Rebecca Taylor, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Parker

4 - Material World - Theory, Rag & Bone, Isabel Marant, 3.1 Phillip Lim

5 - Poshmark - fashion, home decor, beauty

6 - Rebag - designer handbags, accessories, watches, jewelry

7 - Refashioner - couture & vintage from private collections

8 - The RealReal - luxury brands (no knock-offs)

9 - ThredUp - online consignment and thrift store

10 - Tradesy - Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Michael Kors

FURNITURE, ANTIQUES, AND COLLECTIBLES

Determine their value. From vintage comics to a prized butter dish collection, it can be hard to know what your prized items are worth. Start here:

11 - Worthpoint - Search for the value of your antiques, art, vintage collectibles.

12 - Collectibles Database - Think Dept 56, Hallmark, Precious Moments.

13 - Real or Repro helps you sort the authentic from the pretender.

Vet your appraiser. Find a licensed, certified one in one of these professional organizations:

14 - International Society of Appraisers

15 - American Society of Appraisers

16 - Appraisers Association of America

Choose your auction house. For a commission, they’ll do the selling for you:

17 - Sotheby’s - For higher-end furniture, fine art and luxury items.

18 - Loved by designers (and me), 1st Dibs represents a list of vetted sellers.

19 - Skinner - Consign single items or large collections.

20 - Lofty represents select auction houses.

21 - Heritage Auctions - Sell coins, sport, comics, collectibles.

22 - Search National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America to find registered auction houses.

23 - Search Antiques Dealers Association of America to find registered dealers.

These online marketplaces offer a broader range of items and price points, going beyond collectibles and furniture to include everything in between:

24 - Art Fire - Artisan- and handmade items.

25 - Ruby Lane - Vintage art, jewelry, fashion and more.

26 - Bonanza - A marketplace geared toward the entrepreneurial seller.

20 - eBay - The auction site that started it all.

21 - Etsy - Crafty marketplace for the unique, vintage, and artisan/handmade.

22 - Swap - Affordable online thrift & consignment store.

23 - Everything But the House provides full-service selling.

24 - Apt Deco - sell your furniture in the New York, Philly and San Fran metro areas.

25 - Chairish - Vintage, antique and pre-owned items

26 - Oodle - Online marketplace, organized like Craigslist

27 - OfferUp - An easy way to sell locally, right from your phone

28 - Kijiji - Canada’s free local classifieds site

29 - National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops - Find local consignment and thrift stores near you.

30 - For any of the above DIY options, consider first whether it’s worth your time to list individual items and go back and forth with buyers.

For the less-discerning buyer, heavy items best sold for local pickup, or even giving away your items:

31 - Facebook Marketplace - look for your local area’s buyers.

32 - Craigslist - the modern version of newspaper want ads.

It goes without saying, always stay safe when selling on these sites.

Have a whole house of items to sell? (Don’t forget, estate sales aren’t just for dead people.) Find an estate sales company near you:

33 - American Society of Estate Liquidators 

34 - National Estate Sale Association

PAY IT FORWARD: TOP PLACES TO GIVE AWAY YOUR STUFF

Donating and recycling your stuff will help others AND keep those goods out of the landfill. Some of these organizations have political views and policies I don’t agree with … but/and they still do some good work in the world. Be sure to check out each organization to see that they align with YOUR values.

GENERAL DONATIONS

These orgs will accept just about everything (clothes, books, household items):

35 - Goodwill sells donated items in their thrift stores to fund job training and placement.

36 - Out of the Closet has thrift stores across the U.S. and will pick up your items, as well.

37 - The Salvation Army sells donated items in their thrift stores to fund rehabilitation programs. 

38 - Vietnam Veterans of America picks up or has drop-off sites in most states.

39 - Amvets picks up donations in MD, DC, VA, DE, TX, and OK.

40 - Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore will also pick up building and construction materials.

41 - Donation Town connects you with a charity that will pick up your donation.

42 - The National Furniture Bank Association shows furniture reuse sites near you.

43 - Root for Books and Kids Need to Read accept book donations (as do most local libraries).

44 - FreeCycle is a platform to offer free stuff to your local community.

45 - Savers has community donation centers and thrift stores in a number of states.

46 - arc Thrift Stores will also pick up your stuff.

CLOTHING AND SHOES

47 - Souls 4 Soles accepts clothes in addition to shoes.

48 - Dress for Success provides professional clothing for women around the world.

49 - GreenStrides recommends donating non-wearable clothing, blankets, and towels to your local animal shelter where they can be used as animal bedding.

ARTS AND CRAFTS 

50 - Art of Recycle - Donate gently used art, craft, and teaching materials in PA.

51 - Materials for the Arts accepts shipped materials for creative reuse in NY.

52 - Crazy Crayons is a national crayon recycling program. 

53 - Warm Up America! accepts your hand-knitted and crocheted items.

JEWELRY AND OTHER VALUABLES

54 - Recycling for Good Causes resells donated items for charities in the UK.

55 - I Have Wings accepts costume jewelry by mail.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES 

56 - Learn where to donate gently used eyeglasses here. 

57 - Project C.U.R.E. distributes medical equipment around the world.

GO GREEN: TOP PLACES TO RECYCLE YOUR STUFF 

First, find out what your regular waste management company will pick up and recycle; you might be surprised. For harder-to-recycle items, check out:

58 - Recycle Nation lets you find where to recycle any item in U.S. and Canada by zip code.

59 - Battery Solutions - Order the kit you need to properly recycle any battery.

60 - To recycle appliances, contact your local utility company.

61 - Earth911 offers ways to recycle, reuse, and reduce carbon footprint.

62 - Call 2 Recycle is a battery recycling program.

63 - Terra Cycle provides recycling solutions for hard to recycle items.

64 - World Environmental Organization is a recycling database.

65 - Shareable helps you find local places to share your stuff.

LAST RESORT: TOP PLACES TO TRASH YOUR STUFF

So, you couldn’t sell, donate, or recycle it. It happens. (Hey, there are few places that will take that sofa your cat’s scratched up—or worse). 

Start with your regular waste management company to see what they’ll pick up with your trash; often, for free or a small fee, they’ll pick up many of your items, from electronics to that abused sofa. Barring that, it’s time to get creative:

66 - 1-800-Got-Junk takes everything, including electronics, furniture, and “organic waste.” (I won’t ask questions if you won’t.)

67 - Load Up, another junk removal service, offers disassembly and upfront pricing.  

68 - College HUNKS picks up stuff and donates or recycles 70% of everything they haul.

If you have space, ability, and the desire to move your stuff yourself, you can also opt for renting a dumpster:

69 - Your regular trash company may provide this service, e.g., Waste Management.

70 - Budget Dumpster partners with Habitat for Humanity and gets great reviews.

71 - United Site Services has locations scattered across the U.S.

72 - Hire help to move or get rid of heavier stuff, and/or compare services on Thumbtack or TaskRabbit.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You’ve got stuff and you’re ready to let it go—awesome! And now, you have no more excuses for any delays in getting it out of your space. In fact, you now have 72 reasons WHY you have no more excuses.

So, here’s your invitation and if you have a competitive streak, you can consider it a challenge!

Right now, before you do anything else, set a timer for 10 minutes and pick a resource that can help you get rid of something or a particular category of stuff and take the next step. Schedule the pick-up, make the call, open the seller’s account.

Then, when you’ve sold, donated, recycled, or sadly had to resort to trashing your stuff, learn how to stay clutter-free for GOOD. 

Other professional organizers may try to convince you that you will never really GET organized or that this is a lifelong pursuit—to that I say, bullsh*t!
You can GET and STAY organized. Check out my #1 Wall Street Journal and Audible best-selling book, Unstuff Your Life: Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good to learn how you too can solve this problem once and for all.