• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Linda Holt Creative

interior design and photography coaching

  • About
    • Contact
  • Brand Partnership
  • Portfolio
  • decoratingDecorating Services
    • Ask The Expert
    • Color Consultation
    • Decorating Consultation
    • Designer For A Day
  • photographyPhoto Services
    • Iphone Camera Coaching
  • Blog
  • Classes
    • How To Photograph Your Short Term Rental Using Your Smartphone
    • Smartphone Photography for Interior Designers
    • Better IPhone Photography
  • Freebies
    • STR Photography Checklist
    • Smartphone Tips For Magazine Worthy Interior Photos
  • Shop

Decluttering tips and strategies: part 3

January 19, 2014 by Linda Holt 10 Comments

This is my third and final post in my series on decluttering tips and strategies and my personal experience with decluttering. In part one I explained how I sorted my clutter, and in part two I shared my experience with selling my things on Craigslist, eBay and yard sales. This final segment is a recap of my final three selling venues; an auction, a local consignment shop and a local flea market.

william Morris quote

Auction

Pros: The auctioneer came with a truck and loaded up our items; an advantage since we have small cars. When you sell at auction you have the option of setting a reserve. A reserve is the least amount of money you are willing to sell your item for. If bidding doesn’t reach that minimum then you have the item back (read more about reserves below). It was a fun night, we made some money and we came home to less stuff in the basement.

Cons: If the auction isn’t well attended you can end up making very little money. Also, if your items are in the wrong auction; for example you have a collection of Chinese export plates but the big draw that night is motorcycle memorabilia then you will do poorly. Talk to the auctioneer and make sure your items are in the right auction for the crowd that night.

What I learned:The auction house takes a commission anywhere between 15%-25% so be sure to do your homework and put your items with a reputable auction house. Similar to my experience with ebay, unique or one of a kind items did really well while older furniture and vintage glassware and china did not do well. A 1940’s solid Cherry sideboard only fetched $50.00 (I almost cried)  but an old duck decoy went for over $400.00 (I couldn’t believe it)! Also, we chose not to set a reserve because if the item didn’t reach the minimum not only would have to take the item back but the auctioneer would  still takes a commission (determined by the reserve price).

Consignment shop

Pros: Similar to auction houses the consignment shop will usually send a truck to transport your big and bulky items. If the shop is heavily trafficked lots of people will see your item. The consignment shop usually styles your items so that they are shown in the very best light.

Cons: Many consignment shops lower the prices every 30 days an item doesn’t sell. You need to tell the owner your bottom line on price so that you can take the item back if it doesn’t sell. The shop takes 40%-50% of the final sale price.

What I learned: This venue for me was the least successful of everything I tried.  Of the 4  items I consigned, nothing had sold after 90 days.  I had the option of either taking everything back or the shop would donate it to a charity. I ended up taking back a set of vintage china and a lamp and donated the table and chairs to charity. In defense of consignment shops, I think I picked the wrong shop. They went out of business a short time later so I think it was more an indicator of the specific shop and not a reflection of all consignment shops. As far as profit, I think consignment shops will net you similar to what Craigslist will (after the shop’s commission) with the added advantage that strangers will not be coming to your home.

A local Flea Market

Pros: if you are rating venues based on a fun meter this one wins hands down. I set up a table with a friend one Sunday last Summer and we had a blast. The crowd was great, we sold lots of collectibles and during the slow time we browsed the other vendors treasures and had a great time talking to folks. We both made almost $200.00, caught up with lots of chatting and got rid of a bunch of stuff.

Cons: We had to get up and leave the house at 4 am, yes 4 am, because the market opened at 5 am and the hours of 5 am-10 am are the busiest and when the serious buyers are out. We spent a lot of time loading up her van, unloading at the market, reloading after the day was done then unloading back into the garage the things that didn’t sell.

I hope my three decluttering posts have answered some of your questions about decluttering and selling. I can not stress enough that decluttering is a process. Take your time and do a little each day or weekend. I am still working through my stuff and even as I type this I have a box of small collectibles to photograph and list and eBay….maybe tomorrow 🙂

I would love to hear your story. Are you working on decluttering in 2014?

Are you following me on Pinterest and Instagram?

 

 

Related

Filed Under: Decluttering Tagged With: Decluttering, downsizing, selling at auction, selling at Flea markets, selling with consigment shop, tips to declutter, tips to down size

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sherry says

    January 19, 2014 at 4:29 pm

    This is so helpful, Linda! Thanks for sharing all the ins and outs of each option.

    Reply
    • Linda Holt says

      January 20, 2014 at 4:39 pm

      Thanks Sherry, it’s definitely something that I think many of us need to address. Most of my clients have a lot of clutter and it is so freeing to finally shed yourself of that…of course you have to get your partner on board too and that can be challenging!

      Reply
  2. kelly says

    January 20, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    I like the flea market idea the best. If you can haul your stuff there. I think it would be a fun day!

    Reply
    • Linda Holt says

      January 20, 2014 at 5:06 pm

      Kelly, that was one of the most fun times I had all Summer. Of course it wouldn’t have been as fun if I had to do it all alone.

      Reply
  3. Pauline says

    January 20, 2014 at 8:38 pm

    Just reading about all of the options is exhausting to me! 🙂 As Linda knows, I completely “de-cluttered” my house prior to renting the house furnished while I was living overseas. It took me an entire summer of making decisions similar to the ones Linda describes. Even then, I’m not sure I did enough, but it was a pleasure looking around when I was finished. In the end I ended up donating everything to various organizations (one specialized in taking books, another furniture, etc.) – and I don’t regret any of it! In fact, I can’t even remember what I gave away! Bottom line, – it was exhausting, but it was worth it! So good luck, readers, and get started!

    Reply
  4. Kristie Barnett, TheDecorologist says

    January 23, 2014 at 5:46 pm

    This is such great and helpful info for all of us who are trying to pare down and declutter. There are pros and cons to everything! I’m to the point where I usually just take it all to the Salvation Army and get a right-off. But I’m getting lazy 🙂

    Reply
  5. Connie Nikiforoff Designs says

    February 18, 2014 at 1:52 pm

    I’m fortunate to have a local classified online sight here. It works similar to Craigslist. I’ve had great luck selling and buying things from it. Of course, there’s the fact unknown people come to my house to get the item. So far we’ve been lucky and had very nice buyers. I declutter at least twice a year — when spring arrives and when winter starts. I outta call myself the “Clutter Buster” 😉

    Reply
  6. Deborah Main says

    September 9, 2018 at 1:15 pm

    Love your Decluttering tips Linda! I know from your vast experience with 2 moves in 14 months, you are the pro to go to. 8 boxes of my fathers things, saved for me from my stepmother, just arrived on our front doorstep, shipped from Maine. I will use your guides when sorting through them. The funny thing about repainting our home this summer is we had to move almost everything out. Now, since our home us full of floor and wall space, we find we dont want to move things back in. But with no more storage units, some tough decisions are ahead. Thx for the tips!

    Reply
    • Linda Holt says

      September 9, 2018 at 1:37 pm

      Deborah, I can so identify with how you feel. We have dozens of boxes stacked up high that we moved out of storage. Like you though we don’t want to clutter anything up. Looks like even more tough decisions lie ahead.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hello & Welcome!


I am Linda Holt and for as long I can remember I have had two passions, photography and decorating. This blog is about those two passions.

Search my blog

Browse by Category

Recent Posts

  • Understanding depth of field in smartphone photography
  • Don’t make this mistake when taking smartphone photos!
  • Revealing what’s in my Smartphone photography kit
  • Best NYC Christmas photo spots
  • Macro photography with the iphone
  • Emerging Furniture Trends from High Point Market Fall 2022
  • High Point Market Insider’s Tour Spring 2023
  • Where to get the best photos on Nantucket Island
  • Signature Kitchen Suite True to Food Tour in Napa
  • Emerging design trends from High Point Market Spring 2022

LET’S GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @LINDAHOLTCREATIVE

For those out there that believe you have to have For those out there that believe you have to have an expensive digital camera to call yourself a photographer.  #nottrue  #smartphonephotography #iphonography #androidography #photographytip
Testimonial Thursday. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Testimonial Thursday.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Deborah aka @thepillowgoddess has the Android version of my smartphone photography class. I was so happy to receive this testimonial and hear she has learned things about her camera she didn’t know existed. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Interested in what you will learn in my Smartphone class? 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Hidden camera features: iPhone, Samsung or Pixel option
2. Composition 
3. Mastering interior Lighting
4. Best practices for photographing Flat lays and table tops
5. Better Selfies and group photos
6. Interior photography 
7. Editing
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Full details in the link in my bio above. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#stonehamphotographer #bostonphotographer #smartphonephotography #phototips #cellphonephoto #iphoneteacher #iphoneography #androidphotography #phototipsandtricks #travelphotography #realestatephotography #publicspeaker
Have you downloaded my free guide “Five Steps to Have you downloaded my free guide “Five Steps to Follow before the Shoot”? If not, link in profile.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Tag me or DM me with any of your interior photo questions. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 #stonehamphotographer #bostonphotographer #smartphonephotography #phototips #cellphonephoto #iphoneteacher #iphoneography #interiorphotography #phototipsandtricks #travelphotography #realestatephotography #publicspeaker
Thankfully, I can confidently say I am not 😉
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Truthfully though, vintage items and antiques add a sense of history, and give a house a soul. If it is an antique with a story…even better! 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 #decorating #interiordecorating #stonehamma #bostonma #colorconsultant #newhomeowner #decoratingconsultation #downsizing #decor #colorhelp #decoratingcoach
As a color lover, it really struck me that KBIS, a As a color lover, it really struck me that KBIS, aka The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, showed so much black and white. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This beautiful bath was from the New American home. It was right on trend with being black and white.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Want to see more photos from my trip to KBIS as well as more trends? Check out this weeks blog post.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Link in bio above ⬆️ 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#designhounds #newamericanhome2022 #KBIS #KBIS2022 #kitchen #bath #trends #stylespotter #homerenovations #luxkitchen #luxbath #luxappliances #luxuryhome #colortrends
Most people assume a bright sunny day is the best Most people assume a bright sunny day is the best lighting when heading out for a day of photography. Wrong!! 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A bright sunny day has harsh lighting and usually not the best time to shoot. You will struggle with hot spots, dark shadows and washed out colors. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Instead, head out on overcast days, foggy days, early mornings or late afternoon. You will be rewarded with soft, beautiful lighting, just like in this image of Boston. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 #stonehamphotographer #bostonphotographer #smartphonephotography #phototips #cellphonephoto #iphoneteacher #iphoneography #mobilonly #phototipsandtricks #travelphotography #realestatephotography #publicspeaker

Copyright © 2023 LINDA HOLT CREATIVE · Designed by Fancy Girl Design Studio