Continuing with the theme of “The Basement Purge”, my triage has led me to somewhat of a dilemma. I will admit, I am a pack rat. There is no pussy-footing around it. Some of it is due to my tendency towards unreasonable sentimental attachment to objects, which sometimes involves me applying a personality to things…ugh that’s the worst.
But I’m more in the mood to address the pack-rattedness I attribute to growing up with Depression-era grandparents and a mother with a talent for crafts & sewing. That’s something I can deal with.
Fabric scraps left over from making a skirt? I’ll make a matching purse one of these days!
Extra wrapping paper? I’ll use it for small gifts!
Hey, that sure is a nice sturdy box…I’ll need that.
OK. Really. Time to purge. But what do I do? Too nice to toss, not nice enough to sell, and charities would throw it out. Hey! I’ll have a FREE SALE at work! People there need stuff, I have stuff, and they’re my friends, so I feel good about where it is all going. It was the weekend just before July 25th…my giftwrap corner is out of control….hey! Christmas in July!
I kept only what I could fit in my normal storage containers, tossed what was in worst shape, and then attractively grouped and packaged the rest for “sale”. I had coordinating sets of wrapping paper, holiday cards, baskets, gift bags, and other festive bits and bobs. In the morning I threw together a flier:
It’s Christmas in July!
Everything must go!
Zero money down, zero at signing, zero at delivery!
100% off!
Prices so low, I must be CRAZY!
I used my mad skillz and assembled an attractive display table, sent out the e-mail, then watched and waited. “Hey, are there any price tags?” “You’re giving stuff away?” “Hey, can I really have this? Thanks!” As the inventory was reduced, I re-arranged so the table looked appealing and not picked over. By the end of the day, all cleared out except for one basket!
So, the following week, I thinned out my basket collection. “It’s another Free Sale! I’m a Basket Case!” By the time I got to “Summer Clearance/Back To School”, folks were picking things up as I was setting up. That one was clear by 9:30 a.m. Don’t get me wrong…people weren’t being rude and greedy. Not at all. It was a lot of fun!
Well, back down to the basement…let’s see what else I can put together…cleansed, lighter, and vastly less cluttered.
xo
en