Another Look & The Most Challenging But Most Important Step
My closet organization started long before I ever stepped into my new closet. I wish I could say it magically organized itself - or a team of people came in and magically did it for me - but that was not the case! This first step is incredibly hard, especially if you are like me and become attached to your clothes and accessories. I've written about part of this before, but now I can tell you the after effects - and they were far more than I anticipated!
First, here are a few more pics of the new look...
Cleaning Your Closet: Finding Potential (and Money) in Your Closet
I did a massive cleaning job in my closet before and after we moved. I purged at least 7 full garbage bags of clothing from my closet. Here's where it went and here are the after effects:
I. Consignment: I've made almost $500 ($482 to be exact) so far from consigning items from my closet! Those items (clothing & accessories) were just sitting there not being used. I am now getting ready to consign fall/winter clothes. Here is how I did it:
Second Time Around: I've shopped at and consigned with Second Time Around for as long as I think they've been around. I brought several bags of clothing to a Second Time Around Store in Portsmouth, NH. What I love about them is that they donate the items they don't think will sell or that don't end up selling! So far, I've made around $120 there. Plus, they reward their consignors. I got a $10 off birthday coupon by e-mail, so I ended up getting a barely used J. Crew dress for $5 cash (by using my coupon and the remaining $11 I had in my consignment account).
Tradesy: I saw Tradesy on Facebook and figured I'd give it a try. I sold two pairs of sunglasses, two handbags and a pair of shoes on the site so far - making a total of $345. I hesitated to get rid of them because I paid a lot for some of these items. However, I had to ask myself, what use are they if they are just sitting in the back of my closet not getting used? I think Tradesy is a great place to sell because people shopping there are specifically looking for designer bags, clothing and other accessories. I sold all 5 of these items on Tradesy within the last 2 months.
Local Consignment / New 2 You Fine Consignment Boutique: There are a plethora of new consignment stores cropping up in many areas. I dropped off a shopping bag of clothing and accessories at New 2 You. It's owned locally and the owner was extremely welcoming and wonderful to deal with. She even took items that were slightly damaged to sell "as is," which some consignment stores will not do. The bonus was that I found a great pair of ankle length jeans, which I had been trying to find for a year now. The best part? I bought them for around $10 or $11 and they had the original White House / Black Market tags on them for $88. Now, that is a deal!
II. Former Students: I gave several bags of clothing to some of my amazing former students. I know they are going to do great things in their careers and they just make me so proud. You can't put a dollar amount on that!
What is the Other Real "After" Effect? I have actual space in my closet! I don't have clothes and accessories I never wear weighing my closet down. Ok, there are still some, but there are now 7-plus garbage bags fewer clothes there. It makes it much easier to select something to wear every day. I don't have to go through all of the things that either don't fit or I no longer like.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about the construction of my new space & how I've organized some of my accessories!
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