Gifting to resellers and multiple questions

soolin

I am still downsizing and changing my small business bit by bit and have sold some stock in bulk but I also have 'dead' stock that is basically taking up space I could use for something more profitable, and a lot of that, including some of my never ending supply of books is being offered for free on places like marketplace and freecycle.

I have absolutely no problem with other dealers and resellers taking my free stuff, once I've decided it needs to go I am content to get it out of the house. Most of my local charity shops now won't take anything except a few higher end items and I've basically given up trying to donate.

Just in the past few weeks I've had re sellers want me to photograph everything in a mixed bundle, I've had re sellers ask me to go over a bulk lot of silver plate to look for any 'marks' (why they think I would not have checked for hallmarks I don't know). I've had them send me photos of pieces of glass asking me if the vase they can see at the back is 'this ' vase (again I can spot Whitefriars easily)

Today I have a crate of books , most from 1960s-1980s but basically mixed. The re seller wants me to send him a photo of every single fly leaf together with an ISBN number (if the book has one) - obviously so he can check them out on Amazon or similar before deciding to collect.

This is on top of people failing to collect several days in a row or asking me to deliver a crate of tea cups and saucers to a tea shop 12 miles away as they are too busy to come and collect.

I don't want this stuff to go to landfill but I am beginning to worry that's where it will end up . I have one last charity place to try- a warehouse locally and they are saying they might take the glass, china and metal wear (no nick nacks or books though) if I can deliver- but I'm currently without a car so it might have to wait.

Slinky

It's the entitled society in which we live today.

Pollycat

I'd tell the re-sellers to 'go away'.

Unfortunately, you've done your best to pass on your unwanted stuff so if it has to go to the tip, so be it.

My sister took an old carved wooden ottoman that had come from our grandmother (and possibly further back) to the tip as it made bedding, towels etc smell musty and she'd tried everything to resolve it.

The chap at the tip took it into the shop to sell so hopefully it would have found a home even if it was just in someone's shed or garage.

soolin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82146935#Comment_82146935

My adverts on groups now look like the type of advert I don't actually like! I now start them all with a phrase along the lines of ' I have taken x amount of photos so please do check them all out, condition is as stated in listing, all items are strictly collection only, I cannot deliver now will I meet you at a rail station or somewhere because you don't drive. Items are being given away, there's no charge to you so I cannot answer detailed questions'.

RAS

Do you have a local little library where you can leave books? Ours seem to go in fits and starts, so I need to time chucks for when it's got space but am slowly reducing the pile.

ladruid

My response would be simple…

"Sure, happy to photograph or catalogue them for you, I estimate it to take x hours, so at a standard rate of £50 an hour it will be £x, so send me £x amount of money and I will be happy to do it for you. Thanks."

The wastrels will get the message and stop bothering you, leaving your inbox for those more deserving.

Pollycat

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82146956#Comment_82146956

I think this ^^^^ is perfect.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82147032#Comment_82147032

And I wouldn't bother responding to any questions or requests at all.

se2020

I expect the more experienced resellers are the ones asking questions.

They are probably trying to prevent themselves ending up in exactly the situation you are now.

Ie, all the stuff that will sell easily or is worth a decent amount of money has already gone.

They don't want to end up with a pile of commercial waste that will cost them money to collect, time to sort through, then more money to discard.

I quite often buy job lots of stuff. Mainly because I want an item (or items) in the lot for myself.

I've got quite good at spotting lots that are genuine clearances as the business has suddenly closed and also spotting the lots that are just a load of slow moving or worthless stock being passed off as 'bankrupt stock', or 'customer returns bundle' etc.

Unfortunately marketplace is quite a common way for people to try and offload this junk rather than going to the effort of recycling or disposing of it properly.

A chap I know collects computers from companies. He charges them for this and a data wiping service. He then strips out any parts that will sell and puts the cases back together.

He's been banned from the local recycling center so he has multiple Facebook accounts listing job lots of "untested" and "spares or repairs" computers for free or very cheap.

Constant stream of people turning up to collect them but you never see the same people twice so I bet the majority of them end up rammed I to a wheelie bin rather than being recycled responsibly.

soolin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82146971#Comment_82146971

Unfortunately not, our library is actively disposing of books as two other lcoal libraries have closed down.

I suspect the books will have to go to landfill, but I am holding out for the glass ware, vases and tea sets as I cannot bear to see them thrown away.

Spoonie_Turtle

Anglo Doorstep Collections (free, they raise money for charities) say they take books. They take a lot of other homeware as well so I'd say it's definitely worth looking into. https://anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/what-we-collect/ (click on the 'view more' at the bottom of the main list)