What should I do with clothes?

[la79al]

My grandmother has a shopping addiction of sorts. She LOVES to order stuff from magazines but then doesn't send stuff back if she doesn't like it or it doesn't fit or whatever. The other day we were cleaning out her bedroom and there is 3 or 4 large garbage bags full of clothes to be taken somewhere else. She doesn't really care what I do with it. I was just going to donate it somewhere and call it a day but the more I think about it, the more I am wondering whether we can make some money off some of it. I didn't really look through most of it but it's all bigger womens sizes, a lot from Roamans and probably a third is brand new. I was thinking about trying Ebay for some of the nicer stuff but don't know if it would be worth it with all the fees. I don't know what kind of market there would be for it on Craigslist. So what do you think? Drop it off at a donation center or see what I can do on Ebay (or something else)?

 

[prncess674]

Roamans is pretty low end merchandise. If you are up to the task then hold a garage sale and specifically state that you have larger size ladies clothes. If any of the pieces are professional suits and pants then perhaps donate those to Dress For Success, which is always in need of new/gently used professional women's clothes in larger sizes. They don't however take garbage bags of clothes. You need to sort and bring in the quality work pieces.

 

[Dopey19]

If your on Facebook check for any local pages; in my area we have a Moms on a Budget and an Area Rummage Sale. People post things they are selling and others purchase, no fees and typically is pick up in the local area. I haven't sold anything but it seems like a great way for people to pass along items they no longer need.

 

[akcire]

How about finding your local state funded nursing homes. Most of the people living in those facilities are destitute.

If you call and talk to one of the staff members they will be able to let you know if they have a need. When my husband's grandmother died I laundered all her clothes (not undergarments) and sorted them by size. The lady who worked there was very happy to get the clothes which could be "new" to some of the residents.

 

[TillyDe]

We usually donate to a local thrift store - all of their profits goes to the local women's shelter. You may want to check with your local police department to see if there is a need in a local shelter.

 

[StregaNona]

We donate clothes to a local homeless shelter. The nursing home idea someone mentioned is also a good idea.

 

[Jerseyguy's Wife]

To the poster who mentioned nursing homes, thank you. When I was a teenager, my great aunt died. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. When we went to clean out Aunt Haye's apartment, we asked the manager what to do with her stuff. He told us to set it all in the lobby. I was shocked at the things people took. They took open food (pasta, etc), and clothes. One woman took Haye's walker...because she'd been doing without so her husband could use hers. One of the ladies took some really disreputable looking underpants that we were taking to the trash. Why? Because as bad as these were (think stained with the waistband falling off), they were better than the ones the other lady had (which was NONE). These people broke my heart. I live very far away from home now, but I have taken clothing to this place a few times.
To make a long story short, I agree with the poster who said you should take this stuff to a nursing home. They'll appreciate it.

 

[a1tinkfans]

How about finding your local state funded nursing homes. Most of the people living in those facilities are destitute.

If you call and talk to one of the staff members they will be able to let you know if they have a need. When my husband's grandmother died I laundered all her clothes (not undergarments) and sorted them by size. The lady who worked there was very happy to get the clothes which could be "new" to some of the residents.

what a lovely idea....

 

[powellrj]

Romans is pretty cheaply made so I can't imagine there is much of a market for it on ebay or craigslist. I would donate it.

 

[carebee21]

I'd throw it up on Craigslist with a price per bag or for the whole lot. I wouldn't try to piece out and it's probably not worth putting on ebay. Even if it's not high end clothing, people may be looking for cheap clothing because that's what they can afford or they only need it for a short bit of time, like if they're dieting and between their original size and their desired size or in their last month of pregnancy and they don't want to spend a lot on new clothing.

Craigslist is free so you're not out anything if it doesn't sell, and you can set a deadline, say 2 weeks or 30 days, and if it hasn't sold by then, just donate it and get it out of your house. If it sells, you have a bit of money, if not, you're back to where you are now.

 

[jgreco]

What's your time worth?

Where I live Craigslist is a joke for anything.
It's not worth waiting around, no shows, and having strangers come to your house. As the other posters mentioned, donate- your Karma tank will be full.

 

[Tinker Pam]

I work at an Inpatient Rehab Hospital where patients go to receive acute rehab after events such as stroke, hip fx's, ect. and part of their therapy is getting dressed in regular clothes each day. Often times due to the reason they came in they aren't able to pack a bag and often don't have anyone that can go get clothes from their house. Our staff often goes out and buys clothes for these patients. We all bring in things that have been outgrown or when a loved one passes we donate those as well. We are always happy when someone offers us clothing donations (especially larger sizes).

 

[mrsklamc]

What's your time worth?

Where I live Craigslist is a joke for anything.
It's not worth waiting around, no shows, and having strangers come to your house. As the other posters mentioned, donate- your Karma tank will be full.

I fall on the side of 'donate' but if you do decide to try craigslist, I always meet them somewhere public, NEVER have them come to my house.

 

[girli565]

Roamans seems to be doing pretty well on ebay when they're new with tags ($10-$50+ glancing through it quickly). You can list on ebay for free and if it doesn't sell you don't pay anything. You only pay a fee if you sell it. I sell a lot of my plus size clothes on ebay and do pretty well. In the last year I've sold close to $500 worth, plus size clothes are expensive and any discount is great. If they're good quality and like you said are new (with or without tags) you can definitely sell it on ebay.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Much as I'd like to volunteer to take the Roaman's stuff off your hands if it's a 1X , the "donate" idea is great. When I broke my hip and went right from the hospital to rehab, I was fortunate to have my sister able to pick up a few things for me (she couldn't connect with my brother, who had my keys but would have been hopeless picking out clothes), Otherwise I would have spent two weeks in either one outfit or hospital johnnies. Yuk!

 

[friend2Figment]

How about finding your local state funded nursing homes. Most of the people living in those facilities are destitute.

If you call and talk to one of the staff members they will be able to let you know if they have a need. When my husband's grandmother died I laundered all her clothes (not undergarments) and sorted them by size. The lady who worked there was very happy to get the clothes which could be "new" to some of the residents.

I second the nursing home. My mom worked in a county owned home and it was sad to see how many people do not have family members who care to purchase new clothes for their loved ones. Most nursing homes have a room they call the community closet, if someone has an appt or special event to go to and do not have appr. clothes to attend they allow them to pick something from the closet. Some times residents loose or gain weight and need new stuff also but do not have the funds to purchase new.

 

[LJSquishy]

Wow, I am shocked to hear about such a strong demand for basic clothing items in nursing homes. It makes me so sad that some of the residents do not have a single friend or family member that steps up to help them with those necessities.

I think it would be wonderful of you to donate the clothing, whether it be all of it or just a few things. It sounds like it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MSSANDRA]

the nursing home is an excellent idea as is a local women's shelter. They seem to have a high need for larger size clothing and often these women leave their homes with nothing!