I have been a packrat forever. Right, dad? It’s always been a part of my desire not to waste or make trash… I always tend to think ‘what else can I use this for?’ or ‘I’d better hold on to it.’

This has been really bad with my clothes lately. There are several factors:

1.) I used to have an Ohio-sized closet. Now I have a Seattle-sized closet. (Although, we are lucky – not much smaller.)

2.) I used to have a job! And events to go to. Now, I’m lucky if I need to dress for work twice a month. And for some reason I don’t seem to need to go to the theatre all dressed up and professional any more… hmm…

3.) The climate is different – I haven’t needed a heavy sweater. Like, ever, out here. I roast to death in a turtleneck.

4.) Don’t roll your eyes at me, but it’s a fact that I have gained weight. About 8 lbs over the last two years if you can believe it! (Sorry, small people can gain weight too!) So there’s a bunch of more fitted stuff that just doesn’t fit.

So, I have a lot of stuff I saved because I liked, but haven’t worn in AGES for whatever reason.

So here’s the comedic part – me trying to get rid of these clothes. Go back a year when I cleaned out the closets and had stuff I just didn’t want to donate to Goodwill.  Either I felt it might be ‘nice enough’ and worth something, or I felt like I wanted to give it to someone more directly.

No small task to donate. No one wants your stuff. I mean, unless you personally hear about someone, there’s no place to take your crap. Shelters and such places want new, clean stuff like underwear and socks — reasonable, probably so they don’t have to sort and throw away your garbage for you. Other places just want kids’ clothes. There’s no way to connect to some size 2 girl who needs a bunch of dresses and heavy sweaters….

Then there’s consignment. For example, my Ann Taylor dress with the lace neckline. Too small now, and just doesn’t fit right. And a bunch of other things that I just didn’t wear much for whatever reason…

Last year I tried to go to a consignment shop. Appointment only, and it was like two months out. Seriously!? And I’ve researched a lot. Most of them want either vintage, designer or really trendy stuff. I’m more mall brand, classic (boring), and stuff from the two-thousandsies.

This week I decided I was done with all of this STUFF. Wanted to get rid of it, but hoped to get a little money back somehow. I got everything out that had just been sitting in bags. Cleaned it up, IRONED some (first time in months…), De-linted, shoe-polished. I did some serious work on this stuff in the hopes that it would look good and the stores would take it.

First stop, Buffalo Exchange just opened in the neighborhood. (It’s like a Plato’s Closet, although skews older than 14.) Bagged two bags of stuff that seemed appropriate. (I also had a bag of Plato’s closet stuff to go out to the suburbs and take, a bag of stuff to take to another consignment store, a plastic garment bag of stuff for Dress for Success and a couple things for The Ruby Room – more on that later.)

Buffalo Exchange took four things and I made $24 dollars. They wanted sweaters, which I did not bring because I thought it seemed too early. Brought everything back home, reorganized it. Made new bags for Plato’s and for the Consignment shop based on what I thought everyone MIGHT take.

Went out to Plato’s today (this is about 20 minutes from the house.) I made FIVE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY CENTS. I think they seriously only took one or two things. I had read that they take jeans, but they only want dark denim now (and mine were more medium…) I used this place in Bloomington once and had similar luck. Hadn’t been back since. Probably won’t try again unless I have something that I’ve owned for a month.

On the way back home. Forgot to stop by the Consignment shop, and frankly was just feeling too tired to do so, and was done going out of my comfort zone. At the buying shops, you have to wait a half hour while they look at your stuff. And Plato’s is full of teenagers, including one dude in the “forever line” who kept yammering to his friends about the handbags he’s shopped for for his girl like Coach and Loius Vuitton… And it’s very discouraging to make only $5.

Decided to just pull out the business appropriate wear and that Ann Taylor dress that I had been saving for the consignment shop and dump the rest in the Community bin. I don’t have a receipt, I don’t know where it goes, I just want it to be done and I trust it will go somewhere important.

BACK home. (Remember there are three stories between my car and my closet.) Reorganized AGAIN. Pulled more of the work appropriate stuff for Dress for Success, so now I have a decent amount for them with my old interview suit and a couple other outfits. Hope they’ll take it, they don’t want you to bring much b/c they collect at a Dry Cleaner who is nice enough to store it. Gotta wait until next week after they have a pick up. They’re full.

Pulled the dressy shoes to add to my Ruby Room pile – they take formal dresses and accessories for a “store” for girls who can’t afford to buy dresses for prom. They make them all pretty with shoes, jewelry, etc. Laura, you’re bridesmaid dress is going here. (This is where the Ann Taylor dress was going to end up last year, but it was too old. Can’t blame the girls for that.) BUT Ruby Room isn’t collecting for at least another month.

I’m exhausted. And I made about $30 in the last two days… I could have made that in about two hours if I had just worked at home! Basically covered the cost of the underbed space bag I bought at Storables today. Sad!

By the time I’m rid of these things (Overall it was probably 5 paper grocery bags’ worth) I hope I feel some mental and physical space. It remains to be seen.

It makes me never want to shop for clothing again. But I LOVE clothes (obviously) so I’m sure this won’t last.

< This little number lost a spot in my closet when I discovered I literally couldn’t not keep the tummy buttoned whilst at work last month. Yes, really.

> Poor little (LITTLE) Ann Taylor Dress. I’ll sell you yet! I haven’t given up on you.

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