How to dispose of nice shoes
September 12, 2010 8:48 AM Subscribe
I am trying to get rid of some shoes that I have. They are barely used and in great shape. Examples, vintage nikes (all white), under armous cleats used only a few times etc. All were >$75. So, I'm wondering is there a better way to get rid of them than simply donating to goodwill? I don't want to sell on ebay because of the hassle..and there are thousands of listings...would prefer to get rid of them soon. Just feels weird giving such nice shoes to goodwill.
Suggestions?
I am new to my community so I don't have a church or organization to easily give them to.
If you live in a town that has a good Craigslist community, you might try there. You'll get the most bang for you buck on eBay though.
Also, it's ok to donate nice stuff to Goodwill.
posted by whiskeyspider at 8:56 AM on September 12, 2010
Also, it's ok to donate nice stuff to Goodwill.
posted by whiskeyspider at 8:56 AM on September 12, 2010
There's a group on the yahoo.com site called Freecycle. I don't know where you are but I'm assuming they're nationwide. Check the groups on Yahoo. It's free.
With Freecycle, you post what you have to the group. It gets read by the local members. Tell the people that respond you're leaving it on your front porch or whereever. No fuss, no bother. In my area, people give away and ask for items that they need. No money changes hands.
posted by JohnE at 8:58 AM on September 12, 2010
With Freecycle, you post what you have to the group. It gets read by the local members. Tell the people that respond you're leaving it on your front porch or whereever. No fuss, no bother. In my area, people give away and ask for items that they need. No money changes hands.
posted by JohnE at 8:58 AM on September 12, 2010
I'll second Freecycle. google "freecycle your city" and see if you have a local group. It's fun and it feels good!
posted by HuronBob at 9:00 AM on September 12, 2010
posted by HuronBob at 9:00 AM on September 12, 2010
You can donate "gently used" shoes to Soles4Souls.
posted by neushoorn at 9:14 AM on September 12, 2010
posted by neushoorn at 9:14 AM on September 12, 2010
Starting a single-purpose blog and then promoting that a bit can be easier to work with (and a bit more fun) than managing a bunch of craigslist postings, or dealing with freecycle which turns into a spammy nightmare within days of signing up. Here's a Tumblr a friend of mine put together recently:
http://gar-bage-sale.tumblr.com/
I think this looks better than the product pages of most manufacturers, and it's a piece of cake to set up. If you then promote the blog locally (coffee shop corkboards, street posts, laundromats, etc) it can still be community-oriented, like a digital garage sale.
posted by tapesonthefloor at 9:14 AM on September 12, 2010
http://gar-bage-sale.tumblr.com/
I think this looks better than the product pages of most manufacturers, and it's a piece of cake to set up. If you then promote the blog locally (coffee shop corkboards, street posts, laundromats, etc) it can still be community-oriented, like a digital garage sale.
posted by tapesonthefloor at 9:14 AM on September 12, 2010
craigslist or sell them to a vintage clothing store.
posted by violetk at 9:14 AM on September 12, 2010
posted by violetk at 9:14 AM on September 12, 2010
What's wrong with giving "such nice shoes" to goodwill? Do poorer people not deserve nice things?
To answer your question less snarkily, if your city/town has a clothing resale shop, you could do that. I've made pretty good money selling shoes to places like Buffalo Exchange (and bought some pretty spiffy shoes there, as well). That said, the store is not going to try to sell your shoes at their retail price, and is only going to give you a small cut. I wouldn't expect to make more than $10-15 per pair. If even that.
posted by Sara C. at 9:46 AM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
To answer your question less snarkily, if your city/town has a clothing resale shop, you could do that. I've made pretty good money selling shoes to places like Buffalo Exchange (and bought some pretty spiffy shoes there, as well). That said, the store is not going to try to sell your shoes at their retail price, and is only going to give you a small cut. I wouldn't expect to make more than $10-15 per pair. If even that.
posted by Sara C. at 9:46 AM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
1) Put them curbside on a nice day with a sign that says "free". They'll either quietly disappear or you will be able to go on to Plan B.
2) Find a mission group (you don't have to be a member to call a church/temple/civic group to ask if they have one) and ask if they want donated shoes. Shoes are a VERY hot commodities in less developed countries, and there's people out there who would be beyond thrilled to get your shoes.
posted by Ys at 9:49 AM on September 12, 2010
2) Find a mission group (you don't have to be a member to call a church/temple/civic group to ask if they have one) and ask if they want donated shoes. Shoes are a VERY hot commodities in less developed countries, and there's people out there who would be beyond thrilled to get your shoes.
posted by Ys at 9:49 AM on September 12, 2010
" or dealing with freecycle which turns into a spammy nightmare within days of signing up."
In defense of FreeCycle, this has not been my experience. The group in my area is well moderated, I've NEVER received any spam and get only one daily update. I'm sure this depends on the location you're in.
posted by HuronBob at 10:04 AM on September 12, 2010
In defense of FreeCycle, this has not been my experience. The group in my area is well moderated, I've NEVER received any spam and get only one daily update. I'm sure this depends on the location you're in.
posted by HuronBob at 10:04 AM on September 12, 2010
There's a charity called "Dress for Success" that proviews interview-ish clothing for people who are desperately in need of jobs.
posted by nevercalm at 10:23 AM on September 12, 2010
posted by nevercalm at 10:23 AM on September 12, 2010
Aaaaaaaand.......didn't read the question all the way through. Sorry. Still, great charity.
posted by nevercalm at 10:24 AM on September 12, 2010
posted by nevercalm at 10:24 AM on September 12, 2010
Yeah, craigslist is the thing for this. The fact is that ebay has become such a ridiculous hassle, both for selling and for buying things - I can't think of a single situation in which I wouldn't rather use craigslist. At least that way you can meet the person who you're buying and/or selling with, and there's a limit to the market simply because of the size of your town, so there's much less spammy crap.
I would say craigslist is your best first option. Especially since it's free. That's more than you can say for ebay.
posted by koeselitz at 10:42 AM on September 12, 2010
I would say craigslist is your best first option. Especially since it's free. That's more than you can say for ebay.
posted by koeselitz at 10:42 AM on September 12, 2010
Nthing Freecycle. I've both given and received tons of stuff through various Freecycle groups over the past few years, and my experience has never been anything but great-- zero spam, really nice people involved.
Alternatively, you could check to see if your town has an I-Sold-It-On-Ebay-type store around, where somebody would take on the hassle of managing the Ebay auctions in exchange for a cut of the profits.
(Also, I don't think it's classist not to want to donate them to Goodwill-- unless there happen to be some savvy shoe people around the day you donate, it's quite likely that your $75 shoes will end up getting lumped in with all the other $3.50 junk and sold to somebody who just wants an old pair of sneaks for bumming around in. Then nobody benefits.)
posted by Bardolph at 10:47 AM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Alternatively, you could check to see if your town has an I-Sold-It-On-Ebay-type store around, where somebody would take on the hassle of managing the Ebay auctions in exchange for a cut of the profits.
(Also, I don't think it's classist not to want to donate them to Goodwill-- unless there happen to be some savvy shoe people around the day you donate, it's quite likely that your $75 shoes will end up getting lumped in with all the other $3.50 junk and sold to somebody who just wants an old pair of sneaks for bumming around in. Then nobody benefits.)
posted by Bardolph at 10:47 AM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, I don't think it's classist not to want to donate them to Goodwill-- unless there happen to be some savvy shoe people around the day you donate, it's quite likely that your $75 shoes will end up getting lumped in with all the other $3.50 junk and sold to somebody who just wants an old pair of sneaks for bumming around in. Then nobody benefits.
Except that, at the end of the day, gently used shoes that once retailed for $75 are "$3.50" junk.
And people who shop at goodwill often do recognize quality*.
What is "bumming around", by the way, and how is it different from the way that a wealthier person would wear such shoes? It's not like the person who buys them on craigslist for $20 is going to wear them in a way that is somehow more "special" than the person who bought them at goodwill for $10.
For that matter, yes, people who work in charity shops do separate out items they know they can sell at a higher price (usually it's designer, though, not UnderArmor or Nike), and they also price more pedestrian items accordingly. It's not like everything that comes in goes for $3.50 no matter what it is. Usually newer, less worn out, or more prestigious items get bigger numbers on their pricetags.
*In college I shopped almost exclusively at my neighborhood Salvation Army, where I often found practically-new clothes from Banana Republic and J. Crew; not only did I appreciate this and use the resource accordingly, that was the only way I could afford clothes that were work-appropriate until well into my 20's.
posted by Sara C. at 10:56 AM on September 12, 2010 [14 favorites]
Except that, at the end of the day, gently used shoes that once retailed for $75 are "$3.50" junk.
And people who shop at goodwill often do recognize quality*.
What is "bumming around", by the way, and how is it different from the way that a wealthier person would wear such shoes? It's not like the person who buys them on craigslist for $20 is going to wear them in a way that is somehow more "special" than the person who bought them at goodwill for $10.
For that matter, yes, people who work in charity shops do separate out items they know they can sell at a higher price (usually it's designer, though, not UnderArmor or Nike), and they also price more pedestrian items accordingly. It's not like everything that comes in goes for $3.50 no matter what it is. Usually newer, less worn out, or more prestigious items get bigger numbers on their pricetags.
*In college I shopped almost exclusively at my neighborhood Salvation Army, where I often found practically-new clothes from Banana Republic and J. Crew; not only did I appreciate this and use the resource accordingly, that was the only way I could afford clothes that were work-appropriate until well into my 20's.
posted by Sara C. at 10:56 AM on September 12, 2010 [14 favorites]
In grad school with a family and very little money I was always so excited to find good quality clothes at GoodWill, (especially for my kids). We were very thankful for the donors in the community who helped us get relatively nice clothes at a price we could afford. When I got a job and moved we gave about $1000 worth of good quality stuff (we keep our clothes in good shape, and had some clothes and furniture we'd bought new as well, and that $1k represents GoodWill prices, not new prices) to the same store, knowing it was going to a good cause twice over. We had benefited far more than that over the years from the organization. In other words, seconding Sara C.
posted by monkeymadness at 11:29 AM on September 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by monkeymadness at 11:29 AM on September 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
I meant only to suggest that if OP wanted to maximize the chances of his shoes finding their way into the hands of someone who would value them highly, then it makes sense that there might be better donation avenues than Goodwill. Nothing against the place; I myself shop there pretty much monthly (although I have reservations about donating because there seem to be so many issues with executive compensation). But I don't go to Goodwill for designer shoes, wouldn't recognize designer shoes if I saw them, and were I to purchase OP's shoes, they'd mean about as much to me as the ratty Keds on the shelf right next to them. So a route like Freecycle or Craigslist seemed likelier to be able to reliably sort out a recipient who'd like Nikes specifically, not just "some sneakers for painting in this weekend."
On the other hand, based on the responses here, it seems as though there really may be quite a few Goodwill customers with high-fashion sensibilities looking to score sweet bargains on quality designer apparel. In which case, point withdrawn.
posted by Bardolph at 12:46 PM on September 12, 2010
On the other hand, based on the responses here, it seems as though there really may be quite a few Goodwill customers with high-fashion sensibilities looking to score sweet bargains on quality designer apparel. In which case, point withdrawn.
posted by Bardolph at 12:46 PM on September 12, 2010
If you give to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc., you can get a receipt for the donation that you can use as a write-off on your taxes.
So that would be a nice way to claim a deduction on some shoes you barely wore, and someone else gets the benefit of a good deal at Goodwill.
posted by vickyverky at 12:53 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
So that would be a nice way to claim a deduction on some shoes you barely wore, and someone else gets the benefit of a good deal at Goodwill.
posted by vickyverky at 12:53 PM on September 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
OP mentioned that his shoes are Nike and UnderArmor, no? Those are not designer shoes.
If the dude had a pair of NIB never worn mint condition Ferragamos from the 40's, he should sell on eBay or maybe give them to a textile or design museum if they are really that priceless.
But he doesn't. He has some mid-range name brand sneakers that aren't completely worn to shit. His options are basically craigslist, salvation army, a resale shop, or maybe some sort of swap meet/freecycle situation.
posted by Sara C. at 1:10 PM on September 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
If the dude had a pair of NIB never worn mint condition Ferragamos from the 40's, he should sell on eBay or maybe give them to a textile or design museum if they are really that priceless.
But he doesn't. He has some mid-range name brand sneakers that aren't completely worn to shit. His options are basically craigslist, salvation army, a resale shop, or maybe some sort of swap meet/freecycle situation.
posted by Sara C. at 1:10 PM on September 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
See if you can sell them to Buffalo Exchange or another trendy resale shop.
posted by radioamy at 5:15 PM on September 12, 2010
posted by radioamy at 5:15 PM on September 12, 2010
He has some mid-range name brand sneakers that aren't completely worn to shit.
And you'd be surprised at how rare and sought after some of those can be.
posted by clorox at 5:36 PM on September 12, 2010
And you'd be surprised at how rare and sought after some of those can be.
posted by clorox at 5:36 PM on September 12, 2010
Places like Buffalo Exchange actually pay a pretty penny for used men's items. My understanding is that guys often wear items into the ground and then toss rather than go the consignment route. I was about to donate my collection of 34" pants to goodwill, but it turned out Buffalo was willing to give me $120 in store credit. Promptly spent it on the GF. Free gifts!
posted by mmdei at 7:26 PM on September 12, 2010
posted by mmdei at 7:26 PM on September 12, 2010
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