Where to donate / sell specific items in Atlanta?
November 17, 2013 7:46 PM Subscribe
I have inherited multiple generations of household items that I would like to donate to the best possible recipients in Atlanta or sell if there is a market for these items.
In particular, where can I donate or sell the following items in Atlanta?
1) Electronics with plugs that use the British standard (BS 163). I have a portable heater, Miele vacuum cleaner and an oscillating fan tower.
2) Knitting, needlepoint and sewing supplies. I have fabric, thread, yard, needles, patterns and various other items for these hobbies.
3) Antique books. If there is a market for these, I'd like to sell some of them, otherwise I'd like to donate them. Many of the books belonged to a landscape architect and are horticultural or gardening books. Would the Atlanta Botanical Gardens libraries be interested in these? I also have hundreds of cookbooks. Is there a store in Atlanta like Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks in New York? Many of the books are also about Scottish history.
4) Porcelain figures. Hummel figurines, Rookwood pottery and other similar collectibles. Is there an antique store or dealer that will buy these?
In particular, where can I donate or sell the following items in Atlanta?
1) Electronics with plugs that use the British standard (BS 163). I have a portable heater, Miele vacuum cleaner and an oscillating fan tower.
2) Knitting, needlepoint and sewing supplies. I have fabric, thread, yard, needles, patterns and various other items for these hobbies.
3) Antique books. If there is a market for these, I'd like to sell some of them, otherwise I'd like to donate them. Many of the books belonged to a landscape architect and are horticultural or gardening books. Would the Atlanta Botanical Gardens libraries be interested in these? I also have hundreds of cookbooks. Is there a store in Atlanta like Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks in New York? Many of the books are also about Scottish history.
4) Porcelain figures. Hummel figurines, Rookwood pottery and other similar collectibles. Is there an antique store or dealer that will buy these?
Would the Atlanta Botanical Gardens libraries be interested in these?
It's worth contacting them first. Some books in these genres are quite valuable, while others go out of date quickly. Write out a list of their titles and years of publication, and call them to ask for the name of a curator to send it to for evaluation.
posted by Miko at 8:31 PM on November 17, 2013
It's worth contacting them first. Some books in these genres are quite valuable, while others go out of date quickly. Write out a list of their titles and years of publication, and call them to ask for the name of a curator to send it to for evaluation.
posted by Miko at 8:31 PM on November 17, 2013
The electronics would probably be 240V rather than 120V. It's possible you could use them with a plug adapter and a step up transformer but it's probably not worth the effort. I'm not sure if there are any safety issues with these (going the other way, you can burn out appliances) but maybe it is not a good idea to even give them away.
posted by carter at 8:55 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by carter at 8:55 PM on November 17, 2013
Vintage needlecraft patterns and needles are often collected by people who enjoy that sort of thing. Yarn and thread aren't quite as popular, but I suspect many people would be interested. You might want to try posting some of it to ebay or etsy, or contact a local knitting guild.
posted by MeghanC at 9:42 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by MeghanC at 9:42 PM on November 17, 2013
Hummel figurines have fallen through the basement and with the exception of about six pieces, don't really sell for much these days, but you can price them online on a piece-by-piece basis to see if you want to Ebay them one by one or as a lot.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:29 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by DarlingBri at 10:29 PM on November 17, 2013
The AAUW has a big book sale every year and take donations.
posted by bongo_x at 10:31 PM on November 17, 2013
posted by bongo_x at 10:31 PM on November 17, 2013
You could try to unload the books at Atlanta Vintage Books….I imagine they would buy or do trade-ins if the antique books were in good shape/ of particular interest or value. There's a section of really well preserved, ornate, cloth-bound old texts, lots of first editions, signed classics, etc., and also rows upon rows of normal used books. It's a really awesome, HUGE bookstore that warrants a visit even if you aren't trying to exchange/sell your books!
If AVB doesn't take them, you might try Book Nook - they have a pretty decent book exchange policy ( I believe you can choose to either receive money or credits for future book purchases, but I'm not certain) and there is a decent gardening book area and a very large cookbook selection at the N. Druid Hills location, so they'll probably accept both.
For the other antique items, I suggest contacting Kudzu Antiques, another very awesome store in which it is waaaay too easy to lose your hours. Kudzu is mostly individual sellers with booths, but the owner/manager might be able to point you in the direction of a vendor that would be interested in buying your goods. Good luck!
posted by lettuce dance at 10:56 PM on November 17, 2013
If AVB doesn't take them, you might try Book Nook - they have a pretty decent book exchange policy ( I believe you can choose to either receive money or credits for future book purchases, but I'm not certain) and there is a decent gardening book area and a very large cookbook selection at the N. Druid Hills location, so they'll probably accept both.
For the other antique items, I suggest contacting Kudzu Antiques, another very awesome store in which it is waaaay too easy to lose your hours. Kudzu is mostly individual sellers with booths, but the owner/manager might be able to point you in the direction of a vendor that would be interested in buying your goods. Good luck!
posted by lettuce dance at 10:56 PM on November 17, 2013
Craigslist for the appliances, and if that doesn't work...you may need to trash them. Hate to say it, but the cost of converting them will be more than a new one. Ditto for the needlework stuff.
Check your prices on eBay for your antique books. We did that and it was just easier for us to donate everything to the Atlanta Public Library. The books, even those that were over 100 years old, were worth pretty much nothing.
I tried to get someone from Kudzu to quote on my Jens Quistgaard Lovig Desk and no one ever called me about it. I'd go down there first with pictures and see if anyone is interested. While in Decatur, hit the Farmer's Market. (just my advice.)
There's a place called My Favorite Place on Peachtree in Chamblee that will come and give you a price on the entire lot. They'll take it away too.
Frankly, after downsizing our house, we found that a yard sale and donating were the best ways to get rid of things.
Very little is worth very much, if you catch my drift. If you susupect that you've got an Antiques Roadshow quality gee-gaw, check it out on eBay first (as in, go to eBay and see how many of them there are for sale, and for what price.)
Basically the market has bottomed out on a lot of items because before the internet there was an air of scarcity about these things. But with eBay and Craigslist, the world has discovered that EVERYONE has the entire run of Bronze age X-Men, so they're not worth anything.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:28 AM on November 18, 2013
Check your prices on eBay for your antique books. We did that and it was just easier for us to donate everything to the Atlanta Public Library. The books, even those that were over 100 years old, were worth pretty much nothing.
I tried to get someone from Kudzu to quote on my Jens Quistgaard Lovig Desk and no one ever called me about it. I'd go down there first with pictures and see if anyone is interested. While in Decatur, hit the Farmer's Market. (just my advice.)
There's a place called My Favorite Place on Peachtree in Chamblee that will come and give you a price on the entire lot. They'll take it away too.
Frankly, after downsizing our house, we found that a yard sale and donating were the best ways to get rid of things.
Very little is worth very much, if you catch my drift. If you susupect that you've got an Antiques Roadshow quality gee-gaw, check it out on eBay first (as in, go to eBay and see how many of them there are for sale, and for what price.)
Basically the market has bottomed out on a lot of items because before the internet there was an air of scarcity about these things. But with eBay and Craigslist, the world has discovered that EVERYONE has the entire run of Bronze age X-Men, so they're not worth anything.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:28 AM on November 18, 2013
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For the antiques and porcelain - sell it on eBay.
posted by stewiethegreat at 7:50 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]