Should I throw it all into a dump truck or...

July 5, 2016 10:19 AM

Recommendations for places to easily donate stuff or sell stuff in the UWS NYC? Moving filter, sell or donate quickly preferable.

I'm leaving NYC in the next few weeks, and I'd like to make this as easy as possible.

I already do have a backup plan in place, which is call some sort of company that hauls away some of my stuff and works with charities to donate a lot of it. However, I would have to pay them.

Alternatively, what I am hoping to do is find a place that is nearby that I can easily sell stuff to OR easily donate to (and I'm not paying them) and they will haul it away. I'm asking metafilter bc my initial searches/google find tons of websites with stuff that is excluded, etc. and I'm looking for personal recommendations, such as : I sold stuff there, it was easy, walk in show your CDs, leave with $.

I'm fine if the final answer is just use the haul away company.

Some of the stuff that I would like to donate or sell:
-CDs (a giant box full).
-DVDs (stuff like Smallville, p90 workouts - hahaha)
-Books (a box full)
-Mini DVD player
-Tower computer (old, 2007) with monitors - I might bring this, but if there is an easy place to sell or great cause and easy place to donate to....
-A giant book case and a table - it's IKEA type stuff (This is probably better to donate, but the websites I've looked through so far don't want ikea type stuff, or exclude business furniture, etc.)

I am hoping for things easily close to my location (let's say UWS, 97 St, far west, Manhattan) and is walkable or if it is a few neighborhoods away, easy subway ride, and they just buy CDs no fuss no muss, hey, I can do that.

I know that I've seen similar questions in askmeta the past few years, and my searches haven't pulled up great results, but if you remember some, the link would help.

Sock puppet because I don't want my address tagged to my user name.

posted by wonder twin powers activate form of a sock puppet to Grab Bag (9 answers total)

Best answer: The Housing Works bookstore in Soho (close to the N,R, B,D, M and F stops) accepts CDs and DVDs.
posted by brujita at 10:26 AM on July 5, 2016

Best answer: We have a Housing Works on the UWS as well, on Columbus.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:30 AM on July 5, 2016

Best answer: I think that the Soho one is the only one that accepts media.
posted by brujita at 10:38 AM on July 5, 2016

Best answer: I think that the Soho one is the only one that accepts media.

That's right.

City Opera Thrift Shop does pick up of furniture and doesn't explicitly exclude Ikea. You might try calling them.
posted by praemunire at 10:44 AM on July 5, 2016

Best answer: Oh, and Book Culture at W. 112th and Broadway (?) will buy your books and take the ones they don't want for donation elsewhere.
posted by praemunire at 10:46 AM on July 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: There's a closer Housing Works to you, on Broadway and 96th

We also do a lot of 'streetcycling' -- put good things on the stoop outside our building with a sign that says "Free to Good Home." Almost everything always gets taken.
posted by Mchelly at 1:35 PM on July 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you have some time (depending on how many CDs you have) you could use Decluttr. Shipping is free, and you could get a little cash for a few minutes work punching in UPC codes. (Expect about 10 to 50 cents a cd). Wherehouse.com has also been good for me, but not as streamlined.

For the books, I've had some success selling to the Strand, but they're pretty picky.

Or I'd be glad to take them off your hands! (We're neighbors, there's also a Goodwill on 72nd Street in front of my building.)
posted by Borborygmus at 2:44 PM on July 5, 2016

Best answer: I'm not from NYC but options I know work here in Portland that should work for you as well include:

- Buy Nothing Project hyperlocal Facebook group
- Craigslist free section
- Post to Craigslist free section and put your stuff out front. We call these "free piles" but it sounds like maybe out yonder it's called "streetcycling"?
- Freecycle Yahoo group
- Nextdoor
posted by aniola at 4:45 PM on July 5, 2016

Best answer: Book Off will buy your CDs/DVDs/Books and probably the DVD player too. Not sure on how well they pay (I've only purchased things there) but they advertise heavily in store to sell them stuff.
posted by fings at 11:00 AM on July 6, 2016