WOODBURY, MN (WNN) – You – and all of us at WNN – hope your garage sale is successful and that you sell all of the stuff you found in the nooks and crannies of your house. However, we know that things that you had no control over, like the weather and the crowds, may not go your way and you’ll have stuff you don’t want back in your house. We have some suggestions to keep your decluttering from going to waste.

Have another sale. Don’t groan, just pack up your treasures for later in the season or even next year. Think about the comments you got from shoppers and figure out if a different pricing scheme, better display methods, or more signs would improve sales.

Pass your items along to someone else’s sale. Your extras could help fill out a sale for a friend or relative. There may be a church, school, or charity organizing a rummage sale in the future that would appreciate your clean, nicely sorted items.

Sell them online. Sites including Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Nextdoor allow you to offer items for sale. Although many people use them successfully, some users often grumble about interested parties who don’t follow through on offers to purchase.

Give them away. After a sale, many folks leave extra items on their lawn or at the curb with a free sign. Wise to limit the time they sit there so you don’t run afoul of the city’s nuisance laws. Alternatively, you can offer your cast-offs on free Facebook sites including Buy Nothing Woodbury (East and West), Woodbury Freebies, and Pay It Forward Woodbury, MN. The groups ask you to sign up as a member and to follow their guidelines.

Donate your sorted items. There are several different types of charities that collect second-hand goods. The number of organizations accepting used goods has shrunk since the Covid pandemic and their restrictions have increased. Be respectful of the recipients by passing along items in good shape (If it’s not good enough for your fussy sister-in-law, it’s not good enough for them.) and only donating in season items. This list does not cover every opportunity, but it should get you started with local options. Not all charities pass your items directly to people in need, but these groups do. 

• Joseph’s Coat Accepts clothes and small household goods 2 days a week by appointment
• Kaitlyn’s Kloset Accepts children’s items 3 days a week
• Listening House Needs men’s clothes. Pick drop off time on website.
• Face to Face Clinic and Safe Zone Needs clothes for homeless youth and their young children as well as strollers, backpacks, and other carrying bags.
• Bridging accepts furniture and other items needed to furnish a home. Drop off or arrange pick-up for a fee.
• The Humane Society accepts bath towels and gently used pet supplies.
• Free Book Buggie accepts children’s books for under-resourced Minnesota communities. Can be dropped off at Old National Bank 1920 Donegal Drive.

Some small local organizations give items or vouchers to people in need while also selling some donations in order to fund their efforts. 

• Basic Needs accepts clothing and household goods 3 days a week in Cottage Grove.
• StyleXChange accepts seasonal clothing at its drive-up 3 days a week. Current construction may impact donation hours.
• Express Bike Shop accepts bikes and parts to support youth apprenticeship.
• ReStore Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity accepts a wide range of building supply and household items. Pick-up available.

Larger national charities sell some of their donations to fund their missions and then auction off unsold merchandise for the international market and scrap dealers. Goodwill estimates that 15 percent of donated items go immediately to a landfill because they are too mildewed or damaged to sell; 20-30 percent are sold within four weeks at a thrift store; a smaller fraction is sold by the pound at Goodwill outlets; leaving the majority of items to be auctioned off for international exports and textile recycling. Minnesota Goodwill uses its profits to provide job training and rehabilitation services to about 5,000 people annually. 

• Goodwill Woodbury accepts donations every day.   
• ARC Value Village accepts clothing and household goods daily. Thrift store sales raise $1.6 million annually to benefit local people with developmental disabilities some of whom work in the stores. 

For-profit thrift stores often advertise their charitable contributions, but they are generally modest. 

• Savers collects clothing and household goods daily and passes along about 10% of its profits to charities. 
• The Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota sells donated items to brokers who resell them to thrift stores, international markets, and textile recyclers. Pick-up of clothes and household items can be arranged on their website.
• DAV will schedule pick-ups. The organization works with Savers and receives 42.4 cents per pound of clothing and 21.6 cents per pound of household goods. The income funds services for disabled veterans. 

Most free-standing drop-off bins are run by for profit organizations who sell to brokers without any charitable donation.

Recycle appropriate items. Some things that are too stained or broken for donation may be recycled rather than sent to the landfill.

• Basic Needs accepts clothing, linens, and shoes when dropped off in bags marked recycle. 
• Washington County Environmental Center recycles electronics.