One of my goals this year is to simplify and one of the ways I plan to do that is to sell or donate at least 1,000 ordinary items that are crowding our closets and drawers by the end of July. My goal date is set for the end of July because my neighborhood has a big community yard sale every summer and while I don’t mind dropping stuff at the thrift store, I’d like to see if I could make a few bucks at the yard sale first.
Magazines. Why do we hang on to them? I mean, it’s not like this is 1950. We have the internet and youtube and quick access to every topic imaginable at the tip of our fingertips. But still, we hang on to old magazines like they are prized jewels. Well, at least I seem to anyway.
See that copy of Architectural Digest? It’s from 2008. I fell in love with 3/4ths the houses in there and just couldn’t seem to part with it. Until today.
Do you think anyone would even want these if I offered them at my yard sale? And if so… how much? I know I’ve paid $0.25-$0.50 for magazines at thrift stores before so maybe that’s the going rate?
Or maybe I should just take them to the recycle center. I don’t know, what do you think?
~Mavis
Year to Date Totals
Donated: 20 items
Gave Back: 45
Recycled: 24 items
Tossed in the Garbage: 59 items
Yard Sale Pile: 468 items
So far this year I’ve purged 616 items. Only 384 more items to go!
See what else I’m getting rid of this year:
- Cleaning out the Closet
- Gift Bags, Binders, Glass Frogs and More
- Casserole Dishes and Pie Plates
- Dessert Plates, Crock Pots, Tablecloths and More
- Cookie Cutters, Pickle Forks, Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer and More
- Used Books
- DVD’s
- Rubber Stamps, a Soldering Iron, Seashells, Smencils and More
Barbara says
Hi, Mavis! I spent a month in a hospital with my mom when she was dying of cancer. I would have loved to shave those magazines to read! That kind of info about gardening and recipes never gets outdated! Maybe see if any local hospital or surgery center would like them?
Mavis says
I LOVE that idea.
Coleen says
Hi Mavis, I usually sell my old magazines at our yard sale…….10-25 cents each.
Jen F says
I would love to find those magazines at a yard sale!
sandi says
Mavis – Take the magazines to your library for their magazine donation box. They tell me my rural farming ones go right away, but we are an unusual farming area.
Andrea says
Definitely donate them instead of recycling them. Hospitals & nursing homes can always use them. I donate mine to the local library.
Debbie says
I donate to my local library too.
Saron@MLT says
My friend found the second edition/month of Martha Stewart Living in her garage in beautiful condition. For a lark she put it on ebay. Can you say $100!
Wonder what the very first issue would bring.
When my Dad was going thru chemo, he would have loved the gardening magazines.
Jill says
I work in a nursing home and we are always looking for magazines for our patients. Donate them!
Emily says
10 cents sounds about right to me, but I love the idea of donating to a hospital or nursing home
Amy Peters says
I save the special magazines too because they are going the way of the dinosaur and I like to feel and see a large picture. I regularly buy them for 10 – 50 cents and sometimes more. Sell them!
Emily E. says
Hi Mavis!
You can definitely make a few bucks off the magazines! I’ve bundled some of mine up with jute and the consignment shop snaps them up (I don’t like dealing with yard sales ). I think selling the same or like magazines as a group in a bundle ensures you get rid of them all instead of being left with a few. I’ve paid $3-$4 a bundle for a set of old garden magazines. Or as others have suggested, donating them. Those are all magazines that really don’t go “out of style”. I like keeping my favorites because sometimes the paper version is a nice break from online.
Ted says
Our local Head Start is always looking for magazines that the children can use for crafts…
Brenda says
I was going to say that schools and day cares use them to cut up for the pictures.
ElleX says
Hi Mavis!!!!! I just donated a stack of magazines to the library and I was given me a receipt for my taxes. I have seen magazine lots being sold on eBay.
RebekahU says
Hey Mavis! I would put them in the yard sale. I’d go as high as 50 cents. If you tried to purchase those individually, new, they would be $5+ each. If they do not sell, then you can find a great home for them – the nursing home, hospital, or preschools would love to have them.
katie p nc says
Take them to a hospital, elder care/senior center, dialysis/cancer treatment, retirement homes or even your vet. These magazines aren’t “dated” in the way most stocked magazines are. I like to take my old books and magazines to the senior center to freshen up their selection.
Connie says
I work for doctors and I take our magaizines to the waiting room when we are through with them.
I will also buy magazines, so either way works.
Jeanie says
I’m in the same boat. I have years of old British Country Living, The Simple Life and Where Women Cook. I looked them up on eBay and they actually do sell for quite a bit. I am going to offer them there and make a few $$ since they are easy to mail. I was going to throw them in my recycle so I feel kind of glad to see them sell. I would rather someone else enjoy them.
Lana says
I read magazines once and they are out of here. I gave myself permission to tear out anything I wanted for later so that I do not feel like I have to save them. We usually donate them to a thrift store that supports a women’s shelter.
Debbie n says
I would sell the magazines for 25 cents each or 5/100 if they didn’t sell I would donate them afterwards.I found that almost anything will sell at a yard sale for 25 cents. 25 cents is also my lowest price and everything else is priced so that I only need to give quarters or dollars for change. It makes things so much easier.
Katrina says
I buy magazines at yard sales and thrift stores. Usually they are Cooking, quilting, crafts or gardening magazines. When I am finished I usually share them with others or donate them to the library for others to pick up. I dislike paying full price for them when I know I can get them cheap or for free. It doesn’t matter if they are dated because they would be new to me.
Joyce Erickson says
Your local grade schools and middle schools will take them for their art classes; that’s where mine go.
bobbi dougherty says
My niece is an artist and does a lot of collages so I take them to her. Libraries will take them too. 🙂
CathyB says
Our local library had a free leave/take book and magazine area. I loved to peruse it and pick up a few new-to-me magazines before going on flights. After I was done I would often return them for someone else. I also would drop off my magazines as well, making sure that I had cut out my name and address label if it was printed on it.