DAVID SWANN / DSWANN@STARBULLETIN.COM Unstuffed Ahh, signs of spring. The sun's warm glow seems more crisp after winter rains have tapered; surfers look southward, hopeful for that first big swell toward summer.
Getting rid of household
First of two parts
bulge, such as old clothes
and CDs, can pay off
Selling on eBayBy Ruby Mata-Viti
rmataviti@starbulletin.comTragically war, not love, is in the air. Some seasonal cleaning just might help take our minds off fears and events beyond our realm of action. In the meantime, raking through the home is a good way to take control of what we can.
A quick scan of living space might awaken the realization that gluttony is evil. Like one who overeats, those susceptible to the lures of shopping accumulate until joy can no longer be absorbed from one more CD, DVD, shirt or skirt that eventually makes its way to a pile of never-used stuff.
Purging seems simple enough: Either donate your rejects and let someone else enjoy it, or turn it in for cash.
Certified public accountant Douglas Nonaka said selling is the way to maximize return on used goods, "but nine out of 10 people will donate to charity because it takes too much effort to sell. Plus, it gives them a good feeling to know they've given back to the community."
Nonaka, whose office is behind Cutter Ford in Aiea, said most people fall into a 27 percent federal and 8 percent state tax bracket, adding up to a 35 percent we pay in taxes. Donating $200 worth of old clothing and toys would increase the tax refund of people in this bracket by $70, a nice sum but much less than the $200 cash that might result from sacrificing a weekend hosting a garage sale or manning a swap meet stall.
You don't have to claim moneys on items sold at garage sales or swap meets if you're selling for less than what you paid.
To write off donations requires receipts from the charitable organizations, itemized with fair market value if you're claiming more than $500 worth of goods, he said.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kelsey Sears, owner and founder of The Ultimate You consignment boutique in Ward Centre, holds a Versace dress which regularly sells for $900, but is available at her shop for $399. The boutique will be celebrating 20 years of business next month.
There are occasions when we're our own favorite charity and need to cash in goods for, oh, say, rent, gas or groceries. You still contribute to the greater good by selling that 'N Sync CD collecting dust on the shelf to someone else who just discovered the boy band and can Bye Bye Bye it for a fraction of what you paid.
For those bent on squeezing that last cent out of what you have, we explored a few avenues, including eBay, world garage sale at our fingertips (see related story), but it's easy to find more options through the Yellow Pages, community billboards or classified ads.
After you resolve to surrender and sell, it may be a shock, even insulting when someone offers 25 cents for something that you valued for years which originally cost $15 to $150; so brace yourself.
If you want to sell or place your wares on consignment, it's best to call ahead to make an appointment and comparison-shop for rates you can expect for your goods, which most stores are happy to quote. Others won't commit over the phone, preferring to see the items. Prices mentioned here are estimates.
Most stores pay in cash; others offer a choice of in-store credit worth more than cash value. Some restrict you to store credit.
Some stores will have you sign profile forms stating you're not a minor. These are submitted to the Honolulu Police Department to ensure items can be traced if they turn out to be stolen. If you're parting with a gift, make sure you know where it came from.
CDs, DVDs, VHS, books, etc.
Cheapo: Old CDs will generally get you $1 to $4 depending on title and popularity. Some are worth only 25 to 50 cents."We have way too many Backstreet Boys CDs," said Rick Kubach, manager of the Puck's Alley branch, so expect to walk out with gum machine money for one of those.
"We try to be fair and pay as much as we can if we know we can turn it around quickly."
VHS tapes will go for a flat rate of 50 cents each, "except for workout videos. They're a fad," and you'll get a quarter for those.
The maximum the store will pay for DVDs is $6; they average $3 to $4. "It can get cheaper because you can buy some new for $10," Kubach said. "We can only pay out what the market will bear."
Vinyl records will get you a flat rate of 10 cents each, but that's flexible.
"If you've got four big boxes that have been sitting in an attic for 20 years, we'll count it up and round it off to the nearest dollar."
Call 943-0500.
Toys n' Joys Kaimuki: Old video games and used game consoles and accessories are refurbished for resale here.
Retail manager Jason Matsumoto said the store buys used Gameboy units for $5 to $30, with more current versions fetching a higher price.
"People are already trading in their Gameboy Colors to reserve the newer Gameboy Advance SP, coming out next week," he said. The store can turn those around, selling refurbished units for about $40 to $50.
Retail manager Jason Ng said, "Some turn in their PS2s for an X-Box just because they're tired of it and want to trade systems."
You can expect to get about $100 for a PlayStation2 in "really good condition, in the box with instruction manual." Original PlayStation consoles will bring owners $10 to $15, reselling for about $25.
The average price for 8-bit Nintendo games is 25 cents. A popular PlayStation2 game nets $20 to $30 (it costs $40 to $50 to buy these new).
Expect to wait about five to 10 minutes while managers check whether your game or console is in working order.
Store credit is worth more than cash. For instance, you can get $15 for a game, but opting for store credit gets you $20. "It keeps the money in the store," Ng said, adding that most people who sell their items are students in transit.
"Some people move -- they don't want to take it with them; some just need money -- rent's due. They return sometime later and buy it again."
Call 735-4546.
Software Etc.: Egan Hashimoto, senior game advisor and a manger at the Windward Mall store, one of several in the mainland chain, said prices are controlled by their corporate office. Prices change daily and are listed in their computer system. "People call ahead for the current asking price before they come in."
Sellers are paid with a store credit called Game Bucks.
The more popular the game and console, and the better its condition, with all essential parts, the more they pay for it. You can get the most money from X-Box and PlayStation2 games. The lowest payment was 10 cents for an original PlayStation game.
New games retail for about $49.99, and walk-ins with popular PlayStation2 games to sell can get about $24 to $26.
The day we called, they were paying $120 for a used PlayStation2 console. "Which is the highest I've seen it," Hashimoto said. "It's going to go lower as the system gets older."
Call 247-7726.
Jelly's, the Original Books, Comics and Music Store: The store behind Cutter Ford in Aiea sells as well as buys books, comics, games and CDs. Shirley Neely, manager of the book section, said a book will generally earn one-third its retail value. Paperbacks earn about 50 cents each; out-of-print titles will get more. Children's books earn about a dime apiece.
Usually they won't buy hardcover fiction because readers like the portability of paperbacks. Books that are plentiful or with low demand are turned away, as well as those that are moldy, muddy or full of bug holes.
New inventory is fairly consistent, although Neely said she notices a surge at the end of the school semester, beginning of summer and beginning of each year, "when people are cleaning out their house."
They buy books Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Call 488-5245.
Jewelry
Kamaaina Metals: Store owner Elizabeth, who did not want her last name published, could not give an estimate, saying jewelry is judged on an individual basis. "It's hard to give a price based on a description over the phone, but the better the condition, the higher the value."They don't melt the gold and silver themselves and remake them into jewelry. "We send it to a refinery, called a smelter. They clean it up from there by refining it, then they sell it to people who want to buy gold or silver."
Their showroom at 500 Ala Moana, Suite 545, includes secondhand jewelry, and "we sell them for much lower than retail."
Call 526-1502
Pacific Diamond & Swiss Watch Exchange: Ted Gonzales, owner of the store at 1356 Kapiolani Blvd., accepts high-end Rolexes and loose diamonds. "We sell them refurbished for up to 50 percent off retail," he said.
People bring in these status items fairly evenly throughout the year, although "because of the economic situation of late, we've gotten a bit more than usual. You know what L. Ron Hubbard said, 'It's all going to come down to gold and guns.'"
Though he was reluctant to give quotes over the phone, he did say he has some pre-owned Rolexes selling for between $15,000 to $20,000. (These go for $30,000 to $40,000 new, he said.)
"We follow a request format mandated by the state," which means sellers are fingerprinted to avoid stolen goods.
Call 943-1000
Clothing
Changes: Owner Mary Campbell said her clientele represents the college set, which she attributes to her location near the University of Hawaii."They're young, they like to update their wardrobe more often and they don't have a lot of money because they're students."
Changes is not a consignment store, choosing instead to buy clothing and accessories outright, doling cash or store credit based on 40 percent of what she feels she can sell the item for.
A year-old Gap dress, for instance, that originally cost $50, she said, might sell for $15 in her store, so she would offer 40 percent of that.
Because the store on South King Street caters to a hip crowd, she'll only accept current, trendy styles. "Last year's styles just don't fly with these college kids."
She doesn't take vintage items, either.
You don't need an appointment, and your clothes don't have to be on hangers, just clean. "If you bring in a stunning dress with a food stain that 'will probably come out with a wash,' I won't go for it," she said.
Handbags, shoes and belts are sought. "We also buy men's clothing; we're one of the few stores like this that sell menswear."
"I like our inventory to move quickly so people see different things each time they come in. If we're buying right, we don't have anything that doesn't sell."
However, items that don't move after two months are usually donated to charity.
Call 944-1039.
The Ultimate You: Owner Kelsey Sears started out 20 years ago on Monsarrat Avenue and is now centrally situated at Ward Centre.
Clothes offered here must be in "pristine and perfect condition; fresh, clean, pressed and on hangers," which are returned to the owner upon leaving the store.
Items are usually priced at about a third or half of their retail value. "If we don't know the price, we discuss it with the consigner," who receives an itemized printout of everything accepted.
The consignment period is 90 days at an agreed price, with built-in reductions of 20 percent after 30 days and then another reduction if the item is still not sold. The consigner receives 40 percent of the selling price.
"What we want most are handbags, scarves, jewelry, fine fashion, new and vintage. We'll take things from the Gap or Banana Republic, whatever is in fashion."
They also buy shoes, but because of nearby competition only accept high-end designer shoes that have never been worn.
"We sold a $500 pair of Fendi shoes that I wish I took a picture of because they were like a sculpture, and the woman got them at a steal for $159, so the consigner will get 40 percent of that" either in cash or a store credit of equal value.
If items do not sell, consigners can call their favorite charity to pick it up, or the Ultimate You will donate the pieces to a women's shelter. Either way, the consigner will receive the tax credit.
Call 591-8388
Two Hula Girls and a Surfer: Here's a consignment shop with a twist. Manager-owner Dana Wheat takes old items and gives them new life with what she calls "romantic retro vintage bordering on shabby chic."
"It's kind of girly."
Wheat, originally from California, is a makeup artist who said, "After 5 1/2 years at M.A.C cosmetics, and corporate life, I did some soul-searching and I'm so happy now."
She's been at 167 Hamakua Drive in Kailua for almost two years now, and business has been steady. "It kind of tapered off at Christmas but picked up in January. Yesterday, buyers came in and business was great! I thought, Hey, are they sure there's going to be a war?"
Her shop is part consignment, part artists co-op. "I'm working with about 12 vendors now, people who resurrect items that fit with the theme of my store."
She will take in furniture and clothing on a 50-50 consignment basis, keeping items in the shop for 30 days after which, if the owner doesn't want it back, she donates to church thrift shops.
She also buys old furniture which she can refurbish for resale.
"I like to recycle things," she said, which include using broken china pieces for mosaic. She'll also buy what she calls "previously loved" clothing, embellishing them with jewels and beads for resale.
Her father, who lives in California, ships boxes of treasures from estate sales which she cleans up and refashions for her clientele.
"I'm just amazed that some of these things have been around for 50-plus years, some of them totally hand-stitched. It's just wild that some of these things have been around for so long."
Through the many salvagers in town, such pieces are given second life for another deserving person to enjoy.
Call 263-3615..
Next week: Head for the swap meet
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In the beginning, the Internet promised a Utopian world of interconnectedness. We'd be one big happy family if only we could reach out and touch our international neighbors digitally. Online translators even made it possible to understand each other if we could not utter a single word in Japanese or Portuguese. Saving the planet,
one discard at a timeBy Nadine Kam
With time, however, it's become apparent that the Internet has been a boon mostly to students cheating on term papers, pornographers and shoppers. Oh, the humanity! The world is connected all right, hooked up to a giant 24-hour seedy bazaar offering just about everything you desire.
Dangerous territory indeed for buyers, but a blessing to anyone who wants to minimize the burden of stuff. At any given moment, there is someone just waiting and, more important, willing to snap up your rejects.
There are many sites that will help you streamline, but the basic rule of selling is to take your product to the largest possible marketplace. Not long ago, marketers plotted to sell 1 billion $1 widgets to China. These days, they simply journey to eBay, the mutha of all that is online shopping.
I don't often sell on eBay, but just knowing the site exists gives me peace of mind when I shop. I'm reassured that I'm doing my part to save the planet from becoming one giant trash dump, and any mistakes lingering beyond a store's exchange cutoff date can simply be photographed, uploaded, boxed and sold to the highest bidder.
Maybe, just maybe I can afford that Prada, Coach or Fendi purse IF I can recoup a third to half the price later. Please note that this formula doesn't always work. Most of the time I become too attached to the object to part with it, or punish it beyond the point of beauty or usefulness. But if you're willing to part with items within a season, you'll likely find many willing buyers.
THE NO. 1 rule for online sellers is to remember "brands rule." Unfortunately for the clever or original, shoppers are sheep to trends and will buy just about anything with a designer label or InStyle magazine's vote of approval.
Such is the power of a brand name that I've sold year-old USED Urban Decay cosmetics for 30 percent MORE than the retail price, even after warning the buyer, "Hey, it's half gone."
Why would they do this? Believe it or not, not every city is as progressive as Honolulu, and they may not have access to the brands we have. I don't recommend buying used cosmetics -- who knows what cooties may lurk in that smudgy lipstick -- but as a seller, let the buyer beware, right? (Don't try to sell skanky stuff, though, because that may lead to bad ratings and the risk of getting booted off a site.) If you're into the notion of trading in your cosmetics, by the way, check out makeupalley.com, an online cosmetics swap meet where girls can also go to dish or dote on various products.
When it comes to that closetful of used clothes, make sure they're in good condition -- not faded or pilly. Extraordinary designer or vintage duds can command prices of $200 and up, but the going rate for most clothing is about $10 to $40, the limit a buyer will pay on the chance that the clothing doesn't fit properly.
I've sold a beautiful Nanette Lepore (retail about $245) dress in lace for $36. Not much of a return, but it was a good follow-up to some inexpensive fun at the swap meet, where I paid $3 for the never-worn dress on the chance the size 6 dress would fit size 2 me. It didn't. I thought I could wear it under a black jacket, but it would have been a shame to hide the dress, so I made one woman in Boston very happy.
HERE'S HOW you can start unloading:
>> Sign on to www.ebay.com. Buyers need do little more than choose an online identity and password to start bidding. If you're thinking of selling, get familiar with the process by making a couple of buys first. As a seller, you'll need to open an account backed by a credit or debit card number, plus checking account information. Only you can determine if you're ready to give out such personal financial information. You can opt, instead, to pay $5 to become ID verified.
>> Selling is a matter of hitting the "Sell" button at the site, entering your ID and password, then going ahead and filling in all the necessary blanks on several pages. This is a slow process, so the faster your Internet connection, the better. Having a digital camera is a must because people like to see what they're buying. You can upload one photo for free. Already, you can see it can be pricey to get started, so don't even think you'll get rich this way.
You will be charged an insertion fee to list your items, at 30 cents for items priced to $9.99, 55 cents for items $10 to $24.99, $1.10 for items $25 to $49.99, $2.20 for $50 to $199.99 and $3.30 for $200 and up.
It's easier to attract bids by setting a low start price, such as $9.99 for vintage Ming's silver-and-pearl jewelry. Obviously, you want to get more for your valuables, so you may set a reserve price of $200 to avoid parting with your precious jewelry for $25. But please note your insertion fee will be based on your $200 reserve price.
Don't forget to charge your buyer for postage and Hawaii's 4 percent general excise tax. Watch out for foreign buyers. Tell them you'll figure out the cost of postage before you can quote them a rate. Postage to Australia and the U.K. are astronomical, I've learned the hard way. I haven't had time to figure out the postal rate system because I don't do this often enough, but I advise you to pick up a rate sheet and start studying.
>> When the auction is over and your item has been sold, eBay will also charge a final value fee equal to 5.25 percent of the closing value for items selling for up to $25.
For amounts over $25 but up to $1,000, you will be charged the 5.25 percent of the initial $25 ($1.31), plus 2.75 percent of the remaining balance.
Percentages drop for sales above $1,000.
>> EBay constantly adds new features to speed or beef up transactions. Most recently, they purchased Paypal, an online financial intermediary with accounts backed by your old-fashioned checking account or credit card. Sign up at paypal.com.
In the olden days -- about two years ago -- an online sales transaction generally took nonretailers two weeks to a month to complete. There was the five- to seven-day wait for the auction to run its course, a week's wait to receive payment by check or money order, another week's wait for the check to clear, then the buyer had to wait about four days for the package to arrive from Hawaii.
These days, features such as "Buy It Now" or "Fixed Price" selling make it possible for the buyer to make an instant purchase, pay for it through Paypal, which immediately zips the digital cash to your account, and if you get to the post office right away, it could be a mere three days' wait from completed transaction to receipt of goods.
The buyer's happy with his prize; you've lightened your load; eBay stock continues to rise ... It's win-win all around.
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