....ok, I won't continue with the statement out of respect for all animal lovers out there - especially of the feline variety.
But there is more than one way to rid myself of the clutter I've accumulated.
We go back in time to April 2001. When my father passed away, I inherited a lot of things; some cool, some not, and some that made me say "What the hell am I going to do with this!?!" He was a member of the Riverton, NJ Volunteer Fire Department, and did some ride alongs with New York City and Philadelphia. By the time he passed on, he had amassed a collection of fire department shirts, hats, and other memorabilia. Here's a photo of him in his heyday (he's the second from the left):
My first thought was to put it all up for auction on Ebay. I knew it would take me a long time to sell everything, but I was willing to give it a shot. If the things didn't sell, I was going to go to the local fire departments and see if they wanted any of it.
So, the stuff sat up in our attic for a few months...and then September 11th happened. I think everyone wanted to help somehow, whether it be through donations of money or time. I thought, why not take the firefighter things that my Dad had and put them on Ebay. I guess I could've sold other things, but given the fact that firefighters lost their lives, this stuff seemed more appropriate. I wrote a standard introduction that I tacked onto each auction, talking about my father, who he was, and what he had. I also indicated that the money raised through the auctions would be donated to the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund. I handled all the logistics of running the auctions, and my wife helped me pack and ship the items.
Now, I thought at first that people would think that the whole thing was a scam. In fact, there were scams being reported on Ebay associated with the relief efforts, and I was concerned that they would shut down my auctions because of the 9-11 association. Ebay was linked up with the Red Cross, so I initially thought, why would anyone want to contribute to my effort when there's a big spash screen associated with the Red Cross?
To my surprise, however, the response was phenomenal! I put approximately 90 items up for auction in about a 2 week time frame. It was absolutely crazy! I think only about 4-5 items didn't sell, but in all honesty, I expected a lot more not to. What really astonished me was how much the items were selling for. Before 9-11, I would've been lucky to get around $5 for a t-shirt. In one instance, I had a t-shirt sell for $132.50! I only wished that I had more to sell, but time was of the essence, and I wanted everything to remain fresh. I didn't want to start selling things months removed, because most people would've emptied their wallets by then.
Once everything was completed, I got the cashiers check from the bank and drafted a letter to accompany it. I made sure that I stayed in constant contact with all the people who won the auctions, so that I could include their names in the letter. After everything was tallied, we were able to send a check for $2,493.14.
The experience was one that I will never forget. I ended up saving all the correspondence for the project, and someday I plan to organize it into a scrapbook. I know my father would have given all the stuff up in a heartbeat to help the families who lost so much on that day. My father and I were not very close, but this seemed to bring us a little bit closer together.
Anyway, back the clutter issue - and how this all ties into my current efforts. We have already donated some other things to the readily known outlets: Vietnam Veterans of America, Goodwill, Purple Heart, etc. Even though I am trying to get rid of things through Ebay and the Clutter List for some personal gain, I would never rule out other creative ways to help those in need. And hey, if it helps create a clutter free existence for myself....well, that's just icing on the cake.
