Why Selling Your Used Goods is Healthy For Your Soul

Art provided by Malinda Prud'homme

I'm new to online marketplaces.  You know, those online classified sites that are several steps above garage sales?

For a while, I didn't know what to make of the whole thing.  I mean, ridding of things that are of no longer of value to me for money?  I felt a little sleazy the first time I set up my account and uploaded pictures.

But now, I'm hooked, and I actually have found the whole process quite healing.

Accepting money from other people has never been easy for me.  As a little girl, I learned that money came from hard work and it was meant to be saved for a rainy day.  Or for really important things like food and for that roof over our heads.  We rarely splurged and we accepted hand-me-downs readily.  Receiving money freely on special occasions, such as birthdays, always felt awkward to me.

Until recently, we donated everything that we didn't have any purpose for.  But, as I watched my husband sell some of his car-related items through online markets, I thought about the tons of baby clothing I had no use for sitting in my son's closet.  New.  Hardly worn.  I was just waiting for the right time to donate the items that were no longer useful, but had such sentimental value.  

It wasn't until I sold my first no-emotions-attached piece of equipment my son had outgrown that I realized the true value in selling, rather than donating, our used goods.

How Selling Your Used Goods Can be Good for the Soul

• You're finally ridding of that unwanted piece.   After sitting there for years, you're doing something about it.  You're creating space in your home (and life) that will allow you to breathe.  Purging is always a good feeling for the soul.
• You're getting something in return.  Since you're giving away for a little money in return, you will actually have less of an emotional attachment to the item.  It will make ridding of it easier, and you'll have money to use for something more useful in your life now. 
• You're giving another person a sense of pride.  Not everyone accepts donations easily.  Sometimes, pride gets in the way, even if the products are of great quality.  So, when you allow a parent, for instance, to purchase something for her child, even if for very little, that parent will feel validated as a provider.  
• Your trash is someone else's treasure.  Although that's somewhat clichéd, the truth is that retro and vintage is very much "en vogue".  What appears to be outdated to you, is actually gold to a collector or even an online vintage shop owner (which can be their primary source of income).   Also, many crafters are quite creative with used goods.  They can upcycle and turn your unwanted item into something of greater use.  They would be thrilled to be getting a picture frame in good condition for a few dollars to turn into a cork board message center for their family. 
• You're releasing negative energy.  Because my son's clothing has such incredible memories attached to them (like the pjs he wore in the NICU), it made them difficult to keep, but even more difficult to give away.  By selling them, I felt like I was releasing that stale energy that sat in that box for years, and allowing another child (who may need pjs desperately) to benefit from their use. I have made it a ritual to say a little blessing over those articles of clothing, so that negative energy surrounding that piece suddenly takes on a new light for the next user.
• You meet someone new.  In having short email/ telephone exchanges with a stranger, you just never know what you'll learn or experience.  While it's important to exercise caution in your meeting places (and never alone), you might find the short encounters uplifting.  In selling the baby clothes, I have met mothers at all stages of their new journey.  Some sleepless, some nervous. It's always been interesting for me to connect with them, even if for a few minutes.
• You can bring light into someone else's life.  Apart from the silent prayer the person didn't know anything about (see bullet point #5 above), I always add a little something extra to the package that the person isn't expecting.  I place it where they can't see it, so when they get home, they'll [hopefully] be pleasantly surprised.  No matter the item, no matter the person, I also make sure the exchange happens with a warm smile and a little verbal message of encouragement.  It makes my soul so happy to see them walk away with a smile too.

I have learned that the exchange of money for a used good does not need to feel dirty.  Instead, I feel liberated for having rid of the cumbersome item, satisfied that I got a little something in return, and at peace that another person will be enjoying it more than my basement did.

What are your feelings around selling versus donating your used items?