Selling accessories?

westernrvparkowner wrote:

Sprink-Fitter wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
I have never "sold" any used RV accessory, and we've accumulated a LOT of stuff over the years. The biggest noticeable accumulation is when we purchase a new camper and discard unused items. It has been our practice to bring along an item or two with us camping, and then I scour the campground and find some else camping there, if that be tent or RV, and try to determine if they could benefit from my item. If I think they could, I approach them and simply give it to them as a gift. I've had many, many tent campers almost break down and cry, giving them unneeded sleeping bags, tarps, the little 1 pound propane canisters, cooking utensils, even all of our cast iron skillets we no longer use.

We've given away 2 different RV covers, all our old Coleman camp stove equipment, and ALL our DishTV satallite equipment, including tripod, Tailgater, wire, receiver, everything.

The list goes on and on. But nothing we needed or wanted any longer. So why not share with some who can benefit! The good Lord blessed and provided for us, it's OK to share the blessing on to someone else.

Maybe I'm different, but for us, we've gotten our money's worth from the item. It's served it's usefulness and I'm completely satisfied. I have no desire to haggle trying to get a few bucks out of something. When I want to get rid of something, I just get rid of it. And camping folks, especially folks who are new to the experience, are overwhelmed and sometimes so speechless at some of the simplest "gifts" given to them.

It goes without saying, our house hold items we no longer need or want or use, all go to GoodWill. I imagine, we've giving away many thousands of dollars of "stuff" and each item given was given with thought and love.

That's something money can never provide.

My suggestion, just give it to someone needy the next time you go camping.

You are better off giving it to the needy than giving it to Goodwill.

When you give it to Goodwill you give it to someone that is selling it to someone that wants it.

Theguy that owns goodwill is making money, in my opinion you’re better off giving it to the needy.

You might as well just give it to your neighbor and let them sell it, it’s about the same as giving it to Goodwill.

To imply that Goodwill is somehow a scam is just plain wrong. It clearly is not a for profit company and your local Goodwill store and donation center is not a franchise with an owner making money off your donations. Goodwill generally receives the highest ratings mark from organizations that rate charities. It also is recognized by the IRS as a charity, making your donations to them tax deductible.
Goodwill is organized so as to make both donations and sales of those donated items as easy as possible. It's stated mission is to provide employment, employee training and career placement assistance for the disabled, veterans and others with insufficient job skills. Currently, Goodwill employs over 100,000 people worldwide.
While it sounds good to say "Just donate your unwanted and unused items to those who need it", that is usually difficult to downright impossible. Sorry, but I am not going to drive around looking for homeless people that are my size. I don't know what homeless shelter has a golf program where my donated old golf clubs will get used. And even the homeless might walk away from wearing that old leisure suit I just dug out of the attic.
But, all those items might find a home at Goodwill. The clothes are sorted and hung on racks by size, just like at Saks. There are people who buy golf clubs and other sporting goods at Goodwill. And even that leisure suit is attractive to a college frat boy looking for a cool Halloween or Fraternity theme party costume.

I guess it's all in what you or I want to believe.

When we downsized a year and a half ago we put everything we did not want on a trailer, actually four different loads, to pictures and put on our local site on facebook for free items, four trailers full gone in a day and a half.