DI or Craigslist?

I really enjoy going through closets, drawers, nooks, crannies, and shelves every once in a while to get rid of junk I don't need anymore. When I was single, I did this all of the time because I liked to travel light since I typically moved every year or two. I also like to do it because that's just how I was raised. My parents would make us go through clothes and toys every 6 months and take out some things to give to kids who didn't have stuff. Purging feels good, in a soul cleansing kind of way.

Robert is not like I am. It is difficult for him to part with possesions, especially ones that he worked hard to acquire or that he thinks might be worth something. He watches too many auction/picker shows and now thinks that everything has some worth to it.  Sometimes this can cause problems. If we had a huge house with a basement, a garage, and an outside storage shed it wouldn't be so much of an issue to me (within bounds, of course). But since we live in a 2 bedroom condo, we need to get rid of stuff now and then.

One of the things we wanted to get rid of was a desk that was taking up a huge part of our living room and also a deathtrap for Maggie. She kept crawling under it and getting stuck, running into it, falling on it, and she just needs to not be around it. We decided to get rid of it. I just wanted it gone ASAP, but Robert likes to sell anything he can if he's going to get rid of it. Again, just different mindsets regarding old stuff.

We posted it, along with a few other things on Craigslist and KSL over Labor Day weekend, hoping to get rid of them quickly. The thing about listing things for sale on classifieds sites is that when they're hot, they're hot. I sold my car in 15 minutes on KSL. The desk, not so hot. We had a lot of people call wanting to come look at it, but flaked out and never came, and then a newly married couple came and looked at it and then said "We have to discuss this purchase, so we'll get back to you." I have an idea, if you're not interested, just tell me now because otherwise you're just wasting my time. And I love it when people ask you to hold the item for them while they look at other similar items. No. First come, first serve. My favorite was an email I received about a dress that I posted because I had missed the 30 day return period and the dress just wasn't going to work for me. The email was from someone named "Wyatt," and the email address was a girl/middle eastern/asian sounding thing. That was sketchy, but what was even funnier was that the email said, "Please, more information about this product." Um, well, it's a dress and this is the size. What else can you say about it? Do you want it or not? I never replied to the email just because everything that added up about it was fishy. It's been 3 weeks and the dress is still listed. It's orange. I bet that's the problem.

I like to give stuff to DI because I feel like it's a lot less of a hassle. You just bring it there and it's taken off your hands. Maybe someone in Haiti will get that orange dress and really love it. And most importantly, really need it. On the other hand, if I put it in the classifieds, somebody comes to my house and pays me to take it off my hands. And maybe they really need it, too, and they think they're getting a good bargain.

And then there are other things that just need to go to the trash. We got a lot of baby clothes from an acquanitance of Robert. Most of that stuff was ripped and stained with mud. How does a 3 month old get muddy and why would the tops of newborn socks and jammies be black and worn out? Babies that little don't crawl, or even roll over yet. That entire bag, with the exception of a few things, went to the trash. I didn't even feel like it was good enough for people in Haiti that had nothing.

My dad and I were talking about giving stuff to charity and the different requirements that people have when doing it. My dad said that when our ward would do DI drives, he witnessed that some people feel obligated to give everything to DI when they're finished with it because morally, that's what Jesus would expect of them. They get some really interesting stuff in there.What these people don't know is that even DI has some standards. Have you ever driven past DI in Provo and seen the dumpsters? That's where all of the stuff that DI doesn't accept goes.

So, here are my criteria. If it still has a lot of life left in it and it's in good condition, I try to sell it on KSL or Craigslist. Especially if it's furniture, appliances, vehicles, or other stuff that DI won't take like leftover house improvement stuff. Sometimes we take that stuff to Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.

Clothes, I always give to DI if they are in good condition. Or to friends. The orange dress is an exception because I never wore it and the tags are still on. I bought it for my sister's wedding and it didn't work out.

What do you do? What are your criteria for DI vs. Craigslist?