Tag: clothing donations

Check the Thrift for Football Fan Gear

Posted on by Jordank

Football season is in full swing, and just six weeks in, it has been a roller-coaster ride for many fans. The early part of the season has been marked by an unusual number of huge upsets, shaking up the standings and causing some to question their longtime allegiances.

But for fans looking forward to having their favorite teams make the playoffs (or banking on their Fantasy Football picks), every week is a make-or-break viewing. And for true fans, nothing beats having a jersey or other souvenir announcing which team the support.

On game day, you want to be wearing a pro jersey from your favorite team with your favorite player’s name stitched on the back, or at least a T-shirt or cap with the team logo. Bears or Lions, Patriots or Jets, Saints or Seahawks, fans just have to have the merch.

The trouble is, that stuff is expensive. An “official” NFL Green Bay Packers jersey with Aaron Rogers’ name and number on it starts at $99.99. Add your own last name and another two-digit number, and the price shoots up to $149.99.

This isn’t limited to football only, of course; baseball, basketball and hockey fans have their own high-priced fan gear. Astros, Cardinals, Nationals and Yankees gear will see a surge in sales this week, as those teams vie to compete in Major League Baseball’s World Series.

There is a less costly answer, though, if you’re headed to a gameday event and need to show your sartorial support. The local thrift! Supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org, they are an incredible resource of sports paraphernalia.

Think about it: Pro (and college) sports teams are something lots of people rally around. And a lot of those people — fans — buy themselves new stuff, gain or lose weight, and otherwise grow out of their gear. When they weed that extra stuff out, they often donate it.

That means that the local thrift has lots of jerseys, T-shirts and other stuff representing local and regional teams. It may even have stuff from out-of-town teams if a few of your neighbors have moved to the area and/or maintained their fandoms from afar.

Fan gear is in wide demand, and there is no shortage of it — so why pay more? Track it down at the thrift, and you’ll pay pennies on the dollar compared to buying new. And if you have outgrown some of your own fan gear, donate it to ClothingDonations.org; it will be resold to help fund valuable veterans programs. Yay team!

Harvest the Benefits of a Fall Garage Sale

Posted on by Jordank

The temperatures are cooling, the leaves are changing colors and soon enough, snow will be falling in many parts of the country. But although fall begins on Monday, Sept. 23, there’s still time to do a good #decluttering and make some money by selling the things you don’t want.

That’s right — fall is one of the best times of the year to have a garage, yard or tag sale. The weather is often as good as or better than it is in the summer, and having fewer sales and other events to compete with can help your sale corner the market.

“Spring and summer may be the most popular #garagesale seasons, but popular is not always a good thing,” says the Skywriters Garage Blog. “A fall garage sale typically faces little to no competition. With no competitors, you could be the busiest sale in town.”

What you decide to #declutter and tag can also have an impact on your fall sale’s success. Few people are looking to buy used Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations during the spring and summer seasons; sell them now, and buyers will pay premium prices.

Similarly, nobody is thinking about cooler temperatures while they’re shopping in the sweltering summer sun. Down jackets, winter coats, sweaters and flannels will sell better as the weather starts to cool off.

You can also lure customers in by selling fall treats such as pumpkin bars and hot apple cider. Put the kids on this task and let them use the money to get Halloween costumes or whatever else they need for the season.

There are still six weekends until Halloween, when the northern states see a radical shift in temperatures and daylight hours; any of them is fair game for a sale. If you live further south, you’ll have more options before your neighbors hole up against the cold.

The money you earn can help fund a happy holiday season, and getting rid of excess #clutter is its own reward. “Before you batten down the hatches for a winter-long hibernation, decluttering and #organizing your home will help ease stress and make the season go more smoothly,” says Financial Avenue.

When your garage sale is over, #donate the lightly used clothing and household items that don’t sell to ClothingDonations.org. You’ll support valuable veterans programs throughout the country — and avoid bringing that clutter back into your home.

Use Bins to Organize Attic Storage

Posted on by Jordank

Plastic stacking bins are best for attic storage, says HowToCleanStuff.net, since they can keep stuff dry and free of pests. Use bins to store non-fabric items and label them whenever possible so that you can locate what you need, when you need it. “It’s not necessary to fill each container initially,” the blog says. “What is necessary is to categorize your storage containers so they can handle future growth.” Also, be sure to review what you have in attic storage each year, weeding out anything you aren’t using or don’t want and donating it to a charity such as ClothingDonations.org.

Using Your Attic Space for Storage

Posted on by Jordank

Many people — especially those with older homes — use their attics for #storage. These areas offer an out-of-the-way place to keep extra stuff. Therein lies a problem, however: Once stored in the attic, stuff is out of sight and out of mind. Attics can turn into a jumble as you hastily put things there or conduct a frantic search for a single, specific item; and stuff can then turn into a fire hazard and attract pests. To safely use your attic for storage, SpaceWise says, first clear out the entire space, trash anything that’s no longer useable and donate the stuff you don’t want to an organization such as ClothingDonations.org.

Six More Weeks of Summer

Posted on by Jordank

With the Labor Day weekend behind us, most people (and especially people with kids) are mourning “the end” of summer. Whether or not you or your kids have to be in school, however, there’s still plenty of summer left to enjoy.

At the time of this writing, there are still nearly three weeks until the fall equinox — the official end, astronomically speaking, of the season. But many places in the U.S. won’t see real fall weather for several weeks beyond Sept. 23.

If there was a Groundhog Day in the summer, in other words, Punxsutawney Phil would likely give us six more weeks to enjoy. So there’s no reason to stop having cookouts, taking road trips and otherwise savor the season.

Take in a baseball game, BroBible suggests. Go for swim. Attend a music festival or see a summer blockbuster. Throw a Frisbee. The weather is fantastic (in many places, better than in August), so don’t let the calendar tell you when the summer fun needs to end.

Most of the activities you’ve enjoyed since June are still going strong, HuffPost says, so maintain your summer mindset into October. “Continue to have fun, to eat fresh produce from the farmer’s market, to read trashy novels, to spend time outdoors, to go for walks after dinner and long bike rides on weekends.”

There’s still time for decluttering, of course. As you squeeze in those last few summer outings and events, be conscious of what you will and won’t need as it starts to feel more like sweater weather.

For example, you’ve probably worn those white jeans/shorts/linens for the last time, so you can now safely donate them to ClothingDonations.org. The same goes for outdoor equipment you won’t be using much longer, such as camping gear and pool toys.

By the same token, you can also stock up on sweaters, blankets and household items best suited to fall festivities at the thrift stores supplied by ClothingDonations.org. The resale of #donated goods helps fund veterans programs throughout the country year-round.

Now’s the time to squeeze the last bits of outdoor merriment out of summer. As Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” And summer ain’t over just because the kids are back in school!