potrero view

January 2012

The Art of De-Accessioning

Edward Lortz

The first time I read the word “de-accessioning” it was in reference to a museum selling art from its collection.  I soon realized that the term meant getting rid of junk that’d been donated by someone who wanted a tax deduction in excess of an item’s actual worth.  Over the last decade, I grew to understand that it’s a lot easier for my partner Fil and me – as well as Shoji, our cat – to live in 1,000 square feet if there’s as little junk as possible.

The first step to personal de-accessioning is to make a plan.  Put each item to be de-accessioned into a category, ranging from garbage to auction house possibility. The easiest way to unload a piece of junk is to put it on the curb. This can annoy neighbors, but I’ve found that folks driving around will collect the most amazing things, like the small pile of wood scraps that disappeared within hours. If it’s still there after two days, it goes in the trash, or recycling if recyclers will accept it.

The next disposal method is San Francisco Freecycle Network, a Yahoo group with almost 15,000 members.  I’ve offered close to a hundred items on SFFN, from an old Polaroid camera to a rusty wok, and have found a new home for 90 percent of them. You can find local versions of these websites by searching the internet.  The new Nextdoor.com Potrero Group even has a “buy/sell/free” area, where I’ve already de-accessed a bicycle helmet.

If you want to make some spare change from your unwanted stuff, go to flea market-style internet sites, such as Craigslist.org.  Post items for sale for less than $50; visit a consignment shop or eBay for anything worth more than that, or light enough to ship. I’ve sold quite a few items on Craigslist, which also has a free area, but the percentage of no-shows is high, prompting me to switch to Freecycle.

If you have lots of stuff consider holding a garage sale.  We started our de-accessioning process with such a sale 15 years ago; now we don’t have enough to fill even one small table.  Getting together with a bunch of neighbors for a block sale helps attract more purchasers.

Consignment is a good way to reduce the amount of clutter in your house. Over the last eight years, we’ve been slowly remodeling our kitchen without increasing storage space. If we haven’t used a utensil in 10 years, out it goes. For some items consignment is easier than relying on internet sites.  I’ve sold roughly 95 percent of what I’ve dropped off at Leftovers, a shop located in Polk Gulch, for very fair prices.

Next to the top of the de-accessioning food chain is eBay. It takes an effort to photograph, write a good description, and list things. Be sure to search out a similar item to see if it sold or what it’s selling for before going to the trouble.  I determined that my old slide rule and “antique” Philip Morris cigarette tin weren’t worth more than $5.  But sometimes you luck out. I sold a silver-plated ice bucket that I got tired of polishing on eBay for $3,000.   You can even find people who will do the listing and preparation for you.

At the top of the food chain is the auction house.  I’ve sold quite a lot of artwork and good antique furniture through Bonhams, though there are other good houses in the Bay Area.  You might be shocked at the commission – as much as 30 percent – but you need to realize that an auction house’s exposure is huge compared to any other method of selling something.  Make an appointment or take the item or photographs to an “appraisal event,” usually monthly, to find out if the house would be interested in selling the item, sale terms, how much they’d list it for, and whether to set a minimum bid price.

If, after evaluating these strategies, you still have a bunch of stuff to get rid of there are many organizations that will take usable items. This is especially true of clothing and household goods. I de-access any item that I haven’t worn in five years or that I’ve replaced.  Remember to get a receipt if you contribute to a nonprofit organization. I’ve averaged a few thousand dollars in tax deductions every year, although that’s rapidly declining as I have less and less to de-access. You need to itemize in order to take this deduction; consult your tax advisor.  You can generally deduct one-quarter of the purchase price, known in the tax world as “Thrift Shop Value.”

You should have a rule that if you buy something, you can’t keep the old item.  Don’t feel guilty for letting go of something sentimental which you’ll never use.  Of all the stuff that I inherited from my mother and a dear friend, I kept one of each, such as one glass or good chair; I felt no guilt de-accessing the remainder.  If you feel you may someday use an item, but chances are slim, balance the space it’s taking with the possible cost of buying it new a few years hence. I’ve used this philosophy for decades, and found that only once have I ever needed to repurchase anything, and it cost less than $20.

If you’re over 55, you shouldn’t have a storage space, except for extraordinary circumstances. If your kids don’t want it, get rid of it. At younger ages, only store what you absolutely will need in the future.   Don’t be a packrat.

A few places to discard items:  Community Thrift, 625 Valencia Street:  a lot of clothing but almost any household item; Friends of the Library, 438 Treat at 18th Street:  books; Out of the Closet, 1295 Folsom:  clothing and household stuff:  Green Citizen Electronic Recycling, 592 Howard at Second:  any electronics stuff; Cole Hardware, most locations:  batteries, latex paint (no empty cans).

 

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