What I Learned from Selling my Stuff on Facebook

By Tobi Schwartz-Cassell

Like many Baby Boomers, Stan and I are finally able to downsize. We are truly blessed with two remarkable children, one of whom is a success and the other, who is on her way to becoming one. So now, it’s “Our Time.” (Not the dating service. It’s literally our time.)

Right now, my project is to go through our stuff, pretending it all belongs to someone other than us (so I can easily part with it), and guessing whether it might be of value to someone other than us.

Then, I post it all on Facebook.

Here are 4 quick examples of my posts:

1. For a cubic zirconia ring: “We’re downsizing and we just can’t fit this in our new home!” 

2. For this Vitameatavegamin bottle: “This Vitameatavegamin bottle is sealed, never opened, filled with my husband’s favorite candy: Red Hots. I used to have to slap his hand every time he reached for this adorable replica.  It’s now at least 15 years old, so he’s no longer tempted.” #downsizing #brandnewlife #stilllovelucy

And another post, at the expense of my (really quite caring) husband:

3. For a vase: “HUBBY NEVER GIVES ME FLOWERS! Must sell Waterford vase!” #brandnewlife #downsizing

And then there’s the one I posted just for fun:

4. For clothing: “Post-menopausal woman needs to sell all her turtlenecks.” #downsizing #brandnewlife

But it’s not all about the posting. It’s also about the learning. Because we never really stop learning. So here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Some people will come to your house to buy something for 5 bucks, just to get a glimpse at how other people live. They view that $5 as their price of admission into your home.
2. People who buy Lucy collectibles aren’t necessarily buying it because it’s Lucy. One woman who is doing a wine room in her home, came to look at this “Lucy’s Italian Movie” ornament. That’s the episode where she stomped the grapes. (Did you know she nearly died in that episode? It’s true. If you want to know what happened, ask me in the comment section below.)
3. Having posted so many Lucy things, I finally learned how to spell Vitameatavegamin.
4. Some people are very afraid of dogs. Others loved mine so much, they offered to buy him along with that piece of Lenox they originally came for.
5. Some people come from far away, only to take one look and leave, but could have saved themselves the trip had they asked me one simple question.
6. Everybody has a story to tell. And, if you let them, they’ll tell it. One really nice lady spent about 20 minutes here. By the time she left with her merchandise, she’d told my daughter and I about her significant weight loss, her six children, what they’re being punished for, where she works (both jobs) and where she lives.
7. Everybody comes with someone else who never leaves the car. Usually it’s for their protection. But not for one woman who stopped by to purchase some things before taking her son to urgent care. Gotta admit—I would have opted for urgent care first.

As I said to one of my dearest friends, “Downsizing is not for the faint of heart.”

But if you find the humor in things—certainly not everything, but a lot of things—you might just be able to live through it.

♥,

 

PS: Please feel free to comment below.