craigslist

Back in the fall I discovered craigslist!

Of course, I had heard of it. I'd viewed the occasional apartment listing and read articles about it's phenomenal, almost cult-like popularity, but beyond that I hadn't had occasion to actually use it myself.

That is, until receiving a less than enthusiastic response for something I posted on Freecycle™ one lazy Sunday afternoon. I remembered that my cousin had mentioned getting stuff through craigslist so, on a whim, I decided to give it a whirl. How bad could it be? I set up an account, posted my item in the "free stuff" section, and didn't give it too much more thought. However, when I checked my email later that day, I was astonished at the response my post had received, since the same item hadn't gotten so much as a nibble on Freecycle™.

I selected a respondent, made p/u arrangements, and the rest is declutter history. Let me tell you, I got rid of more stuff in the month after that than I would have ever thought possible. I'm talking even the odd or unusual stuff that mysteriously accumulates over time. The kind of stuff you can't imagine anyone else would want, but, therein lies the problem for the Packrat, eh?

That is not to say craigslist was not without its drawbacks, which I'll get to in a moment, but in spite of the pitfalls I encountered, it was like discovering a Secret Declutter Weapon, and craigslist remains an extremely vital tool in this Packrat's arsenal. Again, I only have experience with posting items in the "free stuff" section. I haven't tried to sell anything through the site, so I can't speak to what the experience is like using any of those categories.

The good news. . .

• there's no charge to set up an account and it is very easy to do
  
• you can upload photos of your item at the same time you enter your written description, also quite easy
  
• you can choose to anonymize your email so it is not exposed to the "elements". The site creates a unique email for that post which responders see, and their queries are then forwarded to your email. You decide whom to contact after that.
  
• although your posts remain available to you indefinitely on your Acct home page, they "expire" or are delisted from public viewing after a certain period of time. You can also manually de-list an item if you want. Alternatively, it is easy to relist an item as well. I find this feature to be hugely convenient, since on Freecycle™ this must be done manually.

. . .and the not so good news

• be forewarned, craigslist is strictly no frill's. If you are looking for a slickly designed site, with java script animations, flash displays, etc then turn back now! The craigslist interface is plain, Plain, PLAIN!

• for completing certain tasks, the site's design is less than intuitive, so it can be tricky to navigate or figure out how to do what you want, or why something occurred

• like Freecycle™ there is the problem of people indicating they are interested in an item, but then not following through when you contact them about P/U arrangements, however, I have been fortunate that given the number of items I've gotten rid of using craigslist, this hasn't happen too often.

• there are numerous craigslist communities for different cities or regions both in this country as well as all over the world. You must post to the one to where you (and your item) are geographically located. craigslist communities are "self-policing" and may vary in their thresholds for what they consider to be bad or inappropriate behavior. Community members can flag a post for removal if they deem it to be spam (i.e. advertisement or promotional in nature, or too many posts from one user within a certain timeframe) in violation of site policy, or otherwise inappropriate. If a post receives too many flags, it will most likely be removed.

  The problem is you have no way of knowing beforehand what that threshold might be, nor are you necessarily even alerted to the fact that a particular listing has been flagged, that is a message in your Acct while you are logged in as opposed to an email that may not be sent until sometime later. If you even get that. From what I could gather after wading into the help forum, some people said the didn't even get an email.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) I got the first email, perhaps 30 minutes after initially posting what I thought to be a mere four items (not a problem on Freecycle™). Up to that point I had just posted one thing at a time with a day or two in between. But Hey! It was the beginning of the New Year and I was feeling ambitious! I would later find out that apparently all four posts were flagged. Luckily only two received a threshold number of flags, but they were still up long enough that a few responses trickled through so I was ultimately able to carry out my Exit Strategy for them.

However, obtaining even that much information was a hassle. The email I received was an automated thingy with a boilerplate advisement stating that the vast majority of postings were usually removed because they violated craigslist guidelines and it suggested that I check the terms of use to make sure my post was in accordance with it (as far as I could tell they were). For a more detailed explanation I was directed to post a question in the appropriate craigslist help forum. After some minor difficulty figuring out how to access and post to the help forum, I was able to glean several possible reasons as to why my posts had been flagged, but It I was still left feeling a bit nebulous about the whole thing.

Be all that as it may, I have still found craigslist to be an extremely effective declutter tool. After My Experience I made sure to space my posts out or tried listing multiple items in one post and don't seem to have had any more problems.

Title Trader

I finally settled on Title Trader as my CD/DVD swap site of choice. Although I had some initial difficulty figuring out how to list my items, once I did, I was good to go, and was able to successfully trade the bulk of my items there. Also, Title Trader does not limit you to trading only CDs or DVDs. You can list all kinds of other stuff such as books, magazines, audio-cassettes, even household items ala Freecycle.

Here's how Title Trader stacked up against my criteria:

1. Shipping

   Alas, while you can print a shipping label, inexplicably, it is not paid postage!?! nor at this time, are you able to pay for it online via credit card. . .
   

2. Avoiding the Post-office

   . . .therefore you still have to go to the post-office, stand on line and deal with the quirks of the postal staff. Bummer!

   For example, I do not trust the postal service not to manhandle my CDs/DVD packages as they wend their way through the system. So, to decrease the chances of any damage during shipping, I err on the side of caution and try to pad the envelope really well. One postal clerk eyed my package suspiciously and asked what was inside. When I told him, he asked why was it so thick, was anything else in there . . .? But, after processing it he just carelessly tossed (more like hurled) it into the mail bin behind him, which is EXACTLY why I padded it to the hilt. I'm thinking to myself, "My package has hardly even gotten into the post office good, before it getting roughed up! Thankfully, so far the CDs/DVDs I've shipped seem to have arrived intact.

3. Liner notes, artwork & case

   At Title Trader you have the option to send as much or as little of the accompanying material as you want. Some traders will note this type of information in their listing, which I found helpful in choosing with whom to trade.

4. Simplicity

   It's very easy to set up an account. The site also loads quickly on my dial-up connection.

   Each book, CD, and DVD is worth one Request Point and can be used to request a book, CD, or DVD from Title Trader's collection once you have received positive feedback. An email notification is sent when one of your items has been requested and you can print a shipping label at that time. I listed several items, and got requests right away, but again, how quickly or how many of your items are requested will be dependent on what you have to offer.

   Although, at first I found Title Trader a little tricky to navigate (I couldn't figure out how to list my items) once I did, things went more smoothly. Searching by UPC or ISBN can also be a little tricky. Sometimes those number don't work, but then, plugging in the title or artist will yield the item. Just be forewarned that you may have to fiddle around with your search queries a bit.

   Also, in one case, I had a problem printing a shipping label because the recipient's address could not be verified in the USPS database. Although, I emailed the site for assistance on several occasions, as far as I can tell, I never received a response unlike the speedy one obtained from SwapSimple's customer service department. (see my post on that here) However, since shipping labels are not postage paid, you can manually create your own shipping label without losing anything, which is what I ultimately ended up doing.

All in all, even though the need to go to the post office is somewhat of a hassle, the site's overall ease of use and laid back feel is what won me over in the end.

One More Thing: Premium Features

Title Trader premium access costs $19.95/year. However, when you first sign up, they will give you a 30 day trial that includes a few of the site's premium features, most notably a daily, customizable, email listing newly added items

Other premium features include:

• Wishlist Notification - email alerts when items appearing on your wish list have been added to the Title Trader inventory
  
• Saved Searches - allows you to maintain a list of your most frequent searches. When an item is added to the site
• Buddy List - allows you to bookmark your favorite users so you can keep an eye on what they have listed.
  
• Safe Swap Premium Member - enhances you status as a reliable trading partner.

Again, please note that this reflects my particular experience ONLY! You're mileage may vary.

Check-out That Charity!

As I mentioned earlier this week a clutter Exit Strategy will often involve donating your no-longer-needed items to a non-profit or charitable organization. In this entry, I will discuss a couple of tools available to help you learn more about the organization to whom may have chosen to donate your stuff. They will help you to determine

• whether an organization is a legitimate non-profit or charitable operation
• an organization's particular mission and the communities or constituencies it serves
• an organization's tax-exempt status (useful, if you would like your donation to be tax deductible)
• if any complaints have been filed against an organization and whether they were satisfactorily resolved

Two of the tools that I have previously used are GuideStar and the Better Business Bureau's (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance at Give.org.

GuideStar

GuideStar is a comprehensive source of information regarding organizations operating within the non-profit sector. Their database includes information on hundreds of thousands of charitable and non-profit organizations across the country. Note: Some of the information in a organization's profile is only available with a premium access subscription, but what is freely available should be more than sufficient for the purposes identified above.

At the search page just type the name of the organization you are looking up into the search field and click the search button. A list of possible organizations from which to choose will be displayed. There are also classification codes (the NTEE Classification System) that you can search by, if you want to pinpoint organizations involved in specific types of activities (e.g. youth, the environment, the arts, etc.) For a more complete listing of those codes visit NCCS.

Anyway, click a link to see additional information. Be forewarned that you will need to register with GuideStar in order to click through to this basic record! Yes, this is a little inconvenient, but registration is free and is much less inconvenient than finding out later that those clothes you realized you were never going to wear again didn't end up getting to other people who could really use them.

Once you have registered and logged in, a free, basic search will yield the following types of information:

• the organization's name and address
• a contact person along with a telephone and fax number (email address info in the profile is, unfortunately, only part of premium access. . .)
• a website if available (. . .however you may be able to pick that up here)
• a brief description of the organization and its goals
• the type of tax-exempt status an organization has (there are nearly 40 categories!) and whether contributions to the organization are deductible, as provided by law
• whether they are required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ with the IRS and if available, links to .PDFs of those previously filed
• when the organization's GuideStar profile was last updated
• whether an organization makes its audited financial statements available to the public

Other information included in the basic profile if available and which might be of interest is

• year founded
• location(s) served
• additional detailed information about an organization's programs and achievements

For additional tips and information to keep in mind when investigating a charity see GuideStar for Donors.

Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance

Give.org also provides information to help you evaluate a charity. Additionally, they maintain a list of organizations that solicit funds on a national basis (the National Charity Reports Index) with links to reports evaluating them in terms of the BBB's voluntary charity standards. To find information regarding regional or local charities, you will need to visit the corresponding BBB for that region or locale. Go to the BBB Look-up page.

Now you will be better able to make an informed decision about choosing a new home for your stuff.

Happy Giving!

The Exit Strategy Made Easier

A couple of weeks ago, I was poking around the NYC WasteLe$$ site and came across a page that I think is a very cool and invaluable tool for the Packrat. It's the NYC Stuff Exchange. According to the website:

This website offers a quick and simple way for NYC
residents to search for places in their neighborhood
and throughout the city where they can donate, sell,
buy, rent, or repair different types of gently used goods

But of particular interest is the Events Calendar!

What this means, is that for those of you in the NYC area, you can search for possible Exit Strategy opportunities from the comfort of your browser!

You can search

1. within the following four categories:
• donation drive
• rummage sale
• used book fair
• swap meet
2. within specific date ranges
3. by keyword

It will list the event, the date and time, and the sponsoring organization.

You can also click on the listing for more details such as the specific location of the event, contact information, a website if available, and a little blurb about the items being accepted.

Wowee! I think this is terrific!

A Tale of Two Computers

In Digital Spring Cleaning and Diskard I mentioned that I had somehow come to harbor three computers in my tiny apartment. How could that happen, you ask?

Identify

I acquired one of the computers when I returned to graduate school, the first time around. It was the first PC that I ever owned. A CompuAdd PC running DOS. Great computer! Never had any real problems with it. Sturdy and solidly built. Just how sturdy I only truly discovered later, when I tried to extract the hard drive. But I digress.

I eventually bit the bullet and got a Windows PC, but not being entirely convinced that I would get along with it, I kept my CompuAdd as a sort of electronic security blanket. Eventually though, I used the CompuAdd PC less and less until it just sat shrouded in the corner, collecting dust.

This second computer, I only had for a couple of years before it needed to be replaced. As many of you may know, it can be quite a production (and a painful one!) to transfer your files and applications from an existing computer to a new one. Never mind having to then prepare it for a new owner if you decide to give it away or donate it to charity. However, with this computer, uncharacteristically, I somehow managed to accomplish these tasks relatively quickly and passed it on to my mother, who had finally decided she was ready to take her first steps into the world of computing.

I trundled along with my third computer for about seven or eight years, before it too began to conk out. Unfortunately, getting rid of it did not proceed as expeditiously. I was in the final throes of another academic experience {{{shudder}}}, and hoped it would hold out long enough for me to complete my coursework, which it thankfully did. Incredibly, I still had one more academic requirement to complete, so I just did not have the time nor the fortitude right then, to go through the contortions of breaking this third computer down, in order to get rid of it. It would be two more years, before I could even contemplate that project and then, due to my floppy disk dilemma (see Diskard for the sordid details), possession was extended a tad longer.

And so, this is how I came to have three computers in the house, not a completely unreasonable scenario, at least for a Packrat, right . . .?

Gather

Nevertheless, the day finally came when I truly accepted that I did not need to have three computers, when one would do just fine, and had the time to do something about it. The CompuAdd, trusty little computer that it was, went first. Its 5.25" drive no longer worked so I really had no further reason to keep it any longer. I even managed to suppress a compulsive thought that there might be stuff on the hard drive that was possibly worth keeping, which would have only needlessly delayed the inevitable. I consoled myself by reasoning that if I had not looked at it or needed it by now, I probably wouldn't miss it! However, as a slight concession to myself, I decided to remove the hard drive before getting rid of the computer altogether.

And, let me tell you, I might just as well have been trying to break into a safe! Those CompuAdds were solidly built machines. Tightly screwed (like lug nuts on a tire) and all but welded together. Once I managed to get inside the box, I had to figure out where the hard drive even was! It turned out to be tucked quite securely under the 3.5" floppy drive bay, which also had to be removed in order to get at the hard drive. All told, it took several hours to figure all this out, get everything apart so I could do the extraction and then put it back together. I very nearly gave up, especially since the computer drop was the next day. But you know what I always say . . . I am nothing if not persistent and at last the deed was done. Several months later, I repeated this drill with the other computer. Thankfully, getting the hard drive out of this one was much, much easier. Undoing one screw here, pressing a couple of release tabs there and POP! Instant access inside the box. And this time, the hard drive bay was not buried under some other component, but was instead easily spotted and also easily released by undoing one or two screws and pushing on a couple of tabs.

Remove

The computer and its related equipment will probably be some of the easiest stuff you'll ever get rid compared to other treasures you might accumulate over the years.

For one thing, relatively speaking, the tech industry is way ahead of manufacturers from other industries in incorporating "take backs" into their business practices. By that, I mean they have specific and explicit policies to facilitate the consumer's ability to properly dispose of their used or unwanted electronic gizmos, but more importantly, this information is readily communicated to the consumer at some point during the acquisition process or ownership phase. For example, printer cartridges. Within the packaging of the new cartridge, my printer manufacturer includes instructions along with a postage-paid return envelope for sending back the old one. Imagine being able to do the same with a pair of shoes or sneakers...an ironing board...? Anyway, you can check out the EPA's Plug-in Partners page for a listing of companies who have such a program in place.

Also, a variety of organizations have sprung up that either sponsor electronics drops, will pick up, or to whom you can send your old equipment for refurbishment or proper disposal. GreenDisk is one such organization that I've previously talked about and actually used (also discussed in Diskard). GreenCitizen, (I haven't used them) based in California is another. Every so often, the Lower East Side Ecology Center in NYC among other activities, sponsors electronics drops. Earth 911 is another excellent resource for finding out how and where various items, including electronics, can be recycled nation wide.

To dispose of each of my computers, I took advantage of one of the municipal electronics drops, which are scheduled from time to time by the city. Both times that I dropped my computers off, I found it extremely easy, convenient and well-organized. They were held in locations to which you can drive your car if you choose. Once there, personnel then direct you to the particular spot where they will unload the stuff from your car, after which they point you in the direction to exit the area. Each time, I was on my way in less than 5 or 10 minutes. In fact, the hardest part was getting the stuff down from my apartment and into the car, beforehand.

Really, I can't see any good reason not to take advantage of the available opportunities to get rid of this type of stuff. Also, while putting the finishing touches on this week's post I discovered that Staples just announced a massive takeback program. There's a press release at the Earth 911 site, here.

So, there you have it. What are you waiting for!

GreenDisk

Last week in The Diskard entry I described my difficult, but ultimate triumph in disposing of an accumulation of 5.25" floppy diskettes, and advised that this was part of my multi-faceted Electronics Discard Project (EDP), discussed in Digital Spring Cleaning. For The Diskard's "Removal step I used Green Disk, which turned out to be a really easy solution! Just the way I like them!

According to their website, "GreenDisk began on April 22, 1993 (Earth Day!) . . . [and] was founded by high tech industry veterans who had a particular passion for the environment." I had actually first heard of them many years ago through a professional list serve I subscribe to. Someone on the list asked if anyone knew of an environmentally friendly way to dispose of disks and CD's, and Green Disk was suggested. Packrat that I am, I tucked this bit of information away for future reference. Once I decided it was time to finally get rid of these floppies, I untucked it and decided to give GreenDisk a try. You see! Hoarding can have its advantages!

Through a series of partnerships with both for-profit businesses and non-profit agencies GreenDisk takes advantage of existing recycling centers to process what they call "technotrash". This arrangement also provides employment opportunities for disabled adults. Certain of the refurbished "technotrash" items are sold as GreenDisk's branded line of office supplies. Those items that cannot be refurbished are dismantled and properly disposed of, and they will provide a certificate to that effect. Everyone wins!

There is a fee to take this stuff off your hands (varies depending on the service you use), but for me, this was well worth it. Another great thing about GreenDisk is that they handle both small (30 lbs or less) and large amounts (over 300 lbs) of technotrash, so this deklutter solution is one that is suitable for both individuals as well as businesses. They accept quite a wide variety of electronic refuse:

desktops

laptops

monitors

printers

CDs

DVDs

videotapes

cell phones and other PDA equipment

but this list represents just a smidgeon of it. For a complete list visit their FAQ.

I used the Technotrash Pack-It service, although there are other service options available: Technotrash Can and the Computer and Component Recycling Program. With the Technotrash Pack-It service you use your own box and fill it with up to 20 lbs worth of whatever technotrash you can fit into it. At this writing the cost was $6.95 plus you have to pay for shipping. Anything over 20 lbs will costs 0.30¢ per additional pound. It took mere moments to set up an account. Placing my order and the final checkout process was also a breeze. The mailing label was included as a .PDF attachment to the order confirmation sent via email. Regular users of their services can manage their account and product orders through the site.

The Technotrash Pack-It service is good for small amounts of such items as floppies, DVDs, CDs, mice, cell phones, PDAs. Smaller, computer-related stuff like that. For larger volumes of this type of trash, you should use the "Technotrash Can" service. Various box sizes and pricing are available, however all the ins and outs are clearly spelled out at their site.

For computer components like monitors, printers, laptops, or complete desktop systems, they require you to use the Computer Component Recycling Program. If you or your business has unique needs, you can contact them to arrange a solution tailored to your particular situation. Note: "Technotrash Can Service is available only in the 48 contiguous states. Service is not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, or outside North America."

I packed up my floppies and just for the heck of it, tossed in a bunch of promotional CDs that I had (such as might be received from a certain internet and email service provider that starts with an Amer...?). I took the box to the post-office in order to weigh it on the self-service scale. It came to a little over 9 lbs. Later, I placed my order and printed out the label, then went back to the post-office to mail it. I used US Postal Service Media Mail, however you can choose whatever shipping method you like (e.g. UPS, FedEx or whatever). A week later, I received a Certificate of Destruction, which GreenDisk states is a bonded guarantee that the intellectual property and all of the physical materials were disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.

And that was that! Diskard Mission accomplished!

Fabric Free

Many years ago, one of my hobbies was sewing. I used to subscribe to several sewing magazines and through them discovered fabric clubs. I ended up joining three of them! Each month I would receive swatches in the mail. Of course, I drooled over those samples while visions of garments I would sew myself, danced in my head! I guess you can see where this is heading, right?

Although I had accumulated quite a bit of fabric, alas, I never quite got around to actually sewing anything with it (I even kept those little swatches! Yup! Discovered a whole shoebox of 'em while I was poking around a closet. Well, they were perfectly good! How could I possibly throw them away...?!!)

Identify

While I do hope to get back to sewing one day, for now that won't be happening, so I finally faced up to the fact that it was time to find the fabric a new home. I threw the phrase "donate fabric" into the search engine to see what would turn up. One possibility that presented itself was quilting groups or non-profit organizations looking for fabric to make blankets on behalf of various constituencies (e.g. children who are going through difficult times whether due to illness or family issues (e.g. Project Linus, IPump.org, Inc.). Another possibility, which had not occurred to me, were animal rescue organizations. I discovered that many sponsor Cage Comforter Programs. Volunteers make little quilts or blankets for the animals they shelter while they await adoption. Apparently the blankets are comforting and are much more attractive to potential new owners, then shredded newspaper.

However, I decided to donate my fabric to Materials for the Arts (MFTA), a "materials exchange" organization, NOT to be confused with an exchange or swap site, which I discussed previously (see The Exchange Game). Materials exchanges are organizations (often non-profit) that collect donations of various types of excess materials from businesses and/or individuals. Others can then purchase these materials for a much lower price than they would ordinarily cost. In the case of MFTA, purchase is restricted to NYC Department of Education art teachers, government agencies and not-for-profit arts and cultural groups, social service, health, and environmental organizations that have an ongoing art program. However, other materials exchanges may have different stipulations. Some other materials exchanges that I came across during my internet wanderings were Materials Exchange Center for Community Arts Home in Eugene, Oregon, Scrapbox in Ann Arbor, MI and St. Louis Teachers' Recycle Center, Inc. in Missouri, but that is by no means an exhaustive list. Check out MFTA's resource page for more possibilities in the NY tri-state area. The Find Reuse directory at Redo.org is another handy tool for locating such organizations in other parts of the country.

Gather

Once I had some idea of where the fabric was going (i.e. my Exit Strategy), I dragged a stepladder over to the closet where I had it stashed, waaaaay up on a top shelf, and pulled it all out so I could see exactly what I had. I guestimated the value as best I could and made a list describing the type of fabric, the color or pattern and its yardage.

I have to admit this did set off a bit of a Klutter Krisis, until I got all the details finalized. I had to register as a donor at the MFTA site, submit a list of the items I was donating via their online donation form and then wait for someone to contact me to confirm whether my donation would be accepted. In the meanwhile, I tried to minimize the disruption as much as possible by keeping everything neatly organized in shopping bags until the final removal.

Remove

Fortunately, somebody contacted me by phone within a day or so and thankfully MFTA was more than happy to accept the donation. A drawback is MFTA will only pick up items that weigh at least 250 lbs and/or have an estimated monetary value of $1,000. Otherwise, you will need to drop it off personally at their warehouse or mail it to them. This is what I ended up doing, since their drop-off hours were very limited (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9AM and 3PM).

Once I got the final go ahead, I spent an afternoon getting everything packed up and ready to go. I should have been doing schoolwork, but that's another story. Plus this was far more enjoyable. I was reducing clutter and knew it would be going towards a great cause! Since then I have received several acknowledgements (including a reciept for tax purposes), both from MFTA as well as the ultimate recipient, a visual arts teacher working at a public school through Studio in a School, which places professional artists in public schools throughout NYC's five boroughs.

<<--I-->>

By providing a relatively inexpensive source of arts and other supplies, materials exchanges enable teachers and organizations to deliver services or provide programs that enrich their communities educationally, artistically and culturally (check out MFTA's recipient list). They also help to divert huge quantities of materials that would otherwise end up in the landfills.

Voila! A personally satisfying and eco-friendly solution for reducing clutter!

Alright, alright! So, what if I did keep a few pieces of the fabric. Releasing one's inner Packrat doesn't happen over night, you know!

Throwing Away at Throwplace.com®

In the Exchange Game I talked about exchange or swap sites as one of the tools a Packrat should include in his or her Decluttering Arsenal. In Something for the Bibliophile I discussed the Bookins site, which is specifically for the exchange of books (hard cover, paperback) and audio books. This week I would like to tell you about Throwplace.com®, an exchange site where all sorts of items can be posted for exchange. They describe themselves as "The Internet's Landfill Alternative".

I stumbled across this site in the course of searching for, what else? Recycling information! Unfortunately, I initially forgot to bookmark the site! Also, of the many sites I'd viewed that morning, I couldn't remember where I'd specifically seen the link to Throwplace. Adding even further insult to injury, I hadn't even correctly remembered the name of the site. I kept thinking it was "Drop Place" or something like that. As you can see I was batting a thousand. How-some-ever, I am nothing if not persistent. Oddly enough, for some reason I was able to remember one of the sites they had listed as having written about them, and was eventually able to get the URL in this manner. Needless to say I bookmarked the site immediately this time!

Why did I go through so much trouble to find my way back to this particular site? Well during my initial visit, I just really and immediately liked the site's look and feel. I wanted to poke around it some more. When I did get back to it, I found the site was easy to navigate and getting set-up was equally simple. As you know simplicity is one of my main criteria for giving something the thumbs up, and as I've also said, this quality is particularly important in the war against clutter.

It's free to set up a basic account, which will allow users to list or "throw" items in any of the following four categories:

US Charities

International Charities

Business/Individuals

Up-For-Grabs

However, only premium users can "take" from all four of those categories. Regular users are just allowed to "take" from the "Up-For-Grabs" section. But, since our main goal is to get rid of rather than acquire things, this should suit most purposes just fine. I set up an account back in October and since then have been able to dispose of about 27 out of 30 or so of the items that I've listed. Many of these items have included books, which for whatever reason, could not be listed on Bookins or were not requested after listing there.

Once someone requests one of your listed items, you will be sent an email with a link to the request. You will then need to sign in to obtain additional information regarding the request. After logging in, if there are multiple requests for the item in question, you can select the one you want and accept their request. Once you have accepted a request that "throw" is removed from the browse list of available items. An email is then sent to your chosen recipient advising them of your acceptance. Each of you will then receive an email containing each other's email address so that you may contact each other to complete the arrangements for the exchange. If for whatever reason, a "throw" falls through, relisting the item is simple by using the appropriate links in the item's listing. However, see their FAQ and Overview pages for all the ins and outs.

Once your account is set up, listing and keeping track of your "throws" is a snap, which are organized on your account in separate sections based on whether an item has been accepted (Older Throws) or not (Active Throws). Other helpful features include links to the US Postal and UPS sites for calculating shipping costs, along with a few additional tips related to getting your item to its intended recipient. Of additional and potential interest are various green or environmental resources at the site, such as

a directory of socially responsible vendors, retailers and suppliers

other green or eco-friendly related sites

participating US 501(c)(3) verified charities as well as International charities (not verified) or US charities who lack 501(c)(3) status charities

a classified ads section

However, these extras DO NOT get in the way of, what for me anyway, is my main goal in using the site: to facilitate the disposal of unwanted items!

In closing, I would like to offer one more final good word about Throwplace. I have found their Customer Service to be very friendly and helpful in resolving the few problems I have encountered, thus far. One particular issue involved my ISP, who on two separate occasions tagged their automated notification emails as spam and blocked them. However in distinct contrast to my ISP, whose basic stance is to require their paying customer's to chase around the necessary documentation before they will remove such blocks, all the while making you feel like some common bulk spammer, Throwplace worked cooperatively with me to get the problem resolved. This only served to enhance my overall positive attitude towards them and I would highly recommend at least checking them out.

So then! The twig hugger drill is as follows:

1. Identify that quaint little gewgaw quietly collecting dust in some corner of your home
2. Sign up for a free Throwplace account and list that delightful trinket using Throwplace's simple form
3. Wait for that lucky someone to espy your item in the browse list and to quickly request it before someone else does!
4. Accept their request lickety split and email the lucky recipient to make whatever final arrangements
5. Then, and only then Gather this precious knickknack and prepare it for shipping
6. Remove said item from your home and send it off to its new one

FINITO!

Something for the Bibliophile: Bookins

With this entry I begin to discuss specific solutions that I found and have used for divesting myself of clutter.

Step 1: Identify

I'm sure many of you may feel like you have too many books. What?!?! Impossible! You can never have too many books you retort. Alright, so maybe you have more books than you have room for. This is my problem. My wall unit shelves are stuffed to the brim with them. Books are jammed in there every which way: upright, sideways, on top of the uprights, etc. They were also stacked in a couple of piles on the floor. As you can imagine this accumulation was an obvious decluttering target and one that I attacked first.

Having identified the general project to be undertaken, I then zeroed in a little deeper. I reviewed my shelves and piles for books that I thought I could possibly bear to part with, especially as some of my interests had changed over time. Another friend of mine, who's also got scads of books, shared the following technique. She asked herself:

"Could I readily get this book at the public library?" If the answer was yes, she would then place it in a mental Possible Discard pile. She then asked "Could I readily get this book at the [insert your choice of small or remote location here] public library?" Again, if the answer was still yes, she then moved it to her mental Definitely Discard pile, but with a clear conscience!

The point is, find the trick that helps your Inner Packrat to relinquish an item. This way it becomes more of a fun game than a traumatic chore.

In Getting Started, Pt.2 I talked about making sure you have an Exit Strategy for an item (or items), to avoid setting off a Klutter Krisis. So, before actually touching or moving one solitary book, I made sure to figure out where stuff was going first. I threw the terms "book" and "exchange" or "swap" into my favorite search engine and came across a number of such sites. However, the one that I liked the most and decided to try was Bookins. It was the site's appearance and simple interface which ultimately persuaded me to give Bookins a whirl.

Step 2: Gather

I''ve said this before, but it can't be repeated often enough: SOLUTIONS FOR THE PACKRAT NEED TO BE AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. And, I found Bookins to definitely be that. It's free to set up an account, although there are also premium options available, with a few more bells and whistles. Once I took the plunge, I was up and running with it in a matter of moments.

Only then did I begin to gather my chosen titles so I could list them, also very easy to do. Once you've set up your account and are logged in, you simply type in a book's ISBN number, which now-a-days usually appears on a book's back cover over the barcode. For older books this information can be found on the verso or copyright page. In most cases, entering this information will retrieve an image of the book's cover. You then add additional information describing the book and certify that it is in good condition according to the following criteria:

books must be in like-new condition, or if used, have only minor signs of wear

all pages must be attached to the binding

have only a limited number of dog-eared pages, and

few if any small stains or minor tears

Finally, hit submit and POOF! It's listed.

The Bookins site searches its database for someone who has put that title on their wish list, sends email alerts to both parties to facilitate the exchange and also provides either parties the ability to track the status of the shipment. Once the material is delivered to the recipient, points are credited to your account, which you can then use towards available books that you might like to request from the Bookins database.

Step 3: Remove

For my first go-round I was very fortunate. Almost immediately (within about 24 hours), I received requests for several of the titles that I listed.

One of the Bookins features that I especially like is the ability to print a pre-paid US Postal Service Media Rate shipping label when you send a book. Note: Once you print the shipping label, you must send the book within 48 hours or you will be charged for it (at the moment $3.99) Otherwise, you are only charged when you request and receive a book (also $3.99).

Anyway, as I received requests, I printed out the label, put my book in a mailer, attached the shipping label and dropped it in the mailbox. I didn't even have to set foot in the post office!

Really, what could be easier!?!

To date I have listed 11 books, but actually traded (or removed in twigg hugger parlance) 7 through this site. However, according to Bookins, certain categories of books, such as novels or best sellers, are particularly popular. So your particular success will likely depend on the titles you have to trade.

<<-->>

Now some may ask, "How is using Bookins or a similar swap site different from borrowing a book from the Library?" Well for one thing, yes, you can borrow books from the library, however, the library may not be willing to take any of your unwanted books, which for our purposes, is a key point. Additionally, if they do take used books, they may only be willing to take very specific titles or types of materials. This is one of the problems I ran into when I first began to search for decluttering solutions-- lot's of generic lists with theoretical suggestions rather than ones that were practical or concrete.

Another advantage of using an exchange site such as Bookins, is that as a book lover you probably don't want to stop acquiring books altogether. You may just want to divest yourself of those books you no longer want and replace them with others. By using a swap site, like Bookins, you can keep traded books for as long as you like and then re-list them for trade when your done with them, whenever that is, rather than whatever the library's borrowing term happens to be. In this way you control the ebb and flow of books in and out of your space.

And that's the name of the declutter game. Exercising control over your clutter, rather than the other way around!

Join a Freecycle™ Group!

When I first made a serious decision to reduce my clutter, Freecycle™ was one of the first options I considered. I found out about them while poking around on the NYC Wa$tele$$ site several years ago. For a number of reasons I didn't actually end up using Freecycle™ (or as it is formally known The Freecycle Network™), but I'd still like to mention this option first, since others may still find it to be a particularly helpful and convenient decluttering solution.

Freecycle™, a national nonprofit, is only 4 years old, but has already spread like wild fire across the globe. It was originally started in Tucson Arizona in order to promote waste reduction in their downtown area and to help preserve the desert landscape which was in danger of being taken over by landfills. However, it is now essentially comprised of individual groups, not only in this country, but all across the world! Their sole and simple purpose is to enable people to exchange or get rid of unwanted stuff.

One of the precepts of eco-friendliness is that one's local actions have global effects. So the things we do (or don't do) within our own communities, for better or for worse, can have far reaching implications in places distant or remote to us. With that in mind, the basic philosophy of this organization can be viewed as uncomsumption at its easiest and local best, since each group is set up in and tends to serve a particular community.

Membership in Freecycle™ groups is free and the stuff you are giving must also be free as well as "...legal, and appropriate for all ages." Freecycle™ groups are moderated by volunteers. You essentially sign on to a list serve and group members post their various needs and wants. If there isn't a group in your area, Freecycle™ suggests that you might consider starting your own (click on "Start a Group" for instructions) and provides various resources to help the newbie get started (see the
FAQ).

For more infomation, their contact information is as follows:

info@freecycle.org
The Freecycle Network™
P.O. Box 294, Tucson, AZ 85702

So, in keeping with the twigghugger mantra: Identify, Gather and Remove, a simple strategy using Freecycle™ might be:

1. Identify (but don't yet move in any way) those piles of sweaters you've been meaning to give away
2. Join a Freecycle™ group
3. Send an email to your Freecycle™ group's email list
4. Wait for responses to the email
5. Select a recipient
6. Make p/u arrangements with your chosen recipient
7. Then, and only then Gather those sweaters and place them in a shopping bag
8. At the appointed time, Remove sweaters from your premises and transfer to their new owner!

And We're DONE!

Getting Started (Part 2)

Once you pick a Project, that is, you have selected an area of attack, you need to avoid setting off a Klutter Krisis, which can further impede your ability to get going. In this situation you have pysched yourself up, actually gotten together the items to be discarded, BUT, suddenly lose steam. The items either end up in the middle of the floor or in some other state of disarray.

All you've really done is shift or rearrange the original pile. To avoid this state of affairs, keep in mind this simple mantra!

Identify

Gather

and Remove

You must have an exit strategy for your stuff, that is, the actual way in which you will "unconsume" your item(s). So, before you shift that pile, empty that draw, or clear that shelf, be sure to have a new home for it in mind.

Advance planning will help you face the clutter head on, rather than giving in and avoiding it. A good exit strategy also creates permanently clear space! Unless you bring more stuff in, newly created space stays clear! This is incredibly self-reinforcing and should encourage you to keep up the good work.

We are now ready to get down to business, and I will begin to talk about some of the specific solutions that I found to do just that.

Getting Started (Part 1)

So! You've finally come to the realization that it is time to take a stand against The Klutter! But how do you get started? How do you overcome that internal inclination to hoard?

Before getting down to the nitty gritty of "unconsumption", I thought it would be useful to take a moment to talk about approaches for getting started, which can be a major stumbling block.

The way I approached it was to slow down, get ahold of myself and take a moment to examine my stockpile. Rather than view it as an undifferentiated whole, I broke it down into discrete and indvidual de-cluttering projects.

For example:

• a single pile of books or magazines, not necessarily all the piles or the whole bookshelf
• one particularly troublesome kitchen draw not necessarily all the kitchen draws or cabinets
• just the medicine cabinet (or better yet, one shelf in the medicine cabinet!) not necessarily the entire bathroom

You get the idea.

Projects by definition (and for our purposes) should be self-contained. They should have a clear beginning, but more importantly, a clear END.

By taking this approach, you can trick your Inner Packrat. The investment of time or effort for mini-projects is much less, and will seem less like a chore to be avoided at all costs. Also, by setting finite goals in advance, once completed, You Are Done, at least for the time being. Now, you can just walk away with a clear conscience and a real sense of accomplishment, which is self-reinforcing. If you feel motivated to do more, go with it, but anything else after that point is pure gravy!

The point here is to break it down into manageable and less intimidating slices so you can get started in the first place. You do not need to attack the whole shebang in its entirety. Otherwise you will become overwhelmed and say to yourself "Hmm...maybe I'll do this later...." etc. etc.

If you change your view of clearing clutter from being an Event to more of ongoing process or lifestyle change you will probably improve your ability to keep what you have under control as well as to rethink the acquisition of stuff to begin with.

Next up: Getting Started (Part 2) - Avoid Setting off a Klutter Krisis!