Free stuff I want to get rid of

[Master of None]

I have posted stuff on Free bay in the past.
A lot of the time I see my goods then posted on Ebay for profit.
Do any of you guys know of a method of getting stuff to people who actually need it or want it without these conmen making money from it?
I have a weights bench and free weight's, sit up bench and dumbbells, punch bag and gloves at the moment.
I just want to give it away to someone that wants it not a trader.
I thought about auctioning to the highest bidder on Ebay and then saying take it for free but then there are the Ebay fees.
Any Ideas?

 

[JohnD]

perhaps a local sports club?

near me a local boxing club has set its members to teams of volunteers helping with prescriptions, food deliveries etc for the sick, isolating and infirm. They'd be a good cause.

I gave away some household things to a local women's refuge, might help a battered wife and child setting up in a new home

And I gave some business suits and shirts to people at a jobclub. Only one per person, and they had to come and try it on (to weed out resellers).

You may spot suitable candidates on your local facebook page

Another tip:

if you use Freegle, ask them to text you to arrange collection.

The hidden traders have many fake usernames, but forget that their phone no can be recognised. They tend to have an automatic reply "is it still available?" or "Can I have it?" regardless of what the object is. They don't say "Hello john, do you still have the ukelele?" or Please or Thankyou or whatever. So I stack up replies for a few days as the traders are always the fastest.

 

[Master of None]

Thanks JohnD good tips.
I once done a Car Boot Sale for charity and I sold a load of good stuff for beans only to carry it to a van and realises they were resellers.

 

[Tricky-Dicky]

Hi, What about Charity shops, we have one called 'The Hanger' locally for Air Ambulance. They seem to know what they are doing, very appreciative, decent staff, they sell the better stuff on ebay.

 

[motorbiking]

You are best to take it to a charity shop who will sell it on for profit, or sell it on eBay and do what you want with the profit. I personally see the free pages as people who cannot either be bothered to list it on eBay or people who just want something gone by a fixed time. I would say a 1/3rd of the time eBayers are time wasters and not everyone wants that hassle.

The other option is you assign the title with condition, but most people will look at you as if you are crazy when you ask them to sign such a deed. Not to mention the enforcement of it.

 

[JP_]

maybe just post it on ebay for cheap, so you get something from it, and hopefully goes to a family / somebody into fitness.

Not sure, but have a feeling sports clubs might have to get new commercial equipment these days to ensure they are safe and insured.

 

[JohnD]

Ebay means extra costs of fees and postage, and the effort of wrapping it and taking it to the post office or parcel shop.

I give away plants on freegle, and have received some useful things, usually too heavy to post and awkward to collect.

Somebody's old front door for my shed.

 

[JP_]

You can say "pick up only" on ebay, and there are cheap listing days (although I forgot this recently and paid £20 to sell a drum kit!)
Probably much less likely to get people taking it to sell on if you sell it, even if just a small amount.

 

[joe384]

You are best to take it to a charity shop who will sell it on for profit, or sell it on eBay and do what you want with the profit. I personally see the free pages as people who cannot either be bothered to list it on eBay or people who just want something gone by a fixed time. I would say a 1/3rd of the time eBayers are time wasters and not everyone wants that hassle.

I used to give stuff to charity shops as I thought it was helping people in need then some places started refusing stuff and getting picky, then loads of "charity shops" started appearing after 2008 crash and charging insane prices for things (whereas before pretty much everything was 50p).

Then we had all the scandals appear in the years after. Are there any charities left any more where the donations go to someone that needs it rather than going to someones inflated salary or shady investments?

 

[Diver Fred]

I spent much of last year's lockdown collecting stuff found on the freeby websites, spent time refurbishing (repairing, refinishing) and then taking to Car Boots, was it worth it? No, out of ten items (book shelves, blanket boxes, chairs and the like) couldn't even break even on material and transport costs. The regular traders seemingly made sure I lost out offering me pennies at the end of the day. in the end donated most of it to an old people's home and a kindergarten. The big bookcase I tried to sell for £45, knocked down to £25 and gave to a mate when I couldn't sell it as a trader offeref me £10 'to take it off my hands'.
Worst bit was seeing the quantities of (nearly new, and scratched off owners marked tools) being sold.

 

[mattylad]

If you use something like Freegle, its local so the group moderators should be able to assist if you ask them to vet who you get responses from.
Just list them and ask the moderators who also gives on the groups.

 

[danechip]

I found a free wireless keyboard on facefook, and she delivered it to me. I donated a tenner to her charity.

 

[Deleted member 18243]

I've done a few car boot sales, both as a buyer and a seller. I really enjoy the convoluted explanations of buyers who try to convince you they are buying the item for their own use and that they are not a trader who is going to try and re-sell it at a profit. And similarly the convoluted explanations of sellers trying to convince you they have cleared out their box room and are not just selling items they've fleeced other people out of. No-one ever asks for these explanations, yet 50% of the chatter you hear at boot sales is in this vein!

 

[johnny2007]

I know a guy who makes a living at car boot sales by showing up early in his empty van, wait for family cars to arrive and offering them hard cash to take the lot (if worth it)
So the one timer go away with a profit in minutes and don't have to set up anything.
He stays to sell all the goods/junk and makes money.
Honestly, if I had my car full of stuff and I expected to raise £100, if someone offered me £50 to unload the lot there and then, I would accept without batting an eyelid.

 

[joe384]

Wow, I remember I last went to a boot sale around 15 years ago - I reckon at a guess 80% were traders who would turn up first thing and then jump on the family cars. Some guy was picking through stuff in my boot before I'd even unloaded and people were offering silly money it just wasn't worth it. Never again.