It's time to close the door on that garage-sale plan
Your unwanted stuff might bring in more cash than you think
Special to the Star-Telegram
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Editor's note: A previous version of this column failed to clarify that only working refrigerators and freezers are eligible for Oncor's Great Texas Refrigerator Roundup program.
Before you throw your unwanted stuff out on the driveway for a garage sale this spring -- often taking pennies on the dollar -- you may want to see what you can get for it elsewhere.
Everything from old cars, refrigerators and cellphones to iPods, Nintendo games and consoles, CDs and DVDs can be sold for pretty good cash these days, if you know where to go.
Even old clothes and toys often can be worth more if you donate them and use software like ItsDeductible or DeductionPro, which provide tested market values that you can use to deduct donated items from your federal taxes.
So get out of the garage and hit the road. Here are six ways that will get rid of your old stuff and give you some serious dough:
Refrigerators and freezers
Oncor, the electric-transmission company in North Texas, has partnered with Appliance Recycling Centers of America to give consumers $50 for working old refrigerators and freezers in its Great Texas Refrigerator Roundup. Consumers in the Oncor service area who want to participate will need the ESI ID number from their electric bills when calling 866-472-9376 or visiting www.oncorrecycle.com to schedule a collection appointment.
This week, former Arlington Mayor Elzie Odom had his garage refrigerator picked up. "I called around to try to get rid of it before I found this program," he said. "One company didn't want to pick it up and another charged to pick it up." Now, he'll get $50, and he'll know that his old refrigerator won't end up in a landfill.
Cars and trucks
If your vehicle fails the state's emissions test or is at least 10 years old, you may get a $3,000 voucher for a newer model or $3,500 for a hybrid in a state program upgraded this year. More than 3,000 vehicles have been bought by the state so far this year in North Texas, but there is still money available in the program, with an additional $22 million coming in September, said Jason Brown, air-quality operations coordinator for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. There are 450 auto dealers in the area participating in the program. Income qualifications have been raised this year to $63,600 after taxes for a family of four. Vehicles must be drivable. Check out the program at www.driveacleanmachine.org or call 800-913-3321.
Electronics
Have an old Xbox, iPod, video games, CDs or DVDs you're trying to get rid of? Try Entertainmart, a new electronics buyer and seller at 3415 S. Cooper St., Arlington. The retailer, based in Springfield, Mo., has another outlet in Colorado Springs and will be opening a store in Dallas this summer. Because of the size of the store -- 41,000 square feet -- Entertainmart pays "a lot" more than smaller stores, said Aaron Gregg, general manager of the Arlington store. A 2007 80-gigabyte iPod video will get you $150, while the store will pay $350 for a 60-gigabyte PlayStation 3 and $200 for a used Wii. New-release DVDs will bring you $10 apiece, while a video game like Grand Theft Auto IV will put $45 in your pocket. For prices of some items, go to the Web site at www.entertainmart.net or stop by the store.
Cellphones
There's a pretty good market for old cellphones, but most of us just stick them in drawers. Studies estimate that less than 10 percent of all cellphones are sold or recycled. If you don't want to sell at an auction site like eBay, there are several Web sites that will buy your phone for cash, including www.cellforcash.com. This Web site lists thousands of phones by manufacturer and type and will give you a price from $5 to more than $200, depending on the model. If you don't see your phone listed, the Ocala, Fla.-based company will still send you a postage-paid box to collect the phone for free recycling. Another site, which claims to have the best prices on the Web, is www.phoneiscash.com. Check several sites for the best price for your model.
Books, magazines, software and records
Half Price Books is the leader in buying this type of material. Now in its 36th year, the Dallas-based chain has 100 outlets in 15 states, according to spokeswoman M.A. Hancook. "You get more for bestsellers than something out two years ago," she advised, "but we'll make you an offer on everything written or recorded, and donate what we can't sell."
The store also will tell you if you have a collectable. "Someone came in recently with a legal folder that had the medical examination of Jack Ruby," she said. "We bought it and are donating it to the Sixth Floor Museum in two weeks."
Consider donations
Finally, if you itemize on your federal taxes, remember that you will probably get much better values for your old stuff by donating it and deducting it from your taxes than selling it in a garage sale. There are two software companies that track current prices for used clothes, toys and virtually all other household items: Intuit, with ItsDeductible, which is now part of the TurboTax software, and H&R Block, with DeductionPro, which is part of the company's TaxCut software. A reviewer of both products in PC World found DeductionPro's values of his household items were less than those of ItsDeductible. DeductionPro's values come from thrift shops, while ItsDeductible gets its values from prices at eBay auctions. Both products will track your donations through the year for an easier time filing during tax season.
tmcusic@savvyconsumer.net
