Craigslist or Donate Used Strollers?

I would donate to the women's shelter or another organization where they can be utilized.

No matter what you try to sell through CL, app or garage sale... it's a hassle, people will try to bargin to get it as cheap as possible.

My time = money and it makes a lot more sense to me to donate and know it's appreciated. No hassles involved!!

I'm not a math expert, but I filed my own taxes for many years. From my understanding, Here's the math if value of the stuff is $100. So, donation value is $100 - that means you can write off $100 of your income. If you are in the 15% tax bracket, you save $15 in taxes. If you are in the 20% tax bracket, you save $20. So, if you can sell an item that's worth $100 for more than $20 through Craigslist, that is financially better. If you are in a different tax bracket, you can adjust accordingly.

This doesn't include any valuation of the cost of your time.

Personally, I gave the bigger baby stuff one shot on Craigslist for a reasonable price and make it clear in the ad that it was a firm price. If no one responded in a week or two, I donated it.

ETA: MilitaryMom6 is correct that my math assumes that you itemize your taxes instead of taking the standard deduction. If you don't itemize (file schedule A), then you get nothing for donations at tax time.

I donated my things like that to a women's shelter and got a tax write-off. Probably breaks out the same and without the hassle of strangers coming to your home.

I think Craigslist is a pain - personally.

I held on to good items and passed them on to family members or friends. The rest I donated.

There's a satisfaction to giving to those in need - if you can find a place like that (women's shelter, etc.) We do our local food bank - they pass things on to the families most in need.

Craigslist has been such a hassle for me. Hate it. My town has a tag sale page on facebook and that's worked out much better. One of my daughters has used the offer up app a couple times and scored a bedroom set and an outdoor wooden playset. Much easier to connect with the seller and they don't expect the haggling that seems to be the norm with craigslist.

When it came time to get rid of my baby stuff I gave it away to friends who were having babies.I figured that giving things like bouncers, walkers, infant car seats and strollers left the parents more money to spend on diapers. lol

Do you have any second hand children's stores, such as Once Upon a Child? If my items don't sell in a couple of weeks online I take it to Once Upon a Child. If they don't buy it I donate it.

People don't realize that not everyone can benefit on their tax returns from a charitable contribution. If you are not a Schedule A filer (we own our home with no mortgage so that means no mortgage interest, which leads us to no Sch A filing), you don't really have a place to deduct it. Plus it is a deduction, not a credit, which is far less valuable and depends on your final tax bracket to make a real difference. Our state taxes allow a charitable contribution deduction even if you don't itemize, but not all states do (and we get about $5 back for every $500 donated).

Giving is supposed to be from our heart. If you really need the money, then definitely sell them. If you feel like you can part with the items without financial reimbursement, then that's great, but you likely are not and certainly cannot depend on getting it back on your taxes. Plus, it would go on your 2017 taxes filed in 2018 . . . who even knows for sure what those tax forms will look like?

Good luck!

I was unable to donate a car seat in PA. They were concerned it could have been in an accident and compromised. I would also never buy a used car seat. Car seats have an expiration date too.

depends largely on how much you can get for it, doesn't it?
i myself would rather take the write-off and save myself the craigslist aggravation.
but if you can get hundreds for them (unlikely) then give 'er a whirl.
khairete
S.

I would try to sell. I mentioned in your previous post that I sold some stuff when I decluttered. I sold them using apps called OfferUp and Letgo. I've tried craigslist a while back to try to sell some stuff, but never successfully sold anything and liked the ease of using these apps better.

When I started posting items to sell on the apps, my husband doubted I would make much, but I ended up making a few hundred! Some examples of things I sold other than the Breville juicer are Ergo baby carrier, Baby Bjorn, humidifier, and kids' clothes.

It was a few years ago, but when I listed my stroller "travel system", I had 2-3 people lined up to buy it. It sold the day after I listed.

You can't donate used car seats. OR you shouldn't be allowed to. I know here in DC? you can't. They will not accept them. I know I wouldn't be a used car seat. You NEVER know how it was treated or if it was in an accident.

I'm not an accountant. So I don't know your tax situation. I don't know your personal financial situation either. I don't donate for the tax write off - it's nice - but that's NOT why I donate things.

If you need the cash? Sell it. If you don't? then donate it.

I refuse to do ANYTHING with craigslist.

A young woman from an Oklahoma town was selling a car. The man that came to look at it kidnapped her and killed her in another state. Her funeral was a horrible horrible event in that town. People were talking about the streets being full of parked cars and how the church had to do some TV feeds in other rooms because their chapel was full, it was just an awful thing that happened. Not even sure what town it happened in now...

Anyway, post it on FB to your friends. See if anyone wants to buy it. If they do then you already know them. If no one wants it then you can post it on some for sale pages or groups on FB and that should take care of it quickly.

I'd probably donate the car seats though. Hasn't TPTB told us not to buy used car seats because we could be buying something that isn't safe? Is out of date? Has been in an accident? Might have sat in the vehicle in the sun or harsh winter and have microscopic cracks that would shatter if in an accident?