Practical Guide to Selling Possessions Before You Downsize

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Jim Washburn, a decades-long buyer and seller of collectibles, offers a practical framework for anyone looking to clear out possessions — whether before a move, to ease the burden on heirs, or simply to free up space and money. His core advice: check eBay's "Sold Items" filter (not asking prices) to find what things actually sell for, use Google Lens to identify mystery objects, and set your minimum price at the lowest amount you'd accept rather than relying on bidding to push the price up. For venues, he recommends Facebook Marketplace as free to list and free to sell, local yard sales (Saturdays only, well-advertised on Craigslist, NextDoor, and Facebook), and specialized online platforms like Reverb for instruments and Discogs for records. Shipping adds complexity — he suggests reusing Amazon boxes, buying insurance on fragile shipments, and sourcing free boxes from Guitar Center dumpsters or appliance stores rather than paying retail. One underscored motivation: clearing possessions now is a kindness to heirs who would otherwise face the task, a point anyone who has waded through an estate will recognize.