Before you 'throw it away,' try 'selling it.' That alone will change your life.
Hello, this is the Takahashi family (husband).
In our home, when we let go of things we no longer need, we always make sure to ask, "Can this be sold?" before we "throw it away."
We used Mercari occasionally, but it wasn't like that from the start. There were two triggers for this.
What I realized during our move: the cost of "buying cheap"
Before moving to our current home, we sorted through our unwanted items, including furniture.
That was when I painfully realized the sheer number of things that couldn't be bought back. In the past, we chose things based on "getting the best value for our money." The "value" we thought of back then was based on things looking stylish for the price and not appearing cheap. They had no brand value, and despite only being used for a few years, they were falling apart.In the end, it took both time and money to throw them away.
Even though we thought buying cheap was "good value," when you consider the time and money spent throwing it away, it certainly couldn't be called "good value.".
What my wife's dishes taught me
The other trigger was my wife's tableware.
My wife originally liked artisan-made pottery, but after she started focusing on being a simplist, she re-selected items that were "dishwasher-safe" and "had a sense of unity."
When we tried listing the dishes we no longer used on Mercari, there was more demand than we expected.
Things we thought we "didn't need anymore" had value to someone else.
This realization fundamentally changed how we "let go" of things.
Of course, they are dishwasher-safe.
What we keep in mind now
• Before throwing something away, first ask, "Can this be sold?"
• In the first place, "don't buy things with the intention of throwing them away in the future."
We started thinking about whether something is truly "good value" for us in the long run, and we've started pausing before we buy.
The options we use for selling
Once we decide to sell, we use different services depending on the item.
✔️Mercari: Our main selling platform. The market is active, and it's easy to set a price.
✔️Rakuma: Convenient for those in the Rakuten ecosystem since you can receive payments via Rakuten Pay. However, it feels like it doesn't sell as quickly as Mercari.
✔️Treasure Factory Home Pickup: Mainly for clothes. Useful when you have a lot of items or want them out of sight quickly.
✔️Second Street In-Store Purchase: For small furniture and miscellaneous goods you can carry yourself. An option when the fees and shipping costs of Mercari don't make sense. You can't expect high prices, but it's better than throwing things away. You do need to check their purchase list, as they don't accept items like used tableware.
Start by just giving it a try
If you dismiss it by saying "it seems like a hassle," you'll put it off because it's not worth selling right now, and in the end, nothing will change. If you take the plunge and try it once, most services are easier than you thought.
More than the amount of money you make from selling, knowing that "there are options other than throwing things away" makes life a little lighter. I plan to write about how to use each service and our experiences in another article.
I would be happy if this reaches those who are stuck between the two choices of "throw it away or keep it."