Sell or Hold? Is Now Really The Time to Get Rid of Your Junk?

One of my goals for last year was to clear out a lot of my possessions. I didn’t get very far and so that goal has carried over into this year. One of the ways I intended to achieve this goal was by selling some of my stuff on eBay. In light of current economic conditions I’m wondering if this is a better or worse time for selling.

On the one hand, people are buying less overall, which would make it a bad time to sell anything. On the other hand, people still need to buy some things and may be looking at eBay as a cheaper alternative to hitting the mall. I’ve been buying and selling (mostly buying) on and off on eBay for more than 10 years now and it seemed the obvious choice for getting rid of some of my junk. Now I’m wondering if this is the best time.

Alternatively, perhaps I’m making excuses for not proceeding more quickly with my liquidation! I’ve got a lot of stuff. I’m not planning any moves but if I were, I’d be a little overwhelmed. When I let my mind wander through my closets and storeroom and think about everything tucked away here and there I know I have too much stuff for one person.

I’m not a particularly sentimental saver. I think of myself as more of a practical saver. By practical saver I mean I save things because I think I might be able to use them for something. Maybe I should call myself a frugal saver. I’m not sure which sounds better! I’m also a bit of a collector. When I get a new interest I tend to start collecting all the associated accoutrement. I’m also a crafter, which generates more stuff.

I’ve always loved crystal and fine china but while I was married I lived more of a backyard barbecue kind of life. After I divorced and got my feet back under me I started collecting an old, expensive china pattern. I’ve also accumulated some lovely crystal and silver. Anyone who knows me would say I set a beautiful table but now I find my tastes are changing and I’m not using it as much. They are lovely things and I don’t want to give them away but I think that’s just the kind of stuff that may not do so well in the current market. After all, when you’re struggling to pay your bills you’re not buying china and crystal.

All that brings me back to my question. Is this the time to be selling things on eBay? Actually, is this the time to be selling anything anywhere? Although I would appreciate the funds, I don’t really need to sell my stuff for financial reasons. So, would it be better for me to move forward or to hold on to it a little longer? Should I be hanging onto the more frivolous stuff, like the crystal and china and selling the more practical things, for which there might be more of a market?

What do you think? Divest or hold? Are you currently selling stuff on eBay? Has the economy affected your sales?