I've used several ways to get rid of old stuff: trading at a used book store, selling on eBay, selling at a game store, selling to an online retailer, trading online with other gamers & selling to a merchant at a convention.
The most fun is trading with other gamers online. I picked up some games that were fun to read and play in exchange for games that weren't going anywhere for me. As another poster commented, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
The most financially satisfying to me was selling to a merchant at a convention. I got the most money for the least work. Plus, I had cash at the con.
Selling on eBay is the most work. You will have to photograph, list, describe, email, collect, package and mail. I got, on average, about 1/4 of the original price. Some was much higher. Some was much lower. My advice is to sell on eBay the things that are in high demand. A completed items search will let you know if it's worthwhile. Get rid of the rest en masse by trading somewhere. Remember that shipping costs have increased significantly recently. Cross market by posting on for sale forums here, rpg.net, etc.
Selling to an online retailer is pretty convenient but not very lucrative. Trading at a used book store is great if you just want new books (or movies or whatever) to enjoy. Selling at a game store is a more narrow option, but it can work.
I also like your catch & release plan of just giving stuff away. There are a couple of art pieces I wish I still had, so don't discount cutting art & throwing away the rest. I think there would be something cathartic about burning a very few books, but otherwise why bother? You can get money or at least spread the joy.
Clearing out your collection can really help you focus on the things that you really want to do. It did for me. Plus, I'm space-limited. The hardest for me was getting rid of all my old 2e stuff. I really enjoyed a lot of it. But, it had been put away for a few years, and I realized that I was never going back to it. I look it back on it now as stuff that was truly enjoyed as fully as possible. I kept my old Players Handbooks and a couple of other vintage games for kicks. I even picked up a complete Basic set for nostalgia, having lost mine long ago. I have all my books on one shelf now, and I still have more games than I will likely ever play.
The hardest part is getting started. Physically separating the hoard is very helpful. It gets progressively easier to get rid of things. Another valuable trick is not to get as much new stuff. That is even harder for me, but I'm doing better.
Good luck.
The most fun is trading with other gamers online. I picked up some games that were fun to read and play in exchange for games that weren't going anywhere for me. As another poster commented, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
The most financially satisfying to me was selling to a merchant at a convention. I got the most money for the least work. Plus, I had cash at the con.
Selling on eBay is the most work. You will have to photograph, list, describe, email, collect, package and mail. I got, on average, about 1/4 of the original price. Some was much higher. Some was much lower. My advice is to sell on eBay the things that are in high demand. A completed items search will let you know if it's worthwhile. Get rid of the rest en masse by trading somewhere. Remember that shipping costs have increased significantly recently. Cross market by posting on for sale forums here, rpg.net, etc.
Selling to an online retailer is pretty convenient but not very lucrative. Trading at a used book store is great if you just want new books (or movies or whatever) to enjoy. Selling at a game store is a more narrow option, but it can work.
I also like your catch & release plan of just giving stuff away. There are a couple of art pieces I wish I still had, so don't discount cutting art & throwing away the rest. I think there would be something cathartic about burning a very few books, but otherwise why bother? You can get money or at least spread the joy.
Clearing out your collection can really help you focus on the things that you really want to do. It did for me. Plus, I'm space-limited. The hardest for me was getting rid of all my old 2e stuff. I really enjoyed a lot of it. But, it had been put away for a few years, and I realized that I was never going back to it. I look it back on it now as stuff that was truly enjoyed as fully as possible. I kept my old Players Handbooks and a couple of other vintage games for kicks. I even picked up a complete Basic set for nostalgia, having lost mine long ago. I have all my books on one shelf now, and I still have more games than I will likely ever play.
The hardest part is getting started. Physically separating the hoard is very helpful. It gets progressively easier to get rid of things. Another valuable trick is not to get as much new stuff. That is even harder for me, but I'm doing better.
Good luck.
