Unwanted household items could mean money in your pocket
Broken chains, bent spoons, old TVs, replaced video game systems…all of these things and more can be found in St. Charles attics.
Once all of the cobwebs and dust mites are cleared away during annual cleaning, homeowners may find themselves with a pile of decades-old junk that they don’t want to keep.
And while throwing this stuff away is an easy fix, parishioners could earn some cash for their used and broken items.
Anthony Lucia, with Roussel’s Fine Jewelry in Boutte, said that the store often gives cash for broken or damaged gold jewelry.
“We mainly get old, broken chains or maybe a single gold earring,” Lucia said. “We buy silver too but not as much.”
Fast Cash Pawn, in LaPlace and Kenner, also buys broken or outdated jewelry – among other gold items.
Blake Alleman, operating partner at the store, said that some peoples’ junk may even turn a profit.
“One thing people don’t think to bring in is silver flatware or coins…silver is selling extremely high right now with the economy the way it is,” Alleman said. “Gold and silver are setting record-breaking prices – some coins, especially silver, are even getting five or six times their value from a year ago.”
Alleman said the store recently paid someone $700 for an old set of silver flatware.
Other common items that people may want to try to recoup some value on are TVs, gaming consoles and larger lawn equipment.
Alleman said that those are all common items that pawn shops look for.
“We look for just about anything,” he said. “Some of the things are very odd, anything from antiques all the way to gold teeth.”
For larger items, such as boats or cars, Alleman said people can bring in specific details and usually get a ballpark estimate on how much the shop will give them for it.
For those who have lost weight or children who have grown, consignment might be a good option for unwanted clothing. Stores like Prima Donna’s Closet in Metairie and Buffalo Exchange in New Orleans buy and sell adult clothing. Beanstalk Kids and Kid to Kid in Metairie specialize in buying and selling children’s toys and clothes.
When you don’t feel like leaving the house to hock your items, try hitting the keyboard to get rid of stuff.
For nicer items that you want to get the best bang for your buck on, try selling on websites like www.ebay.com or www.etsy.com for antiques and homemade valuables.
If old college textbooks are weighing down your shelves, try selling them to current students or professors at www.half.com or www.barnesandnoble.com/textbookbuyback.
Parishioners can also give back to the community by donating any unwanted items or items you cannot sell to Cajun Village Thrift Store in Boutte or the Social Concerns Thrift Store in Luling. Both stores are run by non-profit organizations, ARC of St. Charles and Social Concerns respectively, that use the funds to run important community-based programs.
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