17 Places to Donate Clothes and Clutter for Money

Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. With books like “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo — not to mention all the extra time many of us have been spending at home the last year or so — decluttering is at the forefront of many people’s minds, but what do you do with all your stuff without personally filling a landfill? There are many options to sell and donate your used goods. Donating is definitely quicker, so if you want to be done with it, donate it all in one fell swoop. But if you’d like to make some side change, selling is also an option. Here are several options available to you and your excess stuff.

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What they take: Clothing, shoes, accessories, books, furniture, small appliances, household items, CDs/videotapes/DVDs/records, linens, and sporting equipment
What they offer: A tax-deduction; Goodwill does not offer payment in exchange for donations.
Where it goes: Proceeds go to support "people who face various obstacles to employment," including lack of work history, disabilities, limited education, language barriers, and more.

Goodwill takes donations of just about anything, but they do prefer that the items aren’t ripped or stained, that they work, and have all their parts and pieces. Goodwill cannot take recalled products or items that don’t meet current safety standards. Most locations allow you to bring in your items during operating hours, and some will even pick up items, but call your local Goodwill to find out if they offer this service. Goodwill’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals and families through education, job skill training, and employment support. Roughly 87% of Goodwill’s revenue goes to providing these valuable services in your local community.

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What they take: Clothing, furniture, automobiles, household goods, and appliances. Some locations accept cars, trucks, boats, RVs, and more — visit this page to find a vehicle donation service near you.
What they offer: A tax-deduction; Salvation Army does not offer payment in exchange for donations.
Where it goes: All thrift store proceeds go to support Salvation Army's "Adult Rehabilitation Centers, where those struggling with drugs and alcohol find help, hope, and a second chance at life."

Sure, the Salvation Army is perhaps best known for the Christmas Red Kettle bell ringers that can be spotted collecting small cash donations outside stores during the holidays. But did you know that you can donate goods to the Salvation Army? They make it quite easy with local drop-off locations or filling out a quick form online for a pick up from your home. The local Salvation Army has the right to refuse any item they deem unacceptable. 

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What they take: The list of what Volunteers of America takes and does not take is extensive. They do take most clothing and household items that are in good working condition. 
What they offer: A tax-deduction; VOA does not offer payment in exchange for donations.
Where it goes: Thrift donation proceeds and purchases go toward VOA programs throughout Ohio and Indiana, providing housing for the homeless, veteran housing assistance, mental health treatment, residential reentry services for ex-offenders, and more.

Volunteers of America (VOA) takes donations to fill their many thrift stores throughout Ohio and Indiana. VOA makes it easy to donate, all you have to do is simply bag items and leave them outside clearly visible to the drivers. They will additionally come in and pick up items if requested as long as they don’t need to carry items up or down stairs. You can also donate your car, boat, RV, or truck. It must be in running condition, and they will pick it up. When you donate to VOA, 88 cents of every dollar goes to helping those in need in your local community. 

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What they take: Men’s and women’s clothing and accessories "in excellent condition" and laundered. The website notes they are "always on the lookout for: plus sizes; menswear; everyday staples ...; designer; vintage; jewelry; costumes; and athletic wear." They also ask that you limit your items to around 50 pieces max. 
What they don't take: Children’s clothing and accessories, swimwear, maternity, intimates, sleepwear, counterfeits, fur, bridal wear, discount department stores such as Walmart, Kmart, Kohl’s, Sears or JCPenney; and home goods like sheets and towels.
What they offer: 30% of the selling price in cash (via PayPal) or 50% for in-store credit. 

While there are many local consignment shops, there are a few that are nationwide. Buffalo Exchange is one, with multiple locations. They will buy your excellent-condition men’s and women’s clothing and accessories by appointment only due to pandemic restrictions, or you can use their Sell By Mail program. They buy all seasons year-round. Buffalo Exchange is open seven days a week, all you need is a government-issued ID to sell your stuff. 

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What they take: Excellent-condition men’s and women’s clothes and accessories (no more than 50 items at a time) either by appointment, drop-off, or by mail. Crossroads stresses that they are looking for current trends that match the season, and more details can be found in their Selling Guide.
What they don't take: Crossroads does not accept jewelry.
What they offer: 30% of selling price in cash or 50% in-store credit. A third option is to consign high-end products, which you could get up to 70% cashback on, depending on how much the item sells for.

Much like Buffalo Exchange, Crossroads is a consignment shop with locations across the country. They, too, buy excellent-condition men’s and women’s in-season clothes, and accessories. You can do so with an appointment and a valid, government-issued ID.  

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What they take: Gently used (excellent condition) women, juniors, kids, maternity, and plus-size clothing as well as shoes, handbags, and accessories. ThredUp notes that only about "40% of items in the average (Clean Out) kit meet quality standards." Kits should not exceed 30 pounds. 
What they don't take: ThredUp does not currently accept men's clothing, and they provide a list of other items that you shouldn't include in a Clean Out kit. Check out their support page and then click on "What items can I send to thredUP?" for more details. 
What they offer: You can choose a "donation" or "payout" option. The first garners you a $5 donation to a charity of your choice. The payout option is a percentage of "thredUP’s selling price. It increases with your price and is subject to change," but ranges from between 3%-15% for items under $20 to 80% for items $200 or more. More specific details can be found at the website's Payout page. 

ThredUp is a great way to get rid of your gently used (excellent condition) women, kids, maternity, and plus-size clothing. Simply request a clean-out kit, and the company pays your shipping. Once they get your clothes, they will assess what they can buy. Anything they don’t buy, they will donate unless you request it back, at which time you will pay shipping to get it returned. Aside from cleaning out your closet and sending in your bag, you don’t have to do much. They inspect your items, photograph them, and list them for you. One of the great perks of ThredUp is that they take everyday brands: Gap, Old Navy, J Crew, etc. Things you would find at the mall, they take and resell.

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What they take: Poshmark accepts new and secondhand style for women, men, kids, home, and more." The website also notes that "makeup and personal care products must be new, never swatched, alcohol-free and aerosol-free. Any liquid products must be new and in their original sealed packaging." More details can be found here. 
What they don't take: Poshmark has a prohibited items policy that includes replicas or fakes, health and wellness products, and more. 
What they offer: For sales under $15, the fee is a flat rate of $2.95. For sales above $15, the fee is 20% and you keep 80%.

This is also an online selling platform, but works a little differently than ThredUp. Instead of sending them your stuff, you list it yourself. You download the app, photograph your items, upload a description, and then they market it for you. You manage your listing and pricing. When an item sells, they send you a prepaid mailing label so you can send it directly to the buyer. You keep a larger portion than places like ThredUp, but you do a lot more of the selling work. You can sell many brands on PoshMark, but the company does have a list of popular selling brands that is worth noting.

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What they take: Dress for Success accepts donations of gently used women’s professional attire and accessories. A general rule of thumb they suggest is, if you would wear it to a job interview, then it’s an acceptable donation. They also accept footwear, jewelry, accessories, scarves, handbag and such. 
What they offer: A tax-deduction; Dress for Success does not offer payment in exchange for donations.
Where it goes: Your gently used professional attire goes directly to a woman who is striving to become financially independent. 

The whole mission of Dress for Success is to support women in becoming financially independent. They provide networking support, professional attire, and professional development tools. Your gently used professional attire goes directly to a woman in need, therefore the organization asks that your donation is freshly laundered, ironed, no more than 5 years old, and suitable for a job interview. Donation hours and donation specifications can vary.

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What they take: Men’s clothing donations must be new or gently used, clean, and in style. They accept suits, ties, footwear, shirts, pants, belts, coats, briefcases, and more. 
What they offer: A tax-deduction; Career Gear does not offer payment in exchange for donations.
Where it goes: Your gently used professional attire goes directly to a man who is striving to become financially independent.

Very similar to Dress for Success for women, Career Gear is the same idea for men. It helps lower-income males achieve job readiness, professional development, and mentoring opportunities. It also provides them with interview and business-casual attire. That’s where your donations come in. The downside of Career Gear is that it’s small, with locations in just a handful of cities, such as New York and Washington, D.C. In-person donations are taken on only one day of each month. That said, you can still ship donations to them.

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What they take: Used sports and fitness equipment. The store recommends calling ahead to discuss what equipment you have to sell. 
What they offer: Play It Again notes that its "buying prices on brand, condition, and demand for the items." The store has sell, trade, and, at some locations, consignment options available. 

If you’ve got kids that play sports, you should be aware of Play it Again Sports. If the service is currently available at your local store (pandemic restrictions are in place at many locations) you can take in any sporting item during your local store’s business hours and have that item assessed. The whole process typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Play It Again Sports will then resell your items. The price you make depends on the item, brand, condition, and demand for it. You may sell your sporting good items for cash or store credit. The stores do not buy firearms, but all other sporting goods are a go.

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What they take: Books, of course, but also textbooks, e-readers, games, gaming consoles, music, movies, magazines, collectibles, mobile phones, tablets, and more. We’ve even seen toys for resale at some HPB locations. Find more details here.
What they offer: Your offer price is based on the condition of the items and supply/demand of the item. 
Where it goes: If Half Price Books has a surplus of an item, it will still buy it from you and donate it to a non-profit organization. A few of the organizations that have benefited include the Girl Scouts, the YMCA, Feed the Children, and many more.

Half Price Books is a great resource to offload all kinds of items taking up space on your shelves. The process is simple — just bring in your items and they review them and make you a cash offer. Make sure to bring a government-issued photo ID with you. 

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What they take: Habitat for Humanity's ReStores accept appliances, furniture, home goods, and building material donations among other things. Each local ReStore is different, so check your local store to see exact donation guidelines. You can also donate a vehicle to HFH.  
What they offer: A tax-deduction; Habitat for Humanity does not offer payment in exchange for donations.
Where it goes: Proceeds from the ReStore sales go toward helping people achieve suitable housing, be it reviving neighborhoods, building affordable housing, fixing housing problems, or restoring communities where disaster has struck.

Habitat for Humanity has resale stores open to the public called Habitat ReStores. You can either take items in for donation, or if it’s a large item, you may call your local store to inquire about a free pick up. 

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If you want to make a chunk of change for stuff you no longer need, online selling groups on Facebook are a good option. There are many to choose from — some local and some nationwide. While this is a good option — you don’t even need to leave your house, and you set the price you want for each item — there are some downfalls. Meeting a stranger to exchange goods and money always carries an element of risk. And you have to take the time to photograph each item for sale, upload each picture, and list each item, which can definitely be time consuming. Each group has its own set of rules, and there are always situations where people don’t show up to pick up an item they want to buy, which leaves you back at square one.

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Facebook also has a Marketplace for local sales. This is a good alternative to local selling groups on Facebook because everyone with a Facebook account has access to Marketplace. This gives you a much larger pool of local people that may be interested in buying your goods than a private selling group that limits who they accept into the group. That said, while the pool of people is bigger, there also may be more people selling the same items you are for a lower price, adding a healthy dose of competition.

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Much like Facebook Marketplace, you can sell items on Craigslist. This online forum makes it convenient for you to list your items at your leisure and set your own price requests. It also has some of the same drawbacks as Facebook Marketplace and Facebook selling groups: meeting a stranger to exchange goods and money, the hassle of taking pictures, and making the listing for each item, etc.

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If you don’t want to waste time taking pictures, listing items individually, and arranging to meet someone to actually sell the item, then a garage sale may be a good option for you. You can sell all of your stuff at once from your own home. Garage sales do take some advance planning. You’ll need time to organize and price everything, you’ll have to advertise to get people there, and you will need to dedicate a half day, whole day or even multiple days to the garage sale in order to sell the most stuff. Garage sales work great when several houses or a whole neighborhood do them together: it’s safer, you can pool together and get more advertising, and more houses means more stuff and more people coming to shop.

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If you want quick and easy, your local schools will likely take donations. While they mostly likely don’t have guidelines, it’s a good idea to call and check. Books, art supplies, board games, and other classroom materials are a good place to start. Gently used backpacks could help out a child in who doesn’t have one, while gently used toys can benefit the school fundraiser as game prizes.