My wife and I have collected a lot of stuff over the years.  We have been in our current house for 8 years and still have some boxes in the garage which we never unpacked.  Lately we have started to make some progress in clearing out the clutter, but the process is mentally challenging when trying to figure out what to do with the stuff we decide to get rid of. 

The choices include:

• Sell it on Ebay 
• Give it to a friend/family member
• Donate it to the Good Will
• Put it in the trash
• Gift it away on Freecycle

Each item on the shelf has its own considerations and each method of disposal has its pros and cons.  Selling on Ebay obviously has its monetary rewards but always involves more time than I ever estimate for taking pictures, creating the listing, answering questions and finally the dreaded packing and shipping.  Often the money is not what you would hope, but some money is better than no money.

Giving to a friend seems like a good idea, but has no immediate gratification.  First you have to call or email your friend to offer the items and then, if they agree to take them, you need to arrange for pickup or drop off which can potentially take weeks or months or might even be forgotten altogether.  Meanwhile, the stuff is still in the garage.

Giving to charity is not a bad option.  You get  a tax deduction, and you can get rid of a car-load of stuff in one shot.  Of course you have to do the loading and unloading and you don't get paid.

Freecycle is a  really good option that we recently discovered.  If you've never heard of this, it is a network of people, connected by email, who agree to give and/or receive items at no cost.  Freecycle keeps stuff out of the landfill (at least for a while) and is the bridge from one man's transh to another man's treasure.  It is free to join and the main requirement is that you cannot accept any compensation for what you are giving away.  Once you join, you're added to an email list (either individual emails or a daily digest).  People with stuff to give post an 'Offer' email listing the items.  People interested in the items write back to the donor and express an interest.  The donor then selects a lucky recipient and the recipient comes and picks up the item.  

We joined the West Chester Freecycle group several months ago and have given away quite a few items. So far it has worked very well for us.  Stuff that wasn't likely to get any action on Ebay was gone the same day.  Better yet, I never had to touch the item as someone came and took it away.  And best of all, something that would most likely have wound up in the trash got a new life from someone who really could use it.