As a huge proponent of keeping things out of the landfill, I like to find a second use for items when I’m done with them.

While garage sales are one-way of unloading stuff, I’ve never made much money off of them. A few items leftover from my spring garage sale ended up at a thrift store, while others were set aside to try to sell another way.

These Jerry cans now have a new owner. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Some of latest things to go were two Jerry cans I had bought for my inaugural drive to Baja Sur because I had been told gas stations might not be as abundant as I would need, especially driving a Jeep Wrangler that got lousy gas mileage. While the cans were unnecessary, we didn’t know that when we filled them after crossing into Mexico. (We weren’t allowed to bring full cans across the border.)

I’ve had those cans now for nearly six years and never used them again. Time to unload them.

Some guy from Paradise got a good deal with both going for $80. I had some cash in my pocket and no longer have to look at the cans in the side yard. A win for everyone. Appropriately, I met the guy at a gas station to make the transaction.

With my iPod Classic selling within a couple hours of being posted on Marketplace, it makes me wonder if the $50 asking price was way too low. Too late now.

I know people are making money all the time on eBay, Etsy, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I’m not a regular seller and seldom have I bought things this way. According to the website Market.us, in 2022 Facebook Marketplace sales hit $26 billion in 2022, a 48 percent increase from 2021.

Since I’m not doing this as a business, I don’t want the hassle of shipping something. I like selling directly to someone in my community because it’s easy and we can meet at a neutral location.

Guess it’s time to unload the iPhone 3G I’ve held on to. It’s so tiny compared to my current iPhone. Maybe it’s a collector’s item and I should keep it. Or not.