SELL IT: A new gambit in getting rid of unwanted clutter is to clear out and cash in on unwanted items by dropping them off at iSold It, a fast-growing chain of eBay drop-off stores.
Because selling on eBay to some seems a challenging and time-consuming task, many folks have never tried their hands at it. For them, these new drop-off stores offer a fast and easy way to do so.
You need to take your items to be sold to the store. Then iSold takes over — photographing your item, writing descriptive copy, listing the item online, collecting payment and then packing and shipping the item. Once the transaction is complete, the seller receives a check in the mail, minus a commission, which varies from store to store. Check the Web site for rates, which generally are 30 percent of the first $500 sold, and 20 percent of amounts over $500. There is a minimum commission of $5 per item. You also will be charged eBay fees, photography, processing, shipping and handling fees, and sales tax.
To find a local iSold It store, see www.i-soldit.com or call 877–ISOLD-IT (877-476-5348).
— Mary Daniels
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MOVE IT: Between herself and her husband, Chicagoan Kathy Capodice has moved 10 times in 10 years.
“We met on the Virgin Islands. We moved a number of times before we even got married and moved in together,” says Capodice, a practicing CPA who believes order is the key to a successful move — and keeping your sanity during the whole ordeal. She developed a color-coded system and, at the prompting of her brother-in-law, decided to share it with others.
“The EaseUrMove Kit” is a spiral-bound notebook/kit that offers a three-step program for moving sanely. Step 1: Moving tips — pages of them, including goodies like how to pack dishes, how to estimate the amount of packing material you need, how much to tip your mover. Step 2: “To do lists” starting from five weeks before the big moving day. Our favorite, though, is Step 3: 192 color-coded labels to help identify the contents in boxes and the rooms they belong in. Cost: $19.99 at www.easeurmove.com.
— Karen Klages
RECYCLE IT: Those looking to dump their old techno-stuff (desktop computers, laptops, computer peripherals, printers, desktop copiers, fax machines, ink cartridges) will find a willing taker in their local Staples store. Through May 1, consumers are invited to bring in electronic waste to Staples’ free recycling service at any of the 26 stores in the Chicago area. In return, Staples will reward consumers with coupons worth up to $30. (One item a day per consumer is allowed.) In addition, consumers who recycle old ink cartridges during the Get Green Event and throughout the year will receive a $3-off coupon for each cartridge recycled. The store also is featuring special savings on environmentally friendly, recycled products.
For the nearest Staples store, visit www.staples.com.
— K.K.
BUY IT: Get guidance on every aspect of lifestyle information — from gardening to weddings to summer fun — from the high priestess of home arts herself, Martha Stewart, through “Martha’s Library,” a collection of Martha Stewart books, CD compilations and DVDs.
One of the newest items is “Martha’s Spring Gardening,” presented by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Warner Home Video. The two-disc DVD collection ($24.98 at marthastewart.com/shop) will help gardeners of all levels.
— M.D.
BID ON IT: Want to have a piece of White House history? Bid on several White House fabric lots, including original silk samples for the chairs in Jackie Kennedy’s White House restoration of the Blue Room.
Featuring golden eagles, wreathes and rosettes on a French blue background, the Blue Room silks are a highlight in the first online auction by Scalamandre, the American manufacturer of luxury fabrics and wallcoverings. See an online preview at www.lldspecialtysales.com.
Or, if you are interested in European commissions, the auction includes 6 yards of hand-brocaded Italian silk woven with metallic threads in 18th Century style, selected by Princess Marie Jose of Italy for the Royal Summer Palace, Reggia di Caserta.
Along with archival fabrics, the first Scalamandre auction, which opened for bidding Wednesday and closes Thursday, also will offer artwork and artifacts from the Scalamandre Home Office and the Scalamandre Museum of Textiles.
The Scalamandre online auction is being conducted by LLD Specialty Sales of Portsmouth, R.I. Each lot is guaranteed and accompanied with a letter of authentication and provenance.
For more information, contact LLD Specialty Sales at 800-508-0022.
— M.D.
WATCH IT: “The Victory Garden,” PBS’ long-running but still fresh gardening show, starts its 31st season the week of May 7. Urban gardens, Irish gardens, garden shows, down-to-earth know-how and recipes are on the menu. And there’s a new book, “The Victory Garden Companion” (Collins, 295 pages, $29.95) by host Michael Weishan and Laurie Donnelly, an executive at WGBH in Boston, where the show is made. It is a solid, well-illustrated all-around gardening book full of advice from the show, excellent for a novice but useful for an experienced gardener too. (Find more great info at www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden.) You may want to limber up your TiVo, DVR or VCR: “The Victory Garden” airs at 5 a.m. Mondays on WTTW-Ch. 11 in Chicago, at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays on WYCC-Ch. 20 in Chicago and at 2:30 p.m. Mondays on WYIN-Ch. 56 in Merrillville, Ind.
— B.B.
SURF IT: If you’re looking for lawn advice, Web sites will present differing schools of thought. For advice on the standard five-times-a-year fertilizer and weed-killer regimes, try the sites of chemical giant Scotts Co. (www.scotts.com) or lawnmower-maker Briggs & Stratton Corp. (www.yardsmarts.com). For guidance on how to grow a healthy lawn without herbicides, find the site of Organic Gardening magazine (www.organicgardening.com, search for “lawn”). Things they agree on: Mow high, never taking off more than 1/3 of the grass blades’ height; dense grass can choke out most weeds; water deeply but infrequently, so roots grow deep; and keep mower blades sharp.
— B.B.
VISIT IT: It’s the 4th annual “Meet the Dutch: Future Designs” week in Washington D.C., a multifaceted exhibit of cutting-edge Dutch design hosted by the Royal Netherlands Embassy. (The Dutch enjoy the reputation of being some of the world’s freest thinkers.) While many of the events are by invitation only and staged at the Washington residence of the Dutch ambassador, the public can roam two companion shows. Both have longer run times, which makes it more feasible to check out this long-distance event.
“Going Dutch” opens Tuesday and runs through May 25 at Apartment Zero, a design and furniture store in the Penn Quarter of D.C. This free exhibit focuses on Dutch design for the home front and includes works by celebrated floral designer Pim van den Akker as well as porcelain, furniture and more.For more information, visit www.apartmentzero.com or call 202-628-4067. Over at the National Building Museum is the exhibit “Newer Orleans: A Shared Space.” It opens Saturday and runs through July 30. It features the vision of six Dutch and American architectural firms for a restored New Orleans. For more information, visit www.nbm.org or call 202-272-2448.
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— K.K.