Destash to Make Extra Money Without Making Crafts

What Does Destash Mean?
When I first heard this term, I thought Destash was a brand name or a fashion line. It turns out that destash means to un-stash, to sell or give away ones stockpile of crafting materials. Many otherwise reasonable crafters tend to hoard materials until it reaches clutter status. Learning to destash can bring in extra money and free up your storage and work areas at the same time.

What Will Sell?
If you have a specific craft project that your stash was meant for, pair that information with your stock. People are more likely to buy a bundle of supplies if they can imagine the finished craft. Consider calling it a kit if you have everything they'll need to complete a project, including directions.

Odds and ends will also sell, but in my experience, not as well as a kit. Group similar goods together and sell them as a lot. Ribbon, scrapbooking paper, and yarn are good examples of items that are often sold this way.

An exception to the non-kit rule is material. If you have several 1 yard lengths of cloth, consider offering them as fat quarters. These are pieces of fabric measuring 18 inches by 22 inches. Check the link in the Resources box for more information on cutting fat quarters.

Where to Sell the Stockpile
My favorite place to browse other crafters' destash offerings is online. Etsy.com is a wonderful place to buy supplies as well as to sell. The listing fees are cheaper there than on eBay, and you get 5 free picture uploads instead of the 1 eBay offers. Of course eBay is another place to trade your stash for money. Online crafting forums sometimes offer a classified section where you can sell items, too.

If you would rather sell your things in person, consider adding them to your regular finished vending booth stock. Fellow crafters are often happy to purchase materials at craft fairs. You may be able to fill a whole booth with destash supplies. Be sure to check with the person in charge of the fair or market first, since some may be strict about the goods offered in their venue.

Where to Find More Stashes
After successfully selling your stockpile, you can sell your friends' things, too. Many crafters want to destash, but dread the effort of selling the items. Some people will give you the whole pile free and clear if it means getting the clutter out of their workspaces!

People that don't want to give their stash away may be willing to share any money you make by selling it for them. By splitting the profits, you can both benefit. I recommend getting any sales arrangements in writing to avoid misunderstandings later. Also, decide what will be done with the items that do not sell.

Thrift shops are great places to find craft supplies at bargain basement prices. After you check over the miscellaneous and house ware sections, hit the book area, too. There are often crafting and DIY books for sale cheaply that would make a great addition to a craft lot.