# Help, I'm drowning in donated stuff! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290 "2015-03-18T14:03:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/1 "2015-03-18T14:03:33Z")
So, Mrs. Cheesesteak is involved in the school PTA, and someone asked if the PTA could use ‘some’ brand new name brand kitchen gear to put into gift baskets, her company had overstock and needed to move it out. The Mrs. said “sure, we love donations” and the products were shipped to the school. Hundreds of them. Literally hundreds of gravy separators, basters, and other stuff. A stack of boxes 5 feet high, 10 feet wide and 2 feet deep. Yes, the PTA does some gift baskets here and there, but not 500! What would you do? The stuff is worth thousands of dollars, welcome money for PTA projects, but the PTA membership is not going to spend all day shipping out individual sales to people through eBay, even if you could move all of it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/2 "2015-03-18T14:15:55Z")
There are eBay stores that will sell your stuff for you, for a cut of the profits. Their share covers promotion on the website, shipping, etc. and basically you just get a check at the end. Contact one about selling this stuff. It could be a win-win all around. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/3 "2015-03-18T16:44:33Z")
Are there any soup kitchens in the area that could use the stuff? Perhaps churches, homeless shelters, battered-women shelters? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/4 "2015-03-18T17:12:04Z")
So, uh, got a list? ---
**Author:** ![prettydorky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@prettydorky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prettydorky)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/5 "2015-03-18T17:43:51Z")
nm, stupid ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/6 "2015-03-18T17:49:53Z")
I got to look at the list. Looks like about 50 sets of measuring cups, 100 sets of different measuring cups, and 400 gravy separators / turkey baster sets. I suspect they may be able to sell/give away the measuring cups, but I have no clue what the hell they can do with that many gravy separators. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/7 "2015-03-18T17:57:36Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Are there any soup kitchens in the area that could use the stuff? Perhaps churches, homeless shelters, battered-women shelters? I could see churches and residential entities using it, but what would homeless people - you know, people without a home or a kitchen - do with gravy separators and turkey basters? You might also call someplace like Goodwill or the Salvation Army or other charities/non-profits with thrift stores and see if they’re interested in any of them. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/8 "2015-03-18T18:17:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I could see churches and residential entities using it, but what would homeless people - you know, people without a home or a kitchen - do with gravy separators and turkey basters? The shelters could use them in their own kitchens, is what I meant. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/9 "2015-03-18T23:53:56Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Are there any soup kitchens in the area that could use the stuff? Perhaps churches, homeless shelters, battered-women shelters? Families that have been flooded or had house fires? School groups (band, etc) who could use the stuff as prizes/baskets and get a slightly different crowd? Another local PTA? ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/10 "2015-03-19T00:10:36Z")
NM oops ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/11 "2015-03-19T02:06:27Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Families that have been flooded or had house fires? School groups (band, etc) who could use the stuff as prizes/baskets and get a slightly different crowd? Another local PTA? A friend of mine works for a nonprofit that provides services to women who have recently been released from prison and are starting over again. An organization like that? One that helps abused women fleeing bad living situations? A refugee resettlement agency? ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/12 "2015-03-19T15:20:42Z")
I would contact any groups that put together food baskets for Thanksgiving. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/13 "2015-03-19T15:25:55Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > people without a home or a kitchen - do with gravy separators and turkey basters? Just don’t google it! ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/14 "2015-03-19T15:28:06Z")
Thank you all for the ideas. I’ll float them by the group after they give up trying to get every single family in the school to own a top shelf gravy separator. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-im-drowning-in-donated-stuff/715290/15 "2015-03-19T16:23:54Z")
Any way to get the school’s name stamped on everything and sell as a fundraiser?