More than a year ago, I picked up a copy of the infamous bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I did not take it seriously at the time-- only that Kondo’s delivery has much to be desired-- however the seed was planted. It might have been the repetitive Kondo-isms, or her practical advice of why one does not need to keep a file of every greeting card anyone has ever gifted (sorry Mom!) BUT soon enough, the file of Christmas cards dating back to ‘98, souvenir coffee mugs, and old prescription eyeglasses landed in the donation bin. I then began to sell the books never re-read, cardigans spanning Alber’s colour wheel, and even my empty shelves. Once I pared down all of my possessions, the only thing left was my last big ticket item-- the car.
With public transportation and a set of two-wheels, the first car I ever owned was collecting dust; I knew it was time to hand over the keys. How could I find out how much to sell it for? Kelley Blue Book is a given choice; craigslist.org is biased and limited to weekly listings; then I remembered to check Consumer Reports on MI’s website. I was only in need of pricing estimates, but it carries loads of other information including vehicle ratings, specs, and recalls by model, year, and condition.
Selling or buying? Find reviews and ratings for batteries, cars, smart phones, water filters, and everything in between by visiting www.milibrary.org/research/databases and logging into Consumer Reports with your library barcode. Ask a Librarian or sign up for the class, Thursday, April 28th from Noon to 1:15pm to learn more about this and other consumer resources!
