Make a tidy profit by decluttering

FROM clothes that don't fit to those you wouldn't be seen dead in. From bags and shoes that you've fallen out of love with to all that clutter and junk that we all have.

It's too good to give away, but what if there was some way to get shot of it AND earn ourselves a little cash?

Of course, if you've half a lifetime to spare uploading photographs to eBay, then you could always join the online auction brigade.

But wouldn't it be so much simpler if you could get someone else to do the selling for you?

Smart sellers are finding Edinburgh has a collection of places who'll do just that - and savvy shoppers are raking in the bargains.

So, if Santa brought you too much of what you don't want, or if you're just plain fed up with too much junk and not enough cash, check out our Edinburgh guide to clearing out - and cashing in.

HANDBAGS, SHOES AND ACCESSORIES

The shelves in Janice Wardlaw's Montagu Terrace boutique heave with desirable designer names from Dolce and Gabbanna to Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Dior.

Since opening Xchange Handbags two years ago, she's sold more than 4000 items making money for her customers and helping clear space in their cupboards.

"We've been busy recently with the post-Christmas rush - people bringing in things they don't need or want and are keen to sell on," she says. "I've got a Smythson handbag just now that is like brand new. It would cost around 1400, but I'm selling it for 695, and a Dolce and Gabbana one that would be 900, but is 450."

In return for selling customers' bags, accessories, pashminas and cashmere scarves, jewellery, boots and shoes - even unopened perfume and beauty items - she takes 50 per cent of the selling price.

But as her store runs on a "not for profit" basis, any cash left over goes to local charities.

"People come in, buy a bag, use it a couple of times then bring it back to sell on," she adds. "I have a couple of bags that I've sold three times!"

Her regular customer Christine Simpson is hooked on the idea: "I'm a bag freak, I have about 50 so I have to sell on to make space for new ones. I've sold a couple of Mulberry bags, a Vyella and a Jaeger bag using the shop. It's a good way to clear some space and get some money back to buy new bags.

"And I'm thinking about buying a Mulberry one now too - it's a bargain."

Handbag Heaven on Howe Street offers a similar service, selling bags, shoes and accessories for customers, usually on a 50-50 split basis.

"As long as the item is in good condition, clean and is something someone else is likely to want, then we're happy to look at it," says Kimberly Macfadyen, whose mum, Shirley Twist, runs the shop.

"We have six Mulberry bags in stock just now that are half the price they'd be new. Often we are selling bags that still have the labels on and with their original receipts.

"It's better than eBay because you can see and feel what you're buying, and if you're selling, there's not the same hassle. It makes sense."

• Xchange Handbags, www.exchangehandbags.com, 0131-552 8103; Handbag Heaven, 0131-225 4228.

VINYL RECORDS and BOOKS

That disc by some obscure punk band from 1976 has been gathering dust in the loft for decades. It might be junk to your ears now, but it could be sweet music to a collector.

Dave Griffen runs Elvis Shakespeare at 347 Leith Walk and buys in good quality vinyl records and books.

"Unfortunately 90 per cent of vinyl records are not going to be worth anything. It's the ten per cent that's left that I'm happy to pay for," he says.

"For a vinyl record to make the charts, it would have had to have sold 50,000 copies - so there'll be a lot of them around and they're hard to sell on. What I'm looking for are classic '60s vinyl from The Beatles, The Stones, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin - their first album was originally released with a "plum" coloured label and can sell for around 60 today."

And virtually unknown punk bands on long-gone independent labels are also worth digging out.

"Punk like the Sex Pistols and The Clash sell OK, but what people are really looking for are the records on very small independent labels with maybe only around 100 made.

"And folk music is really popular just now - lots of new electric folk bands are trying to find old material on vinyl from the likes of Bert Jansch."

Dave also buys in books - again, though, he's looking for rare and unusual music, art and literary fiction.

• Elvis Shakespeare, www.elvisshakespeare.com, 0131-561 1363.

BABY and TODDLER

Babies grow out of their clothes and accessories almost as soon as you buy them, so sell them on.

Relove on St Stephen Street will buy good quality and clean baby and toddler items, from cots and changing tables, high chairs and travel cots, to clothes and toys.

They'll even purchase your maternity clothes so the next generation of mums-to-be can snap up a bargain.

"It makes sense all around," says owner Graeme Slater. "Kids go through things very quickly, they're hardly in clothes and they're out of them."It means someone selling their items gets some money back, it's a great way to recycle and other people can get a great bargain."

• Keep track of what's in stock by following Relove on Facebook and Twitter, @reloveedinburgh.

CLOTHING

If you haven't worn it for a couple of years, chances are you never will again. While some people are happy to supply the charity shop, others prefer to make a quick buck selling them on.

For Wendy Johnston it is exactly this mentality that is making her boutique, Trouve at 77 Newington Road, a roaring success. "A lot of people at this time of year are decluttering their wardrobes," she explains. "We offer sale or return, which means someone brings in their unwanted clothes, and once they are sold they get their money. It could be a dress sold for 100, and they will get 50."

Goods are also bought over the counter meaning ready cash is handed over to the person parting with their pre-loved clothes.

"My customer base is very varied, from teenage girls to women in their 80s," says Wendy, who opened the shop last April. "I think there is more of an awareness of recycling now, but it is also nice to get a bit back. A lot of people also like to know their clothes are going to a good home."

Trouve stocks everything from Topshop to Prada.

• Trouve, www.trouve.co.uk, 0131-667 0631. Also try, Godiva, 9 West Port, www.godivaboutique.co.uk, 0131-221 9212 (high-end vintage pieces only).

COMPUTER GAMES

Back in the day, when Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros. were your main reason for waking in the morning, it's likely you'd have been hard-pressed to imagine your life without your games console.

Be it a Sega Mega Drive or a Super Nintendo Entertainment System, for thousands of addicted youngsters - and, let's face it, fully-grown adults - they were the source of endless hours of competitive entertainment.

Chances are, most of these much-loved boxes of electronics are now lying discarded in cupboards, lofts or sheds, sidelined by newer, better, more powerful cousins.

"We buy all types of games and consoles though," explains David Wilson, owner of Games Master Games Exchange at 287 Leith Walk. "What would you get for a SNES? Probably around 20."

For those hoping to get their hands on retro games, it can be an exciting chance for "a blast from their past", David says.

• Games Master Games Exchange, 0131-202 1376. High street outlets Game and Gamestation and Blockbuster also buy in used equipment and games. Certain branches of Argos, Asda and Tesco will also buy in pre-owned games, check stores' websites for details.

FURNITURE

Can't stomach the thought of paying the council to uplift your unwanted sideboard, nest of tables or aged armchair? Try selling it on.

"I hate the idea of smashing up furniture," says Tim Jones, owner of the pre-loved furniture shop Steptoes, at 5a East Preston Street.

"I am all for recycling."Nowadays, a lot of people are looking for the type of furniture their parents had, particularly '60s pieces - I cannot get enough of that to sell in my shop."

• Steptoes, www.steptoes-furniture.co.uk, 07747064470.

SELL IT YOURSELF

Of course, you could always just try to sell your unwanted items yourself - websites such as Gumtree, eBay and the Edinburgh Exchange sites provide a platform to sell.

And don't forget you can reach thousands of potential customers by placing an advert in the Edinburgh Evening News Bargain Basement classified pages!