Cash it in
Earn a buck without the work
By Kathryn Anderson, Jayplay writer
It was freshman year in Ellsworth hall and Bethany Hess was strapped for cash. When a couple of friends planned a spontaneous weekend road trip to Madison, Wisc., Hess had to do some prudential thinking. The Barrington, Ill.
senior, was in no position to strum an acoustic guitar on the corner of $ 9^{\mathrm{th}} $ and Mass. streets. So without musical talent, what's a broke girl to do?
Hess held an impromptu garage sale. Without a garage, her dorm room sufficed. Hess sold CDs, movies and clothing. In less than 30 minutes, she
Do the math
An approximate break down of your crap's potential earning power
that, ZLB bases payment on your bodyweight. The heavier you are, the more beer money you'll earn. More importantly, you'll be saving lives.
That is, sell your plasma. ZLB Plasma Services on 816 W. $ 24^{th} $ Street will pay cash for a little bit of blood. After a four-hour screening exam, nurses will plug you in and extract your plasma, the liquid component of blood.
A first time donor earns $25. After
Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and be at least 18 years old. The initial
Sell yourself
Money does not grow on trees, but you can find it lurking on and around the hill. That's right. There's money to be found and it can be yours for free. Consider these fast-money options from Lawrence businesses that turn a profit from handing you cash.
made her dough: $50 for gas and beer. She says she could have made more if she'd sold her microwave, which became a hot ticket item even though it was not for sale.
The marketing was easy, according to Hess, who never considered making a flyer. Instead, she simply told two or three dorm mates and let the chips fall where they may. They fell in her favor, and they can for you too.
Your plasma (first visit) $25
Wool Ralph Lauren sweater $8.75
Pair of jeans $7.00
Modern Art coffee-table
book you've never opened $3.60
The Da Vinci Code $1.80
The new Dave
Matthew's album (sucked) $4
TOTAL: $50.15
years old. The initial consultation takes around two hours, so plan ahead. The plasma-extracting process takes an hour, during which time you'll relax in a cushy recliner.
Amelia Crowl,
Emporia sophomore, donates plasma twice a week.
She rakes in about $200 per month.
Crowl says selling plasma
According to Crowl, the side effects are minimal. She has experienced light-headedness, but she says if she keeps hydrated it's no big deal. "But the scars on my arms kind of make me look like a heroin junkie," she says.
makes ends meet. She uses the cash for beer, gas and food. In that order.
Clean your closet
Simplify your wardrobe and pay for Burrito King by selling your clothes. Arizona Trading Company, 734 Mass. St., buys "pre-loved" clothing from hungry kids like you. By revamping your closet, you'll earn 35 percent of ATC's selling price. If you shrunk your blazer in the dryer and ATC sells it for $30, you'll walk with $10.
Corey Sievers, manager at ATC, says regulars come in monthly. One man, who regularly sells vintage belt buckles, walked with about $100 recently. Sievers says you won't make a living off selling to ATC, but you can make a few bucks here and there.
DaynaWise, Colorado Springs senior, recently made about $150 at Arizona Trading Company. She says the cash
Jayplay 11.10.05
The thrift store works seasonally, so take bring only your unwanted fall and winter apparel. Sievers says they want current men's and women's casual styles, and items must be in very good condition. Vintage pieces are accepted,but Sievers says the store is very selective and 75 to 80 percent of their merchandise is newer items.
eased the headache of holiday shopping and afforded her some new clothes.
Also check out Lasting Impressions, a consignment shop on 711 West $23^{\mathrm{rd}}$ Street. Manager, Vicki Turner welcomes a wide range of items.The shop accepts men's, women's and children's apparel in good condition.She says clothing should be current styles and a maximum of three years old.The store also consigns home decor, jewelry, shoes and accessories.
The store sees about 300 items each day, so make sure your goods are freshly laundered and on hangers, says Turner. Bring in your clothes Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.for extra cash.
Recycle your music
Take your old Ricky Martin CDs, to Love Garden Sounds on 936 Mass. Street. For almost 16 years, Love Garden has bought and sold previously loved (or hated) CDs and vinyl records. Kory Willis, founding father and coowner, says music lovers often listen to a certain musician for a while then move on to something else. Willis says selling used albums is a perfect source of cash in a college town.
Lasting Impressions will consign your clothes for about a third of an item's original price. After an item is sold you'll earn 40 percent of the sale.
"Rents due, time to kick in for the keq" he says.
Willis says an average mass market CD with in its jewel case with full artwork usually earns you $4. If the store already has numerous copies of your CD on shelf, you'll receive less.
The starting price for a vinyl record is $1, but rare or popular albums can earn you much more.
Willis says Love Garden is fair. "We're not out to scalp anyone. We all live here. I don't want anyone to take a swing at me."
He adds that condition is very important. And he's continuously perplexed by the way some people treat their CDs. People have tried to sell him CDs splashed with Coca-Cola that look like they've been stomped on a few times. Word to the wise: leave your destroyed albums at home.
Again, condition is important. Store manager, Shannon Jones, says books with heavy writing, highlighting or missing pages aren't accepted. They will take your English books, literature, philosophy, children's books and nonfiction. Jones says they love art history and antique books, for which you'll earn the highest dollar.
When you're too deep in the semester to sell off textbooks at Jayhawk Bookstore, take a look at your other books. The Dusty Bookshelf, 708 Mass. St., buys your old books for 30 percent of the selling price. A typical hardcover will be resold for $6 to $12, which means you'll walk with $1.80 to $3.60 for just one copy of Huckleberry Fin. You've read it five times anyway.
Clean out the bookshelves
Also try CDTradepost, who'll not only buy your old CDs, but also give cash for video games and gaming systems. Check out one of their two Lawrence locations on 4000 W. $ ^6$th St. and 2540 S. Iowa St., or surf their inventory from home at www.cdtradepost.com.
8
Earning a dime is pretty easy here in Lawrence. Stop searching under couch cushions, and sell the stuff you don't use. Then go buy a case of cold ones to celebrate the end of your financial desperation.
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