Thanks Marla - taxes are going to be hard to figure this year, gotta use a CPA and not do it myself (I have been doing our personal ones for years, even did business when I was single and sold Tupperware). Let's say they decide they want Wild Grape Jelly and Autumn Fruit Jam (made with wild grapes, apples, store-bought plums, sugar and spices). I planned on asking for the jars back. I used 4 plums (have to look up cost but say $2) and 1.5 lb of sugar (at 64 cents/lb) plus our own grapes and apples for the Autumn Fruit jam, they may take 1/2 the batch so that's $1.48 and a few cents for lemon juice and spices say $1.50. Jelly used same amount of sugar so another 50 cents - that's $2 cost (maybe include cost of 6 lids so another 87 cents but I'm getting jars back). So $2.87 plus electricity? For 6 jars of jams worth $36 at market. Wild grapes and apples are "free" (except for my labor picking and preparing, and DH's labor clearing the brush around the old apple trees, pruning them, etc.). So what do I claim as the value of my donation? If they want Wild Blackberry Jam again cost of sugar is 25-30 cents per jar, berries are "free" but I get $5/pint when I sell the berries at market (and charge $1 more for jam that takes a pint to make a pint to make up for the sugar and the jar, that doesn't even cover electricity and some people think $6 is too much). So would the blackberry jam be worth more as a donation than the grape, since I can sell blackberries and I'm assuming no one would buy wild grapes so they're "worthless" at market? Might be easier just to let my aunt who contacted me pay for them and she can take the deduction off her personal income tax?

Thanks to all who responded to my post. I've been about every route with my mother's estate. With Craig's List I usually end up waiting for people that never show up. I don't live close enough to any large population centers to make it worth the trip for anyone interested in just one thing. I had one woman leave an angry message on my answering machine "I drove for two hours and I still didn't reach your town!" I have contacted estate liquidators and the consensus of opinion is that unless I have very high-end antiques (you know - Ming vases and Duncan Phyfe furniture) it would cost me more to pay them to do a sale than I could make from the sale. Most of the dealers here in upstate New York only want the very finest antiques and collectibles. Consignment shops won't take anything either because they are not selling very much right now. Everyone is griping about how bad the antiques market is. I guess I just hit it at the worst possible time. I know my mom bought most of her things, like Depression glass, in the 1970's when it was a hot item and expensive. Now you can't give it away. A few weeks ago I saw a Madrid cookie jar in the local Salvation Army for $2.99. I went back this week and it was still there! I have two pieces of Oyster and Pearl I've been trying to sell - a 14 inch sandwich plate and a divided relish. No one even looks at them. Most people that stop at my sale ask for: military and sports memorabilia, old fishing equipment, jewelry and gold and silver coins. Yeah, everyone has that laying around the house. I made a Web page with photographs of some of the contents of the house. If you'd like to look, click on link below. On another note, I theorize that unless you can have a tag sale on the first or second weekend of the month, don't bother. By the time the third and last week of the month rolls around, people are starting to run short on money and not looking to blow it at a tag sale. Any opinions on this? Here is a link that might be useful: Contents of House

I'd list it on ebay. Somebody looking for expensive fabric is not going to bat an eye at paying $60 for shipping if they can get a bargain on the fabric. Also, I have seen folks list it as a dutch auction per yard (with up to 29 yards available) - the bidders bid at the per yard price and specify how many yards they want. That way you're not forcing one person to take all 29 yards. I know the market for upholstery fabric on ebay is very good - I have both bought and sold some on there.

The IRS has limits on values of items donated. It varies depending on the items. We received some 60% on appliances and I think furniture was 40% of new (on a graduated scale based on age). Frankly I let my accountant figure it out. If I were you, I'd call your accountant and ask for guidance. I'm assuming that you are upper income (or really generous) because you're making such a generous donation. For us, there were benefits to making a couple of contributions last year and this year due to our varying income levels. Your accountant might have some guidance to offer on this as well...but at least can give you a ballpark on a percentage of the new price of the items that will qualify for deduction. I am also hoping you know where they came from so you can arrive at the "new" price (what they cost when they were purchased in 2004). This is what the basis will be on.