I agree...they are beautiful baskets. If they don't fit your style anymore, I would keep a few precious ones for kids and grandkids and advertise the rest for sale. If you can recoup your investment, imagine how much fun you could have with the money! :)

Pam

Polkadots, I'm in the same situation as you. I've recently been trying to do some major cleaning out around the house and am wondering whether or not to hang onto all the Longaberger baskets I'm not using. There are some I still do use, but there are quite a few that are sitting in closets. I've checked out ebay to see what they sell for. For example, I have the Shades of Autumn recipe basket with a lid and cards. On completed items on ebay, the price ranged from around $33.00 to around $45.00. I'd be happy to get that much for it, but am afraid to list it on ebay and not have the bidding get that high. I've also thought about trying craigslist.

I guess my advice to you would be to keep a few, but get rid of those that you really don't think you'll ever use. I think that's what I'm going to do. The only problem is figuring out the best outlet for selling them to get the best price. I actually picked up a medium vegetable basket at a garage sale for $2.00. I certainly don't want that to happen to my baskets or yours.

Barb

I have put mine to work. I have a first aid kit in one, I have the large hamper in my basement with wrapping paper rolls in it and the lid off. I have ribbon and scissors in another on my wrapping station. I have some in my pantry to store stuff. The ones that I cannot use like the pumpkin ones I think I will sell on Ebay. Sadly right now the "founders basket" which is a market basket is holding an array of coloring books for my 3 yo and an art bag of crayons. I keep extra school supplies in the petunia basket in the closet so if my girls need glue, pencils, eraser etc they are easy to grab and find. Under the sink of the bathrooms some of the smaller ones hold girl products. So I guess what I am saying is that I used mine to organize my home and they are really well made and functional. They are no longer MY style, but if they are in a closet doing a job I am not concerned. A friend came to my house recently and gasped at the sight of the market basket used as an art basket though.

At one point I had about 100 Longaberger baskets but did start selling them off several years ago. All I have left now is about 40 and truely they are workhorses! Medium Markets and Lunchboxes are invaluable! I use them in my car for errand stuff, my the front door for library books, etc. I have found NOT using liners helps the look of them immensely. I feel the liners date them. I can say that ALL of mine have a job and blend in with decor - as waste baskets in bathrooms, tissue boxes, etc. again no fabric liners!!!

I have never had a big collection but had 7, and I have been putting them to use in the pantry. If I had more, I bet I could put them to use in the bathroom cabinets as well.

Baskets are awful bulky to keep if you aren't using them.

I agree...and at my stage of life I want to declutter and that includes anything I don't love. I've got about 5 Peterboro baskets, but they all are in use. Not always on display, but in use all the same.
Susan

I'd be concerned about their longevity if they aren't maintained but then I don't know much about longabergers except they are well made and expensive. I've had well made baskets that over time dried out and became brittle - I read somewhere that I should have exposed them to steam or water every once and a while.

Definitely enjoy using them as organizers and send the ones you can't use on to someone else who will appreciate and use them. Life is too short, enjoy and use what you have.

sky

If appropriate, why not use some of them as "gift wrap" now - pick out special ones and put your grandchildrens' Christmas or birthday gifts in them.

If anyone decides to sell on ebay let me know as I will start bidding!!!

You can send them to me!

Seriously, put them on Ebay or Craigs List. Or ask your friends if anyone is interested in them, they would great gifts for the right person.

I would hold on to them and put them to use!..They are not bringing high prices on ebay or even close to the original price you/I paid.

Linda,
If you are interested in any of the Christmas ones or fall ones. I'm your girl...I also have a vanity basket with a liner as well and other misc. ones and collectors ones. Just email me and I will get some pics and prices around...luvmychoos@hotmail.com

Summie

I use my few Longaberger baskets for everything except decorating. They're great for outdoor entertaining -- line them with big, colorful handkerchiefs and put anything in them -- pita chips, tortilla chips, etc. Easy for guests to get to the chips. I use them for crackers, I use them for arranging veggies for dips.

I use the larger ones for storing onions and potatoes in the basement. They look pretty, yet they're functional.

Others I've used to hold sewing paraphernalia. Easy to access, yet all stored in one place.

Lots of very functional uses for these....but I confess I've never decorated with them.

Thanks to everyone for the great thoughts and ideas. Now that I think about it, I guess I am using a few to "hold" things. I need to see how else I can make them useful. I probably need to get rid of some to declutter the closets. I know they aren't selling for that much on ebay. I saw some at a local consignment shop - need to see how they do there. Thanks again for the thoughts. Linda or others, if you are interested in anything in particular, let me know and I can tell you what I have.

Choose 5 favorites to keep and Ebay the rest :)

I'd sell them on ebay. I also had a closet full of them, many I got free or half price for having parties, I guess I got caught up in the buying/party frenzy like everyone else. Now everyone I know has them. I sold most of mine on ebay made decent money on most of them, at least more than I paid. I kept only the most basic ones that I really do use. Put the money in a savings account instead, which is what I should have done with the money in the first place! I feel much better about that than looking at those baskets everytime I opened up the closest, it's kind of nice to have some empty space.

I have two large ones on top of my refrigerator that I keep vitamins and medications in. The other one I spray-painted black (ack!!) and use in my laundry room.

If you can hang onto them till the market swings back up again, you can get a much better return on them.

I was just in Dresden, OH last month (Longaberger home base till they moved a short distance west). I've been to Dresden several times (it's near my hometown, so we stop there on occasion when going home). Shops this time were full of secondary market baskets, and there were "Sale!" signs everywhere. Prices much lower than I've ever seen. They are not generating the high $ on ebay they typically do either. Several shop owners told me that they are in a dryer spell right now, but fully anticipate coming out of it (Longaberger collectors are among the most die hard ;D ) Way back when a certain limited edition shamrock themed basket came out I kicked myself for not getting it (Irish). At the time felt it was too much $ for such a tiny little thing. So then in the secondary market the price went through the ceiling, well over a $100 for just the basket. I could have snatched up whole combo (basket, liner, and lid) in Dresden for $40 and I passed. I'll probably kick myself some more for doing that ;D

I'm not a rabid fan, I just like them. But I do have too many and find myself floundering when it comes to 'creative' uses. Market baskets are my favorite, I store magazines and catalogs in them, they hold up very well, too. I know someone who ranks fairly high up on the Long. food chain in these parts and her creativity is amazing. Her house looks like a show place ;)

I'll wait till the market for them rebounds though before I try to sell. Way too much $ invested, would like to recoup more than what the market is getting right now. In the past it's been common on ebay to see current (still manufactured) baskets get at least their initial selling price (when in good shape). Retired, limited edition or signed, I've just been blown away by what people will pay for those (double + the original price). Although I've noticed Christmas is the height of activity across all ebay, so you might have good luck selling now? Especially if they are retired pieces. If you're serious about getting your $ back, I'd check out a Bentley Guide for price (current and former dealers I know use that heavily).

another x-longaberger addict here I too had over 100 at one time when I lived up north where they were more popular, (there was a party in the neighborhood at least once a month but since moving here to Florida I got rid of most of mine on ebay, true your lucky if you get what you originally paid for them unless you earned it free or half off which was the case for me, I only kept the ones I used and the wrought iron pieces I have,

I, too, got caught up in all that craziness. Now I have more baskets than I know what to do with. I do use a lot of mine for organizing. I have a couple of older/unique ones...a Christmas basket from 1987, and the Crawford barn basket with liner, lid, tie on. Years ago I sold several of the May baskets (flowers) and got $400 for it.