Where to Sell Your Stuff for Extra Cash

Most of us accumulate stuff. It is just the culture that we live in. We like to buy things, and when one gets outdated, broken, or we just don’t want it anymore we store it rather than get rid of it. Being financially savvy we often will go through our items and decide to sell them in order to raise some extra money. Not only does this clear out our living spaces keeping us clutter free, it also gives us money that we can use toward a better purpose. But sometimes selling items is just not that easy, and the hardest part is figuring out where to list them to make the most money the fastest. Here are the places I have discovered that work the best.

Craigslist

I like Craigslist because it is free to place an ad and free to sell. However, where I live Craigslist is not all that popular. For whatever reason, maybe because the site is trolled by scammers constantly, people rarely use the site. That said here is what sells on Craigslist quickly:

• Up-to-date electronics – Think phones, stereos, televisions, and the like.
• Appliances – They’re too heavy to ship, so selling in town is the way to go.
• Clothing – Especially when you have a bulk lot of children’s clothes to get rid of.

I have also found that many items sit on the site until the ad expires with nobody ever contacting me about them. They include:

• Auto parts – the more obscure the harder to sell
• Tools – Unless you have a high quality, new tool priced competitively, nobody will bother responding
• Jewelry – Almost every contact I have had for jewelry has been from a scammer. The others were lowball offers that I laughed at.
• High End Merchandise – Think of Craigslist as an online garage sale. You wouldn’t pay top dollar at a garage sale, nobody will on Craigslist.

Ebay

I love shopping on Ebay. I hate selling on the site. Fees come in right around 15% of the final sales cost, so unless you need it gone quickly, there’s no point to sell on Ebay. Here is what does sell:

• Baby Items – Most of the time these will get donated anyways, you might as well make a few bucks on them.
• Popular Electronics – Don’t expect to get near what it is worth, but it will sell quickly.
• Name Brands – People scour the site looking for name brands at a fraction of the cost.

While many smaller items sell on Ebay, don’t bother listing these items:

• Homemade or handmade – You can have the most well crafted product out there, nobody will bid on it.
• Large Items – Even if you offer free local delivery, for some reason people do not trust buying big items on Ebay (cars may be the exception, I have never sold one on Ebay).

Facebook Garage Sales

These types of pages have been popping up all over lately, and they are a great way to list your product, and get immediate feedback. They have their downfalls, but they are free to list. Try listing:

• Large Items – You can double post them on Craigslist and on these sites. Most people are local and willing to pick up.
• Bulk Items – People love to get a deal by purchasing multiple items at a time.
• Low cost items – You don’t have to ship or pay fees, so if people want to pick up your used pair of shoes for $5 let them.

Avoid listing these items since most people won’t look twice:

• Handmade or Homemade – Some practical items will go over well, but if you value your time you won’t be able to list them cheap enough.
• High End Items – People use these sites to find deals, not pay full price.
• Vehicles – Sometimes you can sell a vehicle through the sites, but for a lot of people are wary of these ads.

Other Places

There are so many online selling sites that it is hard to thoroughly discuss them all. In my buying and selling adventures, here are some of the places that work for various goods:

• Etsy – If you are crafty, Etsy may be your friend. However, don’t expect overnight success. You will need to promote your page, list lots of items and list often, and hope that someone stumbles onto your stuff.
• Pawn Shops – If you have an item that is relatively obscure (for instance I had to get rid of a fifth wheel hitch recently) a pawn shop is your best bet. You won’t get as much as if you could sell it yourself, but you will be able to unload it faster.
• Amazon – Amazon allows individuals to sell through their site. The fees are similar to Ebay, but often target a different market. If you have trouble selling items on Ebay, try Amazon for a change of pace.
• Garage Sales – If you have a plethora of various items, host a garage sale. Just keep in mind that the point of a garage sale is to make a small amount of money on items that would otherwise go to a thrift store.

Wrapping it Up

There are many different ways to sell your used stuff, and some work better than others. If one place doesn’t work, make a note and move on to the next. Just keep in mind that if you can’t sell your items through several different venues, then you might have the price set too high. After all the point of unloading your stuff is to get rid of it, not get rich.

What selling venues have worked well for you?

Image Credit