I’m sure everyone has extra things laying around their home that they do not need. If you are trying to pay off debt or reach some sort of financial goal, I highly recommend you read today’s post so that you can learn how to make quick money by learning how to sell your stuff.
With this past move, I’ve finally realized that I have too much extra stuff around our house.
As we were going around our house to determine what we should keep and get rid of, I realized that I didn’t need most of my belongings.
We sold some stuff, we donated a LOT, and we threw away a full rented dumpster full of garbage away.
In the end, I believe we have around half as much stuff (or even less) than what we did just one month ago.
The change is drastic, and it’s nice knowing that what we have now is just what we need. It doesn’t take a lifetime to find what we need anymore, we now know that things aren’t slowly rusting away and/or breaking from not being used for years, and more.
What we have left are the things that truly matter to us now.
Living a more minimalist life has been more important to us lately than ever. No we aren’t perfect and we definitely still have too many things laying around, but we are doing better than before.
It was hard getting rid of a lot of things, and I understand that others feel the same way as well. You may have become attached to an item, there might be sentimental value, or you might just be thinking about how much money you wasted by buying the item in the first place.
Keeping an item when you don’t need it whatsoever though doesn’t make much sense. Just think about the storage costs that you are probably paying for and how the item is probably being damaged by being thrown around or sitting for too long.
Whether you want to sell your stuff from around your house to make some extra cash, to free up room around your home for things that are more important to you, or because you want to live a more minimalist lifestyle, below are my tips on how to sell your stuff and how to make quick money by doing so.
What can you sell to make money?
Anything and everything can be sold to make money. If you want to learn how to sell your stuff, just start by looking around your house.
Open closets, head down to the basement and/or up to your attic, and more.
I’m sure there are plenty of things around your home that you can sell for money. You can sell things that have just been sitting around forever such as clothing, furniture, DVDs, books, home decor, antiques, electronics, appliances, and more.
Where can you sell your stuff?
There are many places where you can sell your stuff. You can sell your stuff online, offline, or have someone else sell your stuff for you.
Below are several different places you may want to check out when first learning how to sell your stuff.
eBay. I used to always try to sell my belongings on eBay first. Potential customers are located all over the world, and for the most part the fees aren’t too bad. My main tip for using eBay is to always make sure you have proof that you mailed the item, especially if it is high value. I didn’t do this once and the buyer claimed they never received the item, so I was out of both the item and the money. I have since learned from this lazy mistake.
Craigslist. Craigslist is one of the main ways that most people try to sell their unwanted items. It’s free and easy to use, just be careful and aware of all of the Craigslist scams that always seem to be happening.
Facebook. Facebook local sales seem to be getting more and more popular lately. I see at least a few postings from Facebook friends of mine each week. It works sort of like Craigslist, you list your item and hopefully someone wants it. No fees to pay and your potential audience is large.
Secondhand stores. There are two ways these usually work. Either you will get a percentage of what they plan on selling your item for in the store, and you get your money regardless if it sells or not. The other way is that they place a price on your item and you only receive payment if and when your item sells. You will usually make less money by bringing your item to a second hand store because they do all of the hard work for you. All you have to do is drop off your item after all. If you want to learn how to make quick money, then this option might for you. Secondhand stores make it extremely easy to sell your stuff.
Hold a yard or garage sale. If you have many items that you want to unload, then holding a garage sale can help you do that a little more easily and it can help you make quick money as everyone will be coming to you. Usually you don’t charge very much for items at a garage sale though, so keep that in mind.
Etsy. If you create crafts that you think others will like or if you have found some cool vintage items, then Etsy may be the best place to list your items. I have never sold on Etsy myself, but I know plenty of others who have had success on this website.
How do you decide what to price an item at?
If you are selling at a secondhand store, for the most part they will decide what to price your item at. They have the experience and expertise, and that’s why they take a larger percentage of the cut.
However, if you are selling an item on your own, it can be much more difficult to decide what to sell your stuff for.
When determining how much to sell your stuff for, you will need to do some research.
You should figure out what you paid for it, what it’s worth at the store, and what others are selling the item for used.
Next, you should take a look at the quality of the item you are selling and compare it to similar items that you find online and/or offline.
You can search other websites to see what similar items are selling for, see if the condition is comparable, and see if there are actually buyers for your product. Just because something is listed at a price, it does not mean that it will actually sell for that price.
My tips so that you can learn how to sell your stuff successfully.
You might be thinking “I’ve tried to sell items before but never have any luck.”
That’s probably because you were doing something wrong. There are right and wrong ways to sell things. You might have the exact same item as someone else and that person might have had tons of offers. However, for some reason you received none.
This is for a reason. Before are my tips so that you can learn how to sell your stuff successfully.
- Think about timing. The specific time at which you list your item and when your auction is supposed to end is very important when selling on a website such as eBay. Regardless of how you are selling your items, also think about the time of year for which you are trying to sell. Selling a winter coat when it’s 110 degrees out in July most likely won’t get you many buyers. Timing is very important and will help you get the most cash. Always think about when a person might need your item.
- Describe your item well. Some items need to be described more than others. If you are selling a $50,000 classic car, it should have a better and more thorough description than a $5 shirt. When learning how to sell your stuff, this is a very important step that too many people skip. Don’t forget to include a good title for your product as well as this is how buyers will find you. You usually want to include the type of product and the brand name.
- Take great pictures. Like with the tip above, this mainly depends on what you are selling. You definitely do not need to take 50 pictures of a $5 shirt, but taking 50 pictures of an expensive car is probably a good idea. Also, make sure your pictures show the product well, make sure there is good lighting, and try to showcase the item you are trying to sell.
- Don’t lie about the product. If there is damage to the product, you should always be truthful about it. You are just wasting your time and the buyer’s time if you lie.
- Be careful. There are scammers out there so please keep that in mind whenever you are talking to a potential buyer. I wish there weren’t so many scammers, but sadly they do exist. If a deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
When was the last time you sold something to make extra money? Do you plan on selling anything soon or doing a major clean out of your home?
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