Here’s How You Can Earn Serious Cash Selling Your Old Things Online

Are you one of those people who cling to stuff and end up living amid piles of old, useless things? A type of minor hoarder (if such a type exists)? Well, it’s time for some serious house cleaning. 

When it comes to decluttering, the hardest decision is what to throw away. Then, when you finally decide you’re ready to part with those old things, you don’t know how to go about it. We have two words for you: online sale. Guess what?  If you are lucky, you don’t even need to leave your house to get rid of your stuff. 

There are many eCommerce sites today, with Facebook Marketplace being the biggest, clocking one billion users in 2021. So, where do you start? Here are some tips for making money by selling your old things.

1. Know your marketplace

First things first: You need to know how and where to sell online. If you are clearing your garage and end up with trinkets and assorted stuff, it’s best to try to sell them on sites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. 

If you’re an artsy person and have a bunch of handicrafts, you can sell them on Etsy. If you decide to replace your vintage furniture with a modern set, you can list it on Facebook Marketplace. In case you’ve finally decided to get rid of the clothes you don’t wear anymore, check out Poshmark or thredUP. The latter will list the clothes for you and recycle the rest. 

Got books to sell? Take a look at AbeBooks or Decluttr. 

Sites like Amazon and eBay are excellent if you want to sell multiple items, be it clothing, bags, cosmetics, perfumes, or belts. Some of these platforms allow for local pick-up, which means you don’t have to lift a finger or leave your house. It’s as simple as that! As a bonus, your house will be finally decluttered and your pockets filled. 

2. Make your items look presentable

Selling online means you’ve only got a photo to attract buyers, so you better make yours truly worth a thousand words. Taking good photos is not rocket science, but you do need to practice and spend some time honing that skill. You can search online and find photo tips on how to sell your stuff or ask a professional to teach you. 

Basically, you would want natural lighting, a focus on the item for sale, and a background free of clutter so the buyer’s attention would immediately fix on the item. To make it even more desirable, you can add some props, like pumpkins or something theme-appropriate if you want to sell your old Halloween costume.

3. Learn the art of selling used items online

It’s not easy to sell a used item, but you can make it work for you with the following tips. 

• Give the item a simple name—for example, “Gucci bag” instead of “100% genuine leather Gucci bag purchased in Italy in 2015.”
• Item description—Here goes the “100% genuine leather Gucci bag purchased in Italy in 2015” bit.
• Viewing time—A potential buyer would typically like to see the bag in person, so make sure there is someone around to show it to them.
• Product pricing—Set your prices accordingly. Don’t expect to sell a bag you bought for $400 seven years ago for the same price today. Take a look at these pricing strategies before you set your price.

4. Turn your unused gift cards into cash

If you have a drawer full of unused or unwanted gift cards, it’s time to cash them out before they expire. There are many sites where you can sell or exchange your gift cards for others, among them being CardCash, ClipKard, GameFlip, and Raise. 

The maximum you can get is about 92% of the value of a gift card, and there may be some seller fees depending on the site. So, the next time your aunty Jo serves you a gift card for Christmas sweaters from Kohl’s or Macy’s, you can sell it or exchange it for a day of pampering with your bestie. 

Whether your house needs decluttering or you need money, you can always consider selling some of your things (as long as everyone in the house agrees it’s time to let them go).