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Selling stuff online is a great way to make some extra cash to finance your summer fun. And if you’ve been spring cleaning like we’ve been doing (sort of), you’re probably realizing that there’s too much clutter in your life. Selling stuff online is the perfect way to get rid of it! Nearly all of us have junk sitting around, doing almost nothing, when we could start selling stuff online to put money in our wallets — or better yet, our bank accounts.
Take a good look around at the objects, gadgets and trinkets surrounding you, commandeering your space. Do you really need all that crap? No, of course you don’t. So, are you considering selling stuff online to free up and reclaim your living space? How about trying this experiment: just imagine that you’re moving out next month and must set aside items that you could live without. Be ruthless. Unless it’s something that cannot be replaced (a birthday card from someone, a family photo, a vacation souvenir, etc.) put it aside. A good rule of thumb is, if you haven’t used it in the past year, it must go. Selling stuff online can be an inspiration and will help you let go of excess things.
After you’ve successfully detached yourself from unwanted goods, you’ll need to begin selling stuff online. Fortunately, there are many options for selling stuff online and you needn’t feel daunted by exploring them. Think of selling stuff online as participating in a worldwide garage sale. You’re probably familiar with garage sales, or tag sales, or yard sales (or whatever folks with your regional dialect call ‘em) — and perhaps you remember these sales from childhood. Selling stuff online, in my opinion, is way better than a garage sale. There’s no putting up signs around the neighborhood or placing ads in the newspaper; there’s no setting up tables or counting stacks of one dollar bills. And you don’t need to serve punch and cookies — unless you just feel like you deserve a nibble. Selling stuff online is so much easier than selling it offline. No muss, no fuss.
Let’s examine a handful of options for selling stuff online:
- eBay — Since 1995, this online auction and shopping site has been the Big Daddy and the go-to place for selling stuff online. Kat and I sell on eBay often and we’re generally pleased with the results. I typically sell items within a particular niche, but lately I’m considering branching out and selling all kinds of stuff. I’m often surprised to get more money for things than I expect. eBay seems to attract serious collectors, so if you’re selling stuff online that’s anything even remotely collectible, I’d recommend that you start with eBay.
- Amazon — Although I’m not experienced with selling stuff online on Amazon, it’s supposedly the best venue for selling books, CDs, DVDs and other media. If you need to sell these kinds of items, I’d give Amazon a try. Honestly, I haven’t been very successful selling books on eBay, so I’m considering other options like Amazon. Like I said, my experience with Amazon has been strictly buyer-related. I’d be confident in selling stuff online by placing my books on Amazon, though, since they are so dominating in book sales and get so much media-buying traffic. I shop on Amazon regularly. Millions and millions of buyers can only be a good thing. Try Amazon for selling stuff online.
- Craigslist — Kat likes Craigslist and uses it occasionally to buy secondhand furniture. We also bought a gently used adorable IKEA rug for $50. If you live in a metropolitan area (chances are, if you read our blog, you do), try selling your cast off household goods via Craigslist. Obviously, there are caveats when dealing with unknown buyers and I would tell everyone never to allow strangers to enter their homes. Figure out a neutral place to meet buyers if you’re selling stuff online on Craigslist. You’ll likely assess your personal situation and find a comfortable solution. Maybe you own a big dog or something. Anyway, the more you sell on Craigslist, the more you’ll become familiar with how selling stuff online works and what works best for you.
Selling stuff online is a great way to earn extra money. It’s also an ideal way to protect the environment since you’re allowing items to be reused, and not just thrown away. Please let us know if you’ve ever tried selling stuff online — we’d love to read your comments.
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