Selling things online takes certain steps. If you play your cards right, your ad will look more attractive and will easily find its way to the new owners. Selling your stuff online can be an easy thing to if you follow our guideline – tips and tricks on how to make money from getting rid of your second-hand items.
Reasons for selling your stuff online
There is a couple of situation when people decide to get rid of the items they no longer need. If you are not sure whether you should do it or not, go through the main reasons for selling your stuff online.- relocation – moving house or office is a great ‘excuse’ for decluttering. Before you start packing, be sure to go through your items and see what you can sell and what needs to be recycled/thrown away. After you finish the decluttering, you will have fewer items to pack and more space at your new home. Furthermore, you can significantly decrease the moving costs! For a safer relocation, be sure to hire the right professionals, like movers Hasbrouck Heights, for a smooth and easy move.
- living like a minimalist – minimalism has been a lifestyle trend for a couple of years. And yes, it is being accepted all over the world by the people who don’t want to be suffocated by too many items at their home.
- spring clean – every spring you clean your home thoroughly. However, you don’t do anything with the items you don’t really need – you just move them around.
- change of lifestyle – maybe you don’t do that hobby as much, or you’ve lost interest in those clothes. Selling those items online is the perfect opportunity to earn some money and buy items you really like.
- it’s basically free – selling stuff online is usually completely free. Furthermore, you don’t need to organize a garage sale and go through that hassle of visitors, packing, etc.
How to know if something is ready to sell it?
When you go through your items, divide that items that you don’t need into three piles – donate, sell and recycle. If you are not sure that you need an item, ask yourself “Have I used this item in the past 12 months?” If the answer is “no”, you probably don’t need that item anymore.Where to sell items online?
There are a couple of websites you sell your items online. However, some of them are quite different in terms of the way they connect buyers and sellers. Here are the most common websites for selling your stuff online.Local sales
Local websites can be used as specific ‘markets’ for any city you live in. These are websites like Craigslist or Letgo. These websites give you the freedom to put a price on your item, and they don’t take a cut of your sales. However, the arrangement of sales and item delivery is only up to you. You need to meet with the buyer and organize the exchange. Another similar way to sell items is Facebook Marketplace. You can list your items directly within Facebook, without making another account or downloading additional apps.Online Auctions
There are a couple of websites that use auction sales. They charge their services differently, so be sure to choose the right one. Usually, the more expensive ones are the most popular ones. They offer high traffic which means you can sell items much faster. However, if you focus on earning more, be sure to choose the smaller, less popular websites. The most popular auction websites in the country are eBay, Amazon, Bonanza, Ebid (UK competitor of the Ebay).Specialized market websites
There are different websites that dedicate to only one type of items. For example, if you need to sell electronics, be sure to check the websites like Swappa or Gazelle. These are resellers, so you get a quote from them for your item. If you need to sell clothes, check out Poshmark. They are a specialized social network for selling clothes, with fixed fees. For arts and crafts, Etsy is the most popular choice.Other tips when selling your stuff online
With the right tips, you will have more successful sales than you expect. When selling your stuff online be sure to:- set the right price – research the websites we mentioned before and see what are the prices for similar items. This way you will make sure not to set a way to high/low price for your item.
- Describe your item in detail – be sure to make a detailed description of the items you are selling. This includes information about how old the item is, its condition, flaws, etc.
- Upload enough pictures – if you buy an item online, you want to see enough pictures of it. That’s why you need to upload a couple of pictures of the item – from several angles. This includes both close-ups and pics from a decent distance.
- use natural lightning and put the item on a plain background – buyers want to see the item clearly, especially when the color/material of the item is important. Don’t use flash on your pics and remove any unnecessary things from the background.
- answer the questions quickly – when selling your stuff online, expect various question from buyers. Be sure to answer them quickly, and provide an image of a serious seller.