Whether you’re a student, a full time worker or just getting by, we can all do with a little extra money each month, right? This post will help you to easily make money from your unwanted things by giving ideas on what type of items to sell and 3 top selling sites/apps.
You’d be surprised at what you’re able to sell online these days and there’s many ways to make money from your unwanted things. If you’re someone who thinks a low value Primark item won’t sell then I’m sorry to tell you that you’re wrong. The famous saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” springs to mind. Almost anything can be sold online (as long as it’s legal), clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture, vehicles and more.
Some things may take more time than others but if those jeans you only wore once 3 years ago are still sitting in your wardrobe, what’s the harm in waiting another month for them to sell?
A great thing about selling your unwanted things to make money is that you can sell everything across multiple platforms in order to try and sell it quicker – just remember to delete it or ‘mark as sold’ on the other websites to avoid multiple people buying the same item!
You’ll need suitable packaging for when you post the items you sell. Try padded envelopes from pound shops, but if you plan on selling a lot, it would be so much easier and cheaper for you to buy packaging in bulk on eBay.
Prefer to watch? Check out the video version of this blog post from sister channel Save Like A Bear:
Ideas of items you can sell:
1. BNWT items
This stands for Brand New With Tags Items. You’re usually more likely to make more money if an item is unworn/unused with the tags attached or in original packaging. You can expect to receive closer to the original price as long as demand is still high for the item.
A good example of this would be a designer piece of clothing or sort-after technology such as a new iPhone. You’d expect for someone to pay less than the original price but more than if the item was used or old. The sort of BNWT item that you shouldn’t expect to receive close to original value for are things that have small demand such as old DVDs and computer games. Unless they are part of a box set or they’re collectors items, whether they’re unused and in original packaging or not probably won’t sway people to buy it for close to it’s original price because they don’t hold much value.
2. Vintage items
The lines are a bit blurred when it comes to what ‘vintage’ is, but if you have any old things lying around that were maybe passed down onto you or that you bought years ago, it may be worth having a look to see what it’s currently selling for online and competitively price yours. Make sure to include the word ‘Vintage’ in your product title and description when selling.
3. Sold out / rare things
Like I mentioned before, if demand is high then people will pay up. If you have anything you’re no longer using or wearing that is now sold out from the retailer or was limited edition, have a go at selling it online and don’t forget to mention the fact it’s now sold out, limited edition or rare if that’s the case.
4. Seasonal equipment and items
Simply use your logic and sell what’s current in the here and now! If it’s summer and you have a paddling pool that’s not being used, then definitely try to sell that…you’re more likely to make a sale in August than in December. Likewise with things like ski equipment and coats, you’re better off flogging them when the time is right and when more people will be searching for them. Some other examples of seasonal items are:
- swimwear or holiday clothes – summer
- boots, jackets, coats – autumn/winter
- lots of gift sets or toys – winter (Christmas)
You can also flip this round and sell non-seasonal items for a lower price when demand isn’t high. Shops do this by putting their summer stock on sale at the beginning of autumn.
5. Bundles
Sell multiple things together that would appeal to the buyer. If they’re interested in item A, they’ll probably be interested in item B. Here’s a couple of examples:
- Books in the same series (even if there’s some missing)
- Books by the same author
- Film series (even if there’s some missing)
- Dining or crockery sets
Like I said at the top of this post, don’t be put off by low value things because they have the potential to sell! The best way to sell them is to offer a bundle of multiple similarly sized or style items if it’s not cost-effective to sell them on their own. Ensure you’re selling things for a price that at least covers the selling fee and postage
3 top online selling sites & apps
1. eBay – it’s a classic!
The great thing about eBay is that you can auction your things or have a Buy It Now price (or both), you can accept offers and easily sell in bundles like mentioned in point number 5 above.
2. Depop – This is popular amongst teens and young adults
Mainly clothes, shoes and accessories are sold on Depop. A lot of people will offers swaps too where you swap items of similar value so you can get rid of your thing whilst receiving something you actually want.
3. Facebook Marketplace – quick, simple and cash in hand
What’s not to love? Facebook Marketplace is one of the easiest, quickest and most beneficial ways to sell your unwanted things.
It’s easy because you can get the buyer to pick the item(s) up from your house or meet at an agreed location, meaning you don’t have to leave the house and go to a post office. You can arrange delivery if needs-by, just make sure the buyer is willing to pay you first via PayPal or bank transfer and that you realise postage is nothing to do with Facebook.
It’s quick because Facebook Marketplace displays things for sale that are close by or within the radius the potential buyer has chosen. That means your items will be shown to local people who are able to come and pick it up soon, usually that same day!
It’s beneficial to you because selling via Facebook doesn’t require any selling or postage fees, meaning you get to keep 100% of the money.
Have you ever sold anything on eBay, Depop or Facebook Marketplace? Let me know below ↓
