From Trash to Treasure: How to Make Money Selling Your Stuff
We all have things in our homes that we no longer use or want, and can get rid of – whether that’s the prom dress you wore 10 years ago (guilty) or a lamp your mother in law gave you that you secretly hate.
Selling your old junk is a great way to declutter your life while making extra money. There are many ways you can make money selling your stuff.
In this post, I’ll show you how easy it is to make money on the side by selling your unwanted items!
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How to Make Money Selling Your Stuff
RELATED: 12 Incredible Ways to Make Money Online
Poshmark
Sell your unwanted clothes, shoes, and accessories on Poshmark. Snap a photo of the item, add a detailed description, and share it with your followers. The Poshmark network is huge – so your listing could be seen by thousands of potential buyers. You’ll receive a notification when an item is sold. Poshmark will send you a pre-paid label, and you’ll get a direct deposit when the item is delivered! Include a ‘thank you’ note for the buyer to boost your ratings!
Decluttr
Sell old CDs, DVDs, and other electronics on Decluttr! Get an estimate for your items in just a few minutes. The app makes this super easy with their barcode scanner feature. Once you’ve added everything to your card, Decluttr will send you a pre-paid UPS label to ship your items (free insurance included!). You’ll receive a direct deposit the next day! I recently sold an old iPhone and Decluttr had the best quote. Highly recommend. Don’t be upset when you see that some of your CDs are work less than $0.50. Who buys CDs anymore? You’ll get the most bang for your buck if you sell a bunch of CDs or a couple newer electronics.
Craigslist/OfferUp/Facebook Marketplace
These platforms can be great ways to sell many different types of items to people that live relatively close to you. However, you will have to meet with strangers to complete transactions. Ideally, you should meet buyers during the day, and in a public place that has cameras. NEVER invite people into your home. If there’s a larger item that they need to pick up from your home, try to have it ready to go outside. Be safe!
eBay
Like Craigslist, OfferUp, etc. you can sell a wide variety of items on eBay including clothes, electronics, box tops, gift cards, vehicles – the possibilities are literally endless! The best part about selling on eBay is that you can reach potential buyers worldwide. If you’re having trouble selling an item to someone in your community, chances are, somewhere in the world, someone is looking to purchase it!
Etsy
Turn your hobby into the ultimate side hustle! If you have a knack for crafts or other creative enterprises, make extra money by selling on Etsy! Here are some ideas for things you could sell on Etsy: artwork, quilts, jewelry, soaps, clothing, sequins, scrapbooking supplies, invitations, and resume templates.
Sell to consignment stores
You can make extra money selling your unwanted clothes and shoes to secondhand stores such as Plato’s Closet, Uptown Cheapskate, and Buffalo Exchange. Most of these stores will pay upfront for items they deem to be “on trend.” If it’s summer, do not try to sell your old winter clothes to them.
Have a Yard Sale
You could make extra money by hosting an old-fashioned yard sale. However, you won’t make as much money as you would selling on an online platform. People typically go to yard sales to haggle and get deals, potentially to flip their finds for profit.
Sell your old textbooks
College textbooks are expensive – especially considering you may (or may not) need the books for only 1 semester! However, you can make money selling your old textbooks! There are many websites where you can sell your books and most university bookstores also have a textbook buyback option. Just a heads up – you won’t always get the amount you paid for it, but every little bit helps, right? When you sell your old textbooks on eCampus, they’ll provide a free shipping label. You can also choose how you want to be paid — check, direct deposit, or store credit.
Sell your gift cards
One year for my birthday I received 5 Starbucks gift cards totaling $75. I don’t drink coffee so I knew there was no way I would use all of them. I kept one and sold the rest online. If you know you won’t use them, you should consider selling your gift cards for cash!
Amazon Trade-In
Make extra money by becoming a seller on Amazon. You can also trade in unwanted items in exchange for an Amazon gift card. The items you trade-in do not have to be purchased from Amazon!
Or, you could flip other people’s stuff
Rob and Melissa from Flea Market Flipper make a SIX FIGURE income by buying used items at flea markets and thrift stores and reselling them at a higher price online. You’ve probably heard of this concept in relation to flipping houses. However, flipping items typically requires less work. Depending on the effort you put in, you could make a few hundred dollars or thousands of dollars each month flipping items! If you are interested in learning how to make this your new side hustle, check out their free course.
Have you tried one of these tips? If so, what was your experience like? If not, why haven’t you!?