How to Find Things to Sell
Clean out your clothing cupboard., Sell books., Sell unneeded furniture., Sell your bric-a-brac., Sell your homegrown produce., Sell your second car., Sell toys., Sell unwanted video games and consoles., Sell your unwanted jewelry., Turn your old...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Clean out your clothing cupboard.
Your cupboard is likely filled with clothes you don't use anymore or perhaps even like anymore.
Some of the things may include last season's clothing, clothing you're sick of and clothing that you wore once but decided just didn't work for you.
Shoes and accessories are also good choices.
There are various ways to turn these clothes into good money, provided they are in good condition:
Sell the clothes through an online auction or trading site.
Sell the clothes at a local market or car boot sale.
Sell the clothes through a consignment store tailored to clothing sales. -
Step 2: Sell books.
If you have books you've read and no longer wish to keep, you may be able to make a little cash from them.
Remember that books don't fetch a lot of money unless they're collectibles in good condition, so be prepared to sell a lot and at generous prices.
Books should generally be in pristine or very good condition, but if they're collectibles, some wear and tear may be acceptable.
If you think a book is a collectible (due to its being very old, a first edition or rare, etc.), do an online search for its value before accidentally undervaluing it.
Some ways to sell books include:
Sell books to a local used book store.
You won't get a lot but many books can add up.
Always ring first to check what they're after and whether they're even accepting books.
Sell books through auction or trading sites online.
Always check the existing prices for the titles before choosing a price, and try to undercut other sellers.
Take collectible books to a local auction house for sale in an antiquarian or rare books auction.
Don't neglect comics, auction brochures, tour guides, maps, and other paper items that people collect.
These can fetch good prices if they're wanted by a collector. , Over the years, many of us gather furniture and don't necessarily use all of it.
Walk through your house and decide whether there are items that you don't really use or need anymore and that could be sold to raise some cash.
If you're really desperate, even raiding the guest bedroom furniture can be helpful for a quick fix.
Places to sell your furniture are similar to those suggested for clothing sales, explained above.
Make it clear that the item must be collected from your place.
If you're willing to deliver it, set a fair price for delivery (and perhaps for set up if this is an issue too).
Be careful when selling antique furniture; know its value and sell it at the right price.
If someone knows it's antique and you don't, you will lose money. , The bits and pieces of your life might raise a bit of money through a yard or garage sale, a market or car boot sale.
Or, you could try selling these items through an online auction or trading site, provided they are of interest to buyers––you'll need to do the research first, as there is no point trying to sell things that there are too many of in the market already., Get a stall at the local market or even your farm gate and sell your vegetables and fruits, eggs and flowers.
If you want to sell jams and jellies, home baked goodies, and the like, you will need to investigate the local rules on health and safety and be sure to comply with these.
Since these rules can be quite strict and hard to comply with, this might be something that you need to plan for well in advance and perhaps adopt as a regular income stream., If you are a two-car family, downsize to one car and sell the second one.
You'll need to get used to sharing the car and taking more public transportation but this is a great way to save a considerable amount of money as well as gaining the money from the sold car., Many a house has an accumulation of toys that are no longer used.
This can be quite profitable with a little care taken.
Items such as Lego and collectible dolls can fetch good prices.
The downside is the need to clean and sort through the toys to make them presentable and worth the buyer's time but a little effort can produce some good profit for you.
If a toy came in a box and you still have it, include the box.
If the toy is part of a set, try to find the whole set.
If the toy is part of a building set, such as Lego or Mega Blocks, check that all the pieces are there.
Check the worth of older toys.
They may be worth a lot if they're collectible, rare or especially interesting. , Some of these are worth more than others but if you can put a bundle of them together and take them into a games store or sell them online, they can fetch a decent amount of cash.
Unwanted consoles can fetch a little bit of cash too, provided they're still working; if you can, include the relevant controllers with the sale.
Check the games for damage; avoid selling ones with bad scratches, cracks or other damage.
Some games keep their value more than others, such as certain 3DS Nintendo games. , Even costume jewelry can have some value if it's in good condition but certainly the valuable gold, silver and gem studded jewelry in your collection will be worth some money.
Try selling it online, through consignment stores or a jeweler or antiques store that accepts jewelry.
If you don't know the value, get the item(s) valued first.
Pay a little on the valuation to avoid being ripped off.
If you don't know if it's real gold or the content of gold, for example, either find this out or state it clearly.
Don't lie to buyers about the jewelry, you could end up owing money. , If you're good at sewing, woodworking or some other form of craft, you may be able to repurpose existing items in your household and turn them into something people want to buy.
For example, old clothes could be turned into a new quilt or funky tablecloth; a weathered table could become a brand new painted one; a broken toy could become a lamp base or a jar topper; a broken wheelbarrow could be turned into a seat.
There are many possibilities, check out repurposing tutorials online.
Then you'll need to decided where to sell these items, such as on Etsy, through online trading or auction sites, at local markets or on consignment in art and craft galleries or stores. -
Step 3: Sell unneeded furniture.
-
Step 4: Sell your bric-a-brac.
-
Step 5: Sell your homegrown produce.
-
Step 6: Sell your second car.
-
Step 7: Sell toys.
-
Step 8: Sell unwanted video games and consoles.
-
Step 9: Sell your unwanted jewelry.
-
Step 10: Turn your old things into saleable items.
Detailed Guide
Your cupboard is likely filled with clothes you don't use anymore or perhaps even like anymore.
Some of the things may include last season's clothing, clothing you're sick of and clothing that you wore once but decided just didn't work for you.
Shoes and accessories are also good choices.
There are various ways to turn these clothes into good money, provided they are in good condition:
Sell the clothes through an online auction or trading site.
Sell the clothes at a local market or car boot sale.
Sell the clothes through a consignment store tailored to clothing sales.
If you have books you've read and no longer wish to keep, you may be able to make a little cash from them.
Remember that books don't fetch a lot of money unless they're collectibles in good condition, so be prepared to sell a lot and at generous prices.
Books should generally be in pristine or very good condition, but if they're collectibles, some wear and tear may be acceptable.
If you think a book is a collectible (due to its being very old, a first edition or rare, etc.), do an online search for its value before accidentally undervaluing it.
Some ways to sell books include:
Sell books to a local used book store.
You won't get a lot but many books can add up.
Always ring first to check what they're after and whether they're even accepting books.
Sell books through auction or trading sites online.
Always check the existing prices for the titles before choosing a price, and try to undercut other sellers.
Take collectible books to a local auction house for sale in an antiquarian or rare books auction.
Don't neglect comics, auction brochures, tour guides, maps, and other paper items that people collect.
These can fetch good prices if they're wanted by a collector. , Over the years, many of us gather furniture and don't necessarily use all of it.
Walk through your house and decide whether there are items that you don't really use or need anymore and that could be sold to raise some cash.
If you're really desperate, even raiding the guest bedroom furniture can be helpful for a quick fix.
Places to sell your furniture are similar to those suggested for clothing sales, explained above.
Make it clear that the item must be collected from your place.
If you're willing to deliver it, set a fair price for delivery (and perhaps for set up if this is an issue too).
Be careful when selling antique furniture; know its value and sell it at the right price.
If someone knows it's antique and you don't, you will lose money. , The bits and pieces of your life might raise a bit of money through a yard or garage sale, a market or car boot sale.
Or, you could try selling these items through an online auction or trading site, provided they are of interest to buyers––you'll need to do the research first, as there is no point trying to sell things that there are too many of in the market already., Get a stall at the local market or even your farm gate and sell your vegetables and fruits, eggs and flowers.
If you want to sell jams and jellies, home baked goodies, and the like, you will need to investigate the local rules on health and safety and be sure to comply with these.
Since these rules can be quite strict and hard to comply with, this might be something that you need to plan for well in advance and perhaps adopt as a regular income stream., If you are a two-car family, downsize to one car and sell the second one.
You'll need to get used to sharing the car and taking more public transportation but this is a great way to save a considerable amount of money as well as gaining the money from the sold car., Many a house has an accumulation of toys that are no longer used.
This can be quite profitable with a little care taken.
Items such as Lego and collectible dolls can fetch good prices.
The downside is the need to clean and sort through the toys to make them presentable and worth the buyer's time but a little effort can produce some good profit for you.
If a toy came in a box and you still have it, include the box.
If the toy is part of a set, try to find the whole set.
If the toy is part of a building set, such as Lego or Mega Blocks, check that all the pieces are there.
Check the worth of older toys.
They may be worth a lot if they're collectible, rare or especially interesting. , Some of these are worth more than others but if you can put a bundle of them together and take them into a games store or sell them online, they can fetch a decent amount of cash.
Unwanted consoles can fetch a little bit of cash too, provided they're still working; if you can, include the relevant controllers with the sale.
Check the games for damage; avoid selling ones with bad scratches, cracks or other damage.
Some games keep their value more than others, such as certain 3DS Nintendo games. , Even costume jewelry can have some value if it's in good condition but certainly the valuable gold, silver and gem studded jewelry in your collection will be worth some money.
Try selling it online, through consignment stores or a jeweler or antiques store that accepts jewelry.
If you don't know the value, get the item(s) valued first.
Pay a little on the valuation to avoid being ripped off.
If you don't know if it's real gold or the content of gold, for example, either find this out or state it clearly.
Don't lie to buyers about the jewelry, you could end up owing money. , If you're good at sewing, woodworking or some other form of craft, you may be able to repurpose existing items in your household and turn them into something people want to buy.
For example, old clothes could be turned into a new quilt or funky tablecloth; a weathered table could become a brand new painted one; a broken toy could become a lamp base or a jar topper; a broken wheelbarrow could be turned into a seat.
There are many possibilities, check out repurposing tutorials online.
Then you'll need to decided where to sell these items, such as on Etsy, through online trading or auction sites, at local markets or on consignment in art and craft galleries or stores.
About the Author
Grace Garcia
Creates helpful guides on home improvement to inspire and educate readers.
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