If you are furloughed, unemployed, or underemployed, you might have more time on your hands than you’re accustomed to. A productive – and potentially lucrative – side project could be sorting through your closets, attic, and basement for gently-used items that you can sell for cash. After all, what no longer suits you might suit someone else!
Sell your old electronics
Decluttr and BackMarket offer an easy way to sell your tech, especially laptops, phones, and video game consoles. They buy your devices from you and the process is very quick.
They each have their own process, but essentially, you enter the make and model of each item to find out what it’s worth. When you’re ready to sell, you ship the items with the pre-paid shipping label and once the items arrive as described, you get paid. Decluttr claims to pay an average of 33% more than other buyback programs, they ship for free and sends payment after your items arrive by direct deposit or PayPal!
Sell general items
Do you have antiques, bikes, scooters, tools, games, or furniture taking up space? OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace are popular platforms for selling these items person-to-person.
OfferUp has safe meet-up options or you can ship your items.
Sell used clothing
You can sell your clothing locally at Once Upon a Child for kids, Plato’s Closet for teens & tweens, or Style Encore for adults. There are hundreds of locations around the country.
If you’d prefer to sell and merchandise yourself, Poshmark is a great option, especially for mid-high end clothing, handbags, and shoes. You can sell mid-priced items at ThredUp. You will probably earn more with Poshmark and ThredUp than by selling at Style Encore, but you have to do the selling and shipping yourself.
Sell gold
I recently discovered The Alloy Market, who I’ve partnered with, for selling any gold pieces you have laying around. This is an ideal way to make money from gold pieces that you no longer wear or that are damaged. Their free appraisal kit arrives in as little as 3 days and includes a prepaid FedEx shipping label, packing instructions, $5,000 of item insurance (which can be increased) and priority tracking.
When you send the kit to The Alloy Market, which takes about 3 business days, the items are inspected and an an itemized offer is sent via email. If you accept the offer, you’ll have your choice of several payment options. If you decline, your items are returned to you. And, if you find a better offer elsehwere, The Alloy Market will match it with their Best Offer Guarantee.
Tips for selling used items online
For the platforms where you’ll be selling things yourself, like OfferUp, LetGo, and Poshmark, you’ll be more successful if you treat it as you would a little business. Here are a few tips:
1. Item photos
A picture is worth a thousand words, and it also means more money. You’d be surprised by how much a good photo will make or break a sale—so go the extra mile to make sure you photograph everything in good light and show multiple angles.
Now, some apps will do everything for you, but for the platforms where you sell on your own, how you present your items is very important.
2. Item descriptions
Describe your items as concisely as possible. Buyers are more attracted to a brief but accurate summary. And don’t forget to use keywords in the title and description that others might use when searching for specific items.
3. Pricing
To determine your price, look at comparable items and set your prices competitively.
4. Customer service
Offer good customer service! You want to build a good reputation on these platforms so people will be more likely to buy from you down the road. You can do this by replying quickly to any inquiries, packing all items carefully, shipping items quickly once they are sold, and adding a personal touch, like a note or a little goodie.
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