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How To Sell Your Stuff On eBay, Craigslist, Facebook & Yard Sales

How To Sell Your Stuff On eBay, Craigslist, Facebook & Yard Sales. I made a deal with the kids the other day that they could keep all the change they found around the house to use for a new trampoline cover.  In 2 hours, they’d gathered up $36.73.

Not enough for the cover, but I can spot them the rest.  But it did make me think: how much money do we all have, just sitting around the house gathering dust?

Granted, you may not be sitting on mountains of cash while you knit or watch tv (if you are, invite me over immediately, I can clear up all those pesky bills and set you in a recliner in a flash!)  But, there’s plenty of items that can be sold.  The question is–where?

 

HOW TO SELL YOUR STUFF ON EBAY, CRAIGSLIST, FACEBOOK & YARD SALES:

ebay

When To Use eBay: eBay’s especially good for name-brand goods, like expensive purses, high-end labels on clothing, sports collectables, and kind of collectables, really. Take good pictures! No one’s going to try to squint real close to see what your used Prada purse looks like when there’s plenty of other ones to see. Include the flat rate shipping cost in the price, so there’s no nasty surprises after the sale. Ask for buyer feedback in a polite email afterwards- building your reputation and your score is vital for sales. Do NOT ship until the buyer has paid! It’s easy to set up a PayPal, 2CheckOut or Google Wallet account for easy payment.

 

big yard

Yard Sales: If you don’t live on a nice busy street, team up with someone who does- actually, team up with neighbors and friends- as many as you can. Multi-family yard sales always do better. I know it’s tiring schlepping stuff all over the place, but your next stop can be the local Goodwill or thrift shop if your goods don’t sell. Be sure to promote the sale as much as you can on social media, Craigslist, neighborhood forums. Tag everything with a clear price. Be ready to negotiate on price. Make sure clothes are clean and hung neatly, all the grubby spots on toys wiped clean.

 

Facebook-Yard-Sale-Group

Selling on Facebook: This is really taking off, since it’s free, and there’s so many great local sales groups. Once again, take excellent pictures! Be prepared for some negative comments, people like to add in their two cents. Answer questions promptly so they know you’re responsible and ready to sell. Safty tip: don’t have the buyer come to your home- meet in a neutral location like a busy grocery store parking lot for the exchange.

 

greatest-craigslist-couch-ad-ever-14824-1313089047-16

Craigslist: The advantage here is Craigslist is easy for selling furniture, tools, toys…anything that’s heavy and expensive to ship. As always, take good pictures! Make sure your description is good- all the important points and keep it light and cheerful. Consider putting like items together to sell: maybe one baby dress won’t sell, but if you can sell a full wardrobe for baby’s first year your chances are much better. Update the item every week or so to keep the listing current. You don’t have to accept a stupidly low offer: there’s lots of professionals who cruise Craigslist, buy your stuff at an insultingly low price, then turn around and sell it again at an inflated price. Once again, do NOT meet the buyer at your home.

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