Need quick cash to get your business up and running fast? Here's how!
If you're like most of our readers, you've probably got at least $500 worth of stuff laying around the house that you can sell online and convert to cash. Today I'll tell you all about how to identify things you already have (that you might not need and are willing to sell) and sell them online to get some quick cash flowing.
What sells secondhand online?
Pretty much anything secondhand will sell online, even damaged or worn items get scooped up by bargain hunters. Did you know that the first ever item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer? Here are just a few examples of items that sell in secondhand condition in the thousands each day across the internet:
- Old sporting equipment
- Clothing
- Electronics
- Art
- Computers
- Kitchen appliances and crockery
If you want to get ideas for what to sell, check out eBay's cool little tool, the Selling Inspiration House. Just pick a room, click on an item and see how much it's selling for.
You might be asking yourself if the money that you will be earning will be worth it in the end: Won't it take a lot of time to list the items online and ship them to buyers? Think of this as a training exercise. If you've never sold things online before, this is invaluable experience. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to build up a good feedback score on eBay, or wherever you choose to sell your items. A solid feedback score that buyers can trust is imperative when you are selling on online marketplaces.
The best marketplace for the best bang for buck
If you don't go beyond eBay to sell your second-hand items, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table. Other marketplaces can pull in a lot of cash for you pre-loved goods.
Take Craigslist for example. Got a couch or another large item? Selling it on Craigslist is the way to go. This is because Craigslist is locally-orientated and people go there looking for items in their area that they can pickup themselves rather than paying for shipping across the country.
If you're in the UK, Gumtree offers you the same local focus for selling larger items that are too expensive to ship.
Are you selling off collectibles or antiques? Some of the fastest growing marketplaces in the world are perfect for this! Bonanza.com and RubyLane.com are known for collectible and unique items so if you've got it to sell, keen buyers will find you there. For art, vintage items and anything handmade, you will get in front of the right people when you sell on ArtFire.com.
These three marketplaces are affordable to sell on and are well known for having strong communities of sellers as well as fantastic customer service.
For pretty much everything else, eBay is the place to sell your items. Everything from consumer electronics, used clothing, used books and anything you can think of except their list of restricted items will sell on eBay. It's worth knowing that eBay waivers listing fees for your first 50 listings each month, so you will only pay fees when your items sell and eBay takes a percentage cut of the sale price.
There's always something you can do to improve your chances of starting a bidding war and earning a good profit on your items and below I've listed some of the best tips and resources to help. Make sure you bookmark this page for easy access later.
Essential resources for every seller
Ready to take action? Go and find at least 5 items from around your home that you can sell on eBay or another online marketplace. Photograph them and get them listed. Remember to check out our resources on how to create irresistible eBay listings that get lots of bids!
