This is a question I get from my clients all the time. You want to know where to sell your unwanted things online.
Okay, so you’ve finished step one of the organization process, which isn’t really organizing at all – it’s decluttering. Before we move along, pat yourself on the back as this is arguably the hardest step. Our belongings hold an emotional weight – a memory of someone, someplace, something. A past experience. An old creation. The first family trip to Europe. Your 30th birthday. A precious gift. Your favorite book. Determining what to keep and what to let go of is tough. Now that you’ve made it past that exhausting process, it’s time to figure out where to sell your items online.
If you’re simply looking to donate your things, a quick Google search in your area will return more results than you can count. Aside from the well known Salvation Army and Goodwill, there are often local churches and other non-profit organizations that will accept your donations.
But if you’re looking to make a few bucks of the items you no longer want (and who wouldn’t?), see my suggestions below for where to sell online.
Craigslist
Tried and true, Craigslist is a great place to list items that you want to get rid of. This is especially true if you’re willing to let go items for free.
Things I’ve listed on Craigslist for free get picked up so fast I’ve barely had time to say my goodbyes. You can even put your free items on the street at night, make a post on Craigslist, and I’d bet your items would be gone by the morning.
If you prefer not to advertise your address on the interwebs (I don’t blame you), plan to meet up with the buyer in a public place like your local Starbucks or nearby shopping center. Bring a friend! It’s better to be safe than sorry.
ebay
Founded 25 years ago right alongside Craigslist, Ebay is one of the longest standing options for selling your things online. Ebay is a particularly great option if you’re trying to sell electronics or higher priced items. They have both an auction feature (where you can set your minimum price and duration length, and then let buyers bid on your item) as well as a “Buy It Now” pricing option (which, as the name says, allows buyers to buy it now at the price you set). It can also be great for designer clothing – there seems to be a large audience for this on Ebay.
What’s great about Ebay, unlike Craigslist, is that both the buyer and seller have the option of leaving a rating after the sale. This ensures that you won’t be ripped off or scammed. There’s inherently more protection on Ebay than making a sale on Craigslist.
Facebook Marketplace
Why I like Facebook Marketplace is the same reason I like Facebook for finding a roommate. It provides a level of social reliability that you can’t get from Craigslist. There’s something about seeing someone’s profile picture, location, and friends that gives me a sense of peace when making a sale on Facebook. You can post your items for sale to just your network or you can open it up to your surrounding areas.
Having just moved cities two months ago, we found Facebook Marketplace to be the perfect place to sell our furniture. I had success selling my couch, table, chairs, and Kitchenaid mixer on Marketplace.
OfferUp
Newer to the game, OfferUp is another great option for selling your used items. I sold my mattress on OfferUp and well as some art. The user experience is pretty straightforward and it seems like people are selling all types of items here — from furniture and home goods, to sports equipment and clothes.
Poshmark
If you haven’t heard of Poshmark yet, I think you’ll really like this platform. Poshmark is a great platform for selling your clothes.
What I like about their app is it’s super user-friendly. Snap a few pictures of the item on your phone. Open Poshmark, upload those pictures, add a title and description, and wait for the offers to come in. It’s easy to connect with like-minded sellers and buyers by following accounts that are interested in the same brands you wear.
My experience with Poshmark is that it’s super easy to sell clothes on there, as long as you’re willing to meet the buyer at their offer. While there are some that sell on Poshmark as a full-time job, I wouldn’t expect yourself to make a ton off of your sales on here. But something is better than nothing, right?
I have girlfriends who throw Poshmark parties. The idea is simple. You’ll invite your friends over and tell them to bring all the clothes they want to sell. Sipping wine, snap photos of your items and list them on Poshmark. It sure makes the whole process more fun and less lonely. You may even end up selling or swapping your clothes with your guests. It’s a win-win.
Ziffit
I just heard about this app and I can’t wait to try it out. With your phone, you’ll take pictures of the barcode on books, dvds, and games you’re ready to part with. The app gives you a value for each. Then you box them up, drop it off with FedEx, and wait for the money to hit your bank account.
While I have yet to try this app, what I like about it is that you can send in multiple books at once. The idea of listing one book for sale on ebay seems like a waste of time, but if they can take all my used books off my hands at once, I’m all in.
I’ll report back once I’ve tried it.
So there you have it. Those are my six current recommendations of where to sell your belongings online.