We all need to make some quick cash from time to time. The easiest way to make a fast buck is to gather up everything you would like to get rid of. Gather items such as clothes you no longer fit into to pieces of furniture you no longer need. Then take good pictures of it and get ready to sell them. Here are the top places to sell online – for free.
Turn your social media outlet into a virtual yard sale. You can either list things on your news feed or you can find a local group of people selling items and list there. In my area there are several groups for selling items – some for clothes, baby items and some for everything. I have been posting items of unwanted things for a month now, just little items here and there, and I have made about $200. Another benefit to this is that my house is slowly becoming less cluttered with each item I sell too.
Craigslist
Selling on Craigslist is a commonly known method. However, I am very surprised by the number of people intimidated about listing things for sale on the site. Listing items is easy, and it is easy to weed out spammers and scammers. Just ignore buyers who are asking you to send the item to a different country and also ignore buyers who just seem sketchy. For example, one guy wanted to meet me at ten o’clock one night for a camera lens. That was a no-go. Also, meet at your local Starbucks in broad daylight, unless it is a big item.
Consignment
Chances are that you have a consignment shop within thirty miles of your home. Consignment shops can be for adult clothing or just for kid items. Either way, make an appointment, know their rules for buying, and turn unwanted kid items or your out dated wardrobe into cash. All consignments are different. Some give you the cash up front, while others make you wait for the item to sell. Usually, consignment shops do not give you the most profit for your items, but they do all of the work for you.
If you need money, then you can make it happen by selling your unwanted items. Your house will be less cluttered too (which ultimately saves you money). Just remember to take several clear and good photos of your items. Also, keep your potential sales organized and ready to go. Before you know it, you will have that extra cash you needed in a pinch.
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Kevin Mercadante is professional personal finance blogger, and the owner of his own personal finance blog, OutOfYourRut.com. He has backgrounds in both accounting and the mortgage industry. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two teenage kids and can be followed on Twitter at @OutOfYourRut.
I never thought about getting rid of stuff through FB, great idea, also in our area there are stores that will buy your stuff without doing consignment. Different stores for furniture, baby clothes, and sporting goods- they didn’t give us as much, but it was quick and easy.
I normally sell on craigslist or eBay if I need to unload an item quickly. I won’t always get the best price but when speed is the objective that is the best way I’ve found so far.
Hi Lance, another way that can be even quicker is to bring an item to a pawn shop. You won’t get anything like the best price, but it’s about as quick as it gets when it comes to selling your stuff.
I’ve found Craigslist to be hit or miss, it can be a pain scheduling with people sometimes and I almost prefer to just work with eBay and the likes. The downside is that unless you can ship it, eBay just doesn’t work out well.
I just sold a china cabinet and 37 year old china on Craigslist. Didn’t get as much as I wanted, but I was able to get it out of the house quickly. I usually donate the clothes.
Hi Charlotte, I have to agree on donating clothes. They’re a tough sell, even at garage sales. Usually, best results are bundling kids clothing and selling a bag of say cothes for a 3 year old for $5 or $10. Otherwise, nothing doing.
You can even give away lots of junk…I mean stuff… through craigslist. I’ve given away a broken TV, a broken vacuum, a pile of sand. Of course, don’t lie, but some people will fix the broken stuff and sell it or use it. Sure beats spending a Saturday at the dump…
Craigslist has been proven to be a good site to buy and sell used stuff. I would also suggest thrift shops or hold your own garage sale. If you do not know how to manage a garage sale or does not have the time to do it, sell your used stuff to individuals or organizations who does it.
Hi Kris–Yeah, it’s an example of “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”. And it is true, some people can fix what’s broken and sell it for a good profit. They often have buyers before they buy from you.
I really like selling books and CDs on Half.com. Has worked out really well for me in the past.
Great points, especially including social media. I’ve been seeing a lot recently about ‘swap parties’ an awesome idea of a bunch of friends getting together to swap unwanted items, to make it another mans treasure.
I have a lot of stuff to sell through out the house, do you know who can come to the house and buy stuff? Very cheap. All my children grew up…need to sell everything.
Hi Melissa, try running a garage sale. If that doesn’t work you can donate the rest to charity and get a tax deduction for doing it. Good luck!