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How to Make Good Money Selling Your Unwanted Stuff in the Second-Hand Economy

There are always people with too much stuff looking to make some extra money by getting rid of it, and there are always people looking to save a little money by avoiding buying new products. This is the general principle that keeps the second-hand economy booming. If you’re looking to sell, here are some essential tips for turning your unwanted household items into cash (and doing a little healthy decluttering in the process).

 

Get the Things You Can’t Sell Out of the Way

 

This step will save you some time and some sanity — get rid of the stuff that you simply can’t sell. Whether it’s something that is broken, ugly, or in noticeably poor condition, you’ll do yourself a great service to just throw away the items on which you have no chance of turning a profit (or that even a donation center wouldn’t want).

 

Clearing this “junk” out of your house will make it easier for you to sell what you can. It may be smart to use a dumpster rental service or all-in-one junk removal service. Both are helpful, but dumpster rental allows you to fill up a dumpster over time (better for longer, larger removal projects), whereas a junk removal service will do everything for you.

 

Don’t Just Put It All on eBay or Craigslist

 

Yes, eBay and Craigslist are the two easiest online options for selling you stuff. That’s because they both have millions of users and you can sell basically anything on there. However, sometimes you need to value specificity of the second-hand marketplace, as well as understand which items are the most desired by shoppers. There are dozens upon dozens of other marketplaces that may allow you to fetch better prices for certain items. These include, but are not limited to, Swappa for cellphones and tablets, Poshmark for clothing, and Glyde for video games. The massive, well-known online marketplaces are awesome, of course, but don’t be afraid to experiment with where you list your items.

 

Don’t Assume That Online Is Always Better

 

No, you will not always get more for your stuff online. This is a common myth (especially among the younger crowd). It’s worth your time to try to sell your stuff in actual, physical, brick-and-mortar stores as well. Just make sure you know the right stores to hit for specific items. Second-hand electronics and clothing stores are always good bets for good cash.

 

Be Wary of Pawn Shops

 

The good thing about pawn shops is that they take a wide range of items and you get the money then and there — it’s instant gratification. The pros pretty much end there, however. You can almost always get more money on an online marketplace or a specialty second-hand store than you can at a pawn shop, and many pawn shops are skilled at paying low-dollar for top-dollar items. If you do plan to go this route, make sure to have a plan in place.

 

Embrace the Grind

 

While it’s nice to sell a big-ticket item for a few hundred dollars, the real key to successfully selling your old items and making a nice profit is to prepare for and then embrace the grind — selling many smaller items over time for less money a pop. You may not get excited about that $10 sale here and that $15 sale there, but soon enough you’ll have amassed hundreds.

 

The second-hand economy presents an amazing opportunity to people of all backgrounds with all different sorts of things to sell. Not only will you make good money if you follow these tips, but you’ll also get rid of clutter and make your living space more, well, livable. The former benefit is great, but the latter is priceless.

 

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