Want To Sell Your Items? Try These Apps & Sites!
Do you have a ton of stuff just lying around your house that you don’t need anymore? Most of us do. However, many of us just hoard those items or throw them out. I’ll admit, its much easier to just hoard items then to throw them out. However, have you stopped to wonder whether or not you could make money off of them?
This is a great question and I’m here to tell you that you can. The amount of money you can earn is something that I can’t tell you because it’ll vary depending on what you’re selling and your location. However, you will be able to make some extra cash with the items that you simply do not use anymore. We will first start with some well-known platforms and then move to less popular ones.
1. eBay
You probably saw this one coming. EBay is one of the largest e-commerce websites, next to Amazon. However, Amazon is vastly different in the sense that they’re more of a retail outlet. eBay, on the other hand, allows third-party buyers and sellers to facilitate transactions. As a seller, you’re able to post your goods online for monetary gain. You can either give people the option to buy it immediately or set it up for auction. The auction is set for a certain time and people place bids. Therefore, the person who bid the highest at the end of the time gets the item.
For those who’re looking to sell their items and not be restricted to your local area, eBay is the way to go. When someone decides to purchase the item, you package it and send it off to the personal address which is provided at the time of purchase. The price of the item is set at your discretion, along with the shipping costs. However, before you start selling on eBay, it is important to know that there are fees. There is something called an insertion fee (when the listing is created) and a final value fee (when you sell your items). For more information on selling with eBay, click here!
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2. Amazon
As stated, Amazon is another e-commerce company. However, it is different from eBay in many regards. Where eBay is a site where third-party sellers and buys can find each other, Amazon directly provides the customer with goods. This is due to the fact that Amazon keeps inventory in its large warehouses. The proof of this is evident when you order an item. No matter what you order, it’ll always come in the same Amazon packaging. Therefore, you’ll have the ability to sell as an individual on Amazon.
If you’re selling things around the house, eBay may be your best bet if you’re choosing between the two. One reason is that Amazon specializes in storing multiple products, not necessarily single, used items. For example, if you wanted to purchase a book, Amazon would have multiple copies of the book ready to be packed and sent out. This is how they get multiple orders out quickly.
Furthermore, you, as a seller, are unable to refuse returns. Also, there are many policies that go into selling single items on Amazon. The worst part is Amazon is not afraid to charge you penalties for breaking these rules. Therefore, Amazon is not the best platform to sell your items that are lying around the house.
3. Kijiji
Kijiji is sort of a Canadian hero when it comes to localized selling. I have bought and sold many things on Kijiji. These items ranged from video games to university textbooks. Kijiji is rather simple, you create an account and post an ad. Once the ad is posted, anyone who searches for an item relating to yours will be shown the ad. You can set custom prices, place descriptions or even offer to trade for something other than money. You can set or search by area or even distance when looking to purchase/sell an item.
If you post an ad and find that it’s not doing well or people aren’t seeing it, you can pay money to promote it. This is useful because if your ad stays on for too long, it’ll get pushed back multiple pages. Once this happens it’ll be near impossible to find your ad. If you pay to promote your ad, Kijiji makes sure it’s at the top of the page whenever someone searches for an item like yours. If a buyer wants to purchase or enquire about the item, they’ll be able to contact you via email or telephone.
Scammers
One thing to be aware of is scammers. I can almost guarantee you that if you post an item, a scammer will be ready to message you. From my times of selling items, 100% of the time someone has tried to scam me. They will go as far as sending you fake PayPal emails to make the transactions seem legit. Furthermore, they have no threshold on what they’ll purchase, one person even tried purchasing my car! The easiest way to avoid these people is if they ask you to ship the item overseas or across the country. Couple this with the fact that they’ll reject paying you through e-transfer or cash.
4. Craigslist
Craigslist, much like Kijiji, is a website where you can locally sell your items! However, there are two large differences. First, Craigslist is a much larger website. Therefore, you might have an easier time finding a buyer for your items. Second, you’re able to sell your services, find events and even jobs. Craigslist is truly a website where you can earn money in various different ways. However, Craigslist is riddled with scammers as well. With any website that advertises local items that are up for purchase, there are bound to be scammers.
Craigslist has shown to be rather unsafe, at times. There was a notorious incident with The Craigslist Killer. The reason why this is a problem with Craigslist is that there is a certain amount of anonymity when someone posts an ad on Craigslist. Furthermore, you’ll most likely be meeting up with people you don’t know. You will have no idea what their intentions are prior to meeting them. keep this in mind next time you want to buy or selling anything on Craigslist.
5. Etsy
Some of you may have heard of Etsy before. Etsy is an e-commerce website similar to Shopify. However, they specialize in vintage or craft items. There various rules that you must adhere to when selling an item on Etsy. For example, if you’re looking to sell a vintage item, it must be at least 20 years old. However, there are many different areas in which you can sell items. The categories range from home decor to jewelry. Etsy is increasingly gaining traction and is making its way into the mainstream e-commerce world. There are currently tens of millions of items listed in their market place.
Before blogging and getting into Pinterest, I never heard of Etsy. However, once I found out what they do and how big they’ve grown, I feel kind of silly (for a lack of a better word). They’re a huge company that offers an opportunity for those who want to sell items online.
6. Letgo
Let go is another platform that lets you sell your items locally. Like Kijiji, you’re able to sell anything and everything. People are selling items such as watches and fenders for their cars. Letgo will see what area you’re in and show you items that are selling within your area. This is a huge positive as it allows you to possibly purchase an item you need while trying to get rid of one that you don’t. The great thing about localized selling is that there are far fewer hassles. You don’t have to worry about fees, shipping or packaging. It is even possible to sell your items the same day you posted it.
7. Decluttr
Decluttr is a website and app where you’re able to sell your items, much like eBay. However, I personally Decluttr because it is easy to use and has a dedicated app for selling your items. When someone wishes to purchase your item you just need to package your item, put on the shipping sticker, take it to the UPS store and ship it! One headache that you will not need to worry about once you’re ready to ship is shipping costs. Decluttr offers you, the seller, the opportunity to ship your item free of charge.
Another huge benefit is that they offer next day payment. Therefore, you will not have to wait days or weeks to receive money for your item. Lastly, Decluttr offers free valuations. This offers a lot of freedom when putting items up for sale. Decluttr is super easy to use from your computer or phone. I’d suggest giving it a shot! If you want to take a look at what Decluttr has to offer you, click this link.
8. OfferUp
The final platform we will discuss is OfferUp. I won’t dive too deep into it because it is extremely similar to websites like Kijiji and Letgo. It’s a website that allows you to sell your items to people who’re within your local area. However, I do want to say that I like Offerup for its interface. It looks good and is easy to use. Furthermore, their app is extremely helpful and easy to use as well. OfferUp is definitely a platform that you’ll want to use when looking to sell your items online.
Which Is Better?
No one platform is inherently better than the other. They each have their respective advantages and disadvantages. If you have a few items lying around your house, I’d suggest utilizing all platforms. Using all of the available platforms allows you to take full advantage and increase the likelihood of you selling your items. Most of these websites are free to sign up and should be used whenever looking to sell or purchase items.
Shameed is just a man on a mission to help those around him gain financial success. Obsessed with writing about all things finance, this GTA native is constantly learning and sharing his experiences with others.
