Looking for some extra cash?  Why not sell your unwanted items?

You probably have lots of stuff lying around that you no longer use, but is still worth something to someone.  After all one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Why not clear some space and also make a few bucks?

How Much It Costs

The days of paying a hefty price for a listing in your local paper are over, as there are now many free or low cost ways to sell your stuff. 

Where To Sell Your Stuff

The most popular (and therefore the most likely to get it sold) places are Craigslist, Kijiji, and eBay.

Craiglist and Kijiji

These sites allow you to list your item for free in your closest city, in a category best suited to it.  Some tips for best results:

• Use a header that is detailed and clear – people scan these listings fast and will skip anything that is not immediately informative
• List at a reasonable price – search on similar items before you list and price yours competitively.  List too high and no one will contact you, so if your item is not selling, this is your likeliest reason.
• Make yourself available – use an e-mail address and/or phone number that you can respond quickly to with questions or directions.  When someone expresses interest, try to be available to show the item at their convenience.
• Take some time to make sure your item shows well – clean it, fix it, paint it, whatever.  No one wants to buy something that looks unappealing. You want your product to be presentable.
• Post it again if needed – some cities/categories are very active, with hundreds of listings being repeated.  Maybe your listing just got buried fast and your perfect buyer just missed it.  Make it easy for them to find it, but don’t spam the board (they have mechanisms to prevent this).

eBay

eBay is the other common site to sell your items.  The difference between eBay and Craiglist and Kijiji is that it operates as an auction. You set the price for the item and potential buyers bid on the item. The highest price bidder by the end of the auction wins the auction and thus the item.

eBay is best suited to smaller items and items that may have a smaller pool of potential buyers in a niche market.  Many of the same advice applies to eBay auctions as to the above.

Some Items You Can Sell to Get You Going

• Old collections of stuff that you don’t enjoy any longer (ex. comics, cards, china, etc.)
• Old CD’s, movies, books, games that you don’t have any use for now
• Accessories for things you no longer own (ex. car parts, game controllers, etc.)
• Furniture you no longer need
• Jewelry you’ll never wear again
• Kids items you won’t need again
• Sports equipment you don’t use any more
• Clothes that won’t fit you again

The Bottom Line

Happy selling!  Try to have fun with it, interacting with buyers can sometimes be trying, but I’ve also met some really nice people. It’s also a great way to network with people and get to know your community better.