When working with clients it’s very common for us to come across an item or two that the client doesn’t want but may be too valuable to simply donate.
Selling items is not a service I offer but I’m happy to share any knowledge I have regarding where to sell things.
Below you’ll find a list of 4 online sites you may want to investigate. It’s up to you to do your do diligence to investigate each company to determine if it satisfies your needs. I’m not putting my stamp of approval on any of the sites; I’m simply informing you of their existence.
- Everything But The House
Everything But the House was featured on HGTV on Sunday November 15, 2020. On this site you can sell everything from cars, furs, jewelry, electronics, home décor, coins, garden items and more via an auction format.
You can search “active” items, those currently for sale or “ended” items, those whose bidding is closed.
What I like about this search option is that it allows you to see what sellers got for their items recently. I know your grandfather, mother or aunt once told you this item was very expensive and valuable but things are only valuable if there is a market for them when you want to sell them. What was sought after during your grandfathers lifetime is very different from what people want to own today.
- Ebay
Ebay has been around for a long time; as of January 2020 they have 182 million active users so you’ll have a big audience and lots of competition.
You can sell cars, clothing, music, sporting goods, toys and more.
The “watch list” is a nice feature that allows you to keep an eye on an auction item you’re interested in.
To help you be successful eBay gives advice on how to write copy, take quality pictures, set a price, choose shipping options and choose a buying format – auction or buy it now.
In order to see what has sold and for what price you have to sign up as a seller and list the item you want to sell for the site to provide you with comparison pricing. I find this cumbersome.
- Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace has become very popular. I’ve seen everything from fire wood to homes for sale on this site.
If you’re familiar with Facebook it’s pretty easy to use whether you’re buying or selling an item. Buyers can search by category and filter by location. Potential buyers contact you through messenger. There are no fees to post or sell if picked up locally. If you use their shipping option FB charges 5% and the buyer pays for shipping.
The three sites I’ve listed above require you to manage the sale. That means you’re responsible for the following:
• Creating an account on the site you decide to use
• Determine what their fee is. Do they take a percentage of the sale or a flat fee?
• Take flattering pictures including pictures showing any flows
• Write detailed descriptions of the items. The more details the fewer questions you’ll get from prospective buyers and the less back and forth emails you’ll have to deal with.
• Set the price unless it’s an auction then you may be asked to set a minimum starting bid
• Pack the item carefully. If it arrives broken you’ll get a poor review on the site and need to refund the buyer.
• Ship the item in a timely manner. This will affect your ratting.
• Take the item off the website once it’s been sold if it doesn’t come off automatically.
If you’d rather not manage the sale consider the following:
- ThredUp
ThredUp was founded in 2009. They call themselves “the largest on line consignment and thrift store.” This site will sell women’s or kids clothing and accessories including maternity wear.
Click the “sell” tab and you get step by step directions on how to get your “clean out kit”. Fill the bag with gently used clothing and mail it (with the provided shipping label) to ThredUp and they’ll take it from here. You can choose to use your earnings in their store or take a payout.
Only 40% of items in the average kit meet their quality standards so what do you want to do with the 60% they reject? If you want those items returned to you you’ll pay $10.99 or you can opt to have ThredUp “recycle” your items.
As I’m writing this the following message was highlighted on the site “We’re experiencing unusually long processing times due to high volume and reduced staff. It will take 20 weeks to process your kit if you send it now.”
Of course there are still several brick and mortar consignment shops around. If you go this route start by contacting the store and sending picture of items you’d like to sell before loading your car with things the store may not accept.
Remember the time it takes you to put an item up for sale is worth something. Will it be worth your time to sell an item that brings in $10, $20, $35? Only you can decide where to set the bar. Good luck.
Lorraine
Copyrighted Naturally Organized L.L.C. 2021
Photo by Rupixem
