Are you a just that little bit short of cash to cover the bills each month? Or do you find yourself having to tell your friends you’re ‘too skint’ to go out? If so, why not raid your closet or attic for things you can sell? Theres a saying that ” Ones mans rubbish is anothers treasure”, so items you think may be worthless can actually net you a small fortune, whilst freeing up some storage space at the same time.
Nowadays theres many ways to sell your old stuff to the masses, and heres the best way of going about it:
Decide what you need and what you don’t
A good place to begin is by making a list of things you may want to sell, and having a look to see if they’ve still got any value. For example if you’re getting ready for Christmas, yet have a load of old toys just hanging around the house, why not sell a few and free up some space? Chances are you have an old phone you don’t use any more, why not get rid off that too? Work through your list until you are happy that you can live without these unnecessary items.
Weigh up your selling options
Once you have made your decisions on what to sell, the next step is find somewhere to sell it. Smaller items are perfect for selling online in market places such Amazon, eBay or Etsy. These sites are designed for all levels of users and allow for easy and quick transactions with the use of PayPal.
Before you embark on a selling spree make sure you evaluate other costs involved though. Postage and packaging costs, as well as the price to mail the items you sell will all eat into your profits and can sometimes make it a waste of time if not done properly.
There are still the traditional methods of selling available, a car boot sale, posting leaflets for a garage sale, or if you weren’t struggling too much and wanted to just make some storage space, you could always donate to charity. As you clean out your cupboards, be sure to keep track of the items you give to charity. Tax law requires that all household items given to a charity must be in a good condition. Several computer software programs like TurboTax or the TurboTax Military Edition for those in the armed forces are available to help you figure the tax value of your donated items. Don’t forget to get a receipt from the charity of your donated goods. The nonprofit won’t put a dollar value on this receipt, but it will help you prove that you did indeed donate the property if the Taxman asks you later.
How to present your items
When you want to sell something try and stick to advertising its strengths, rather than weaknesses. A fair price will always help generate interest, but at the end of the day the best way to price something is to find a medium between the buyer and seller where you both can meet at a final price that you are happy with.
Don’t lie about your products, honesty is always the best policy to prevent reprecutions or conflict, which can both be timely and stressful.
From there, a quality picture is key if selling online, this will ultimately be the deciding factor as to whether your item sells or not. Along with a genuine and quirky description, your item is bound to sell, releasing more money for you, and others around you, to enjoy life just that little bit more.
No Comment