When the weather is getting warmer, many people are starting their spring (or summer) cleaning. Decluttering your house can be very therapeutic – but what should you do with all the stuff that no longer brings you joy? You can just put it in a donation box, or you can try to sell the things. If you want to sell, there are a few simple things you can do to make your stuff sell faster online.
Wait, selling stuff online sounds like a ton of work!
I understand that youโre thinking that right now. Yes, it does take more work than dumping everything in a donation box. It requires some time upfront to put the advertisements online. Once theyโre only you can set and forget until someoneโs interested in buying. It doesnโt need to feel like an additional job youโre taking on. Itโs just a little side hustle to get you started.
Iโm trying to sell a lot of my stuff before moving in with my partner. Stuff that doesnโt have any value I simply donate or give to friends and family. When I have something that I think can make me some money and people actually want it, thatโs when I sell it.
Letโs dive into how to sell smarter when selling your stuff online.
1. Figure Out The Best Website
Thinking about where you want to sell your items, where your target audience is, and how long it will take before you find a buyer.
On eBay, you can sell practically everything. If you want to get rid of the item fast, you can set the price low and sell it at an auction. When youโre taking your time, you can list your item for a fixed price. In the Netherlands, we have our own website where you can sell things in addition to eBay.
When it comes to clothes and youโre in the US or Canada, Iโve heard very good things about Poshmark. This is where especially brand clothes are selling for a decent price.
When selling books, Amazon is a good website to start. You can sell your books fast, as itโs common for people to look in the secondhand section as well.
2. Take Clear Pictures
When youโre creating your own listings, taking clear pictures is key. It doesnโt have to be a professional photo, simply a photo that shows what the items actually look like is important. Take a picture with sufficient light and also pay attention to any flaws that your product might have.
You want to give people a sense of exactly what they will be buying. That will be enough for people to buy when they really want the product.
3. Price Your Item Right
When youโre trying to place your item online for sale, check what similar products are selling for. Most websites have a feature where they list prices of similar products when youโre uploading your product to their website.
When youโre choosing to have a price thatโs lower or comparable to the prices of others, it will help to sell your product faster.
The other side can be that when youโre comparing the prices, you realize that there is not much profit to make when youโll sell your item. You can think about if itโs even worth your time to list that item online, or you want to send it straight to donation.
4. Have A Straightforward Description
When youโre making a description of your product, focus on what you want to sell. Your description should be practical, describing exactly what the people will buy. Be honest in your description and let people know what they will get.
When youโre making your description, make it as straightforward as possible. You want to include any brand names that youโre selling, as well as color, size, and other descriptive buyers may look for. To make sure people will find your listing, you can also include keywords to related items.
5. Adjust If Youโre Not Selling
When youโve listed your product but youโre not selling, there are a few things you can do.
First and most importantly, think about what is your minimum selling price. What is the minimum selling price that you want to sell your product for? Once you know that, you know what actions you can take.
You can lower your selling price on the product, give interested people a discount, or watch any promotion that the website might have. That will speed up your selling process significantly!
Most important thing is that you know your minimum selling price and donโt go below that. When youโve determined that, you can adjust the price to convince people and get your item sold.
I love selling my stuff online, it gives it a second life in contrast to just purging all items I don’t use anymore.
Do you sell items online? What is your biggest tip to sell faster?
Founder of Spark Nomad, Radical FIRE, Journalist
Expertise: Personal finance and travel content
Education: Bachelor of Economics at Radboud University, Master in Finance at Radboud University, Minor in Economics at Chapman University.
Over 200 articles, essays, and short stories published across the web.
Experience: Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform, and Spark Nomad, a travel platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a masterโs in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.