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 simply throw it in a donation box, or you can try to sell the things. If you’re trying to sell, there are a few small things you can do to sell your stuff online faster.
Wait, selling stuff online sounds like a ton of work!
I understand that you’re 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 they’re only you can set and forget until someone’s interested in buying. It doesn’t need to feel like an additional job you’re taking on. It’s just a little side hustle to get you started.
I’m trying to sell a lot of my stuff before moving in with my partner. Stuff that doesn’t 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, that’s when I sell it.Â
Let’s 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 you’re 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 you’re in the US or Canada, I’ve 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 it’s common for people to look in the secondhand section as well.
2. Take Clear Pictures
When you’re creating your own listings, taking clear pictures is key. It doesn’t 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 you’re 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 you’re uploading your product to their website.
When you’re choosing to have a price that’s lower or comparable to the prices of others, it will help to sell your product faster.
The other side can be that when you’re comparing the prices, you realize that there is not much profit to make when you’ll sell your item. You can think about if it’s even worth your time to list that item online, or you want to send it straight to donation.
4. Have A Straightforward Description
When you’re 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 you’re making your description, make it as straightforward as possible. You want to include any brand names that you’re selling, as well as color, size, and other descriptives buyers may look for. To make sure people will find your listing, you can also include keywords to related items.
5. Adjust If You’re Not Selling
When you’ve listed your product but you’re not selling, there are a few things you can do.Â
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 don’t go below that. When you’ve 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?
Marjolein is a financial consultant who has built over €4,000 monthly passive income and saves over 70% of her income. Read Radicals’ inspiring story, from stuck in the 9-to-5 to loving life. Feel free to send Radical a message at the bottom of this page
we’re in the US and have sold over $10,000 on ebay the past 1.5 years. here are some tips:
1. look at the “sold” listings for your item to find your price and not just the listings
2. if you have a unique item that you don’t see in a search you can make more money by waiting (if you have time). i had an industrial water circulator for a lab and turned down 600 bucks for an offer and waited and got the full 1400 asking price.
3. be willing to ship international if an item doesn’t sell soon enough.
4. if you’re willing to ship heavy and bulky things you can make a lot of money. we got 200 bucks for a teal blue bidet i found in the woods.
there’s more on the website. good luck selling.
Good practical tips!
What I’ve personally noticed, is that good pictures are so important. It reduces the uncertainty that the buyer often experiences for the product.
– NF
Yes I agree! It can be hard and take some time to make a good picture – once you have it will sell your article much faster. Thanks for stepping by NF!
Thanks for your tips Freddy, they’re truly helpful! Those are some features I’ve never tried before, I’ll give it a go to boost my eBay sales more.
You’re having a great eBay side hustle, with the experience of selling not only the basic things but also things that are more unique there’s a lot of money to be made. For now I want to get rid of the excess stuff that I’ve gathered over the years, but over time I would love to experiment with selling more unique things!