Tips For Selling Your Unused Stuff

I make several hundred dollars a year just by selling my stuff that I don’t use anymore– from furniture to clothes, and everything in between! Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the best way to sell your things. If you are in the process of decluttering and sorting through your things, and you’re thinking about selling some of them, I have some helpful tips for you. 

You Need A Good Picture!

Ideally, you need several good pictures that showcase important aspects of the item you’re selling. Trust me, the picture matters SO much. It may even be more important than what you’re actually selling. This is the first thing people see when they’re scrolling through different platforms.

Okay, but what makes a “good” photo?

Use good lighting. 

No shadows or weird shading going on. Instead, try using actual daylight (think: where do you have big windows or natural light?) I have used filters before which works, just make sure you’re not over-filtering. You want to make sure the quality is still good.

Make sure the shot is uncluttered. 

Nobody wants to see your big pile of laundry when they’re shopping! A lot of people will determine the quality of an item based on where the item is currently living. So if it looks like it’s currently living in a garage or a clutter-filled room, it’s less likely that they’ll see it as a high-quality item. People do care! 

Just by taking the time to take shots in a clear, open space, you can ask for more money and make more for your investment.

Show furniture in use as well as solo.

If you’re selling furniture, I have found it useful to include a photo of the furniture being used– kind of like staging the idea of the item for potential buyers. I’ve had items in the past that weren’t really selling until I added some photos of how I used them. Just think about when you’re looking at an item on Amazon that you want to buy… when you swipe through the photos, you probably want to see it being used but also what the item looks like on its own.  

Make sure the item is centered in the photo.

Not just horizontally but vertically as well. Most apps like OfferUp use a portrait view when you take pictures. This means the image will look like a big vertical image, but the only thing that’ll be shown in the feed is the middle square portion of that image.

You want to make sure that the good-quality parts are in the center square of the picture so that people will see them when they’re scanning by. Keep in mind, though, that when they click on the square, it will pull up the whole picture, so you still don’t want random things in the background.

Overall, it’s best practice to take vertical pictures. That’s because if you look at it in a feed where they actually do show the full version of the image, the landscape is going to be chopped down to only show a portion of that on the scroll. The vertical images are going to make sure that you’re getting the most that you can out of the scroll real estate. 

Don’t Skimp On The Description

I see this a lot. If I’m looking for something and there are multiple versions of the same thing, I’m going to go with the one that has the description. The main reason is that it gives you a peek into the person you’re going to be dealing with.

There’s a really good chance that you’re going to meet this person somewhere. You want to know if they seem like a good standup person! Are they saying something shady? Does it seem like it’s a scammer or somebody who’s just trying to promote spam? You really can gain a lot just from reading the description.

A lot of people will even leave some really personalized information in the description that makes you feel more connected to the seller. For example, maybe somebody’s selling an item that used to belong to their six-year-old kid and is getting rid of it because the six-year-old kid has grown up. You can really give yourself a leg up just by having a solid description. 

Not to mention, if you don’t leave descriptions, then you’re leaving things up in the air. What size is it? What are the dimensions? People are going to either take the time to ask you those questions, or they’re just going to skim past and go to the other option. You’ll save yourself a lot of time.

Do Your Research On The Pricing

Every single time I post something, I do a quick search to see what other people are selling the same item for. If you do your research on pricing, don’t assume that you can automatically get the same price. At the same time, don’t assume that you can’t get more.

​​I usually do a Google search to see how much that particular model or serial number is selling for if they were to buy it new. Then, I’ll also do a quick search on whatever platform I’m posting it to, just to see what others are posting and how long their postings have been live. 

Remember that if you’re selling the exact same thing as five other people, you’re in competition. If you can cut the price even by a couple of dollars and make sure that you have clear pictures and a great description, then you’ve just given yourself a leg up.

Determine Your App Presence

App presence is kind of like Lyft versus Uber. Some apps have a higher presence in certain areas than others. Find out which ones the people in your area are actually using.

OfferUp and Letgo used to have a higher presence in different areas. Since then, they’ve merged. I usually use OfferUp because it has such a wide coverage area. 

When I lived in Texas growing up, we had SoutheastTexas.com, which was essentially the classifieds for just the local area that I was in. That was pretty much all I used because there was stuff on there all the time.

It can really be beneficial to either do a quick Google search or try pulling up some of the apps and seeing if you see a lot of items being posted on there to see what’s available in your area. 

Some popular app options are:

• Offerup
• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist
• Nextdoor: I haven’t had a lot of luck with this one because you can only interact with the people in your neighborhood, which limits your options. 
• eBay: can be really great for collectors and antique-type items. People will often search eBay when they’re looking for things in a really specific niche.

These are the most common apps out there right now for selling your stuff. Of course, technology is always changing, so who knows what apps will be available in the future!

Ship Items For A Wider Reach

Remember, you don’t necessarily have to look in your local area. I personally like quick turnarounds, but I’m not a fan of shipping things. For me, the easiest way to do it is to find somebody who’s local and can pick it up today or tomorrow and get it over with. That way,  I don’t have to go through the whole method of shipping and find out how much the shipping would cost for the item and all of that good stuff.

Garage Sales Are Usually More Work Than They’re Worth

A quick note on garage sales: unless you’re doing a whole cul-de-sac or a neighborhood garage sale where you’re all just going in together, garage sales are generally a lot more work for a lot less money. People who come to garage sales are usually looking for the bare minimum price. If I were between doing a garage sale or just donating the items, I would probably rather donate them because I can’t think of too many things that would be worth me waking up at 4:00 in the morning to sit outside for hours for people to haggle over 25 cents here and there. It’s just a lot of work and not a lot of return.

Be Aware Of Scammers :/

 Scammers are everywhere! I’m sure you’ve heard about being safe and cautious online and not sharing your personal information. This is especially true when buying and selling.

About a year ago, Offerup was getting really bad. As soon as I posted something, I would immediately get messages within seconds. I’d notice that it was coming from different people, but it’d be the exact same text as if they were just hitting copy and paste. That’s screaming that there’s some kind of scam going on.

Also, be cautious if people message you and say something like, “Hey, I’m interested in this. Text me at this number,” or “My mom’s interested in this. Text her at this number.”

You Can Use A Common Location For Pickup

You can always insist on meeting people somewhere if that makes you more comfortable.  A lot of people will only do business that way. There are some instances where it may be really difficult to do that, though. Say you have a large piece of furniture, and you don’t have a way to take it to a local meeting point. In this case, one of the reasons that you’re selling it instead of donating might be so that somebody can come to haul it for you.

Another example might be people who have a litter of puppies for which they’re trying to find homes. Usually, you’ll expect to go to that person’s property because it just makes sense. So in those instances, you might not be able to meet at a neutral location. 

Always Use Craiglists’ Relay Feature

Craigslist has a relay feature that you can opt to use or not to use. I opt to use that 100% of the time. Otherwise, you’re giving people your email address, and they can spam you. The relay gives you some kind of long Craigslist code, and people respond to it. I’m not even sure why they make that an option. Understand that that’s what it is. If you’re on Craigslist trying to post something and they ask you if you would like to show your email or use one of their Craigslist relay codes, definitely select the latter.

Make Sure Your Facebook Account Is Private

If your Facebook isn’t set to private when it comes to Facebook Marketplace, people can see your profile picture and click on your profile picture to see your account. You want to make sure that your account is private and that there is nothing that anybody can see that you wouldn’t want them to see that you wouldn’t want some random weirdo to see. Honestly, that’s just good life advice for social media. Be sure that if you are using Facebook Marketplace, you have your protections in place by having yourself privatized.

There Will Be Hagglers, Especially On OfferUp

 Even the name Offerup suggests that it’s a platform where people will offer you a certain amount for something. You can choose to be “firm on the price” so that people don’t do that so much, but you can expect that.

If you post something for $50, it’s very unlikely that you’re going to get a whole bunch of bids for $50. But people are also probably going to bid you at $30, maybe even $25, depending on what the item is. You don’t have to take that. You can also come back with a counteroffer. 

The most frustrating situation, which I’ve definitely been in more than once, is when people agree to pay the price and agree to buy the item, and then they show up and start asking, “What will you take?” That is really uncomfortable and awkward, but it will happen at some point, especially if you’re selling things frequently.

You have to stand your ground. You don’t have to agree to anything that they offer on the spot. A lot of times, I’ll say, “No, thanks! I have a lot of other offers for full price. If you’re not interested, I’ll message the next person.”

Venmo Is My Favorite Payment Method 

I’ve always been cash or Venmo only, so I can’t speak much on other methods. I will say that I’ve used Venmo a lot more lately, and I’ve actually come to prefer it. Sometimes, people will show up and need you to break a 20 for them, and you have to go try to find change, etc. I prefer Venmo because they can’t take it back once you’ve already received it. 

By the way, it’s totally normal if a potential buyer asks for the last four digits of your phone number to be able to Venmo you. They can’t do a whole lot with those numbers anyway, so I haven’t had any issues with that. 

You Can Do Contactless Pickups

Contactless pickups are awesome! That method became popular during the Covid pandemic, especially when we were in quarantine. I’ve become a huge fan. You can just leave the item on the front porch, and the buyer will Venmo in advance. Then, they can swing by and pick it up. I’ve had a lot of luck with that. 

It’s just really simple because you don’t have to worry about interacting awkwardly with the person. You just kind of skip that whole side of things. They message you saying, “Hey, I’m on my way!” You send them your username for Venmo. They send you the money. Then, you can just set the item out on the porch. The only person that it could be risky for is the person who is paying for the item. But if you’re on the seller side, I feel like that is ra eally nice way to go about the transaction.

Also, it’s more eco-friendly because the people who are looking for those things and are willing to come and pick them up are more likely to actually use them. When you donate things, you never know—they could end up in a landfill. People may not choose to purchase them at the donation facility. I’ve even taken pictures of my daughter’s and my clothes before posting them for free on Offerup, and they were gone by the next day. 

Silence Your Apps 

When you’re not actively selling something, the apps will find reasons to send notifications. They’ll send you a notification that there are other items for sale from sellers that you follow, which you probably don’t really care about and don’t need those constant notifications. 

Just remember to turn the notifications back on whenever you go back to sell another thing because I’ve made that mistake before, too. I forgot that I had the notifications turned off, and then I posted something, and a lot of people had been messaging me interested in the item I posted. I didn’t even realize it until two days later. 

Don’t Decline People Until The Item Has Left Your Home

 I can’t tell you how many times people are supposed to be on their way to pick something up, and they just don’t show up– even when we’ve had long, drawn-out conversations about the item and our meeting time! If that happens, I’ll talk to the first three people or so who’ve contacted me, kind of like the runner-ups, and I’ll tell them, “Hey, somebody is supposed to pick this up, but if they don’t come, I’ll be sure to reach back out to you.” Then you can just kind of keep that door open until the item is officially gone.

Don’t Forget To Take The Item Down Once You’ve Sold It

I’ve done that many times, too. I always feel bad when people reach out and say, “Hey, is this still available? This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!” And I have to tell them, “No, I sold it last week, and I forgot to take it down.” I have been on the other end of that, where I’ve been investing maybe an hour or more trying to find the perfect fit for whatever it is, and then it’s kind of disheartening when they respond that it’s been sold for a long time now. I try to always remember to take it down so that I can prevent somebody else from having disappointment later on, and I also just kind of save myself the notifications.

Don’t Forget To Rate The Buyer

Some apps have rating systems–  these are important! They help indicate who is safe to work with. It tells you this person is verified, other people have worked with them, and they use this app a lot. I usually won’t even work with people who have zero reviews because I don’t trust them. There are just too many scammers and spammers out there.

Just be a good Samaritan! If you sell something and you have a good experience with the person, they show up when they say they’re going to, and they pay the amount they said they would. Then, leave them a quick little review. It doesn’t have to be like a written review– usually, it’s just a star rating. 

You’re also going to want reviews in return, especially if you intend to continue selling things or you want to have more luck selling things in the future. That build-up of stars and reviews is really going to help other people trust you and look at your stuff, maybe over somebody else’s. When you leave somebody a review, they’re more likely to reciprocate. 

If It’s Been 2 Weeks, Take It Down

My last tip is: if it’s been two weeks and you haven’t had any bites or sold the item, take it down. You can still post it again later. It’s actually better that way. Most of these apps and websites have a chronological order. People might have to scroll through four or five pages to get to something that was posted over two weeks ago.

If it’s already been two weeks and you haven’t had any bites, I would say you’re probably going to have more luck to take that down, give it a day or two, and then repost it. Or even repost it on a different platform. Don’t assume that because it keeps sitting there, nobody’s interested.  It may just be that nobody’s seeing it because now it’s so far down in the pages. 

That’s Everything That I’ve Learned From Selling My Stuff!

I highly recommend selling your stuff if you’re decluttering and interested in making some side money. It can be overwhelming at first, but I hope some of these tips might help you through the process.