Mary Potter Kenyon knew it was time to downsize when she was offered a job an hour away from her home in Manchester, Iowa. She didn't like the idea of having to commute two hours a day because of her husband's death and only one of her eight kids lived with her. It was time to leave. She listed her four-bedroom home for sale after finding a two-bedroom house near her new job. She began the process of tidying up.
Potter Kenyon sold her furniture and other items on Facebook, held two tag sales, and sold items through consignor shops for the next two months. She had less items to move to her new home, but she also earned more than $2,000 by the time she was done.
Potter was inspired to write the book called called to be creative since she got rid of her stuff.
How can you make money while also having a good time? Experts share their tips for selling used items.
You never know what people will be interested in when you resell online. Alex Davis, co- creator of the lifestyle blog, Ryan and Alex Duo Life, says that he once sold a mop.
The saying goes, "never judge a book by its cover", but people do. It is important to take a good picture to sell your item. If the shot is blurry, there is a lot of stuff in the background, and it is not taken at a good angle, people will scroll past it and move on to the next item.
A lot of the selling process relies on trust, so it's important to be honest in the description about any known defects or issues. It will save you time and the buyer time in relation to a potential sale.
A better way to leave your possessions to your heirs is from an expert.
List the brand, year purchased, size and dimensions. You can look up the item on a website such as Amazon or Target and use the same descriptors they are using. When searching for an item, use words that will show up in a search.
The price of the item is important, says a nationally recognized family finance expert.
How do you find the right price? You can look at the prices of similar items on the site you are going to sell on. The rule of thumb is to only charge half of what you paid for it when it was new.
People who buy used are looking for a good deal. If they can pay less than the price listed, they will feel like they got a deal. You may want to list your price a little bit higher than what you want to sell the item for. You can list the item as a firm price if you don't want to negotiate.
Explain in the description if you are open to negotiations or firm on price so you don't waste your time or your buyer's time.
You can see how to leave your home to a loved one.
Smaller furniture in good condition like a bureau or end table sells well, even though it can vary by location. Popular electronics and video games can also sell well, along with home repair tools.
Things that are sold out in stores sell well. You couldn't get your hands on any bikes or camping gear during the Pandemic. It would have been a great time to sell those items since everyone was looking to buy.
It's best to sell clothes at a garage sale. If you want to sell the items online, make a grab bag where someone can pick up a whole bag of size medium clothes or size 6 shoes. They have to take the whole bag, but get a big discount.
Most people who buy used items are honest and just want to buy the item. Some people can cause problems and are dishonest.
If you want to avoid having strangers come to your home, you can meet the person in a populated place, such as a store parking lot with video cameras. If you have a negative experience with your item, report it to the site you sold it on. If you experience a criminal interaction, report it to your local police department.
Selling used items is a great way to make money and get rid of unwanted items at the same time. There are things that come along with the process. People won't show up to buy the item. Others will ask a lot of questions and not buy the item.
If someone asks you to hold the item, you should only do so if they are willing to pay for it. One way that they can do this is through a payment service. You can leave the item in an agreed upon location so that you don't have to be home or interact with the person to make the sale.
Pick up of items can be arranged if you can. If you have a front porch or backyard, you can ask the buyers to put money under the door. We have sold hundreds of items this way. It keeps it simple, and we have never had anyone not pay us.
I no longer drive and want to retire in an urban area with lots of cultural activities, where should I go?
What do you do with items that don't sell? You can try to get them listed on sites like Facebook. If it is free, you would be surprised at what people are willing to take, from a broken grill to a wood pallet.
You can give your items to charities and they will often come to your house to pick them up.
Some charities accept used items.
You can list your items for free on these sites.
Cheryl holds a masters degree in counseling psychology. She is the mother of three children. Her writing has appeared in a number of publications. She is a member of ASJA. You can find her on the social networking site.
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