Habitual Hoarder l May 26, 2009 l Isn’t it fun when you pull out a pair of jeans you haven’t worn in a while and you find a few bucks tucked away in a pocket? Wouldn’t it be great if that could happen more often?
It can.
Take a peek around your house. There’s cash lying around all over the place. It may look like a DVD player or an exercise bike. But really, it’s cash. Maybe you haven’t touched it in ten years, but someone else might be looking for just that doodad.
Check this out: eBay working with Nielsen Research discovered the average American household has around 50 unused items (aka clutter) lying around the house worth about $3,100!
It’s so easy nowadays to convert that clutter into cash. If you have a digital camera and can write a snappy sales pitch, you’re in business. You have lots of choices to market stuff. Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, Facebook… take your pick. There also are specialty auction sites that focus on everything from wedding items to sports memorabilia. Google “sell stuff” or something like that to find them because more pop up all the time.
There are a couple of reasons folks sell stuff online. To clear clutter or to collect cash. Or both.
We wanted to finish off a family room. Before we could do that, we had a bunch of stuff that had been in the basement for years. In this case, I wasn’t looking as much for a lot of cash, but someone to come to my house and pay me money to haul it away. (Think about that for a minute)
I was able to sell an exercise bike, a home entertainment center, stereo speakers, and bar stools. Oh, and I also had a “what was I thinking?!” item that I sold: a brass and copper piece of wall art that seemed like a good idea at the time. In this case, Craigslist worked best. I made a few hundred bucks, people hauled away what I didn’t want and now we have a nice family room.
If there’s a drawback to Craigslist, it’s that sometimes people say they’re going to come by, and then they don’t. Don’t take it personally. I’ve learned to keep the ad up until the item is completely gone from my house.
I’m also selling off some valuable sports memorabilia through eBay. My collection is simply too big. Before you get started on eBay though, make sure you understand the fees involved and how everything works. If you’re a little lost, take a look at some “power sellers”. Follow their lead until you figure out what works best for you.
Here are some tips no matter how/what you plan to sell:
- Take good pictures. Make sure the item is against a plain background that focuses attention on the product. Take 2-4 pictures from different angles. Make sure the item is sparkling clean before you take a picture.
- You’re marketing; make your product description snappy.
- Check out ads for similar items to what you’re selling for ideas.
- Figure out what’s a price you’re comfortable selling your stuff for. Be prepared to bargain; it’s all part of the fun.
- Be honest. Deliver what you advertise.
- Be careful. If someone is coming to your home, make sure someone else is there with you. If you’re shipping the item, make sure your customer knows exactly what the charges will be along with the sales price.
One last way to get rid of the junk: donate it. An old couch might be a new couch for someone else. Some charities will pick up your items, others you may have to make a trip to their location. The bonuses are cool. Often it’s tax deductable and even more important, you did a good thing. I know of one charity that received some jeans as a donation from an estate. A sharp volunteer recognized them as 1960s vintage Levis and sold them on eBay for $1,800!
So donate, recycle, or sell. But, do something. You’ve opened your eyes to all this stuff lying around your house so at the very least, you’ll end up with extra space. Best case scenario: you’ve got cash in your pocket or a tax deduction.
Photo by: Exit343 from the Flickr group, The Anatomy of a Junk Drawer.
