People spend a LOT of money on “stuff” and every day, they throw things away. In this post, I want to share with you how to sell stuff online for free. If you have extra belongings sitting around your house collecting dust, and you want to earn some extra cash, please keep reading.
We have a household with two teenagers and always have outgrown clothes, toys, bikes, etc. to get rid of. You name it we have had to sell it over the years. My wife is always looking to earn a few extra bucks and selling stuff online has become a bit of a hobby, dare I say obsession.
All I know is that if I am not careful, I could be next LOL.
These days, you can turn to the internet for just about anything, and people who are buying and selling merchandise is no different. In the old days, it was classified ads in the newspaper, or putting a sign up in the local grocery store, boy have we come a long way since then.
I am sometimes absolutely amazed at what people will buy. I guess the old saying is true, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Over the years, we have been able to sell items, like fixtures we took out of the bathroom we remodeled, and sell them online. One guy really wanted these opulent pedestal sinks. We were going to throw them away but figured we would try to sell them first. Low and behold we got a bite.
Table of Contents
Anyway, without further ado let’s get right into things here.
5miles
The folks at 5miles decided they wanted a better way to sell your stuff locally and it’s free to use. They set out to develop an easier way to buy and sell. Just take a picture, and enter a description and you are on your way.
A safe marketplace is one thing that 5miles is taking head-on. One really cool feature is users can identify themselves by phone, or on Facebook. This is a step in the right direction to let both buyers and sellers feel safe that they are actually dealing with a real person.
The team at 5miles is working hard behind the scenes reviewing the postings to make sure they are legit. 5miles is available in most major cities across the United States and has also been downloaded in more than 100 countries.
Craigslist
Well, I have had some exciting experiences selling stuff on Craigslist. Once, I was selling an old set of stereo speakers, I am dating myself I know, for $40. I had someone interested in buying them for full price! Then the guy asked me if I would deliver them to his house, which was about 40 miles away. Typically that is not the way it works. Plus it would have taken me two hours round trip. I declined, and someone else ended up buying them.
It’s not all bad though. The name is very well-known, but sometimes you have to weed through the muck. I have bought and sold many times on Craigslist, and it’s usually a fine and dandy experience.
Craigslist is free to use and like a giant garage sale. There are a lot of items, and services (ahem, be careful here) that can be found. Craigslist does have a handful of ways they make money (job listings, rental homes, etc.), but most stuff you can buy and sell for free. Anyway, this is just another option to buy and sell merchandise for free.
OfferUp
Started by two dads the founders of OfferUp had more stuff than they wanted. They decided to find a better way to get rid of their extra gear. With OfferUp, you can find great local deals on tons of things.
OfferUp has incorporated the following to help with common problems related to buying and selling:
- User profiles
- TruYou – confirm your identity with Facebook, phone number and email
- User Ratings – allows you to rate and see ratings for other sellers
- In-App Messaging – a secure way to communicate with buyers and sellers
- Community MeetUp Spots – find a surveilled meeting location
With all of these tools, OfferUp is definitely making waves in the buying and selling online space. It will be interesting to see their future growth.
letgo
I love the name as well as the commercials on TV, and with over 100 million downloads letgo is the largest and fastest growing app to buy and sell locally. Once again, trust is the name of the game in the buying and selling space. They have taken the appropriate steps so you can feel comfortable with your dealing with on your selling experience i.e., setting up profiles and ratings. letgo uses advanced technology to help in blocking inappropriate content, and they work with law enforcement. The team at letgo seems very committed to their cause.
On their website, letgo offers some tips on keeping safe in your dealings with other people, and I think this is extremely helpful. Anyway, check them out next time you need to get rid of your stuff.
decluttr
decluttr offers an innovative way to sell your tech devices. You can get an instant quote on cell phones, tablets, Kindles, game consoles and more. You can also sell CD’s, DVD’s, and games. You can even sell Legos!
All you have to do is enter the details or scan the barcode with your phone. You will get an instant quote, and you can decide if it’s right for you. If the price is right, they will send you a Welcome Pack with a free shipping label for UPS. You can drop the package at a UPS Store, retail outlet, or give it directly to a UPS driver.
All items are shipped fully insured so you can rest easy. When your items arrive at the decluttr warehouse, the team will send out your payment the very next day. You can get paid via PayPal, direct deposit or check, it’s up to you.
Cash4Books
A family-owned company, Cash4Books started back in 2004 offering a better way to sell college textbooks quickly. After the end of the college term, most students turn to their bookstore as a way to sell back those textbooks that may or may not have been opened J
The company wants to give students a convenient way to get rid of those books, at a fair price. The steps are super easy:
- Enter the ISBN from your books (scan or manually enter)
- Ship for free with a prepaid label
- Get paid via check or PayPal
I really wish this would have been available when I was in college. This is another one of those “why didn’t I think of that” moments.
Build a niche website
I have one more option to offer you, and you can start for free. If you desire greater reach and want to sell more stuff online, Wealthy Affiliate provides you the ability to build a website for free with a Starter membership. You can literally have a site up and running in 30 seconds and sell all the unwanted stuff you want, or anything else for that matter. Wealthy Affiliate offers training and a community of like-minded people to help you along the way.
This can actually lead to bigger and better things as well, like a thriving online business. If you have a passion or hobby that you are interested in turning into a business, Wealthy Affiliate can help you along the way.
==> click here to get started for free <==
Wealthy Affiliate has helped me along the way, like starting this blog, and I have learned a great deal about building an internet business. Again, you can start for free, $0, just by entering your email address.
Conclusion: How to sell stuff online for free
Well, we covered a lot in this post and I hope you have some great ideas on how to get rid all the unwanted treasures you have in your house, garage, storage unit, or wherever it may be. I figure if you can make a few extra bucks getting rid of things you might otherwise just throw away, then why not do it?
I really think that decluttr and Cash4Books have exciting business models and am anxious to see how these businesses progress over time.
Do you have an online source you go to when you need to get rid of your stuff?
Any first-hand experience with any of the options listed here?
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks for taking some time to stop by today.
