A Penny For Your Thoughts? (Part 2)

Ebay!

There is money to be had from your used stuff! From experience, I have found that people will pay a buck or two for things you would otherwise give to your local thrift store.

Step One: Find as many items as you can to sell online. My rule of thumb is If it hasn’t been used in two years, and it’s not reserved for future children, SELL IT!

Step Two: Take pictures of everything! If it’s damaged in any way, take photos of the damage! The more info you have on your item, the more likely it is to sell, and a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sets are great for Ebay!

Step Three: List your items! A few pointers though--list each item separately ending on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Start your bid at the lowest price you are willing to accept, 0.99 is a great price, but if you know your item is a collectible or a higher value, start the bidding higher! Most auction-style listings won’t be charged for if you list them under a buck, but the attention to an item priced so low will surely bump its final sale value far beyond its starting price. Also, in your title, spell out exactly what you are selling, including brand name (even if it’s not high end), size, pattern, and add a few common names for the item (for example, a nail clipper should also include the words “file, scissors, pedicure manicure tool, pedi, mani,” or whatever else you can fit on the line--the more hits the better!) And one last thing, NEVER OFFER FREE SHIPPING! (Unless you are an experienced ebayer, and I confess I still am not!) The amount it will cost you to ship your item will put a huge dent in your earnings, and people will still bid on it with a reasonable shipping cost.

Completed StarWars Puzzle, box included, originally a Thrift Store find!

I made $11 once from selling an MSI t-shirt my husband didn’t wear anymore, and $15 on a StarWars puzzle we completed together, but knew we weren’t going to piece it together again. Puzzles are actually perfect for Ebay, since you can pick them up virtually anywhere, even a thrift store, and once you’ve completed it, you can take a picture of the puzzle, completed to prove it has all of its pieces and use that as your selling point. We originally purchased the puzzle for $5 at Goodwill, and listed it for the usual 99 cents, but its popularity turned a profit! It doesn’t always happen that way, but it’s worth a try before you throw things out!