14 Places to Make Money Reselling Items and Pro Reselling Tips

Finding the right marketplaces, creating buyer-friendly listings, and providing excellent customer service are the keys to reselling successfully and and building a customer base. Numerous site-based and online marketplaces exist where you can sell items to make extra money, and potential buyers are out there for anything you want to sell. This article focuses on 14 popular on-line, local, and blended reselling marketplaces and offers pro selling tips to guide you through the entire reselling process.

You can use the extra money you earn from your sales for paying down debt or for other purposes. Even as you are taking steps toward reducing your consumption and spending less money, there are plenty of people out there who are continuing to buy, buy, buy, creating a huge pool of potential buyers for your unwanted items.

For this reason, there are numerous potential buyers for the items you no longer need or want, and the places for online and face to face selling continue to grow. Spring, summer, and fall are prime seasons of the year for yard sales and other types of clearance sales. Whenever you have a bit of leisure time, you can get your items ready to sell. An added bonus is that you will de-clutter your living space in the process.

Let’s get started!

What should you resell?

Just about anything. Literally. A buyer exists somewhere for anything you want to sell. The key lies in offering your item in a marketplace where the buyer will be able to find it. For this reason, consider what the different on-line, blended, and face to face marketplaces and methods have to offer.

Where should you resell?

You have numerous options exist for selling pre-owned items in a face to face environment, online, and through blended marketplaces that combine elements of both online and face to face selling. As you choose where to sell, consider what you are selling, the amount of time you have to devote to the selling process, and the fees, if any, you will pay for using a particular marketplace.

On-line reselling marketplaces

As the list of on-line marketplaces continues to grow, so do your options for reselling your items. Each site’s traffic, fees, and the selling platform’s ease of use are three important things you will want to consider as you decide where you will resell.

Although listing items requires some time and effort, once you create the listing, the hardest part is finished. You can sit back and wait for your item to sell. Waking up in the morning and seeing that one of your items sold while you were sleeping is a great way to start the day!

Amazon.com

Although Amazon limits the types of used products they allow you to resell, they do allow used listings in some categories, including books, electronics, cell phones, video, tools, and others. The Amazon’s beginner’s guide provides an overview of their selling plans, rules, and fees.

eBay.com

Most on-line buyers visit eBay first when they are looking for a specific used item, making eBay a great option for reselling your items. Although some items are prohibited, eBay provides the most comprehensive marketplace for selling used and new items. A clear and easy to follow eBay selling guide tells you everything you need to know to create your first listing.

Etsy.com

Even though Etsy is primarily a marketplace for craft-related goods and handmade items, they allow the sale of vintage items as well. For this reason, Etsy might be a good choice for reselling unique vintage items. Etsy’s seller’s guide provides an overview of their fees and details on how to get started selling.

Bonanza.com

Similar to eBay in many ways, Bonanza is a site with fewer listings and sellers. For you as a seller, Bonanza’s smaller size can be a good thing. The smaller size means a larger ratio of buyers to sellers, resulting in more buyer views that could lead to a sale for you. The selling on Bonanza page provides all of the information you need to list items and begin selling.

Mercari.com

Another eBay alternative, Mercari has a much simpler structure when it comes to seller fees. The major drawback is that Mercari gets less traffic than eBay. However, the site’s smaller group of sellers can be good news for you as a seller in that it will be easier for your listings to stand out. Reading Mercari’s how to sell page will enable you to begin listing your items.

Poshmark.com

Along with providing a marketplace for pre-owned clothes, accessories, and new personal care items, Poshmark is a resale site that allows you to list some types of home and pet items as well. The site’s simple and straightforward policies about fees and shipping make it a favorite for many sellers. The guide to Poshmark explains every stage of the selling process.

Curated resale sites

Curated resale sites differ from those listed above (with the exception of Amazon*) in that you mail in your items and the organization’s employees handle everything related to listing the items and shipping the merchandise when and if it sells. Because you are paying a price for the convenience of having someone else handle the listing and ship the merchandise, you will receive less money when your items sell through a curated site than if you handled all parts of the transaction yourself.

*Amazon is an exception in that sellers have the option of either packaging and filling their own orders or participating in the “Fulfillment by Amazon” program.

ThredUP.com

ThredUp will send you a “Closet Clean Out Kit” that includes a pre-paid shipping label and plastic mailing bag that you fill with your items and mail back to them. To determine if this method is right for you, start by reading about ThredUP’s selling policies. Because ThredUp does all of the selling for you, expect to earn quite a bit less money for items that sell. Using ThredUP’s payout estimator will help you determine if ThredUP is the best fit for you and your items.

TheRealReal.com

Well known as a luxury resale site, TheRealReal is a great place to sell luxury items, such as high-end designer goods as well as jewelry. Because they curate and price items as well as fill and ship orders, you will earn less on your items than if you handled the selling yourself. Again, you are paying for convenience. TheRealReal’s selling guide explains the process from beginning to end.

RossSimons.com

As a respected and established retailer whose history dates back to 1952, Ross Simons offers a safe and trusted way for you to sell your old jewelry and scrap gold and silver, including sterling flatware. With jewelry, they look for unique and estate pieces that display fine craftsmanship. Ross Simons buys pre-owned Rolex watches as well. Ross Simons will send you a free, insured shipping kit and make a video of your items being unpacked. Their guide explains all details of the process.

Blended selling venues

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace has continued to gain popularity since its 2016 launch. Marketplace was originally designed for transactions between buyers and sellers in Facebook Groups, but Facebook Marketplace has expanded far beyond its original purpose. Any Facebook user can post an item for sale in Marketplace, and the item offered for sale will be visible in Facebook and search engines as well.

Facebook’s commerce policies detail their selling guidelines as well as provide a list of prohibited content. Additionally, Facebook’s selling guide explains how to list items in Marketplace and their fee information page explains how much sellers pay when their item sells.

Craigslist.org

Although Craigslist is not as popular as it once was, it still can be a good place to list items for resale. Large items that would be hard to ship such as furniture, rugs, and appliances are good things to list on Craigslist. Also, with no listing fees or sales fees, the seller keeps 100% of the sale proceeds. Reading Craigslist’s information about free postings as well as viewing the list of items that cannot be offered for sale on Craigslist.org will help you determine whether Craigslist would be a a good site for you to use.

Listing the same item in more than one marketplace at the same time

Nothing prohibits your listing the same item on multiple marketplaces at the same time, so cross listing items that will be hard to sell can be the best way to connect them to a buyer. Different buyers will shop in different marketplaces, and more eyes on your item can result in a faster sale.

However, listing an item on more than one site at the same time is most appropriate for slower moving items as well as those that will be hard to sell.

You would not want for two different buyers on two different sites to purchase the one item you have at the same time. Your having to cancel one of your orders would leave one of the buyers very unhappy. On eBay and other sites, making this type of mistake can result in your selling account being limited or suspended.

If you do choose to list simultaneously in multiple marketplaces, be sure to cancel duplicate listings as soon as an item sells.

How Should You Sell? Selling Tips and Best Practices for Success

From beginning to end, put yourself in the position of the buyer.  Everyone wants to get a good deal at a great price, so focus on making sure your buyer will get what they are expecting–plus even more. 

Keeping this goal in mind will help you create clear and appealing listings that will capture a buyer’s interest and encourage them to complete their purchase.

Get items in the best condition possible

Make sure items are clean. If they have minor defects, see if you can correct them.  If a defect cannot be removed, make sure you call buyers’ attention to it in the listing.  Nobody wants to buy an item they think is in excellent condition and then receive something that has flaws or imperfections they were not expecting.

Take high quality photos

When buyers cannot examine an item in person, the photos you provide are going to be what determines whether or not they take a second look and take the time to read your description. For this reason, providing clear high quality photos is key to selling. 

Best practices for photos include the following:

• Using a plain, white backdrop will provide contrast and make your item easy to see.  
• Making sure the image of the item fills up the frame will keep the focus on the item and provide the buyer with a clear and focused view.
• Showing close up views along with clear views of all angles of an item will show the buyer exactly what they will receive.
• Including a photo showing the item side by side with a common item such as penny or a soft drink can will enable buyers to understand the item’s size, which can be difficult to determine in online photos.

Provide clear titles and brief, accurate descriptions

As with photos, the title you give your item will determine whether or not the buyer will pause long enough to give your item any consideration.  For this reason, use relevant keywords organized in a clear and readable way.  Then describe the item accurately, making sure to mention any unique qualities and describe any flaws.

Price reasonably and competitively

If you want for your item to sell, you must price it competitively.  If you plan to accept offers, you might price the item a bit higher to leave yourself some room for negotiation.  However, if the item’s asking price is not within a reasonable range, you risk driving away potential buyers. Searching for similar items that have already sold will help you determine your item’s fair market value.

Prepare for shipping before you list

Shipping supplies along with postage costs continue to go up.  For this reason, you need to have an idea of how much shipping the item will cost before you list it.  If you want to offer free shipping, make sure the item’s asking price is enough to cover your expenses. 

Some selling platforms require sellers to set fixed shipping costs, while others allow sellers to control their own shipping charges. Using an inexpensive but accurate postal scale or other type of digital scale is one of the best ways to determine what shipping will cost before you list an item.

Maximize your productivity by task batching

If you have a number of items to sell, using a batching method in which you focus on a group of similar tasks at the same time can help you get more work done in less time.

For example, if you will be selling an assortment of clothing items, inspecting, cleaning, and preparing all of the items at the same time will get that part of the process out of the way before you move on to the next step of taking photos.

Provide excellent customer service

Providing good customer service is important for so many reasons. Treating other people as we would like to be treated is always the best policy, and when it comes to sales, happy customers become repeat customers.

Excellent customer service is especially important in the on-line marketplace where your product, service, and communication are the only tools you have for insuring customer satisfaction and goodwill. Saying “thank you” by including a note in the order confirmation and a note in included in the shipment are great ways to build good will and create repeat buyers.

Treating buyers well is key to succeeding in both the on-line marketplace and face to face transactions. Happy, satisfied buyers become repeat buyers. On the other hand, dissatisfied buyers will be quick to leave negative feedback that will affect your online seller rating and scare away potential buyers.

Best practices for online selling include the following:

• Preparing items so they will be in top condition for the listing
• Including high quality photos (and video, when this option exists) that show all angles of the item as well as any flaws
• Responding promptly to questions, offers, and complaints. A 24-hour window is usually considered standard response time.
• Leaving prompt and fair feedback for buyers
• Packaging items neatly and carefully so they will reach the buyer in the best condition possible
• Shipping purchases promptly with a trackable shipping method within the time promised in the listing

Always put safety first

Your life and well-being are worth more than any amount of money, so always make your personal safety and security your priority in your selling transaction.

Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself:

Know your buyer, when possible

When you connect with a buyer through Facebook Marketplace, viewing the person’s profile will tell you a little bit about them, including whether or not the two of you have friends in common. If the buyer is brand new to Facebook or has few friends, these things could be a warning sign.

Meet the buyer in a public place

Many police departments offer designated areas for buyers and sellers to complete transactions. But if a designated transaction area is not available or convenient, pick a public area to complete the transaction. If possible, bring another adult with you rather than going by yourself. Using your phone to video or photograph the transaction provides another way for you to protect yourself.

Use a secure payment method for transactions

For individuals, PayPal offers a safe and secure way to complete financial transactions without any money having to change hands. Beware of buyers who want to pay you with gift cards (that may turn out to be fake) or other untraceable methods.

Trust your instincts

Our instincts protect us by triggering alerts when something is not as it should be. However, these alerts can only protect us if we listen to them. So many times we are dismissive, telling ourselves that we are being silly, overly cautious, or judgmental when we hesitate because something does not seem right. When you feel something isn’t right, trust your instincts. It’s always better to play it safe.

Face-to-face selling venues

Yard Sales, Garage Sales, and Rummage Sales

If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of items you have to sell, a yard sale might be a good option for you.

Choose a good location

First, you’ll need a good location with plenty of space for displaying your items as well as a parking area for all of your potential buyers. If you live in a remote area or somewhere where parking is scarce, consider partnering with a friend or relative who lives in a better location.

Schedule the sale for more than one day

Also, consider having your sale over several days rather than just one. A Friday and Saturday combination is ideal.

Price all of the items

Price your items reasonably. A lot of people will walk away from unpriced items rather than ask how much something costs.

Advertise and direct

Relying solely on yard signs probably will not generate as much traffic to your sale as you need for it to be a success. Instead, advertising your sale on Facebook and other social media along with placing signs along nearby streets–if your area allows signs–is a good way to notify the maximum number of potential buyers about your sale.

Local retail resellers and consignment stores

As you consider ways to sell things you don’t need, consider the benefits of consigning or selling to stores that will pay you cash for your items. When you have a lot of items you need to sell but are short on time, consigning or selling to stores in your area could be a great option for you. Again, you will pay a price for convenience and receive less for your items than if you handled all parts of the sales transaction yourself.

Plato’s Closet

With locations all over the United States and new ones opening all of the time, Plato’s Closet gives you the option of selling them your unwanted young adult clothes for cash. You leave with your cash, and Plato’s Closet sells your items in their store. Plato’s Closet’s guide to how it works guide explains the entire buying process.

Play It Again Sports

Whether you or your children have moved on to newer equipment or just lost interest in an activity, you probably have some unneeded sports equipment taking up space in your house. Like Plato’s Closet, Play It Again Sports is a re-seller that will pay you cash for your used and fitness sports equipment. Their website explains their buying process in detail.

Conclusion: How can selling benefit you?

Most of us have many items in our homes that we don’t want or need. These things are taking up space and creating clutter, causing us to feel disorganized and stressed.

Taking the time to organize your unwanted items and sell them in one of these marketplaces provides a way to de-clutter your home as well as generate some extra income that you can put toward paying down debt, saving for a special purchase, or investing for the future. My Beginner’s Guide to Managing Money provides additional tips for taking control of your finances.

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