Are you new to the neighborhood or want to connect with your community? Try joining a buy nothing group. Neighbors pass around items for free, which is a great way to save money on things you need and establish rapport. Tap or click here for safe ways to get free stuff from next door.
Before you give away anything, check to see if it’s valuable. You could be sitting on big bucks without knowing it. As a bonus, you can clear up some of the clutter around your home.
Many sites and apps cater exclusively to buying and selling anything you can imagine. Here’s how to get started.
First, protect your privacy
While many apps offer messaging services, you may need to exchange contact information. But you shouldn’t give your phone number to strangers. Instead, create burner numbers and email addresses for your sales accounts. Tap or click here to learn how.
Now let’s look at some of the best marketplaces to buy and sell things.
OfferUp
OfferUp is free to use and geared towards local sales. You can message interested buyers via the app to answer questions and finalize the details. You can also check people’s profiles to see their ratings and buying history.
Selling is easy. Just tap Post in the app, add clear photos of your item, and enter a title, description and details. With OfferUp, you can easily sell anything like clothes and shoes, used cars, electronics, vintage fashion and furniture.
It’s perfect for local sales. If you want to extend your range, OfferUp lets you sell nationwide. For a local sale, money changes hands in person. For goods that are shipped, payments are made through the app. Choose if you want to meet in person or mail your item nationwide.
If you meet in person, you should accept cash. You’ll get paid through the OfferUp app if you mail the item.
Transactions with cash are free for both buyers and sellers. Certain transactions, like shipped items, may include service fees or shipping costs when the item is sold.
Item for sale: Here’s a Canon EOS Rebel T100 DSLR camera being sold for $190.
RELATED: 3 simple ways to stay safe using buying apps like OfferUp and Craigslist
Poshmark
Poshmark is a fashion-centric marketplace for used and new clothing, accessories and shoes, but you can also offer select home goods, pet items and electronics.
Just tap the Sell button and add some photos. Then give your listing a title, description and price.
Listing on Poshmark is free, but there are sales commissions. For all sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. For sales of $15 or more, Poshmark takes 20%.
When your item sells, you get the money in your Poshmark account, which you can withdraw via Instant Transfer, PayPal, Venmo, direct deposit to your bank account or request a check.
Item for sale: Here’s a pair of Nike Air Max Sequent 3 running shoes for $60.
RELATED: 5 smart ways to save and make money in 2023
Decluttr
Decluttr is a great place to sell tech gadgets like old phones, computers, tablets, CDs, DVDs, video games and smart home gear. There’s no need to create a listing at all.
You just enter information about the item you want (model number, condition) to sell, and Decluttr offers a guaranteed price for them. You can also use the app’s built-in barcode scanner to scan your item.
You have 28 days to accept the offer. If you accept, you’ll get a free shipping label by email. Print it out, tape it to your shipping box and drop off your package at the nearest shipping location, such as UPS.
You’ll be paid the next day after Decluttr receives and processes your items. The company pays via PayPal, direct deposit or check. Or you can choose to donate your payment to charity.
How much you can get for your old iPhone: An iPhone XS MAX with 512 GB of memory in good condition can go for about $215.
Coinscatalog.net
Do you have any old coins lying around? They could be worth something. Even if they have sentimental meaning and you don’t want to sell them, wouldn’t it be nice to know their worth?
Coinscatalog.net offers an easy way to buy and sell coins. Coin prices on the site are generated according to market trends and are regularly updated.
A coin grading tutorial page lists the various grades and images for each, from About Good (G-3) to Specimen Proof (SP-70 or PRF-70). This will help you determine the price of your coin.
You can search available listings and price estimates before selling your coin. You can even see if your coin is on anyone’s wish list or search for it by photo. There’s also a swap option if you want to trade with other users on the site.
Coins for sale: A USA Five Cents “Buffalo Nickel” from 1913 in SP70 grade is going for $1,500.
Tap or click here for more details on Coinscatalog.net.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a free platform to sell just about anything to potential buyers in your area. Think furniture, electronics, video games, kitchen appliances, books, toys, cars, musical instruments and more.
You’ll need a Facebook account to use Marketplace. As for selling your stuff, simply select Marketplace > Create new listing > Item for sale. Upload images of your items and select your location to reach buyers in your area and communicate via Facebook Messenger.
Listing items for sale is free, but there’s a fee of 5% per shipment or a flat fee of 40 cents for shipments of $8 or less if a customer buys an item from you and pays through Facebook.
Item for sale: A Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) with cables plus six games is going for $130.
While you’re browsing Facebook, you should check up on some critical settings. Tap or click for 10 Facebook settings you should adjust right now.
eBay
With more than 100 million members, eBay brings your listings to a massive audience. With its Buy It Now option taking the lion’s share of sales, you usually won’t have to wait for people to bid before making a sale.
To create a listing in the app, go to the Selling page and select List an item. There are shortcuts to scan your item’s barcode to add product details from the eBay catalog automatically.
Whether you sell via auction or fixed-price listings, both methods come with fees, and all payments go through PayPal. Once you’ve registered an eBay account and completed verification, you can create a listing for the item you want to sell.
If your item sells, eBay generally collects 10 to 15% of the final value. Your first 250 listings each month are free, and then there’s a 35-cent insertion fee per listing.
Pro tip: Search for items that match the one you’re selling, and then go to Filter and scroll down to Sold Items. Check off the box if you’re on a computer, or tap the slider if you’re using the eBay app. Now you’ll only see listings that actually sold to customers. This gives you a better idea of realistic prices.
Sold item: This pair of Klipsch HP-3 headphones sold for $850 this past December.
RELATED: 5 new eBay scams every buyer and seller needs to know about
Craigslist
Craigslist is dedicated to classified ads. In addition to job advertisements, you can find a world of items for sale. You can sell just about any form of transportation, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, ATVs and airplanes.
You can locally sell furniture, antiques, electronics, collectibles, clothing, books, games and just about anything else you have. Posting is geo-based to help you find buyers in your area.
You will need to provide some item information such as description, price and how to contact you. In addition, it is suggested you upload at least one photo; however, Craigslist allows up to 24. You will have to arrange a meetup for payment and delivery or pickup of the item(s).
For sale now: This Schwinn Marshall electric bike is going for $900.
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