There are so many sites online now where you can sell items found in your home to earn extra cash. Amongst the most popular are eBay and Craigslist. The following is a tutorial on choosing the best site to sell items in your own attic or home; in short, where to earn extra cash.
Most popular is global auction site eBay. This is a unique resource that is nearly free and has many positive things going for it. First, by virtue of the fact that it is an online auction, sellers often find they get better prices for their items because people are bidding on it. Another factor that can drive up the sale price is the fact that there is a time limit on each sale, creating a sense of urgency amongst bidders. eBay is truly a global community and you reach an enormous market when listing on their site. They have made shipping incredibly easy, too.
A few of the drawbacks are the fees you incur when listing the item, when the item sells and when you receive a payment through PayPal. This makes low volume, low dollar sales unprofitable. Some sellers are put off by the task of selling large items, which is still not overly common, but is possible.
eBay's completely free counterpart is online classifieds site Craigslist. The biggest positives sellers find when using Craigslist is that it's free and there are no fees for sales or payments. Craigslist is simply the vehicle to put your item out in the marketplace, but not the mechanism to obtain payment, so buyers often will only take cash for sales. This leads to another factor that some see as a positive and others see as a negative: transactions must occur face to face. For some, there is great comfort in doing business this way, but for many people, this is simply not a comfortable way to operate, especially when it comes to having strangers to your home to view items. It is strongly advised that you use good judgment and caution when conducting sales on Craigslist and do as much interacting with interested buyers in a busy, public place as is feasible.
Because sales are almost exclusively cash and face to face, sales must be primarily local. You simply aren't able to reach as broad of an audience when selling on Craigslist. Also, it's not uncommon for buyers to seek to barter or bargain for an item. If you don't intend to trade for your item, be prepared and be firm in the advertisement that you place. This will save you time and headaches down the road.
Many users of eBay and Craigslist report that in general, eBay is the best venue to sell small items, name brand items such as clothing, books, media, items that are new in their packaging, collectable items and electronics. Craigslist is a more appropriate site to sell large items like tools, exercise equipment, furniture, and housewares.
When you need to know where to earn extra cash and have items on hand that can be sold locally or globally, always be sure to check to be sure that item is selling well on the market you choose to sell it in. That extra check and research can help you price and list your item appropriately. Most importantly, use good judgment throughout the process, be honest in your listing and enjoy the extra cash you will earn as a result.
