Whew! I have had a busy few days of preparing for and having a garage sale! Despite the rainy day yesterday, I am happy to say that my sale was really successful. I got rid of almost everything I sat out and made enough money to splurge a little on something fun for our family and also add to our savings account, so I'm happy that all of the hard work paid off! I know that you have seen posts about how to have a successful garage sale, so I won't cover that again, but I wanted to post today about how to pick the BEST way to get rid of your kids' old stuff (and your stuff, too)! I personally have been successful in selling things on Ebay, Craigslist, and at garage sales, so that is what I'm blogging about today!
First, the most important thing when it comes to making money on your kids used clothing and toys is to just do it! Before I first sold something on Ebay or Craigslist, I was nervous about doing it for some reason. I wasn't sure if I would do it right or I was afraid that I wouldn't make any money, so it took me a long time to get the guts to list things. Same with a garage sale...it was a couple of years before I decided to throw a few things out on my lawn during our neighborhood garage sale, but I'm SO glad I finally did!
I think that it is really important to sell your items in the right place if you want to get the most money for them with the least amount of hassle. I have determined through trial and error as well as through advice from seasoned selling pros that there are definitely advantages to making sure you pick the right venue for your sales. Here is a list of things that will sell best in each category, which will hopefully get you started on the way toward making money on your used kids' items!
EBAY:
First, if you are interested in selling on Ebay, be sure to read my old post called "Ebay 101" which is a tutorial on how to list and sell items there. As for WHAT to sell, keep in mind that when people buy things from you on Ebay, in almost all cases you will have to ship the items to them. So it is best to NOT sell large, heavy, or breakable items on Ebay. Either the shipping charges will be so high that you will turn away buyers or you will have to "eat" the charges yourself and you will cut into your profit. Not to mention the annoyance of having to pack up large items to sell. Also, NAME BRANDS sell best on Ebay. Kids brands like Gymboree, Gap, Polo and high end boutique brands like Baby Lulu or Matilda Jane will attract attention and sell. No matter how cute that little dress from Target is, though, you will likely not make much or anything from selling it on Ebay. Also, I only sell things that are in excellent or very good condition on Ebay because when people are buying things based on photos and descriptions, it is hard to convince someone to buy something that isn't stain-free and looking close to new. Last, things like Halloween costumes or Holiday outfits will sell well on Ebay, but you have to make sure to list them at the right time (1-2 months before the holiday to allow time for shipping).
Ebay costs money to use, so only attempt to sell things on Ebay that you are confident you will sell. Otherwise you will end up wasting money on Ebay fees for items that didn't bring in any money for you.
CRAIGSLIST:
Craigslist can be a great way to get rid of things around your house, but it's not perfect for everything. The absolute best things to list on Craigslist are large items like strollers, cribs, furniture, and ride-on toys. Things that you would never pack up to ship to someone, but still have a lot of use in them will sell really well on Craigslist. Also electronics that are still in good working order will do well and lots (groupings) of toys or collectibles. Items with regional interest like Royals jerseys or K-State bedding may bring in more money on Craigslist than on Ebay, too, since Craigslist is tailored to your local area. Smaller items like individual outfits or used toys will probably not get a lot of interest. And I don't think that listing something that won't bring in a nice chunk of money is worth it because Craigslist requires a lot of orchestrating to make a sale. You have to communicate with one or more interested buyers, set up a time/location to exchange the items, and deal with changes in plans or buyers that don't show up. SO not worth it if you are selling a dress for $5. When you do decide to use Craigslist, make sure to add photos to your listing and describe it as thoroughly as you can. Also use caution...do not list your address in your listing unless you are advertising a garage sale. Let the buyer contact you and if you feel comfortable, give them your address then and a time to come pick up the item (preferably when your spouse or a friend can be there with you). If you don't feel comfortable giving out your home address, arrange a meeting at a neutral location like a grocery store parking lot or a busy park.
The best thing about Craigslist is that it's 100% free to use and you have a targeted audience of people in the metro area. I have had great luck selling our old kids' gear!
GARAGE SALES:
So pretty much anything that's not going to sell on Ebay or Craigslist is perfect to set out in a garage sale. If you are going to have a garage sale, you might as well set everything you want to get rid of out there, but the drawback is that you may not make the MOST money off of your things. People who shop garage sales want a DEAL. So a gorgeous boutique dress that you bought for $50 may get a lot of attention, but no one is going to buy it for $20 in your garage. (Whereas that same dress may sell for $25 or more on Ebay in good condition). So, you may want to keep the very BEST stuff for Ebay, but everything that MUST go...set it out there! I found yesterday that the things that sell the best at garages sale are used toys (both large and small), clothing items in good condition, and and larger items like strollers and pack & plays. Just make sure to price things to sell...decide what is the absolute lowest amount you would take for something and add a dollar to it, because people love to get a bargain and WILL try to talk you down! Clothing needs to be priced at $3 or below, no matter how cute (exceptions for items like coats or Halloween costumes). Things sell at $1/piece like hotcakes! My rule of thumb for pricing is to decide how much *I* would pay for it at someone else's sale and go with that. If I wouldn't buy it for $10, I can't imagine that someone else is going to want to, either.
Bottom line on garage sales is that you probably can sell just about anything in your home at a garage sale if you price it right. But there are definitely things that you will want to set aside and try to get a better price for elsewhere.
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No matter how you chose to resell your stuff, you will be so happy that you did! Not only will you make a little bit of money back that you can use however you need or want, but you are giving your things that still have life left in them a new home instead of throwing them in the landfill. And the person who buys them is getting a great item for less than they would pay for the same thing new, so everybody wins! So get down to your basement or up to your attic and start sorting and selling!