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Okay, so I was helping my neighbor Marie clean out her garage because she's moving into a condo, and we found a lot of things she was about to give away that were worth at least $2,000. Sports gear her kids outgrew, designer bags she never used, and old furniture that is now worth something. We spent Saturday afternoon putting half of it up for sale online, and by Monday morning she had already made $400.
That made me think about how many people don't know they have money sitting around. ThredUp's 2024 Resale Report says that the average American home has about $5,300 worth of things they don't use that are just sitting around. The secondhand market has grown a lot in the last few years. It was worth $182 billion in 2024, and experts think it will be worth $350 billion by 2028.
There are a lot of places where you can sell things you don't want, whether you do it regularly to keep your space clean, need extra money for unexpected bills, or just found out you have a lot more stuff than you need. Some only deal with certain types of items, like clothes or electronics, while others deal with everything from furniture to collectibles. The best part? You're not just getting some extra cash. You're keeping useful things out of landfills, helping someone find what they need at a good price, and maybe, just maybe, realizing that selling things online is strangely satisfying.
Before we talk about specific platforms, it's a good idea to know what's new in the world of resale. The pandemic changed the way people buy and sell used things in a big way. A Mercari survey from 2024 found that 78% of Americans now regularly buy used goods, up from 54% in 2019. This big jump means that more people will see your listings and sales will happen faster.
But this is important: it also means more competition. The platform you use, the way you take pictures of your items, and when you list them can all affect the final sale price by 30–40%. I've seen neighbors post the same things on different sites and get very different results.
Here's something no one tells you right away: platform fees can cut into your profits a lot. Let's say you sell an old dress for $50. If you used one platform that charged 20% in fees, you would pay $10 in fees and have $40 left over. On a platform that doesn't cost anything? You get to keep the whole $50, minus any shipping costs you pay.
I did the math for Marie's project to clean out her garage. Hold on, let me show you this in a table. It's easier to see the difference:
This doesn't even include the cost of shipping if you're paying for it. That should really be "you're." See, I make mistakes too when I type quickly.
Knowing these fee structures ahead of time will help you pick the best platform for each item. It makes sense to pay a fee sometimes because the platform gets buyers who are willing to pay more. Sometimes, though, it's better to use free local platforms.
The online marketplace has come a long way. Let me show you the platforms that always get results, sorted by what they do best.
The general marketplaces give you the biggest audience because they handle everything. Craigslist is still one of the first online classifieds, and to be honest? It's still going strong in 2025. I know it looks like it was made in 1999, and it pretty much was, but that's part of what makes it so appealing. You can list almost anything for free, like furniture, appliances, tools, electronics, cars, and more. According to their 2024 data, the platform gets about 50 billion page views every month. That's a huge group of people. Craigslist is still the best place to find local buyers for big things that are hard to ship, like couches, dining sets, and exercise equipment. Last spring, or maybe early summer, I sold a dining table. It sold in about three hours, no matter what.
What's the bad news? You are in charge of everything. You are in charge of everything, from taking pictures and writing descriptions to talking to buyers and setting up pickup. And yes, you should be careful. Always meet in public places during the day, like police station parking lots that are marked as "safe exchange zones."
Facebook Marketplace is the tech-savvy successor to Craigslist. According to Meta's 2024 Q2 earnings report, more than 1 billion people use Marketplace every month around the world. That's a huge pool of potential buyers. You can see a buyer's profile before meeting them because of the connection with Facebook. This isn't foolproof, but it can help you feel better. You can also post in local "Buy and Sell" groups that you're already a member of. These groups often connect you with people in your own neighborhood.
I buy things for my home all the time on Marketplace. I sold a coffee table that I barely used in three hours last month. The buyer lived two streets away and came to get it that afternoon. No fees and very little trouble. But here's something important: Facebook Marketplace is now a popular place for scams. The Better Business Bureau's 2024 Scam Tracker says that reports of fraud related to the Marketplace rose by 42% from 2023. Fake payment confirmations, shipping scams, and overpayment scams are all common schemes. Don't ever accept checks or money orders, click on links that look suspicious, or give out your banking information directly.
You might think that Amazon is just for buying new things or for professional sellers, but there are many chances to sell used things. Individual sellers usually have to pay $0.99 for each sale on the site. You can also get a professional selling plan that costs $39.99 a month, no matter how many things you sell. Amazon may also charge referral fees, which are usually between 8% and 15%, depending on the category.
The best thing about this is that Amazon is a trusted brand. Because of their A-to-Z Guarantee protection, buyers feel safe buying things from Amazon. Just being on the platform makes your used textbooks or electronics look more trustworthy. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) makes shipping easier by letting you send your items to Amazon's warehouse, where they will store, pack, and ship them for you. You have to pay for this convenience, but it might be worth it to get to Amazon Prime buyers for more expensive items.
eBay is still the best place to hold auctions. In 2024, the site handled $73 billion in gross merchandise volume, showing that there is still a huge demand for their marketplace. The auction format is what makes eBay different. When people bid against each other, auctions can raise the prices of rare or collectible items more than fixed-price listings. During auction frenzies, I've seen old video games sell for 60% more than what they usually go for. eBay charges sellers a fee for listings. Most sellers get 250 free listings each month, and then they have to pay $0.35 for each extra listing. For most categories, eBay takes about 13.25% of the sale price, which includes processing payments. The site draws in serious buyers, especially for niche items like vintage camera gear, rare vinyl records, and collectibles.
OfferUp is one of my favorite places to find things in the $20 to $200 range. The app design is cleaner than Craigslist, with better photo display and built-in messaging. You can sell things in your area without having to pay any fees for in-person sales, or you can ship things all over the country through their TruYou shipping program. The shipping option costs the seller money, usually around 12.9% of the sale price, but it greatly increases the number of people who can buy from you. According to OfferUp's 2024 data, they had 20 million monthly users, most of whom lived in cities or suburbs. If you live in or near a big city, you should be able to find active buyers quickly.
Mercari has become one of the best places for sellers to sell their goods. The app can handle almost any type of item, including clothes, electronics, toys, sports gear, and household goods. Younger sellers really like it (about 64% of users are between 18 and 34 years old, according to their 2024 demographics). The fee structure is simple: 12.9% of the sale price plus a 2.9% payment processing fee, which comes to about 15.8% in total.
You would pay about $7.90 in fees for a $50 item. Mercari gives you prepaid shipping labels, which is very helpful. However, you have to pay for shipping costs out of your own pocket unless the buyer does. What do I like the most? It's easy to use the interface. Put something up for sale, set a price, and wait for offers. Mercari keeps the money until the buyer says they got the item in the condition they expected, which protects both sides.
If you have clothes, shoes, or accessories that are worth $15 or more, you should check out Poshmark. The platform had approximately 80 million users as of 2024 (Naver Corporation data) and specializes in fashion resale. They charge a flat fee of $2.95 for sales under $15. They take 20% of sales over $15. Poshmark keeps $40 of the $200 you make from selling a designer handbag, so you only get $160. That 20% might seem high, but Poshmark's customers are always looking for fashion items and are willing to pay a lot for them. The platform gives you prepaid shipping labels for all sales, and the buyer always pays for shipping (which is $7.67 for most items). This is great because shipping costs don't eat into your profits.
Poshmark is best for selling brand-name clothes, designer accessories, boutique items, and vintage fashion finds. It doesn't work well for basic items, things that are broken, or anything that costs less than $10 because the fees eat up too much profit. My friend who has sold more than 300 things on Poshmark says to take your time with your photos. Images that are well-lit and clear and show the item from different angles speed up sales by a lot. She says that items with good photos sell three times faster than the same items with bad photos.
ThredUP is different from most other platforms because it is an online consignment shop. You get a free "Clean Out Kit," which is basically a big bag. You fill it with clothes that you don't wear anymore, send it back (also for free), and thredUP's team goes through everything. They take things that meet their quality standards and put them up for sale. You get a percentage of the selling price when things sell. The payout structure is different for each item. For lower-priced items, it's usually 3–15%, and for high-end designer items, it's up to 80%. You can get your money in cash (through PayPal or a prepaid debit card) or as thredUP shopping credit with a 20–30% bonus.
The best thing about it? No work at all. You aren't taking pictures of things, writing descriptions, or handling sales. The worst thing about it? You won't get rejected items back unless you pay for return shipping, and the payouts are lower than if you sold the items yourself. According to their operational data for 2024, ThredUP processes more than 100,000 items every day. They are especially interested in styles that are in right now and from well-known brands. That Old Navy shirt is three years old. Most likely won't make the cut. That Madewell jacket that you hardly wear? Yes, I will.
In 2023, Vinted entered the U.S. market more aggressively and has been growing steadily since then. What is the platform's best feature? Sellers don't have to pay any fees. Nothing. Nothing. Instead, buyers pay a fee for "Buyer Protection," which is usually 5% of the purchase price plus $0.70 to $0.80. This model makes Vinted very appealing to sellers, especially if they're getting rid of clothes that might not sell for a lot of money. The platform is very popular for casual clothes, streetwear, and fashion for teens and young adults. In 2024, Vinted's annual report said that there were more than 45 million monthly active users. The service was especially popular in Europe, but it was also growing in the U.S.
Moving up the luxury ladder, Vestiaire Collective specializes in authenticated high-end fashion. We're talking about Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès, and Gucci—things that used to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Once your item sells, the platform takes a 10% commission, which is a fair amount for luxury resale. What do you have to give up? Vestiaire Collective checks the items are real before sending them to buyers, which adds time to the transaction process (usually 1–2 weeks from sale to payout). This step of verifying protects buyers from fake goods and sellers from false return claims. Vestiaire Collective's 2024 transparency report says that about 8% of the items that are sent in don't pass authentication.
TheRealReal is another high-end consignment store that offers white-glove service. You can either send them things in the mail or, in some cities, set up a free pickup appointment at your home. The commission structure is based on the price of the sale. TheRealReal keeps 85% of the money for items that cost less than $200. You keep 15%. For things that cost between $200 and $2,999, they take half and you get half. They take 40% of items that cost $3,000 or more, and you get 60%. Wait, 85% for things that cost less? Yes, which means that the platform is best for items that will sell for at least a few hundred dollars. TheRealReal checks the authenticity of everything and takes care of all the details of the sale. They said they had sold more than 22 million items since they started in 2024.
Rebag only sells designer handbags and accessories, and it has three ways to sell them. You can sell your bag and get paid when it sells (up to 70% of the sale price), trade it in for store credit right away (with a 20% bonus), or take a buyout for cash right away (usually 50–60% of the resale value). If you need cash right away instead of waiting for the right buyer, the buyout option gives you that. With Rebag's "Clair by Rebag" tool, you can get instant price quotes. Just upload pictures of your bag and get an offer in a few minutes. The 2024 Clair Report found that Hermès bags keep an average of 103% of their retail value when sold again (yes, over 100%), while most other luxury brands keep 60–85%.
Decluttr has found a niche in consumer electronics, especially older or out-of-date tech. Their process is brilliantly simple: enter your device's details (iPhone model, condition, storage capacity, etc.), get an instant quote, ship your device for free, recieve payment. The platform will take smartphones, tablets, video game consoles, DVDs, CDs, games, and books. You don't have to haggle with the instant quote feature; you know exactly what you'll get before you send anything. Decluttr's business model is based on volume, so the payments they make to each person are usually 40–60% less than what you would get if you sold to someone else directly. But the trade-off is no trouble. Their 2024 stats show that the average customer transaction takes 7 minutes from getting a quote to making a shipping label.
When should you use Decluttr? When it's more important to be convenient than to make the most money. I just used them to get rid of an iPhone 11 that I had upgraded from. They offered $120, but I could have gotten $175–200 on Facebook Marketplace after listing and negotiating for weeks. But Decluttr paid me three days after I sent them the phone, and all I had to do was drop it off at UPS.
Gazelle works in a similar way, but it mostly deals with smartphones, tablets, and laptops. You can get a quote right away by entering the details of your device. You can also ship it for free and get paid by check, PayPal, or an Amazon Gift Card. After getting the devices, Gazelle checks them out and may change the offer if they are not in the same condition as you said they were. During inspections in 2024, about 12% of devices had their prices changed. Be honest about any cosmetic damage, the condition of the screen, and any problems with how it works to avoid this. When you pay with an Amazon Gift Card, you usually get a bonus of 5% to 10%.
Swappa is a peer-to-peer marketplace just for tech. On Swappa, you sell directly to another person, not to the company like you do on Gazelle and Decluttr. The platform checks that the IMEI number of the device isn't on a blacklist or reported stolen by requiring sellers to list it. This keeps buyers safe and makes Swappa very popular in the used tech community. When items sell on Swappa, sellers pay a flat fee of $5 for items worth less than $100, $10 for items worth $100 to $300, and $20 for items worth more than $300. No fees based on a percentage, which usually means more money in your pocket than platforms that charge 10–15% commission. People who buy things on Swappa are usually good with technology and do a lot of research on prices in the market, so you need to set your prices competitively.
BookScouter doesn't buy your books; it's a search engine that looks at prices on more than 30 different book-buying websites and compares them. BookScouter will show you which site has the best price for that book when you type in its ISBN. This is very helpful, especially for textbooks. College textbooks can still be worth a lot, and the prices that buyback companies charge are very different. One site might sell a biology book for $45, while another might sell it for $85. BookScouter can help you find the $85 offer in seconds. BookScouter's 2024 usage data shows that the most expensive textbooks are those that are less than five years old and still being used in college courses. They usually sell for 30–60% of their new retail value.
BookScouter can help you find sites like GoTextbooks. They buy used books right away. Type in the ISBN numbers for your books, get quotes right away, print a free shipping label, send the books, and get paid by check or PayPal within two business days. They are especially interested in the most recent editions of well-known textbooks that are used in college classes. After my nephew graduated from college, I helped him sell his books through GoTextbooks. He made about $380 from two semesters' worth of books.
Depop is a platform that combines social media and e-commerce for people who want to sell a lot of gently used clothes, shoes, and accessories that aren't mainstream fashion. The platform is mostly for young people (62% of users are under 26, according to 2024 demographics), and it focuses on vintage fashion, streetwear, and unique style. Depop takes a 10% cut of the sale price and about 3% for processing payments, for a total of about 13%. The app rewards sellers who are consistent and have an attractive look. Successful Depop sellers post regularly, keep their photos looking the same, and talk to their followers.
Musicians buy and sell musical instruments and gear on Reverb. The site gets about 10 million visitors a month and is known for its guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, amplifiers, effects pedals, and recording gear. Reverb charges a 5% selling fee plus payment processing around 3%, totaling about 8%—quite low compared to most platforms. Last year, I sold an old Fender amp on Reverb that had been sitting in my basement since college. Local music stores offered me $200 to $250 for it, but I put it on Reverb for $425 and sold it in a week.
StockX is like a stock market for sneakers, streetwear, collectibles, electronics, and trading cards. Sellers list items with a price they want to get for them or accept the highest bid. Buyers then place bids or pay the price that is currently listed. Before being sent to buyers, all items go through StockX's authentication center. This method takes longer—usually 1–2 weeks from sale to payout—but it makes sure that the item is real. The fees range from 9.5% for new sellers to 8% for sellers who sell a lot. StockX's 2024 market data shows that the resale value of rare sneakers has gone up 25% every year.
PreOwned Wedding Dresses (Nearly Newlywed) is a store that specializes in wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, and accessories for weddings. According to The Knot's 2024 Wedding Survey, wedding dresses cost an average of $1,800 and are only worn once for 6 to 8 hours. The market for reselling is surprisingly strong. When your dress sells, Nearly Newlywed will give you 80% of the sale price, but you have to pay a $25 listing fee. So, after paying the $25 listing fee, you get $1,200 for the dress, or $1,175.
If you have an active following on Instagram (even just 500 to 1,000 followers), Instagram Shopping can work. You can tag products in posts and stories, and your followers can buy them right from the app. To set up Instagram Shopping, you need a business account and to connect to Facebook Commerce Manager. Once it's set up, you can tag things in regular content. Instagram doesn't charge sellers a fee, but they do charge payment processing fees, which are usually 2.9% plus $0.30. This is especially useful for handmade goods, vintage clothing, art, and other products that look good.
eBid and other similar sites market themselves as cheaper options to eBay, with three levels of membership that come with different fees. Bonanza has features from both eBay and Etsy and charges 3.5% of the final value. Etsy lets you sell vintage items (more than 20 years old) and craft supplies for a $0.20 listing fee and a 6.5% transaction fee. These sites are good options when mainstream marketplaces don't quite meet your needs.
Local options are great for people who want to pay in person and right away. If you need money quickly and have things lying around your house, local stores, markets, and community sales can help right away.
A few chain stores focus on buying used things outright. Buffalo Exchange has about 45 locations in the U.S. where they sell vintage and used clothes. You can either make an appointment or just walk in with your things. While you wait, a buyer will look over everything. They are picky and usually only take 20–40% of the items brought in. They only take items that are in great condition and are currently popular. They will pay you either 25% of the item's selling price in cash or 50% in store credit. If they think your jacket will sell for $40 in their store, you can either get $10 in cash or $20 in store credit. What's the good thing? Money right away. You go in with a bag of clothes and leave 30 minutes later with cash.
Plato's Closet has more than 480 stores across the country and focuses on fashion for teens and young adults (ages 14 to 24). They want name-brand clothes that are in style from brands like American Eagle, Hollister, Nike, and Lululemon. They pay about 30–40% of what they'll charge for items in the store. For clothes, that's usually $2–8 each, and for shoes, it's up to $15–30. The payout isn't very big, but it's cash right away for clothes your teens have outgrown.
Crossroads Trading buys or sells modern clothes, shoes, and accessories, focusing on styles that have been popular in the last one to two years. They buy things right away: you bring them to a store, they look over everything, and they make cash offers on the items they want. For clothes, the payout is usually $2 to $15 per item, and for shoes, it's $10 to $30. They also let you sell higher-value items on consignment, where you get 40% of the sale price.
Once Upon a Child buys clothes, toys, books, baby gear, and other items for kids and pays cash right away. They usually pay 30–40% of what they think they can sell them for. Style Encore is like this but for women's fashion. They look for current styles in great condition from mid-range to upper-mid-range brands.
Play It Again Sports buys used sports gear, which clears out space in your garage and puts money in your pocket. Music Go Round buys musical instruments and equipment and gives you cash right away. They usually pay 40–50% of what they'll sell the items for.
If you want to get rid of a lot of things at once, a garage sale can be a good way to do it. You could even hold a community garage sale with some of your neighbors to get more people to come. Make sure to check the laws in your area first to see if you need a permit. Garage Sale America's 2024 data shows that sellers at community sales make three to four times more than those who sell alone. This is because collective advertising brings hundreds of shoppers to the area.
Flea markets can be very different in size and scope, but booth fees usually range from $25 to $200, depending on where they are and how long they last. You make $250 after paying the $50 booth fee and selling $300 worth of goods. Flea markets are best when you have a lot of small to medium-sized things to sell and like being around other people.
Nextdoor is a social network for neighborhoods where you can only join the group for your own neighborhood. Because it is so focused on the local area, it is great for selling to people who live nearby. The "For Sale & Free" part is free to use. I have sold furniture, yard tools, and toys for kids on Nextdoor, and they usually sell within 24 to 48 hours of being posted.
Bookoo works like an online yard sale for people who live in small towns and suburbs. There are no fees for listing or doing business. Bookoo serves more than 500 communities in the U.S., mostly in towns with populations between 50,000 and 200,000.
VarageSale works like a Facebook Marketplace that has been checked out by the community. Before someone can buy or sell something, they have to apply and be approved by the community's admins. This screening process cuts down on scams and bad users. The platform is free to use, and the admin-approval system makes things more accountable.
You could also check out local thrift stores that buy things instead of just taking donations, especially ones that sell high-end or vintage clothes. Used book stores might buy books directly. Pawn shops are the quickest way to get cash for valuable things like jewelry, electronics, tools, and collectibles. However, the National Pawnbrokers Association says that they usually only pay 25% to 50% of an item's resale value.
You can post things that might interest people in local or niche Facebook groups. There are thousands of other groups on Facebook that focus on certain types of items, such as brand-specific groups, item-specific groups, location-specific groups, and hobby-specific groups. Prices are often higher in these niche communities than in general marketplaces.
A friend taught me a fun way to sell things: have a "raid my closet" party where friends come over to look at what you're selling. Make it social instead of business-like by serving wine and snacks and playing music. My friend made $800 in three hours while hanging out with friends. This method works best for clothes, accessories, home decor, and books.
AbeBooks is the place to go if you have rare books. They specialize in rare, collectible, and out-of-print books and connect you with serious book collectors all over the world. Chairish is an online store that sells vintage and used furniture, art, and home decor. It is aimed at people who care about design. Bag Borrow or Steal buys and sells high-end handbags. Kidizen is a store that sells only high-quality clothes for kids. Comic book and collectible stores in your area buy collections, especially old things from the 1980s and 1990s that have gone up in value a lot.
The OfferUp/Letgo platform now has over 20 million users every month, making it the second-largest mobile marketplace after Facebook. It offers shipping options for both local and national customers. At AmeriSave, we see people use the extra money they make from selling in creative ways, like paying off their mortgage faster, saving up for a bigger down payment, or making sure they have enough money for home repairs.
It's important that we talk about how to stay safe when you meet someone you don't know to sell something. According to FBI data, crimes that happen when people meet up to buy or sell things online have gone up, but they are still pretty rare (about 1 in 100,000 transactions).
Always meet in public places that are well-lit and during the day. Many police stations now have "Safe Exchange Zones" in their parking lots, and these areas are often covered by security cameras. Take someone with you—a friend or family member's presence greatly lowers the risk and is helpful if you're selling big things. Let someone know where you're going by giving them the meeting place, time, and buyer's contact information.
Listen to your gut. If a buyer seems off—like they're pushing you to meet at night, insisting on coming to your house, or being vague about the details—cancel the deal. It's better to lose a sale than to put your safety at risk. Check the payment before you send the items. When you buy something expensive, meet at the buyer's bank so they can take out cash while you wait, or use a payment app that has been verified, like Venmo or PayPal. Don't ever take checks from people you don't know; they could bounce weeks later.
Be on the lookout for red flags like buyers who ask too many personal questions, want to meet you at your home when you're alone, insist on meeting after dark, offer to pay much more than the asking price (which often leads to overpayment scams), ask to use payment methods or wire transfers that you're not familiar with, or buyers who can't or won't meet in public places.
Most articles about selling things don't talk about taxes. Starting in 2024, the IRS will require payment processors to report transactions of $5,000 or more per seller each year. This means that if your sales reach this level, payment systems like PayPal, Venmo, and marketplace payment systems will send you and the IRS a 1099-K form.
But this is very important: you only have to pay taxes on your profit, not your total sales. You didn't make any money because you sold $6,000 worth of used goods that you originally paid $8,000 for. The problem is keeping track of everything.
When you sell things for more than you paid (like when you buy a vintage guitar for $500 and sell it for $1,200), you may have to pay taxes. When you sell things often, it looks like a business (like when you buy things to resell for profit), or when you sell handmade things regularly (like when you sell things to make money).
You probably don't have to pay taxes on the money you make from selling personal items at a loss (most things lose value), on garage sales that bring in less than $5,000 (small-scale, occasional sales rarely reach reportable levels), or on gifts (your cost basis is usually the fair market value when you got them, which is often equal to or higher than the sale price).
I'm not a tax expert, so if you sell a lot or regularly (more than $10,000), you should talk to a CPA to make sure you're following the rules. The IRS is serious, and having the right paperwork protects you if there are any questions.
I've seen patterns in who succeeds and who gets angry after watching neighbors and friends sell hundreds of things over the years.
Look at completed listings on the platform you've chosen to get an idea of what the market rates are. When you look at eBay, don't just look at "Active Listings." "Sold Listings" show what buyers actually pay, while "Active Listings" show what people hope to get. If you're in a hurry, price items a little below the market average. If you're not in a hurry, price them at the market rate. If you want to leave room for negotiation, set your price 10–15% higher than your lowest acceptable price.
Selling goes much faster when you have clear, well-lit pictures from different angles. A 2024 eBay study found that listings with five or more good photos sell 38% faster than listings with only one photo. Flash is never better than natural light. Show the item from different angles, be honest about any flaws, and include scale references.
Include measurements for clothes and furniture, list any flaws or damage, give the brand and model names, and say if you still have the original packaging. Honest descriptions help people trust you and cut down on returns and disputes.
Four to six weeks before the peak season is when seasonal items sell best. In September and October, list winter coats; in October and November, list holiday decorations; in March and April, list lawn equipment; and in April and May, list pool floats. If you have a lot of traffic on your online store, list items on Thursday nights or Sunday afternoons when people are most likely to be looking.
To get better prices overall, group similar items together. Are you selling a gaming system? As part of a full package, include controllers, games, and cables. Answer questions quickly, preferably within a few hours. If you take too long to respond, you lose buyers. In all of your communications, be polite, clear, and professional.
To be honest, I'm getting a little sleepy and my coffee has gotten cold by this point in the article. But this last part is very important, so stay with me.
There are things that aren't worth selling. Sometimes giving is the right thing to do.
Things that aren't worth much but take a lot of work aren't worth your time. You have to take pictures of, list, store, package, and ship that $3 kitchen tool. The $3 profit isn't worth your time. We talk a lot about opportunity cost when making financial decisions at AmeriSave, and the same idea applies here. Could you do something else with that hour that would make more money?
Items that are badly damaged or worn out hardly ever sell, so listing them is a waste of time. You shouldn't sell things that are dangerous, like car seats, expired items, or things that have been recalled. It might even be against the law to sell them.
You could give these things to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, local churches, or community centers. You get a tax break (keep the receipts for your donations) and someone who needs the items gets them. Buy Nothing Groups on Facebook make it easy for people in the same neighborhood to trade things for free. Freecycle works in a similar way. Recycling electronics keeps dangerous materials out of landfills. Many stores, like Best Buy, Apple, and Staples, will take your old electronics for responsible recycling.
In 2025, it has never been easier or more profitable to turn things you don't use into cash. The market for reselling keeps getting bigger, platforms keep making it easier for users, and more and more people are choosing used items for both financial and environmental reasons.
The most important thing is to find the right platform for your items. Clothes from designers? TheRealReal or Poshmark. What about electronics? Swappa or Decluttr. What kind of furniture? Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Each platform is best for certain types of items and people.
Begin with a small amount. Choose 5 to 10 things you really don't need or want anymore. Find the best platforms for each one and make a list. Look at what sells quickly and what doesn't, and change your strategy based on that. You will find out which platforms are best for your items and get into a routine for taking pictures, posting them, and handling sales.
You can use the money you make to pay off debt, save for emergencies, buy something special, or just give your monthly budget some breathing room. GoodHousekeeping's 2024 survey found that families who spend one weekend every three months selling things they don't need make an average of $840 a year. That's a good return on things you weren't using anyway.
People who sell things on the side at AmeriSave use the money in creative ways, like paying off their mortgages faster, saving up for a bigger down payment, or making sure they have enough money for home repairs. When you're trying to buy a home, even small amounts add up.
And to be honest? It's nice to make money while cleaning up your space. Marie was happy not only because she made $400 in one weekend, but also because she got back garage space she had wanted to use for her woodworking hobby. The money was great, but the clean, tidy space was even better.
If you're in a tight spot financially, have too much stuff, or just want to know more about the resale market, you now have a complete plan for turning clutter into cash in 2025.
Want to put the money you made from selling to good use? You can earn a competitive annual percentage yield (APY) on your deposits with a SoFi Checking and Savings account that has direct deposit. You won't have to pay any account fees, and you'll have access to the Allpoint Network of over 55,000 fee-free ATMs around the world. Accounts that qualify can even get their paycheck up to two days early, which means you can get the money from your selling side hustle faster.
Pawn shops and local buyback stores like Plato's Closet, Music Go Round, and Buffalo Exchange pay right away. You bring in your things and get cash within 30 to 60 minutes. Decluttr and Gazelle usually pay within 3 to 5 business days of getting items from online stores. Most other platforms pay 2 to 5 days after the buyer has confirmed delivery and the time for accepting the item has ended. Price is always the trade-off for speed. Platforms that let you pay right away or very quickly usually pay 40–60% less than selling directly to someone else, where you might have to wait days or weeks but make a lot more money. Right now, what matters more to you: getting cash right away to pay for something important, or getting the most money back, even if it takes a few weeks? If you're selling to save money for emergencies or to add to your checking account buffer, it usually makes sense to take more time to get better prices. But those instant-payment options are useful even though they don't pay as much interest because you need money right away for an unexpected bill.
Yes, for the most part, with some reasonable precautions. Every day, millions of people buy and sell things on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. The most important thing is to follow safety rules: meet in public during the day, bring someone with you for big purchases, check that the buyer has paid before giving them the items, and trust your gut if a buyer seems shady. There are scams out there, like schemes to get you to pay too much, fake payment confirmations, and bait-and-switch tactics, but you can avoid them if you know about them. Never accept checks from people you don't know, never click on links that look suspicious, never give out your banking information directly, and never agree to strange ways to pay for everyday things, like wire transfers or gift cards. I've done probably fifty transactions on free platforms over the years without any problems because I follow these simple safety rules. Most buyers are just regular people who want to get a good deal on something they need. If you meet them in the Target parking lot at 2 p.m. on a Saturday with your spouse, you'll be fine ninety-nine times out of a hundred.
It depends on what you're selling and how quickly you need to get rid of it. When shipping costs would be too high or impossible, local pickup is best for big, heavy things like furniture, appliances, and exercise equipment. Local sales also don't have to deal with shipping problems and the risk of damage while the item is being shipped. You're not going to the post office or UPS store, buying packing supplies, or worrying about things getting broken on the way. Shipping, on the other hand, greatly increases the number of people who might buy from you. A vintage item might not have any local buyers, but it might have dozens of potential buyers across the country. Shipping access makes it much easier to sell small, light items that only a few people want. OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace are two examples of platforms that let you offer both options. Buyers can choose to pick up their items locally or have them shipped. This flexibility gives you the best chance to sell. For furniture and appliances, I usually choose "local only." For clothing and small collectibles, I choose "shipping available." For mid-sized items like small electronics or kitchen appliances, I choose "either-or."
TheRealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and Rebag are all specialized authentication platforms that usually have the highest prices for high-end fashion and accessories. This is because they attract buyers who want to buy authenticated designer goods and are willing to pay a lot for them. These platforms check to make sure things are real, which makes buyers more likely to pay close to retail value. Poshmark usually does better for luxury items that cost less than $300 because it has a bigger audience and lower fees. The 20% commission is easier to deal with than TheRealReal's 50% cut on mid-range designer items. The authentication platforms charge a fee for their services, but they are worth it for items that cost $500 or more because they give buyers confidence, which raises the final sale price. If you're okay with much lower prices, don't sell designer items on general platforms like Facebook Marketplace without authentication. Buyers assume that items are fake and heavily discount them without authentication guarantees. I learned this the hard way when I tried to sell a real Gucci bag on Craigslist for $400. It ended up selling for $625 on Vestiaire Collective after they verified it.
Look up what other people have sold that are the same or similar to what you want to sell on your chosen platform. To find out what things really sold for on eBay, not just what people are asking, use the "Sold Listings" filter. Look at the "Sold" items in the brand and category you're listing on Poshmark. To get an idea of current market prices, look at items that are actively listed on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Keep in mind that these prices are what people are asking for, not what items actually sell for. Price your item at or just below the average price of similar items that have recently sold to make it sell faster. If your item is in great shape or comes with extras that people want, like the original packaging, receipts, or accessories, you can charge more than average. Overpricing doesn't work very often because buyers can easily compare prices and items that are too expensive don't sell. If you're not sure, start with a higher price and lower it slowly until you find the price that sells the most. Most platforms let you change the prices of listings that are still active. I usually start at what I think is a fair market value and then lower the price by 10% to 15% each week if I don't get any interest. I usually find the sweet spot by the second or third week, when buyers start to make offers.
Yes, there are a number of choices. Most categories on Craigslist are free, but some markets charge for listings for cars and houses. Facebook Marketplace doesn't charge sellers anything for local sales. There is no cost to use Nextdoor. There are no fees for VarageSale. Freecycle and Buy Nothing Groups are free, but you can only give things away, not sell them. When you use a free platform, you have to do everything yourself, like taking pictures, writing descriptions, talking to buyers, meeting them, and accepting payment. Paid platforms usually charge fees for services like shipping labels, payment processing, buyer protection, and authentication. When I'm selling big things locally that would be expensive to ship anyway, or when I have a lot of things to move quickly and don't want fees to cut into my already-thin margins, the free platforms make the most sense for me. When shipping access is important or when I need the credibility boost they give me for higher-value sales, the paid platforms make money. Even though I'm losing a lot of money to fees, buyers feel safer buying a $500 designer bag on authenticated TheRealReal than on free Craigslist.
If you haven't gotten any interest after 4 to 6 weeks of actively listing, think about changing your approach. You probably have too high a price, bad photos, or are selling something that isn't very popular. You could lower the price by 20–30%, take better photos with better lighting and from different angles, or switch platforms to reach a different group of people. An item that won't sell on eBay might sell right away on Facebook Marketplace, or the other way around. If you lower the price and change the platform but the items still don't sell, think about giving them away. Your time and storage space are valuable. Sometimes it's better to take the tax deduction for a donation than to keep trying to sell something that no one wants. If you have seasonal items that didn't sell, put them away and list them again during peak season next year. In July, winter coats that are for sale don't sell very often. In October, though, the same coats sell quickly. In my garage, I have a "donate box." If an item has been on two different websites for a total of eight weeks and no one is seriously interested in it, even though the price is fair, it goes in the box. I take everything to Goodwill when the box is full and move on with my life.
Only for high-end and designer goods. Counterfeiting isn't a big deal for generic household goods and well-known brands. No one is making fake Tupperware or IKEA furniture. Authentication is very important for designer handbags, high-end watches, luxury fashion, and high-end electronics. If you're selling designer items that have been verified, make sure to keep all of the original receipts, certificates of authenticity, and other proof of purchase. Use sites like TheRealReal, Vestiaire Collective, or StockX that have authentication services to keep both you and buyers safe. If you're not sure about something, you can use a specialized authentication service. These companies will check to see if the item is real for a fee that usually ranges from $10 to $100, depending on how much the item is worth. This investment keeps you safe from fake buyer claims and often raises the final sale price enough to cover the cost of authentication. A buyer once said that a Coach bag I sold was fake and wanted their money back. I was lucky that I still had the original receipt from the Coach store and pictures of the authentication marks. The platform was on my side, but it was stressful. I only sell designer things through sites that take care of authentication on their own.
It can change a lot based on the type of item, the price, the platform, and the time of year. On active platforms like Facebook Marketplace, desirable items that are priced at or below market rates usually sell within 24 to 48 hours. I put up furniture for sale in the morning and sold it by the afternoon. It could take weeks or even months to find the right buyer for niche items that only certain people want. General rules: If you price everyday household items and popular clothing fairly, they usually sell within one to two weeks. It could take 2 to 8 weeks for specialty items like collectibles, vintage items, and high-end goods. Items that are too expensive or that are only available at certain times might not sell at all if they aren't fixed. eBay and Poshmark are examples of larger platforms that usually sell items faster than smaller ones. However, you'll have to pay more for that reach. If you have a lot of people in your area, local platforms sell quickly. But if you live in a rural or low-population area, it might take longer. For a dining table on Nextdoor, my personal best is 47 minutes from listing to cash-in-hand. The longest I had to wait was four months for an old record player on eBay that finally found the right collector.
If you only sell things every now and then and make less than $5,000 a year, you usually don't need much paperwork. Keep copies of your original purchase receipts that show your cost basis, screenshots of listings that show sale prices, and payment confirmations from buyers or platforms. If you sell things often or more than the reporting threshold, keep detailed records in a spreadsheet of all your sales, including the dates, items, original costs, sale prices, fees paid, and net profit or loss. Keep receipts for things you buy to sell, shipping costs, and any other business expenses related to selling, like packing materials or platform fees. This paperwork will protect you if the IRS questions your income reporting. It will also make it much easier to prepare your taxes if you do owe taxes on the money you made from selling. You don't need to keep physical copies of receipts forever; digital copies are fine. I keep track of everything in a simple Google Sheet with columns for the date sold, the item description, the platform used, the original cost, the sale price, the fees paid, and the net profit. Updating each transaction takes about five minutes, but when tax time comes, I'm all set. When I got a 1099-K from PayPal last year, I could show my CPA right away that I had received $6,200 in payments but only made $800 in profit after taking into account what I had originally paid for the items.
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