How to Sell Stuff Online

Paying down debt can take a long time. However, selling items to pay off debt can speed up the process.

If you are trying to figure out how to sell stuff online so that you can pay off your debt, you’ll need to determine what websites you will use to list your items as well as what things you will sell.

Where to Sell Stuff Online

Once you’ve decided to sell stuff online to help eliminate your debt, it’s time to explore your online selling options. There are several websites that can help you turn your clutter into cash.

Here are some of the most popular platforms:

Letgo

Selling on Letgo is a breeze. You simply take a picture or video of the item you are selling and then post it to the app. After you upload a picture, LetGo Reveal will suggest a title, price, and category for the item.

While it is free to download the app, Letgo does not handle payments. Instead, users must work out a payment arrangement amongst themselves.

Amazon

You can sell almost anything with the help of Amazon. The online superstore allows both individuals and businesses to sell items through their platform.

If you are an individual, you can create an Individual Seller Account. This account can list up to 40 items per month.

When your item sells, Amazon will charge you 99 cents plus a percentage of the final sale price. The exact cost of selling through Amazon is based on the item’s category and the final sale price.

Although the fees can add up, you’ll have access to a wide range of buyers through Amazon. Additionally, Amazon will handle the payments between buyers and sellers, making the selling process simple.

eBay

eBay is one of the oldest places to sell stuff online. When you sell on eBay, you can set a price or create an auction. Individuals are allowed to list up to 200 items for free.

If you successfully make a sale, eBay will claim a percentage of the final sale price. The exact percentage will depend on the category of the item.

eBay handles the payment arrangements between the buyer and seller.

Facebook Marketplace

If you have large items that you want to sell locally, Facebook Marketplace is a great option. You can list items within the marketplace for free and buyers in your local area will be able to see your listing.

When you sell your item, you won’t owe Facebook any fees.

It’s important to note that Facebook will not handle the payments. You’ll need to determine how to safely collect money from a buyer.

Poshmark

Is your closet full of amazing clothes? If so, Poshmark is the perfect spot for you. You can sell clothing for men, women, and children through the app. Simply upload a picture and negotiate directly with buyers.

Poshmark will cover the shipping costs if you find a buyer. You’ll pay a small fee of $2.95 for items that sell for less than $15 and 20% for items that sell for more than $15.

OfferUp

OfferUp is another app where you can post items for sale and communicate with interested buyers. It’s free to use the OfferUp app.

What’s unique about OfferUp is that every buyer and seller gets a rating. This may help you feel more comfortable meeting with buyers that have good reviews.

5miles

5miles allows you to post items for sale with a photo and description. The app will use your location to find interested buyers in your area. Once the item is listed, you can receive messages from interested buyers and negotiate the sale price.

After you’ve found a buyer, 5miles recommends a safe and convenient meeting point to finalize the transaction.

Decluttr

Decluttr will buy old electronics, CDs, DVDs, books, games, and more. They’ll even buy your old Legos by the pound!

You can find out how much the company is willing to pay for your items by doing a quick search on their site. After selecting your estimate and sending in your items, the company will receive and inspect them. If your items match the description and condition you provided, you’ll get paid via PayPal.

The best part about Decluttr is that it provides a quick way to sell your items. The downside is that Decluttr wants to make a profit from your items. As a result, you may not receive as much money as you would from a direct customer.

Bonanza

You can list items for sale on Bonanza to find interested buyers. You’ll be able to list anything from toys to antiques on the platform.

If you make a sale, then you’ll have to pay a fee to Bonanza. Overall, buyer and seller reviews indicate that most users like working with this site.

Craigslist

Craigslist is one of the original places to list your items for sale. You’ll find local buyers through Craigslist in a wide range of categories.

Although there is no fee to list your items, you will have to make payment arrangements yourself.

The benefit of selling locally means you can avoid any shipping costs. Keep in mind that you’ll have to meet your buyers face to face. Make sure that you find a safe spot to meet any potential buyers.

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is another place to find local buyers. The biggest advantage of Nextdoor is that members are required to use their real name and verify their address within a local area. This means that you can be confident you are working with real people that live nearby.

The platform is completely free, but you’ll have to handle the payments from buyers yourself.

What Items to Sell Online

Now that you’ve learned more about the options you can use to sell items, it’s time to figure out what you can sell. Generally, the things you sell online will fall into one of two categories. These include household items and flipped items.

Household Items

Household items include anything that you have lying around the house. In some cases, you may have a garage full of items that are collecting dust.

As you take a closer look at what you have around the house, consider how often you use the items around you. If you only break out the bread making machine every other year, maybe it’s time to sell it. Or, if you have duplicate items that were gifted to you, you can sell the extra one.

Why not turn your clutter into cash with these online selling opportunities? You might be surprised how much you enjoy clearing out your space and paying down your debts.

Keep in mind that smaller items like books may be easier to sell, but you’ll find larger items are generally more lucrative.

Flip Items

You don’t have to stick with only selling items that you find around the house. Beyond that, you can try your hand at flipping items for a profit.

To get started, keep an eye out for freebies that you can sell. For example, you might find free items on sites like Craigslist or through a driveby of a neighborhood on bulk collection days.

Whenever you spot a freebie, take the opportunity to resell items with value. Depending on your luck, flipping free items can be a great way to find additional things to sell online. In turn, that will lead to more cash to put towards your debt.

Can Selling Items Online Really Help Pay Off Debt?

As you look around your house, you might see dozens of items that could easily be turned into cash. If you sell stuff online, you can put that extra cash towards your debt-free goals. Putting more money towards debt repayment means you can get out of debt faster.

Little extra bits you can add outside of your planned debt snowball are often called “snowflakes”. These snowflakes can really add up. Here’s how to use them to get the snowball rolling.

As a bonus, when you sell stuff online, you have the opportunity to declutter your house.

Related: 7 Effective Ways to Pay Off Debt

The Bottom Line

As you pay down your debt, take advantage of the opportunity provided by selling stuff online. You can quickly add debt snowflakes that can push your debt snowball in the right direction.

If you are curious how these additional payments could affect your debt repayment timeline, check out our free debt snowball calculator. With Undebt.it, you can quickly determine how the debt snowflakes that will come with selling stuff online can accelerate your debt-free journey.