Earn Cash With Unwanted Items

The second-hand economy has boomed in recent years as technology expands to include apps for selling, and many Americans have discovered just how easily they can benefit from selling their unwanted items. If you have an eye for vintage or antique pieces, you might even go on to make the second-hand economy a new career. Not only can you earn extra money, you can clean and declutter your home at the same time, getting rid of clothing, appliances, books, and decor that you’ve outgrown or no longer need.

There are some things to think about, however. It’s important to make sure you can market your items to people who will buy, so finding the right apps, knowing how to hold a great garage sale, and making the most out of each item will be crucial. For instance, an older piece of furniture will sell much more easily if you take some time to fix it up a bit first and take good photos of it at several different angles.

Want to find out more about how to make money selling your unwanted items? Read on below.

Download an app

These days, there are tons of apps that will allow you to sell various items to people all over the world, or just locally if you prefer. From Etsy to eBay to Vinted, there’s an app for just about everything. The key is to find the right one for your specific needs. Vinted and Poshmark let you sell gently used clothing and accessories, while Etsy is all about handmade and vintage goods. Read up on the policies for the app you choose and make sure you understand what you’ll be responsible for as far as shipping costs and timelines.

Store items you aren’t ready to sell

Ideally, you don’t want your second-hand business to get out of hand and take over your home. Rather than shoving items into a spare bedroom, consider using a storage unit to protect items you plan to eventually sell. This can also come in handy if you have larger pieces you aren’t able to offload right away; store them safely until you can find the right buyer.

Learn how to market

One of the best ways to sell your belongings is to think of the process like running a retail store. You have to make the items appealing to buyers so they’ll want to see more, because there’s a lot of competition out there. Standing out means taking great photos of your pieces from multiple angles, adding detailed descriptions, and letting potential buyers know about any damage, however slight. If you use social media, you can link your personal account to the app you’re using to sell and get your items in front of a bigger audience.

Learn how to price

Learning how to price items for sale is especially important, since going too high will push many customers away. Whether you’re holding a garage sale or uploading pieces to your Etsy shop, knowing how to set prices that will engage customers is important. Do a little research on other sites to see what similar items are going for, and take into account the age of the piece and whether it has any damage or wear.

Learn how to register a business

When you begin selling items through the second-hand economy, you may need to research local guidelines to determine whether you need to register as a business with the state. For example, many small business owners choose to register as an LLC to help separate their personal finances from their business finances, as well as to utilize different tax advantages. If this sounds intimidating, don’t worry — there are formation services that can help you with this process. For instance, swing by the ZenBusiness homepage to learn more about the services they provide to small business owners who are just starting out.

Selling in the second-hand economy can be a great way to earn money, and if you’re good at it you can even turn it into a career. It takes a keen eye and a bit of patience, but with some practice, you’ll be turning your unwanted items into cash in no time.

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