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Forget Yard Sales! Try These 9 Easy Ways to Sell Your Stuff Online

Yard sales are hard work! There's the sorting, setting up, advertising, minding the sale and cleanup. It's all very time consuming and most of the time you end up earning less money than you expected and still have leftovers to donate. Selling your stuff online or with an app makes earning extra cash super easy. Check out these options and start selling today!

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Let it go, locally

We strive to shop local, so why not sell local too? “LetGo is built to be hyperlocal,” says Jonathan Lowe, a spokesperson for the new site and app. “All of the features mentioned are designed specifically to make it simple to buy and sell in your own area.” A few of those features of the LetGo app and website include an in-app chat, ratings, reviews, integration with Facebook, Google and other platforms as well as image recognition. All the seller has to do is take a photo and the app recognizes what you’re selling and automatically gives it a title and categorizes it. The in-app chat feature eliminates having to ask questions or negotiate via email. If the seller isn’t online when a buyer asks a question, the seller will receive a notification. LetGo is free to download and use. “LetGo doesn’t take a cut of sales or charge sellers to list an item,” says Lowe. “There’s one paid feature to add extra visibility to your listing if you choose, but that’s entirely optional and the cost is just a couple of dollars.”

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When it turns out you’re not musically inclined

Decided you’re never going to master the bass guitar? No problem. Sell your guitar or other musical instruments, DJ equipment, and music-making software online or the app at Reverb. Simply list your item with a description and pictures and decide the shipping option and your minutes away from making extra cash online. There’s no cost to list the item but Reverb takes 3.5 percent cut of the items you sell. Musical gear can be pricey and buyers want reassurance of what they’re paying for. Using a platform specifically for musical instruments can help buyers decide if it’s a good deal or the right instrument for them. “When buyers and sellers call, email or chat Reverb, they not only get a real person on the other end—they get a musician. As musicians, we understand how important gear is, which is why when a problem arises, we do whatever it takes to fix it,” says Dan Orkin, director of content at Reverb.

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Everything must go! (Except the house)

If your relatives hosted a hoarder intervention, or you’re relocating, or just taking care of an estate for a loved one who has passed, you’re going to need an extra pair of hands to sell your stuff. EBTH (Everything But The House) is a website that handles everything from sorting the items to shipping to the buyer. EBTH carefully inspects all the items and helps you determine what is trash, what can be donated or what will sell. Experts are on hand to determine the value of hidden gems like sports memorabilia, artwork, antiques and more. EBTH takes photos, writes the listings and sells them using slideshows, social media, email marketing and more. The seller doesn’t pay anything for the full process of sorting, removal of items, shipping or marketing. “When all is said and done, sellers will receive 60 percent of the final sale and EBTH will receive 40 percent,” says Jacquie Denny, co-founder of EBTH.

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Selling to tech junkies

You just can’t help yourself—every time the tech industry announces a new gadget you gotta have it. Trouble is, you need cash to buy the shiny new device. The Gazelle website may just be the answer to satisfy the tech junkie in you. You can trade-in Apple and Android devices to make cash to buy the new gadget you’re coveting. Just look up your device on Gazelle and answer a few questions about its condition and lock in your price. “The quote provided is good for 30 days, so you have time to think about it and transition to a new device before sending the old one in, “says Yanyan Ji, SVP Marketing and GM, ecoATM Gazelle. We send you the packaging and pay for shipping so all you have to do is put the box back in the mail. Once the device is received, we’ll inspect it and if your description matches, we’ll send you your payment in the manner you selected.” Bonus: If your device arrives at the Gazelle warehouse and value goes up, they’ll pay the difference.

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Make me an offer

The OfferUp app is another local option to make extra cash using the website or app. Simply snap a photo, write a description and price it. It also has additional pricing options that lets the buyers know the seller has set a firm price or if they are open to negotiations. If you’re open to negotiations, you may stand a better chance of selling your stuff. The haggling can be done via the in-app messaging. “It helps buyers and sellers communicate without trading personal information and our ratings system allows them to learn more about each others’ transaction history before they connect,” says Natalie Angelillo, vice president of community at OfferUp. Of course, there’s always a chance the buyer will back out so it’s important to check the user ratings of the buyers when considering an offer.

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Facebook groups

Selling stuff online can be intimidating but when you use Facebook groups to sell your items, Ali Wenzke, the founder of The Art of Happy Moving, says there’s an element of trust and respect that goes into the transaction. Unlike some apps, these groups require approval from the page moderator. “Typically, you need to be a neighborhood resident or within a certain distance from the neighborhood to join,” says Wenzke. To find a group near you, just type in “yard sales near me” and a list of virtual yard sales in your area will pop up. Find the one you like and click the “join” button. If you meet the groups criteria, you’ll be accepted and can start posting. Read the rules carefully because every group is a bit different. “It’s important as a seller to be reasonable with your pricing. Negotiating over price happens less often with Facebook than with sites such as Craigslist, so keep that in mind when you list your item,” says Wenzke. Since you’re dealing with neighbors and friends, reputations are a stake and it’s less likely you’ll have no-shows after a deal has been made. Any issues like that are usually resolved quickly with a moderator who listens to feedback about habitual “bad” buyers or sellers.

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Lovers of vintage furniture and art

Vintage furniture and art can be trickier to sell with local apps because the audience is limited and most people are looking for more basic items like clothing, shoes, toys and home decor. (By the way, if you own any of the antiques, you’re sitting on a goldmine.) Your chances of selling are probably going to be better when you’re reaching people who are specifically looking for vintage furniture and art. Chairish is a website and app that helps you sell your items using a tiered commission system. If you inherited vintage furniture or have a piece of art and lost for words on how to describe them, Chairish steps in to edit photos and write informative and honest descriptions for you so the listing looks like it’s from an upscale catalog. In addition, the buyer can take advantage of the new augmented reality feature. “The ‘view in your space’ feature empowers shoppers to take more daring style choices because experimentation is risk-free,” says Anna Brockway, co-founder and chief marketing offer, Chairish. That’s a great feature for the seller because it helps the buyer see how the item would look in their own setting.

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Peer-to-peer marketplace

Craigslist meets Next Door is how Lucas Lu, PhD, founder and CEO of 5miles describes this app and website. “With the 5miles app, you’re dealing with real people in your community who have been verified by us and rated by users,” says Lu. “It’s a peer-to-peer marketplace where both buyers and sellers can review one another, where user safety and security are our top priority.” The seller can upload photos or even a video with audio to describe the item. The app features a “Safe Exchange Area Locator” that helps buyers and sellers find nearby police stations for transactions. But if you’re still not feeling that neighborly vibe you can use the online payment option and offer shipping options. Another bonus is the site also allows user to find or list garage sales, local services, housing and job listings all within their neighborhood.

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For fashionistas

You shelled out some major clams for that little black dress from Marc Jacobs; now you can’t quite squeeze into it anymore. Where can you get a fair price now? List it with Tradesy, a website where fashionistas can sell designer clothes, handbags, and accessories. All you have to do is take a picture of your item and upload it to the website. Tradesy will enhance the pictures and will assist with pricing, if you need help. The item is posted with a professionally written description. Buyers don’t know the seller—it’s like shopping from any other retailer but at a discount price. “Tradesy is a great option for luxury designer fashion. You can find new and like-new bags, shoes, clothing, and accessories from brands like Louis Vuitton and Tory Burch for up to 90 percent off retail,” says Tracy DiNunzio, founder and CEO of Tradesy. Once the item sells, Tradesy sends the seller a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping kit to send the items. Payment is given to the seller minus Tradesy’s commission.

Lisa Marie Conklin
Lisa Marie Conklin is a Baltimore-based writer who writes regularly about pets and home improvement for Reader's Digest. Her work has also been published in The Healthy, Family Handyman and Taste of Home, among other outlets. She's also a certified personal trainer and walking coach for a local senior center.