Most of us have things sitting around the house that we barely use anymore. Maybe it’s a pair of shoes that no longer fits, an old phone tucked into a drawer, books you’ve already read, or furniture that doesn’t quite fit your home anymore.
Instead of letting those things collect dust, selling them can put a little extra money back in your pocket. The nice part is that you don’t have to find a buyer on your own or hold a yard sale every weekend. There are plenty of websites and apps that make it possible to sell everything from clothes and books to furniture and collectibles.
The trick is choosing the right place for what you have. Some sites are better for clothing, while others make more sense for large items or things that appeal to collectors.
Here are some of the sites I’d check before giving away something that might still be worth money.
eBay
eBay is a good starting point if you have a wide mix of things to sell. You can list everyday household items, electronics, vintage pieces, collectibles, and plenty of other items.
One reason I like eBay is that you have options. You can set a fixed price or let buyers bid through an auction. Since your listing can reach people outside your local area, it can be especially useful for unusual or valuable items.
If you happen to have rare collectibles tucked away, this is one site I’d check before selling them locally.
Etsy
Most people think of Etsy as a place for handmade products, but it can be a good option for vintage items too. Vintage pieces generally need to be at least 20 years old to qualify.
Old jewelry, clothing, home décor, and other pieces with a distinctive look can find an audience here. If something has a story behind it or looks like it came from another era, it may be worth listing.
Poshmark
Have a closet full of clothes you rarely wear? Poshmark makes it fairly easy to turn those pieces into cash. The platform focuses heavily on clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories.
It can be especially useful for recognizable brands and pieces that are still in good condition. If you’re already planning to clean out your closet, check out this guide on how to thrift without ending up with a closet full of clothes you don’t wear.
Related: How to Sell on Poshmark: Everything You Need to Know
Facebook Marketplace
For large items that are easier to hand off locally, Facebook Marketplace is hard to overlook. You can create a listing fairly quickly and connect with people in your area.
Furniture, appliances, home décor, tools, and other bulky items tend to make sense here since you don’t have to figure out how to package and ship them. Local pickup can save you a lot of hassle.
OfferUp
OfferUp is another option for local selling. The app makes it easy to take photos, add a description, and post an item from your phone.
It’s a good fit for things like furniture, electronics, household items, and other products that someone nearby might want. If your main goal is to clear things out without dealing with shipping, it’s worth checking.
Mercari
Mercari sits somewhere between local selling and nationwide marketplaces. You can list a wide range of items, and the platform provides shipping options that take some of the work out of sending packages.
This can be handy if you have several different types of items to sell and don’t want to create accounts on a bunch of different platforms. Clothes, electronics, toys, household goods, and collectibles can all find buyers there.
Craigslist
Craigslist may have been around for years, but people still use it to buy and sell locally. It can be especially useful for large items that would be expensive or inconvenient to ship.
Furniture, exercise equipment, tools, and appliances are all worth listing. There are no listing fees for many types of posts, which can make it an inexpensive way to find a local buyer.
If you meet someone in person, use common sense and choose a public meeting spot whenever possible.
Depop
Depop is a good place to look if you have trendy clothing, vintage pieces, shoes, or accessories that might appeal to younger shoppers.
The platform has a social-media-style feel, so photos and presentation can make a difference. Unique pieces tend to have more appeal than basic items that can be found almost anywhere.
ThredUp
If photographing, listing, and shipping every piece of clothing sounds like too much work, ThredUp offers a more hands-off option. You send in your clothes, and the company handles much of the selling process.
The trade-off is that you may make less money than you would by selling each item yourself. Still, if you have a large bag of clothes you want out of the house, the convenience can make up for the difference.
Chairish
Chairish is worth checking if you have furniture or home décor that feels a little more upscale, vintage, or unusual.
It caters to people shopping for distinctive furniture and décor, so a piece that might get overlooked on a general marketplace could have a better chance here. This can be especially helpful if you have vintage furniture taking up space at home.
BookScouter
Before taking old books to a donation center, check BookScouter. The site compares offers from different book-buying companies, giving you a way to see what your books might be worth.
It can be particularly useful for textbooks, which can sometimes retain value after you’re finished with them. You enter the book’s ISBN and can compare the offers available.
Nextdoor
If you prefer selling to people who live close by, Nextdoor is another site worth trying. Since it is centered around local communities, it can be a convenient place to list smaller household items, furniture, kids’ items, and other things people may want to pick up nearby.
Selling locally means you can often skip shipping altogether. For items that aren’t worth the trouble of packing and mailing, that can make the process much easier.
