Selling Stuff...

So, now that I've accumulated all of this stuff, my goals are to sell it! Luckily, I'm pretty good in the selling department. I've been selling on ebay, craigslist, and amazon for years. I'm a pro. In fact, my coworkers often give me stuff to sell for them on commission. I couldn't sell you a sandwich in real life, but I know my internet sites!

ebay.com
I rarely sell on ebay anymore. The only things I sell here are clothes or shoes that won't sell on craigslist. I suppose if I had anything of value, I might sell it here... but unfortunately, most of my stuff is junk. The reason I don't sell here is because you have to pay for each listing up front, even if it does not sell. I don't like to pay for a listing if I'm not getting rid of my stuff! Also, it takes a long time to move through all of the screens necessary to list an item, then you have to wait 7 days... it's just not my favorite. When I'm selling clothes on ebay, I usually list items as lots... they seem to sell better... just be sure to cover your shipping! Also, pictures are essential... if you do not have a digital camera, find an online picture of the same item, but be sure to use a disclaimer giving credit to the site that you take the picture from.

half.com
This site is a sub-set of ebay and it is my favorite site to list media! I list books, movies, audiobooks, video games, and cds on here regularly. The items usually sell quickly, and they sell for competitive prices. Half.com keeps your listings up indefinitely, allows easy inventory access and sorting, and only charges a flat 15% commission on anything you sell. I love it! All you have to do is type in the ISBN or UPC number of the item you wish to sell. Browse the current selection and figure out a competitive price. Once you've surveyed the competition, click the link "sell my copy" and proceed through the two or three windows to list price and condition. Pictures are not supported since there is a generic picture at the main item page... just be sure that you're honest about the condition of your item. Once you're finished, the item will stay online until sold. Once it is sold, half.com will send you an e-mail (be sure to turn on vacation settings if you will be away) and you ship your item via media mail to the address provided. Payments are set up to transfer to your bank account twice a month.

*screen shot of half.com inventory page*

amazon.com
I use Amazon to sell my antique or rare books. Anything without an ISBN number can be difficult to find on half.com, if they have it at all, but Amazon already has practically everything listed. Similar to half.com, you type in the name of your item, survey the competition, and then click "sell yours here". Proceed through the windows listing price and quality... (be especially careful for older books to list condition, an excellent condition antique book might be worth a lot, but a well-worn copy may not be worth much)... and then your listing is created. Again, there is a main picture page, but Amazon also gives you the ability to upload user pictures, so you can post a picture on the main page and refer to it in your listing. The fee structure is slightly different for Amazon... they charge the 15%, but they also charge a flat per-item-sold fee of .99 unless you pay for a monthly charge of ~ 39.00. They also charge a listing closing fee of 1.35 for books and .80 for movies. Nothing is paid until an item is sold, so all of the fee is taken out of your payment. I, personally, won't list a book under $4.00 because the fees aren't worth it. I've never sold anything other than media on Amazon, and their fee structure varies depending on what you sell... so be sure to check their fee structure here.

craigslist.com
Ok... so craigslist is awesome! I've saved the best for last. You can sell virtually anything on craigslist, and usually get a fairly competitive price... AND they don't charge a fee! When pricing, think, higher than yardsale, but not quite retail. I usually start high here... like a yardsale, you will have people making offers. A lot of people find it much easier to haggle online than in person... so start high, but not high enough that people won't be interested. With craigslist, you have to click on your state and region before creating a post. You do not have to sign up for a craigslist account... but it makes inventory much easier to handle. Preform a search on craigslist for what you're selling before you list it... then you get an idea of what other people are charging. If you cannot find your particular item on craigslist, go to google.com or ebay.com to check prices there... you always want to have an idea of what your stuff is worth before you list it... just remember that an item is only worth what people will pay for it, so be willing to negotiate some. Once you have an idea of what you want (and you've taken the necessary pictures), click on the post tab in the upper right corner. Select the correct categories and create a title and description for your item. You can reference other websites, post pictures, and post pick-up arrangements... then list your item. Craigslist postings will expire, but you can easily relist if you have an account. As for the exchange, many people feel uncomfortable having strangers to their house. Our rule is that both my husband and I have to be home, and unless they need to come inside, we do the exchange on the porch. Usually, we've found it easier to tote the item into town and exchange either at work or in a public place (Barracks shopping center parking lot is a popular exchange place).
A few tips...

1. Do not create one listing for multiple items unless you are selling similar items as a lot. As people are scrolling through craigslist, they usually won't click on an item unless the title lists specifically what is in the ad. It is more work, but it's usually worth it.


2. If you want to lower the price on an item, delete the listing, wait a day, and then relist it with its' new price. If you edit the listing, it will still be listed on the day when you initially posted. If you delete first, it will re-post on today's date. You will have to re-attach pictures, so make sure they're handy.


3. When you've typed a really extensive description, select all of the text and hit copy before you click to the next screen. If your photos are too large, the error message will pop up, but it will not take you back to the screen with your text... you will have to type it all over again!


4. Delete your posting when your item is sold... you do not want to be answering "is this still available" e-mails for the next two weeks... plus it keeps the system clean. I hate clicking on an item that's still listed and finding out that it was sold.


5. Do not fall for any "I will mail you a certified check" scams. Do be careful. Not everyone is as nice as you would expect them to be!

*screen shot of craigslist account page*

If online selling isn't the thing for you, there are always yard sales and charities for your stuff. I'll post more on that later. Also, there is another site, freecycle, which is frequently used by de-clutterers... but I haven't used this site. I've posted free items on craigslist, and they are always snatched up within days. If you have any other sites, I'd love to hear about them!