How To Resell Your Stuff

Yesterday I was able to shop the Just Between Friends pre-sale (thanks to my fabulous friend!) and was shocked (or maybe not so shocked) at what people value their old stuff to be worth. For those of you who don’t know Just Between Friends is a semiannual consignment sale for children's items and anything baby/maternity. So a consigner can register with JBF and sell their items  and JBF obviously gets their cut as well. It actually is kind of a neat little system if you have enough to sell to make it worth your time and money. What isn’t neat, is what some people seem to think their old crap is worth. I get that since consigners pay a fee to sell and also don’t get 100% of the proceeds they are trying to recoup some of their money, but really if you are selling a bunch of things and are able to sell it ALL because you had it reasonably priced you are likely to make more than if your stuff is marked up a bunch.

So…I’m going to teach you how to resell your stuff! Consignment or yard sale I will give you some useful tips to help get rid of your stuff! So get out your pens and paper peeps because Mama Moo is about to school you!

What Qualifies Me

Since I was a child I have used my share of hand-me-downs, yard sale and thrift store items. Sure I got new stuff as gifts and from my parents but smart parents/people get good deals on quality items and sometimes those items are used. Some of my favorite articles of clothing growing up were used and some of my favorite items (clothing or otherwise) for my children have also been used. My family has had (and shopped) yard sales since I was very little and as an adult I have also put on a few of my own. We also regularly use craigslist and Freecycle with much success.

Why Are You Selling

Why are you selling your stuff? Are you moving and can’t take it with you? Just looking to make some space in your overpopulated home? If you are consigning are you making it a business? Are you hard-pressed for cash?  Obviously knowing your desired outcome makes a difference on how you will price things. If you are trying to make space or move clearly the important part is to get the stuff gone and the money is just a nice bonus, but if you need the money to support yourself obviously the goal is to get as much as you can for your item.

Your Trash My Treasure: Or Are You Just Selling Your Trash

It is said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That does not mean that all of your trash is valuable. I mean sure, maybe you have a few treasures, and some of your stuff is still useful but let’s face it, some of your stuff is just plain…JUNK.

Some items should just be given away free or even go to the dump.  Freecycle is a great resource for the things that still have life but may not have monetary value. Save all you magazines? There are plenty of people who don’t mind reading magazines that are a couple months old (or older) but you are not likely to get money for them. Even things like board games with missing pieces can be useful to someone who does art projects with the pieces. There are many things that you should not be selling (or won’t get money for) that have plenty of life in them. Check out your local freecycle  network it has a lot to offer.  Then of course there is always donating to a local charity, which is something I always support. So when you are deciding to sell your stuff make sure it isn’t ACTUALLY trash. I know I don’t speak for everyone but these are a few things I would never buy from another person:

• worn used underwear, socks or your stinky old lawn mowing sneakers.

I was shocked at how many people at JBF were selling their children’s well worn, disgusting tennis shoes for $5 or more! Guess what, I wouldn’t pay any amount for them. A scuff or two yes, but definitely not ones that look like they’ve been buried in the dirt for a couple of years!

• Anything that is broken or missing pieces if it is a dresser missing a couple knobs it might interest me, but it will have to be an excellent deal, but things that are structurally broken nope.
• Old T-shirts more specifically the ones from the race you ran, cause you supported or with company logos on them. They meant something to you because they represent a memory but to me, nope. I won’t buy your old t-shirts to use as rags, I have my own old crap for that.
• Clothes with broken zippers, rips, stains or holes this shouldn’t have to be explained.
• Anything with an unpleasant odor do I need to explain why I don’t want your couch that smells like cat pee? Probably for the same reason you don’t. duh.
• Anything  with decades of dirt and grime there are plenty of things that need a good wiping down that have value. But you can usually tell if a little elbow grease will make it a prized possession or if it has been  at the bottom of the pile of crap at a hoarders’ house (have you seen that show, it is a real eye opener!)

Also, don’t empty this living room into your driveway and put up a yard sale sign. If I drive up and I find your dirty, dusty stuff mixed with garbage and no prices I will drive away.  Seems odd to have to say this, but I have seen these garage sales. $2 for an old dirty plate. No thanks. Which brings us to my next point.

How To Price Your Stuff

There are a couple things to consider but mostly ask yourself “What would I pay for this used?” and be realistic.  I don’t care about name brands. I won’t spend $5 on a used shirt just because it has GAP on it, especially when I can get it clearance for that price or less (I will cover that in a future post) just find a different brand and purchase it brand new. So I expect a good deal when I get used kids clothes, and I’m not the only one. When it comes to things that aren’t clothes a good rule of thumb is to know what it is worth new and, if your item is in excellent condition, you can start at 50% of that, but expect people to try and go down from there. Not everything retains its value well. Linens for example need to be marked down considerably. If you are still unsure try looking online at what other people are selling your item for in similar condition. Sure you can price it higher, and maybe someone will come along and buy it. maybe. If your goal is to get rid of stuff then price it to move. If your goal is to get a certain amount of money you might be waiting awhile if you have it priced too high. Remember that an item may have meaning to you because you have memories surrounding it, but people aren’t buying your memories, they are buying your stuff.

A Few Tips To Sell

• price the item to sell and label each item clearly with the price
• clean it! Don’t sell your kid’s toys with their leftover snack all over it!
• presentation this goes along with cleaning but how you place your items is important too. Put like items together and consider grouping multiple smaller items together to sell. Get it off the ground and on tables and don’t make people riffle through boxes! If I went to JBF and all of the clothes and toys were on tarps on the floor I would have turned around and left. I can’t look for hours on my knees and I won’t. Having things all over the ground encourages people to walk all over your stuff or miss the stuff in the middle out of fear of trampling your stuff. stuff, stuff, stuff! There, just in case I didn’t have enough in there.
• advertise the  more people that know, the better chance of actually selling your item(s)  Consider having a neighbor or two join in your sale too, the bigger the sale the more people it will draw.
• be flexible on price if someone seems interested in a particular item but wants it for less be flexible on price. Of course if it is the beginning of the sale you can give them your phone number and they can call you later in the day to see if it is still available and you can sell it for less then, but if no one else has shown any interest at all you may want to cut your losses. Consider marking everything half off the second half of your sale. Most likely you don’t want to move your stuff back into the house. I know plenty of people who don’t like haggling and feel like they are being taken. My personal opinion is that if they are offering something reasonable it is better than nothing at all.
• free, free, free! consider having a designated area at your sale for free stuff.

I don’t share all of this because I had a terrible experience at JBF because actually it was just the opposite. I found some great things for great deals, everything was laid out well and I went with two wonderful ladies who also value a great deal. However there were a LOT of grossly overpriced items given that they were used and I thought I could help others to successfully sell their stuff so that everyone walks away happy.

So how about you? Do you have any tips for selling your used items? Did I miss anything?