Saving Stuff

Money saving alternatives to selling on eBay

Published: Dienstag, 23. April 2013

In the current economic climate most people are struggling to make ends meet and let’s face it we could all do with some extra cash.  One quick way of getting some extra dosh is by selling things.  Have a good look around your home, I’m sure you’ll find many items that are cluttering up the place and that you don’t use any more.  Even if you have some broken things someone might well be happy to buy it to repair.  As I always say, another man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure.  So sell sell sell!

There are lots of different ways to sell items and the first one most people probably think of is eBay.  Well this medium is fine if you’re not in a rush to sell, don’t mind losing a chunk of your sale price to various fees and it’s quite easy for you to get to a post office.  The advantage of eBay is buyer protection and you reach a wider audience.  Personally I prefer to have the cash in my pocket, although there are ways you can recoup these fees (see article).

Over the years I have sold many unwanted items through my work.  I’m sure most places of work have a bulletin board of some sort be it in the traditional sense or electronically by email.  I have found this has often been a good way of getting rid of items for the price I want and quite quickly too.

Of course it does very much depend on what you have to sell and what works for you.  For example, if you have a few boxes of invaluable items and don’t mind getting up at the crack of dawn to spend half of your Sunday at a pitch, then a boot sale might be the best option.  Bear in mind people go to boot sales for bargains so be prepared to be offered silly money for things.  Remember there is the initial outlay of the pitch cost which is usually around a fiver.

Alternatives to ebay For more valuable items, say £10 or more, you could post adverts free of charge on places like Gumtree and Freeads which only advertise online.  Alternatively Adtrader, Loot and Friday-Ad are online too but there is also the option for your advert to be printed in the local paper version which will increase your chances of a sale.  Most online advertising give you the option to add photos free of charge, people like to see what they’re buying so this will again increase your chances of a sale.

Think about what you’re selling and the sort of person that would want to buy your items.  If it’s something that would appeal to the older generation who may not have access to the internet then perhaps a good old fashioned advert in a shop window or notice board in your local library, community centre, Tesco or other high street supermarket is the way to go.  If you have lots of one item, for example kids clothes, consider selling as a job lot.  One of the best places to sell kids items is the Netmums Nearly New Board.  Again this is free but your advert will be targeting a specific audience.