Spring cleaning time! This year, my husband and I decided to do a major purge, getting rid of as much stuff as we possibly could. First stop, the basement. Our dumping ground. As I looked around all of our “treasures” that were literally collecting dust, I saw a sign . . . a dollar sign.
Some junk would get tossed, some donated, but the rest would get sold on eBay. Cha-ching!
As a motivator, we set an ambitious goal: Make $1,000 in two weeks.
The thrill of the hunt
As I sorted through the basement, I looked around for things that met one or more of the following criteria: old, interesting, unusual, expensive, hard-to-find, brand name, or high-quality. I followed my hunches and didn’t dismiss anything. In the past, I’ve sold bags of wine corks, beat up Birkenstocks, and orthotic shoe inserts. Suddenly, our kitchen table was piled with dishes, quilts, books, shoes, kitchen appliances and tons of other random stuff that we hadn’t touched in I don’t even know how long.
The right price? Priceless
Once I found stuff to sell, it was time to do some research and see what it was worth. Current listings on eBay can be really misleading, so I filtered results to sold items only. What are people actually paying for that old Champion juicer? A pair of Tieks flats? A broken MacBook? Once I had a feel for the going rates, I always priced just below the competition if there was any. Price to sell, baby!
Know your ship
Shipping costs can sometimes be surprising, so I weighed each item and estimated shipping costs before listing. I didn’t use a special scale–just a digital kitchen scale. For bigger stuff, I used the digital bathroom scale. I also tried to weigh the items packaged–packaging materials do add weight–and rounded up to the nearest ounce. If shipping wasn’t much, I wrapped it into the overall price and offered free shipping. Easy peasy. Almost ready to list! The clock was ticking. I was getting antsy to sell.
Ready, set, sell
Two things help things sell online: excellent photos and thorough descriptions, so I aimed for both.
Amazing pictures of a vintage mushroom brooch would help it stand out from other listings and get potential buyers the details they needed. I didn’t use a camera, just my phone. I found soft, natural light (no flashes, puh-leeze) and tried to fill the frame. Our kitchen table scooched over to windows that don’t get direct sun made a perfect spot to shoot. I uploaded as many pictures as possible, showing every conceivable angle. Glamour shots highlighting the item’s best features were important, but it was equally essential to document any imperfections.
Speaking of imperfections, I was very honest about my items in my listings. Loose threads? Stain? A chip or crack? Fading? Whatever the issue, I included it. There are repercussions for selling items on eBay that aren’t as described, so I scrutinized each item for anything that might be deemed a flaw by a buyer and described it in the ad. And small flaws really didn’t scare off my buyers. That mushroom brooch was missing a few beads, but it still sold for a great price. If anything, an honest, detailed description inspires confidence in the buyer. In other words, more sales!
Sold!
During our two week spring cleaning selling spree–which my husband hashtagged as the#springflipchallenge–we listed more than eighty items. And then, whaddya know, things started to sell! Some things surprised me at how much they went for: $65 for an old red and white quilt, a set of crystal martini glasses quickly sold for $85, and my old Chuck Taylors made me twenty bucks. Once the money hit my PayPal account, it was time to ship.
I used the U.S. Postal Service to send my buyers their stuff. Why? Well, I have a really nice mail carrier named Larry. (Hey, Larry!) Seriously though, I used USPS because it’s integrated into eBay which makes things extra easy. I never went to the post office. NEVER. I did everything at home. I printed labels, scheduled package pickups online, and Larry picked up everything up from my house. (Thanks, Larry!) USPS even sent free Priority mail packaging supplies right to my door. Who knew it was this easy to mail stuff?
It’s so hard to say goodbye
Our #springflipchallenge wasn’t just about making money–it was also about finding things new homes. That’s what I told myself when I started feeling like holding on to it all. It’s hard. So many things have memories or aspirations tied to them: the vintage quilt that I thought about restoring, beautiful dishes given as a gift that I never used. I reminded myself that I’m taking something that had been hidden away in a basement bin and passing it along to someone who will cherish it. Oh, and I was making money–good money, in fact–in the meantime.
Rags to Riches?
We definitely still have more spring cleaning to do, but we’ve come to the end of our challenge. How did it turn out? Well, in two weeks we managed to sell more than 30 items ranging from a meat grinder to a pair of metallic pewter Tieks (you can read the full, quirky list below, if interested). In the end, we cleared $823. While we didn’t make our $1,000 goal, it sure got us motivated to keep cleaning out the basement. And just as important, we got rid of a ton of stuff.
I mean . . . we found a lot of stuff new homes.
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For the curious, here’s the full list of the stuff we sold during our spring cleaning selling spree: six pairs of shoes, two quilts, half a dozen cookie cutters, a stack of dishes, crystal martini glasses, a meat grinder, a food processor, a box of sewing machine accessories, a juicer, a “Know Your America” game board without its pieces, an AirCast pump, a decorative tray, a micro grater, pink runner’s compression sleeves, a vintage pyrex lid without its bowl, an (unused) Alchemist divination tool, interlocking brass stencils, two Badger pennants, an old MacBook for parts, a Settlers of Catan game, a Tweety Bird t-shirt, a Kindle, and a copy of Little Women.
This was such an informative article! You motivated us to start selling our unwanted treasures! Quick q, did you make any decisions to auction things off or just have a fixed price for things?!
@Wajiha, do it! When I look at sold listings, I also look to see how the item was sold. If auctions seem more popular for a given item, I try that. Auctions are also good for items that might have more value than you expect since you are letting the market dictate the final selling point. Most of the time, though, I prefer buy-it-now since you get paid immediately when the purchase is made (auctions rely on a winner actually paying for their item, which works out most of the time, but not always) and at the specific price you want. Hope that helps! Happy selling!
WOWOWOW That is a lot sold in two weeks!
I still struggle with taking great pictures. I have been trying to move some Fitz and Floyd pieces that in my opinion are hideously ugly but seem to have value. If my pics were better I bet I’d have more luck.
My recent sales were a Warsteiner mug, a Spod(e? I forget) Christmas ceramic pitcher, a bunch of hallmark keepsake Easter ornaments, and some 80s costume jewelry. Waiting right here to be listed are a pogo ball, a cabbage patch record player, some family silverplate, and some pre Alaska/Hawaii American flags. Maybe reading your post will give me the push I need!
@ZachMorrisCellphone, it’s always the weird stuff that sells, isn’t it? Like, I have been trying to sell some of my MIL’s antiques for a month and nothing will budge. But my toddler’s outgrown Converse sneakers are getting some fierce bidding.