Have you ever looked around your home and considered what all of your personal belongings are actually worth? The number may be surprising.
People tend to underestimate the value of their possessions and overestimate how difficult it is to sell anything.
Selling items around your household can be a great way to earn quick cash to use to stock your emergency fund, pay off debt, or meet your savings goals.
Selling household items will not only pad your pockets. It will teach you to live more minimally and you’ll become more conscious of your future purchases.
Interested? Here are 15 household items you can sell today for extra money.
1) Clothing and Designer Accessories
We all are guilty of holding onto clothing and accessories, even if we haven’t worn it in forever. If these items are in good shape, you might be able to make few bucks off of them.
You can sell them to consignment shops, or sell items on Poshmark, an app that allows you to upload a photo of the item and will send you a pre-paid shipping box. Poshmark takes a small commission on whatever you sell, and you keep the rest.
2) Gift Cards
Do you have unused gift cards laying around? Maybe you forgot about them, or maybe they are for companies and services you won’t use. Either way, consider selling them for a portion of the value.
Raise.com is a website that allows you to resell your gift card for a discount. Simply create an account and list your card. Once it’s sold, you don’t even have to ship anything. The buyer gets all the gift card information electronically.
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3) Jewelry
Jewelry is a common gift to inherit or be given, and many of us simply have too much or items that aren’t our style. Instead of holding onto valuable, but unused jewelry, consider selling it for cash.
If you’re selling something particularly valuable, like gems, silver or gold, or diamonds, make sure you have the item appraised first to ensure you’re getting a fair price for the value.
4) Electronics
Televisions, laptops, computers, and tablets are all worth money. If it runs well and is relatively new, you can expect to make a few hundred dollars at least. Even old school box televisions and desktops can be sold for parts, making it worth the attempt to sell.
Before you sell any electronics, be sure to wipe them clean of any documents or personal information that might have been saved there.
5) Furniture
In the past, I have sold a lot of furniture for much more money than I would have anticipated. New furniture is very expensive, so many people are quick to snatch up a good deal on a sofa, entertainment center, or table.
If you have the means to transport large furniture, you can also charge extra for delivering it to the seller, increasing your profits. Free and easy to use websites like Offerup and Craigslist make selling furniture a breeze.
6) Books
If you hang onto books you’ve already read, or have a surplus of old textbooks you no longer need, you can quickly turn them into cash by selling them. You can sell them either locally, through Craigslist or garage sales, or online on Amazon or Half.
If you’re a book collector, do some research to see what your valuable first edition or signed books might be worth.
7) Toys and Baby Items
For anyone with children, you know how quickly baby items and toys can consume your house. These items are expensive to purchase new, and babies outgrow clothes and toys quickly, so many new parents are turning to buying gently used items for their children.
My friend purchases nearly every baby item used, including toys, clothing, clean cloth diapers, and even a stroller. Because babies grow so quickly, she scored great deals on items that were barely used. Many other parents choose to go this same route because it is more practical and affordable. If you have kids, you likely have friends who would be willing to buy baby items from you, resulting in an easy sell.
8) Sporting Goods
Take a gander into your garage, and you’re bound to find items that could be sold. Items such as soccer gear, bicycles, trailers, golf clubs, and life jackets all sell well on OfferUp and Craigslist.
Now is the perfect time to do a garage clean out and be honest with yourself and your hobbies. While hobbies are healthy and necessary, if you don’t get out kayaking as much as you would like, for example, but own a kayak, is it really worth it to keep? Could you save money by renting a kayak when you needed it?
9) Instruments
Do you have any un- or underused instruments lying around? Instruments in decent shape are always in demand, especially from parents who are enrolling their children in band or orchestra.
You can sell these items on Craigslist or OfferUp, but don’t forget you can also sell to music stores and websites like Reverb.com.
10) China and Kitchenware
How many sets of pots, silverware, and china do we really need? Maybe you received fancy china for your wedding, only to find you’ve never used it, or maybe you moved in with roommates or a significant other and have too much kitchenware. Instead of holding onto them, sell them instead.
Whole china sets in good or new condition sell particularly quickly on Craigslist and Facebook. But even mismatched silverware sets can be sold for a fair price.
11) Antiques
Antiques’ value depends on their condition, place in history, and your willingness to part with them. But keep in mind, they don’t have to be in mint condition to make some money off of them.
If you’re looking to sell antiques, it’s best to get items appraised so you and potential buyers can know its worth. You can sell them to antique dealers, auctions, or even eBay.
12) Tools
Tools are incredibly expensive to buy brand new, so if you have tools to sell, you’re sure to find a buyer. Larger tools like table saws, drill presses, and sets can be sold for hundreds of dollars.
13) Appliances
Maybe you have an extra refrigerator in your garage you can sell, or you upgraded to a bigger coffee maker. Both large and small appliances are in high demand on resell websites. Refrigerators, washer and dryers, and dishwashers can yield you hundreds of dollars, and you can expect a few dollars for smaller appliances.
Even if an appliance isn’t working, you can still sell it for parts. Of course, always be honest about its working condition. Many people are happy to buy a broken dryer for cheap and fix it up themselves or use it for parts.
14) Backyard Equipment
Think about everything you keep in your backyard and use to maintain it. Likely, there is a surplus of items you can sell. Whether it be play sets, garden pots, lawnmowers, or patio furniture, your backyard items can be a large source of money if you’re willing to part with things.
One tip is to sell these items seasonally. For example, if you are in an area with harsh winters, don’t try to sell a lawnmower in November. Wait until spring when people are typically looking to buy such items.
15) Holiday Decorations
Like yard equipment, holiday decorations sell best when you sell before the season instead of after, but they are a hot commodity when the time is right.
Before the holiday season, dig out all of your decorations and decide what you can sell. The bigger items, like Christmas trees, collectibles, and Halloween costumes tend to sell better, but it’s worth trying to sell small knick-knacks.
Looking for other ways to make some extra money? Here are some posts that will give you ideas on how to make extra money:
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5 Side Hustles that Make at Least $500 a Month
Have you ever sold household items for money? If you haven’t, is there anything on this list that you could sell?
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Absolutely true ther are alot of unexpect “money” inside our houses!
Agreed! Thanks, Giulia!
It’s also worth that some people become very emotional about their stuff and overestimate the value. Just compare it with similar items on Craigslist, etc. and you get a fair price for your things.
We sold very crazy and specific things like an ice cream trailer pretty fast on eBay. We did not expect to sell it anyway. The price was also very good. So it’s totally worth it!
Great point, Manuel. Many people do add sentimental value to the price, which can make it hard to sell items. And an ice cream trailer? That’s awesome!
I think we’ve sold all but a few of these things over the years. As a reformed packrat it used to be difficult to part with something out of concern we’d need it in the future. But, the more we got rid of the easier it became as it meant less crap in the house and the extra money is just icing on the cake in my opinion. Like you said, it also helps us be more mindful about our purchases. If we really don’t see ourselves using or needing an item it becomes that much simpler to walk on and forget the purchase.
I agree! After purging a lot of stuff, we have become much more mindful about what we purchase. We consider how much use it will get, how long will it serve its purpose, and whether it is a trendy piece or timeless. If it’s not timeless, quality, and something we will use a lot, we don’t typically buy it.
It’s spring cleaning around our household, and I could definitely see us selling a few more items this year! Thanks for the list!
Thanks, Chonce!
I am always surprised at what people will buy! We had some metal fence posts for an old garden fence that we sold last year (for $50!) I recently sold my juicer and some electronics of my son’s. I figure it’s always worth a try to sell unused items…you just never know!
You’re so right! You just never know. I just sold a chair with 3 legs. The fourth leg broke off but I still got $15 for it! Couldn’t believe it!
This is a great list and so true. You really don’t know the amount of money in you may have lying around your house in unused items. I saw an article somewhere that you can even sell toilet and paper towel tubes online! People like to use them for crafts.
Leah | A Relaxed Gal
arelaxedgal.com
Wow, that’s crazy! I’ve never heard of that. Thanks, Leah!
That’s a solid list of things to sell right there. You can make a lot of money selling those unused gift cards.
Agreed – I’ve sold many unused gift cards for a good portion of face value. Thanks, Jason!
I live in an apartment complex and a few times people have put books in the trash compactor room. I’ve sold them on amazon…one time it was a valuable set of test prep books in mint condition. I sold it for like $200!