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Have you been thinking about selling stuff on eBay, but you have no idea where to start? First off, congratulations on having this brilliant idea! eBay is the first great garage sale of the Internet, and a great place to both sell and purchase hidden treasures. Of course, you don’t want to waste your time trying to sell your used items that just don’t move – so I’ve put together this list of things you probably have sitting around your house right now that actually sell well.
How to Judge if Your Stuff is Sell-Worthy
Alright, before you start going through your closets, drawers, and other storage areas, let’s talk about how you can quickly judge whether an item is sell-worthy.
Make sure your item is legitimate. If the value of an item depends on a brand, you must be sure that what you’re selling is an actual piece of that brand. Don’t accidentally try to sell a knock-off as the real thing.
Make sure your item is in working condition, with a minimum of visible flaws. If the item is electronic or has moving parts, make sure it works. And make sure that, even used, what you’re selling looks like something worth buying. If the answer isn’t “Could I see myself buying this?”, then you might not be looking at a winner. Don’t sell handbags with prominently stained leather or crystal with large chips.
Look for the original packaging. The original packaging is a gold standard when it comes to selling toys, electronics, and similar items. You may still be able to sell your stuff without the original packaging, but you won’t get top dollar for it. You should also make sure you have all the accessories if it’s an item that comes with extras.
Now, let’s dive into some items that you might just have lying around your house that sell – and sell well! – on eBay.
How Do I Price My Item or Find Its Worth?
Here’s the deal. Just because you see people asking a lot of money for an item does not mean that’s what it is going to sell for that. Instead of looking at the available listings, look only at the sold items.
Items that Sell
1. LEGOs
If you have LEGOs – especially complete LEGO sets – sitting around your house, you may be sitting on some quick extra cash. I’m not kidding!
I’ve had success selling LEGO building toys on eBay, so I recommend rounding up those little blocks that are sitting in closets or lurking on the floor, not being played with and only stabbing your feet at night. Make sure they’re real LEGO blocks, try to locate the packaging, and list them for sale.
Even if you don’t have the original packaging or a complete set, list it anyway! I have sold several boxes of mixed LEGO by the pound. Some people choose to break them down by color or type, but I have sold them as mixed lots.
2. Disney Merchandise
Disney is a powerful and attractive brand with fans around the globe; they’re also masters at putting out limited edition products, and rotating their films in and out of the “Disney Vault” to keep them strongly in demand when they’re made available for purchase on DVD or Blu-ray.
If you’re a Disney collector, consider your collection: are there limited edition figurines you could stand to part with in order to make room for something new? Do you have any plush toys or Funko POP! vinyl figures that are out of production? How about anything from the fine art or teacup lines? These are all items that you’ll find sell well on eBay, depending on the popularity of the Disney characters or titles you have on offer.
As with anything, not every item will be highly desirable. It’s all about supply and demand.
3. Vintage Concert T-shirts
Did you know that vintage concert t-shirts are popular? It’s true. There are even sites dedicated to buying and selling your vintage t-shirts. On eBay, you’ll find the prices your shirts command depend on the popularity of the band in question. I have sold a few of my husband’s old concert t-shirts from the late 80s-early 90s getting close to $100 for an old, ratty Skid Row tour shirt.
If you have old concert t-shirts in the back of the closet, dig them out of storage and see if you can turn them into cash.
4. Men’s Workwear & Boots
If you have some industrial men’s clothing (from overalls to tactical cargo pants) or boots hanging around your house, these items could move quickly on eBay as well. Work boots especially go for hundreds of dollars when purchased new from retailers, making them an attractive purchase as a used item. Depending on wear, you can collect anywhere between $20 to $90 (or more!) per pair – just do your homework before listing them to see what similar items are currently going for on the site. (Again, make sure you’re checking for recent sale prices, and not going by what people are listing items for to get the complete picture.)
5. Swarovski Crystal
Swarovski crystal is a popular investment – not only do these sparkling, remarkable pieces look beautiful when displayed on your person or in your home, some also have excellent resale value. When you’re ready to add different pieces to your collection, simply make room by offering up pieces you’re ready to part with on eBay.
6. Vintage Toys
There’s just something about vintage toys that capture people’s imaginations – and I’m not just talking about those of older generations! If you have some old toys in your home – especially if they’re in good condition – see what you may be able to get for them on eBay. It may take a little research to ascertain what you have and whether it’s worth anything, but it’s time well spent – you can get some clutter out of the house, delight a collector, and turn stuff you’re not using into cash. It’s a win-win-win.
7. Cookware and Pyrex
The thing about cookware is that everyone needs it, but many people don’t have the funds (or the desire) to invest in quality sets. This goes double for people just starting their own households after leaving home for the first time. If you have a good set of cookware that you’re ready to replace with something newer or better, you stand to profit off these facts. This is where eBay comes in: used quality cookware in good condition for a reasonable price doesn’t go unbought for long!
Pyrex and Fireking sets (especially older ones and certain colors) are also highly popular on eBay. Collectors gotta have them, and they’ll pay for the privilege.
8. Designer Handbags
Do you have a big love for accessories – so much so that you’ve got a closet full of bags you used once and put away? Last season doesn’t have to mean lost money! Do you really need dozens of handbags anyway? No! But there’s someone out there who wants what you’ve got, so let it go to a new home in exchange for a little green – since designer labels sell like hotcakes on eBay, it’s pretty easy to do. Then you can turn those dollar signs into more designer pieces to hold all your stuff.
Just make sure your bags are legit. It’s illegal to sell fakes or replicas. If you aren’t sure, get it authenticated through a reputable service.
9. Jewelry
There are many pleasures made possible in life because of the Internet, and one of those is shopping for jewelry from your couch while wearing pajamas and drinking too much red wine. Need proof? The jewelry section on eBay is robust enough to tell you I know what I’m talking about. Take some time one evening to go through your jewelry box and pull out those pieces you don’t wear anymore or that don’t have any sentimental value. Then throw them up for sale! Just be careful you don’t get distracted with your own shopping while you’re doing it.
With anything of high value, I recommend taking some time to research how to protect yourself from scammers (as much as possible anyway). They often seek out new sellers to prey on.
10. Fitness Accessories
There’s a great market for fitness accessories on eBay, especially toward the end of the year! Everyone’s in full swing during the winter holidays, enjoying rich food and drink, but starting to think of how they’d like to get back in shape for the new year. And how they don’t necessarily want to pay full price for the latest Fitbit or Apple Watch. This is where you come in, particularly if you have a recent model of any of these fitness accessories (in good condition, with all the pieces, and preferably with the original packaging). Take advantage of those future New Year Resolutions and sell those fitness gadgets you’re not using.
I bet you’re all inspired now to clean out those closets and dump those long-ignored drawers. Am I right? Well, get to a little winter cleaning and create some cash from your clutter. You’ll be happy you did.
