How To Sell Stuff Online: Best Platforms to Sell Stuffs & Make Money for Free

Selling stuff online is a great method to get some quick cash to tide you over until your next paycheck arrives. It’s relatively easy to sell stuff online. You just have to examine your target market and decide which platform works best for that market. Here, we’ll show you a list of platforms, both paid and free alike, where you can sell your stuff online and make money.

How To Sell Stuff Online

While you can locate a service that allows you to make a for-sale listing for almost anything, this does not guarantee that anyone will buy.

Consider it from the buyers’ point of view: What will they require to make the decision to acquire your item?

Here are a few simple steps to make your listing stand out.

#1. Take Excellent Pictures of Goods

They will want to see whatever it is you’re selling. A well-lit photo is one of the simplest ways to distinguish yourself. Excellent photographs enhance the legitimacy and trustworthiness of your listing.

Before using stock images, try taking your own. The original is superior.

#2. Add Relevant Keywords

If you’re trying to sell a Samsung 32-inch flat-screen LED TV, those details should be included. Don’t just state “TV for sale” and move on. When a buyer finds your ad, a well-written description will assist them to make a decision, and item descriptions contribute to your item’s potential to appear in a search.

Numerous e-commerce sites use Google-like algorithms. Thus, if someone searches for a “Samsung LED,” your listing with those keywords in the title will have a far better chance of appearing in the results.

Where To Sell Stuff Online

Choose the best location for your stuff before selling them online to generate extra money. Selling Grandma’s vintage tea cozies is not the same as selling your old audio system. Here is a list of some popular markets where you can sell your stuff online.

Online Auctions and Sales

There are a few prominent online auction and sales sites, and as you can see, some charge significantly lesser costs than others. The major players, Amazon and eBay, charge greater fees, but they are also among the most popular websites on the internet. If you want to sell anything quickly, these sites are the way to go. If you want to optimize your earnings, you may need to take a little more time to find a buyer on a smaller site.

#1. Amazon

With Amazon, you can sell almost anything, albeit selling in some specialist areas requires Amazon permission and an upgraded selling plan. Depending on the type of selling plan you have, Amazon charges a variety of fees on things sold.

If you choose the regular Individual selling plan, Amazon will charge you 99 cents for every item sold, plus a referral fee. The referral fee is typically 8% to 15% of the item’s total sale price, including shipping charges but excluding taxes. If you’re selling media items, like books, movies, and video games, you pay a $1.80 closing charge as well.

The improved Professional selling plan involves a $39.99 monthly subscription cost, but you don’t have to pay 99 cents per item as you do with the Individual plan. Thus the professional plan is only worthwhile if you want to sell more than 40 things per month.

#2. eBay

EBay allows you to auction and sell a wide variety of things and has a fee structure similar to Amazon. It charges a fee for each listing you create, as well as for each item sold. These fees vary depending on factors such as item price, category, and seller performance. For most purchases, you pay 12.9% of the final transaction price, including shipping and sales tax, plus 30 cents. If you post more than 250 things in a month, eBay will start charging you 35 cents for each listing after the first 250.

You can also pay to improve and promote your eBay listing in a variety of ways. For example, you may set a reserve price so that your item gets auctioned off for at least that amount. The fee to set a reserve price is $5 or 7.5% of the reserve price, whichever is greater, with a maximum fee of $250 for most product categories. This fee is applied whether or not your item sells.

#3. Bonanza

Bonanza sells similar things to Amazon and eBay. It charges fees based on the retail price of your item plus any amount over $10 for shipping. Hence, if you sold an item for $20 and shipped it for $13, your charge would be $23. In our scenario, you’d pay roughly 80 cents because Bonanza takes 3.5% of the purchase. There is a 50-cent minimum fee for each item.

When you sell an item for $1,000 or more, you pay 3.5% on the first $1,000 and 1.5% on the amount over $1,000.

In exchange for a greater percentage charge, Bonanza will also publicize your listing across the internet.

Local Sales

#4. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp

These websites and apps don’t necessarily take a share of your sales, but you’re still in charge of connecting with your customer, meeting up in person, and making the transaction. It’s a very different approach than internet auctions and sales. If you don’t feel comfortable handling all of the logistics and then meeting up with a stranger, you should probably stick to online selling.

Depending on what you’re selling, you can meet your customer in a public place (many local police stations provide a “safe haven” for such sales) or have a buddy accompany you while you complete the transaction. The idea here is simplicity: no packing, shipping, or fees, just cash in your hand. Nevertheless, unlike many other online-only sales sites, these marketplaces offer no assurances or protections if your buyer turns out to be a swindler.

Vintage clothing and crafts

The larger web platforms are great for getting rid of random items, but for specialty items like antiques and vintage clothing, you may want to sell to a more targeted audience.

#5. Poshmark

Poshmark is a clothing and other commodities online commerce and social network combination. The fee structure is straightforward: Any transactions under $15 will incur a $2.95 fee, while sales of $15 or over will incur a 20% cost. Poshmark costs your buyer $7.67 for expedited shipping, so all you have to do is print out a prepaid mailing label, package your clothing, and send it off.

#6. Ruby Lane

A $25 monthly maintenance charge is required to list items for sale on Ruby Lane. If you list at least 15 goods in a month, you will receive a $25 rebate. In addition, Ruby Lane charges a service fee of 9.9% of the total purchase price.

Before you go in, you should have a good understanding that you can recoup these maintenance and service payments on Ruby Lane.

#7. Etsy

If you want to sell your handcrafted arts and crafts or vintage items, Etsy is the place to be. You pay 20 cents to list an item, followed by a 6.5% transaction charge on the item’s sale price, including shipping. You will be charged an additional 3% + 25 cents if you use Etsy Payments to execute your purchase.

Electronics

#8. Swappa and Gazelle

Swappa is a marketplace. On the other hand, Gazelle is a retailer. Swappa allows you to set your own price based on comparable listings and mail your equipment directly to the buyer. Gazelle generates a quote for you on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet, which you then transmit to the company.

Where To Sell Stuff Online for Free

Here are some platforms where you can sell your stuff online for free.

#1. Decluttr

Decluttr is one of the websites where you may sell your items locally. The majority of the things available for sale on the platform are technological in nature. You can, however, sell books and toys here.

What distinguishes this platform from the others is that it makes selling your products much more manageable. You won’t have to bother about meeting potential purchasers or negotiating with them.

#2. Swappa

Swappa allows you to purchase and sell secondhand tech and electronic items such as mobile phones and laptops online. This platform eliminates the intermediaries, guaranteeing that buyers and sellers receive the most value for their money.

Swappa accepts the following electronic devices:

Phones
Tablets
Laptops
Wearables
Games

Assume you’re selling a smartphone on Swappa. In that situation, you must check that the phone is not carrier-locked and that you own it.

#3. CashforGoldUSA

If you have any form of gold that is collecting dust in your cabinet, you may sell it to CashforGoldUSA.

The firm takes all types of gold, including:

Broken gold
Discarded gold
Gold coins
Gold Jewelry

What’s more, CashforGoldUSA will buy your gold directly and cover the expense of transportation. If you determine that the price the company quoted you for your gold items is not reasonable, they will refund your money.

Furthermore, the box is insured for up to $5,000, so you won’t have to worry about losing money if your package is misplaced.

#4. OfferUp

One of the most popular online selling apps is OfferUp. When compared to the other options on our list, Offer Up has a more social media feel. After all, you’ll need to create a profile, and as you sell products, your ratings and transaction history will be displayed.

OfferUp allows you to sell a wide range of things, including:

Clothes
Electronics
Cars
Furniture

Besides posting your things, the app allows potential purchasers to chat with you and select a shipping option for your item. By toggling a single button before posting your product, you may choose whether to meet up or send the item.

Yet, if you want to buy something, you may still utilize their website. You can buy stuff in practically all categories, similar to how broad the product list you can sell here is.

#5. Facebook Marketplace

One of Facebook’s breakthroughs as a social media platform is its Marketplace. With nearly 2 billion users globally, you may be certain that individuals in your town use it. This means you’ll have more buyers for your items.

The ease with which Facebook Marketplace allows sellers like you to put products for sale is one of its distinguishing features. Only your location, the item description, and the price are required. While your listing is live, interested buyers can contact you using Facebook Messenger.

Consumers may readily check out your profile for accountability as well. Assume you want to create a more trustworthy network. In that situation, you can ask for reviews and ratings to display to other prospective buyers.

#6. Craigslist

Craigslist is probably one of the most famous platforms where you can sell stuff online for free. This amazingly simple platform allows you to sell your stuff to customers in your neighborhood.

Craigslist’s Two-Way Email Relay is a notable feature. You can use this to get potential consumers to contact you without revealing your email address in your post.

Customers can only see a long alphanumeric email address with the @sale.craiglist.org domain when they want to contact you. As you respond to your client’s inquiries, the feature also hides their email addresses.

#7. VarageSale

VarageSale is a feasible choice for anyone looking for a safe way to sell items online. You can do so via their mobile app or website. To begin, you must create an account and get it approved by their team.

VarageSale is essentially an online garage sale.

You can begin posting products on the platform once your account has been approved.

Because this platform allows you to sell your items locally, buyers will come from your neighborhood, making it a safe alternative.

#8. NextDoor

Nextdoor is an innovative service for buying and selling stuff online. What distinguishes this platform is the ability of users to construct a virtual neighborhood network. People living in the same neighborhood can:

Get to know the people in your neighborhood.
Help each other’s enterprises.
Participate in non-profit activities to be socially active.
Disseminate pertinent information regarding government operations and agencies.

If you’re selling something online, this network practically connects you with the nearest potential buyers. You won’t have to worry about being duped because these folks may be your pals.

Yet, you may discover that the amount of buyers is dependent on the people in your neighbor network. Thankfully, you can sell anything here, so you’ll undoubtedly publish things that meet your customers’ requirements.

#9. uSell

uSell is yet another electrical device e-commerce platform. You can get an instant quote for your equipment, ship it to their warehouse, and wait for payment.

The fact that you don’t have to pay for anything makes this an amazing platform. Shipment is completely free, lowering the chances of falling victim to hagglers and scammers.

Selling personal smartphones and other devices can also raise concerns about data privacy. Fortunately, uSell is an experienced buyer. You can trust them to manage any sensitive data that has been left on the device.

#10. BuyBack Boss

When selling your mobile device, it is usually a good idea to look into several e-commerce platforms. This allows you to search for the greatest deals on your items.

As a result, BuyBack Boss is yet another outlet to consider when selling your phone or other electrical items. The procedure for selling your equipment here is similar to those of other e-commerce sites.

To get a quote, go to the BuyBack Boss website and enter your device details. This sum is subject to a 14-day lock-in period. It means that if they get the money within this time frame, you will receive the promised amount in full.

Furthermore, BuyBack Boss claims to match their competitors’ offered prices. Assume you locate a better deal for your equipment on another e-commerce platform. In that instance, send an email to [email protected] and they will match the price.

How To Safely Sell Stuff Online?

Adhere to the facts about the product being marketed. If it is not strictly necessary, do not include any information that identifies you personally. Keep in mind that any information you provide may be utilized for purposes other than what you intended. Reduce your risk by limiting your information.

Which App Is Best To Sell Items?

The best apps to sell items include:

eBay.
Meta Marketplace.
Nextdoor.
OfferUp.
Poshmark.
Tradesy.

What Skills Do I Need To Sell Online?

Search engine optimization
Social media marketing
Google Adwords optimization
Sales
Project management.
Email marketing
Public relations.

How Can I Start Selling Online With No Money?

Dropshipping is a popular business concept for entrepreneurs who want to start a small business with no money. Simply set up an online store and select a dropshipping supplier such as DSers or AliExpress. When a customer places an order, your e-commerce platform sends the order details to your supplier.

In Conclusion,

Selling your stuff online can be a cool way to get rid of items that you won’t be needing anymore. The platforms we have listed here are the best for selling any item that you wish. Compare each platform and choose the one that works best for you.