Avoiding Waste: Selling Unwanted Items Online

One way to keep unwanted items out of landfill and to make a bit of money is to sell them on. Selling online is the easiest way to reach the largest amount of potential buyers for your goods.

Online Selling: How to Sell

There are a few ways to sell unwanted items online. The best outlet for second-hand goods will depend on what they are and what the market is for them.

Online auction sites such as eBay are a quick and easy way to sell almost anything. It’s easy to set up a seller account and eBay gets a phenomenal amount of traffic. Goods such as clothes, books, CDs, music memorabilia, electronics, dolls and stamps can all be sold on eBay and similar sites. The list of items available on these sites is practically endless.

The way online auction sites work is that the seller sets a starting price for an item, then buyers bid on it over the internet. The person who has bid the highest by the closing date gets the item. Sellers usually pay a small fee to list an item.

Online auctions sites are not the only way to sell unwanted goods. In fact, sometimes a more targeted approach can work better. There are all sorts of specialist sites out there, for example for books, antiques, records and more. For specialist items or items with a collectors’ appeal specialist online outlets can be more lucrative. These sites may work by the seller selling directly to a buyer (for a fixed or auction price) or by the seller selling to the site owner who then sells the items on.

Alternatively it’s possible to sell goods online through your own website. However, if you only have a few items to sell this is unlikely to be the best option because it will be difficult to compete with the level of traffic that established sites receive.

Some websites also have a forum area where items can be offered for sale. For those already involved in these forums this can be a good way to make sure items go to someone who genuinely wants them.

Selling Online: Getting the Best Sales

When selling online, it’s important to bear in mind the ways in which internet shopping is different to, say, buying something in a high street shop. For example buyers can’t touch and inspect items the same way they can in-person and this puts some people off.

There are a few tips and tricks when selling online to get over these hurdles and help your items sell well:

Take Pictures

Take clear pictures. It is usually best to include a picture of any items which are being sold online. Try to photograph an item from a few angles and show any marks or imperfections clearly.

Be honest

If the item isn’t in perfect condition, always say so and give details. Many people will still be interested but being upfront from the start avoids any complaints later.

Research prices

Have a look around the internet and see what price other people are selling similar items for. Make sure you are competitive but still getting a fair price.

Include measurements

Always include the measurements of items where they are relevant, especially for clothes. This way customers will have a much better idea of if something will fit them.