Ebay, Yard Sales, Goodwill?

[Calliope84]

This forum has really inspired me lately. 

Has anyone sold stuff on ebay? I really don't feel like going to the hassle of taking pictures and posting it all, only to have my precious stuff sold for $2.00 and then have to make an inconvenient trip to the post office.

I have a huge online garage sale I posted as a note on my facebook and I'm posting it on my neighborhood pages, as well as in my other local groups online. I would love to sell stuff and not have to ship it all.

Have you guys had any luck with yard sales? Those are another thing I feel like are a waste of my time.

Part of me just wants to bag it all and take it to goodwill, but we need money so...

[Ragana]

I have not had good luck with holding yard sales. Too much work for too little gain, at least around here (fairly affluent area). The only things that sold well were nice brands of kids' clothes - I only put out the name brands that were still in great condition - and a few new or newish things like a set of pots I was given as a gift but didn't use.

We have bought from Craig's List, but haven't sold anything there. Family members have had mixed experiences. Lots of flakers. My impression is that if you do have a fairly valuable item or something specialized (like a motorcycle helmet or something), though, you can usually get a decent price for it going that route.

[mkksmom]

I've tried yardsales and consignment sales. I like the consignment sales. We have one near me where you set your price, whether or not you want to have it marks half-off the last sale day, and whether or not to donate it at the end. You enter this info on the computer system, and print out tags. Bring your items to the sale, and pick up any unsold items that you want to keep. Then a few weeks later you get a check. You can volunteer to work the sale to get an extra percent of the money, but I'm fine with 65%. They only do baby and kids stuff. Wish there was one for adult stuff.

I did find a lady who will sell stuff on ebay for me, but haven't tried that yet.

[kt~mommy]

ebay has been only iffy for me (doing it right now), my last yard sale was a disaster... hours and hours of work for a measley $28. yuck!  haven't done consignment, but i'm in the same boat as you with needing the money in addition to the de-stashing.  I'm hoping ebay picks up for me!

[laura1982]

I only use eBay on higher-end items (like a laptop or camera) because otherwise, it's not worth paying the commission. I've never done a yard sale, though-- if I have clothes, etc., I usually just donate them. 

Good luck!

[4evermom]

I've been doing yard sales.  The first one is a PIA but then everything is sorted and priced for next time and I just add a few things.  I don't bother with a bunch of tiny things priced for  a quarter or anything (though I do have a box of books for a quarter each).  Purses sell well here.  I'll sell furniture in the $20-$30 range.  If I think something is worth more, I'll try Craigslist.  But taking pictures is a hassle.  I'm just off a fairly busy corner so I just put a big sign on the corner and don't even try to get it set up early or advertise.  I can hang out inside and run out if someone stops because I set it up in the part of the yard I can see easily from inside.  I'll do 11:00-4:00 or whatever is convenient.

[clutterwarrior]

The only thing I find worth selling on ebay is top brand name kids clothes. Brand name adult clothes don't sell as well for some reason.

Things that are not worth listing on ebay in my experience are books and toys. Nice china sells well but you have the hassle of packaging it up etc to post.

Lately I have found a good way to sell some things...on facebook! There are pages on there for buying and selling...no fees involved, so much easier. I sold a few hundred dollars worth of scrapbooking supplies on there within a few days.

[cameragirl]

The downside to Ebay is that now with the fees, and required Paypal fees, you often lose about 30% in fees. Craigslist is kind of iffy. It really depends on what you're selling. Some things do great, others are hit or miss. If you have a lot to sell, flea markets can be great. Consignment sales are usually pretty good, too. At a consignment sale, you don't have to do the selling and haggling, so the commission might be worth it to you. Also, 2nd hand baby and kid stores are good for selling clothes and toys that are in good or like new condition. They usually buy seasonally, so this time of year they are buying for fall and winter.

[TwinMom]

I started planning a yard sale but quickly was overwhelmed at the amount of stuff I need to sell and going through the process for the first time. I have been slowly putting items for sale on CraigsList and have sold almost everything I've listed. I always tell buyers the area I can meet them and refuse to go further--and all of those areas are places I am several times a week anyway.

ETA: Oops, forgot to finish my thought before a kid distracted me. I haven't used eBay, but I can't imagine having to fight P.O. lines, etc. If CL doesn't work, I will eventually have a yard sale; I'm sure that would be better in the long-run than eBay.