How to Make Money with Spring Cleaning

It’s time to start cleaning your closets again, and you can turn your clutter into cash with the right plan! Here are a few tips on how to make the most money with spring cleaning.

Do price research on high-value items. If you spent a lot of money on something, you can expect to earn more on it. It pays to take the time to figure out its value before offering it up for sale. Do a search for similar items, and take into account the condition and age of what you’re selling. Once you know a few figures, you’ll have a ballpark on what you’re willing to accept.

Separate unique or collector’s items. If you have a vintage comic book or a signed poster, it’s unlikely that you’ll run across someone who understands its value by showing it at your local garage sale. You’re more likely to get a higher price if you go to a local shop specializing in that item or by selling it online.  Not sure how much something is worth? Try a site like Instappraisal.com where the community will help you determine a value.

Select items to sell online. It takes time to list individual items for sale online, so it’s likely you don’t want to list everything that you’ve decided to sell. Also, some items are incredibly difficult or impossible to ship, so take that into consideration.

Generally, you want to choose items that are higher value as well as those unique and collector’s items. You can also group multiple lower value items into one listing to save time and make it more convenient for you.  For example, you can list a group of children’s DVDs for sale, rather than listing each one individually.

Go to a consignment store. Most share their profits 50/50 from your item. If you have a large or fragile item that’s inconvenient to sell online but still valuable, this is a great option. If you have items that fit their audience, look for upscale consignment stores to get the best return.

Host a garage sale. You can sell everything else – from knickknacks to old books – on your own front lawn. Post signs around town, and consider taking an ad out in a local newspaper. You can reach a larger audience (and take advantage of additional advertising) by finding out if you have a neighborhood-wide garage sale that you can join. If you have items that don’t sell by the end of the garage sale, you can always try popping them up online to see if they find a buyer there.

Donate to charity. Some items are just hard to find a buyer for, but you can still earn a little money back through a tax break. Donate to a Salvation Army or Goodwill, and they’ll give you a receipt for tax time. If you donate items worth more than $500, you’ll need to fill out a Form 8283 to attach to your tax return as well. And if you donate an item worth more than $5,000, you’ll also need a written appraisal.

Ready to sell your Spring Cleaning items online? Unlike other online marketplaces, SheepBuy doesn’t nickel and dime you for each item, so you keep more of your profits. The fee is just $10 a month with no additional fees – ever. Try it absolutely free for the first month.