Tom Schierlitz Page 1 of 10

Cash in Your Castoffs

By Karen Cheney and Alexandra Kay

Insider tips on the best places to sell your stuff—and how to make (real) money.

Clothes

The best marketplace: Not surprisingly, it’s eBay.com, which notches 10.3 million daily listings in this category. (A dress sells on the site every 15 seconds.) Why so popular? Simple: No other place makes it as easy to search for brand names (Coach, Juicy Couture, and Ralph Lauren are best sellers) and specific sizes, says eBay Power-Seller Debbie Imlay of Chatsworth, California. Other pluses: Shipping can be covered by the buyer, and commissions and fees are minimal.

Selling Points

List your items for seven days, not three or five, to give them optimal exposure.
Use a short, descriptive title that contains the following information, ideally in this order: brand, color, style, and size. For example: “Michael Kors shiny black A-line raincoat XL.” If the item is brand-new and still has the tags, add “NWT” on the end.
Include photos. Take shots from various angles, as well as close-ups of trim, detail work, and the label.
Provide a bulleted list describing your item (some of which will duplicate wording in the title): brand, size, condition, if it comes with the tags, type of material, where it was made, original retail price, and other noteworthy details.

Get your belongings in salable condition with the help of the Before-You-Sell Checklist.

Next: Furniture

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