Everyone is getting rid of everything thanks to “Tidying up With Marie Kondo,” a new reality show from the famed organizing consultant. Kondo has convinced people to toss possessions that don’t “spark joy” to leave their homes less cluttered and less stress-inducing. But you don’t have to lose your clothes, books and other items for nothing. Your stuff may not spark joy, but it can still make cash.
Kondo suggests going through your possessions in order, from clothes, to books, to paper, to miscellaneous items and deciding what to keep and what to purge. Your old papers probably aren’t worth much, but here’s how to make money on the other items. Here’s how to sell your items during a cleanse.
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Where to sell clothing: Poshmark
Poshmark allows sellers to photograph and upload items to their online closets quickly using their phones. The site provides pre-paid labels for easier shipping. Selling takes little effort, but buyers can haggle. (Learn how to haggle your way to a better budget.)
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Where to sell clothing: Instagram
Instagram already provides a platform for people to show off their #ootd looks. You can turn your account into a storefront, though you’ll have to manage payment, shipping and returns yourself.
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Where to sell clothing: Thredup
Thredup is well-suited for people who want to get rid of a lot of stuff quickly. You order a bag, fill it with clothes, ship it to Thredup and they pay you for the items they accept. Here are some more apps that can help you with your spring cleaning.
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Where to sell clothing: Tradesy
Tradesy only accepts designer fashion, so if you have fancy items in good condition, this could be an option. Tradesy sends sellers a free shipping kit. For items that sell for less than $50, Tradesy takes a $7.50 commission. For items that sell for more, Tradesy takes 19.8%.
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Where to sell books: Bookscouter
Bookscouter can help you learn what your books are worth. Its ISBN search tells you what other sellers are charging for the books you’re trying to sell. It’s mostly for textbooks, though.
The best place to start may be your local used book store. Call them up to see what they’re looking for.
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Where to sell books: Amazon
The Amazon Trade-In program accepts books in exchange for Amazon gift cards. Amazon provides a free trade-in shipping label. You can also take items to a brick-and-mortar Amazon Books location.
Amazon lets you sell a variety of items. Individual sellers must pay a fee of $0.99 for every item sold, as well as a referral fee, depending on the type of item.
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Where to sell other stuff
eBay takes 10% or less from each sale and also allows you to sell basically anything.
For those who want to sell locally, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace allow you to list items for free. Transactions using these services are more hands-on: You have to arrange the payment method and meeting place yourself. On the other hand, Craigslist and Facebook won’t take any of the proceeds.
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How to sell safely
Exercise caution when selling something to a stranger, said Kelvin Coleman, executive director of the National Cyber Security Allowance. If you’re not careful, you can become a victim of fraud or worse, since transactions are in-person.
“Buying or selling items via social sites bridges both personal and online security, so a good rule of thumb is trust your instincts,” Coleman said.
To arrange these transactions, use a email address separate from the account you use for dealing with financial or health issues. Limit the information you reveal about yourself both in conversation with the buyer and in anything you post online. Meet in a public place during the day like a coffee shop or library where other people will be present, he said.
If that’s not possible, recruit a buddy to be present during the sale, especially if the buyer is coming to your home, Coleman said. Use common sense, Coleman said. If anything feels fishy, call off the deal.
This article originally appeared on Policygenius and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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