via PxHere
Ever dreamed of selling all your possessions for cash and running away to a tropical island? Whether it’s laziness or sentimentality keeping you from fulfilling your dreams, it’s time to get moving. Here are a few convenient — and free– apps for selling your stuff.
Go ahead, take that unused Tae Bo punching bag down from its hook. Dig into the closet and pull out all the clothes that don’t fit. Take those old textbooks off the shelf. Let your old junk become someone else’s new treasure.
Letgo
Sell your sweet nostalgia
Letgo‘s marketing hinges on the idea that it can be hard to let go of the things we love. So they’ve made the process of selling those things as easy as possible.
Good: With a simple layout on a well known selling platform, so you’re more likely to reach the right audience. Posting is so easy that it will leave very little room for avoiding the task of decluttering.
Great: Letgo recommends sharing your listing on social media, since most items are sold to friends or friends of friends. Share on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Direct Messaging right from the app.
Meh: Sellers may pay $1.99 for your item to be featured on the front page for 24 hours. That somewhat defeats the purpose of a free app to sell your stuff, but hey. Do you.
5miles
Find cash within five miles
5miles works like many other apps like Varagesale or Letgo, except all searches and sales take place within a 5 mile radius of your set location. It virtually turns your neighborhood into an extended digital yard sale.
Good: 5miles is extra convenient for larger items like appliances, especially if your item requires the buyer to pick it up themselves.
Great: If you want to sell from work on your lunch break, or prefer to meet potential buyers in a public place, you can easily reset your location (this app requires “location” permissions) to reach a new 5 mile search radius.
Meh: If you live in a small town, you may not get a ton of hits. This app is suited moderate-to-heavily populated cities, or areas conveniently within five miles of a city.
BBCampus
Sell used textbooks for cold hard cash
BB Campus allows students to buy and sell used textbooks, and filter search results by college campus. The goal is to cut out the middle man, save time on shipping and handling, and eliminate transaction fees.
Good: Face-to-face transactions save time wasted on shipping and waiting for payment. Plus, socializing with peers is a good skill to leave college with.
Great: Barcode scanning lets you see suggested pricing compared to other textbook markets.
Meh: It’s new-ish, therefore untested in the real world (much like a college student). Seriously, at the time of publication there are only five reviews and one nice comment. But they’re all five stars. So really, we’re going to give this one the benefit of the doubt. It’s up to you to keep it 100.
ThredUp
Cash in on current or retro fashion trends
ThredUp is a fashion forward used clothing store. It’s part consignment shop, part thrift store, part donation drop-off, all in one website. ThredUp will send a kit for you to pack and return with your used clothing items. Then, depending on the type of transaction you choose (consignment, sale or donation) they will list or donate your items and send you cash when they sell.
Good: Clean Out Kits are perfect for a major closet purges. Like, the kind you don’t even want to think about listing every single item of clothing you own. Pack it all up, send it back. ThredUp lists and sells it for you while you earn some passive cash.
Great: A price estimator is available if you want to make sure it will be worth it to pack and ship your items. If you don’t care about the cash, or don’t think your clothes will fit the latest fashion trends, request a Donation Bag instead and your used clothes will be donated to a nonprofit of your choice, at no cost to you. All clothing items that are not accepted for sale will also be donated.
Meh: There is a 14 day waiting period for cash outs. The reasoning makes sense, but patience can be hard sometimes. However, credit is available to use right away in the ThredUp store.
CPlus for Craigslist
Revisit a classic
Among the first peer-to-peer commerce sites on the web, Craigslist is widely recognized as a place to get rid of your stuff quick. The CPlus for Craigslist app is a streamlined version of the full website that allows you to post on-the-go. Those old enough to remember Craig’s original list may note this improvement in efficiency.
Good: Craigslist reaches a wider audience across multiple cities, which is convenient if you travel or move a lot, and includes many filters and detail listing options.
Great: It includes options for renting your items. Perfect for renting out large appliances, landscaping equipment or other general garage items – those things many people in the neighborhood may need a couple times a year, but not often enough to justify purchasing for themselves.
Meh: This officially licensed app is rated Mature. It’s Craigslist. You know what that means. Be ready when browsing, think wisely when listing and stay safe when selling.
There you have it, cash and carry!
Whether you’re saving for vacation, or just need some quick cash for some unexpected expenses, there are plenty of helpful apps for selling your stuff. Pad your wallet and your peace of mind.
Have you used any apps for selling your stuff? Which one is your favorite? Is it something from this list or do you go with the old tried and true eBay? Tell us in the comments below which title you like for getting rid of junk.
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