How to start selling your things online

Joseph Barbella Contributing Writer

Today, most of our shopping is completed online, so why shouldn’t selling things be just as easy? We can buy anything online from clothing, to music to stocks. Now you can put anything up for sale, from an unplayed Xbox game to a sweater that you got for the holidays but never wore. If you aren’t sure where to start, here is a list of places that you should check out.

1. Poshmark:

This is an app that allows you to sell clothing, shoes and accessories online and from the convenience of your phone. The app is available for free on Apple and Android phones.

To sell your items, you create an account, post items you want to sell, along with pictures and engage with prospective buyers.

The app sends you prepaid shipping labels whenever an item is sold, taking the hassle out of purchasing the label yourself.

The downside to Poshmark is that it takes a twenty percent commission of any sale of $15 or more and a flat fee of $2.95 for anything less.

2. Gazelle:

New and improved electronics are coming out all the time. If you find yourself always wanting to keep up-to-date with the latest technological trend and you need a way to get rid of your old and unused products, Gazelle is what you need. It’s a Web site that buys smartphones, tablets, iPods, computers and almost anything else that’s electronic. The site offers you a payment based on the type of device you are selling and the condition of the device.

As opposed to Poshmark, Gazelle sellers don’t directly interact with customers. Gazelle is a good source to use if you are looking for a quick sale. Gazelle covers the shipping cost for virtually all items and pays you money in about a week as soon as their team inspects your device.

3. Facebook:

Don’t hesitate to use social media to sell things like movie tickets or textbooks.

On Facebook, you probably are a member of a few groups, especially ones involving your school. These groups can be used to your advantage for selling, especially if a large percentage of the given group is made up of people in the same class year or major as you.

More often than not, there is a prospective buyer out there. If you really want to make sure your post is seen, encourage your friends to like and share it as well.

4. eBay:

This site may require a little bit more effort on your part but it can be useful in selling just about anything. For starters, giving the proper description of what you’re selling is essential. eBay has guidelines and descriptions to tell you what the item’s condition would be considered and will give you price ideas based on what other things similar to it have sold at. One thing to look out for is for the first 50 items you list in a month. There are no insertion charges, while any amount of items over 50 in a month will cost $0.30. eBay also takes 10 percent of the total amount of the sale you make.

There are tons of ways for you to make a few extra dollars in college by selling the items that you no longer use and are taking up space. Other places exist that are tailored to specific items, like Stubhub for concert tickets and Amazon for textbooks.