“Let’s sell everything we own!”, I exclaimed to my husband. Apparently, he didn’t have the same thoughts as me. “That would be going backwards”, he said.
I looked perplexed. “Backwards?” I asked, “but we owe $75,000 of debt. We can buy that stuff back later in cash.”
“I’ll think about it” he said in his manly voice.
Okay then, I am selling all I own! 🙂 (Yes, I realize this is a joint effort, but sometime a woman needs to get the ball rolling)
This need to venture into a mass selling spree started after reading a guest post by Jenny Newcomer, on Man vs. Debt – PIF $15,000 in 9 months. I soon eyed the house for what I could possibly have to sell. And then it happened…
Every item in my house is now seen with a shiny price tag – the tent in the garage, the motorcycle helmets hanging on the wall, the books in my bookshelf, the coffee press in the cupboard. I realized, with new sight, that I have much to sell in my possession. The problem in the past, was the emotional attachment I harbored with these materialistic items. No more!
I will start small, but be persistant with posting and selling items.
My goal right now: to pay off half of my Bank of America card balance – $900.
On my agenda for the week:
- Sell 2 unused gift cards
- Inventory and update my book listings
- List clothing on Ebay and donate the rest
There are different avenues I am looking to sell my items.
With more than 88 million active users globally, eBay is the world’s largest online marketplace, where practically anyone can buy and sell practically anything. With a diverse and passionate community of individuals and small businesses, eBay offers an online platform where millions of items are traded each day.
Half.com offers buyers an online marketplace where they can buy both new and used textbooks, books, music, movies and video games at discounted prices. With one of the largest inventories on the web, Half.com offers everyone the ability to find the best bargains online, quickly and easily.
Selling on Amazon is a program that enables merchants to sell their products and inventory on Amazon.com. You can sign-up to sell items in the following categories: Books, Music, DVD, Video/VHS, Baby, Camera and Photo, Electronics, Grocery, Health and Personal Care, Home and Garden, Musical Instruments, Office Products, Personal Computers, Software, Sports & Outdoors, Toys & Games, Tools and Hardware, Video Games and Wireless Antennas and Boosters.
Local classifieds and forums – community moderated, and largely free. Jobs, housing, goods, services, romance, local activities, advice – just about anything really. Started as an email list of SF events, as a hobby by Craig Newmark in early 1995. It now generates more than 20 billion page views. On Craigslist.org you can sell just about anything. For good Craigslist selling tips, Click Here
Garage sales are work – a lot of hard work, but the returns more than justify the effort. Whether it’s advertised as Patio, Carport, Yard, Porch, or Garage-a-Rama, people will come and buy. Clean out your closets and ANYTHING that is useless to you or you don’t want – put it in the sale. Don’t throw anything away. People will buy just about anything. You’d be surprised. What is one person’s trash is another’s GOLDMINE!
Let the Selling Begin! What is your best selling avenue (Craigslist, Ebay, Half, Garage Sales, etc…)?
Go for it.
I wish I had more to sell, but we never really bought a ton of extra stuff. Our money was always spent on dining out or whatev.
Right now I am selling a few things: my motorcycle for starters. If it were up to me we’d be living in a van down by the river!
Cheers!
Now that is what I thought… that we didn’t have extra stuff to sell. But for some reason this time it’s different. I can see tons of price tags throughout my house.
Oh dining is a big expenditure. That got us good too!
Oh we have a motorcycle for sale, too! $25,000 custom chopper in gray and blue sitting in our garage. But with the economy so down in the dumps… it’s really not a good time to sell. *Found Motorcycle pic:
And I’m with you, we’d be living it bare if it were all up to me! 🙂
Great idea to sell things and I wish you luck. We made about 900 dollars selling our excess books on half.com. It feels so good to declutter and the more you sell the easier it is to just let go of everything.
Congratulations on your first child on the way! All 3 of my office mates are pregnant and due 3 weeks apart from each other! Crazy, huh? Me? The DH and I are done with havin’ kids – a teen and a tween will keep ya busy!
Thank you for the luck! I just hope I can keep the momentum going on selling my stuff. That is why I think it will be good to start small at a steady pace. Wow, $900 on half.com! Very cool. I made about $100 when I first listed, but it’s been silent for a while. Time to revamp the listings.
Thank you for letting me know that it is going to get easier to let go as I sell more stuff. I think I will be quite content with simplicity. 🙂
GL! Personally, I think that ebay is best for items small enough to fit into a USPS flat rate large box (or smaller) and that can be started at $24.99 or more. Otherwise the time required to take good pictures and write a good description will make your hourly return very small. On the other hand, it is so much fun to check your auctions ans see people bidding up your stuff!
I’d save garage sales for mostly low-quality furniture and junk; you’re not going to get a high mark-up, at least in my part of the world.
Half is nice if your media sells; mine has sold at a trickle, rather than in a stream, but not having to pay listing fees means that you can just leave stuff forever and send it when it is bought.
Amazon takes a very large percentage off the top – make sure it’s your best place to sell any items listed there.
I have never managed to sell anything on Craigslist, but have read many people’s stories of having done so – hope you have better luck than me.
Don’t forget consignment stores for clothing (and furniture and perhaps antiques and collectables, depending on your area)- like half, they charge a large percentage, but you don’t have to pay listing fees. And you can always collect the things they don’t sell for resale in another venue.
The Lost Goat, Thank You for all the wonderful advice about selling through these avenues! I never even thought of selling on Ebay with those guidelines – but it makes perfect sense.
I love how Half.com reimburses a seller for shipping. The garage sales I was going to use for the ‘stuff’ that remains. If it doesn’t sell there then it will go to the thrift store.
I’ve never tried Amazon – so thank you for the head’s up.
Craigslist, I have sold a few items with good results. Just know that the seller will probably request a lower price upon picking up the item. So, it would be good to say ‘firm’ in the ad if you want the price you set. If not, be prepared to haggle.
And come to think of it, there is a consignment shop around the corner from work. I may just bring over those few key items I do not want to donate.
Wow, tons of great information! Thank you so much. Kudos! 🙂
If there is one thing I’ve learned about selling, it’s timing. The same item (at the same price) posted at different times can have dramatic results.
Lately, I have become frustrated with Craigslist and have moved back to eBay. Although it has been nearly six years since I last used eBay, I am giving it another try. Why I stopped is a different story for another time.
Never tried a garage sale, but that is in the plans for next Spring. Where I live it is getting too cold to attempt this.
I sold some books through Amazon years ago and had good results.
Great post. I’m actually doing the same thing at this time. In an effort to minimize and pay down debt, getting rid of stuff I no longer use is the best way to go.
I have lots of stuff the selling process will be long. I have given myself a goal of six months to have all my stuff sold.
I’ve heard about the timing factor when posting on Ebay. I will have to toy with that concept.
I’m not much for garage sales, but I figure it would be a good last ditch effort to sell the stuff that remains.
Ya, debt is a hell of a b*tch to get rid of. But I am so tired of having it. Actually, I think I am fed up that our progress has slowed down. I need to boost it up again. And it may be a long process, but let’s persist.
I look forward to your updates!
And try these veggie tacos. They really are very tasty. I don’t believe in using TVP – so this lentil mix is a very good meat alternative
Ooo Good luck!!! Once you get bit by the selling bug it’s hard to stop. We had a yard sale over the summer at hubby’s parents house that went extremely well, it fact hubby kept running up to his old room to see what else he could find to sell! I think his parents were happy that the stuff was no longer cluttering the room. 🙂
LOL. I bet your hubby’s parents were happy. How funny. But that is great to have such a wonderful outcome. I just hope that my selling bug will work on getting my husband to roll with the idea. I think he will. By nature, he usually needs a little persuasion and proof that it will help work our debt off. So, I’ll give him proof. And we’ll become debt-free! 😉
Wow, when I read the post’s title I was very intrigued! I will love to follow your progress on this one!!!
I just have to remember not to second guess myself and just go for it! Sell! Sell! Sell! 🙂
I will be sure to keep you updated on the progress!
Glad my guest post on Man VS Debt was inspiring! Good luck! Cheers, Jenny
Hey, it’s Jenny! Yes, many thanks for inspiring me to get rid of my material possessions. It’s a good thing. I have to much stuff. It will be nice to single out the things that really mean something to me. Not to mention this process will help make a dent in this horrendous debt. 🙂
I want that bike!!!! How about $25.00? haha…Absolutely LOVE this post of yours, really makes me want to sell sell sell too! A least the basement full of stuff I couldn’t even name…I think I’ll try the 2 items a week goal and see what happens, thx!
Hahahaha. Um, no. 😉 Thanks! And we are still on our mission. Making sure that something is always up for sale. Christmas is a good time to sell – especially if you got some good stuff! In fact, I am waiting just this minute for someone to pick up 16 strands of icicles I just sold on Craigslist.
And if you sell… you’ll have to update your sell-o-meter! Thanks for swinging on by! 😉
I wish I had that guts to do that! Darn sentimental attachment! My boyfriend and I are trying to get more minimalist too, just no where near as drastic! Good luck; I’m jealous!
In terms of selling, while you might be able to make a little more on ebay, it’s such a crapshot. I’ve always had the most luck with Amazon.. and far less creeps than craigslist! (altho, craigslist is perfect for just getting rid of stuff)
I am not as minimalistic as you think – I posted my Doc Martens on ebay, but quickly took them off. I just couldn’t part with them! Too much sentimental value, plus they went to some great shows!
I don’t seem to have the best of luck with Ebay. I’ve had buyer problems in the past – sometimes the hassle isn’t worth it. I will try Amazon – but heard their fees are high. And Craigslist – the few times I have sold I’ve had total luck with this. Only one no show, but another person came right after – so all was good.
Thanks for stopping on by! Always love to discover a new blog to read. 🙂
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The “everything is for sale” also develops the right attitude in terms of buying stuff because the resale value will always be taken into account. What is really important is the running cost of ownership which is essentially (cost – proceed)/days of ownership. This way, there is no reason to hold stuff in the basement “just in case”. Instead, I use ebay, craigslist, freecycle, etc. “just in case” I need something I don’t have. When I don’t need it anymore, I just sell it again.
I was reading your formula in regards to buying stuff…multiplying the cost by 300… I still need to follow up on that post.
The problem I had with the ‘sell everything’ was that the items I had did not retain the buying price. So, something I bought at $200 would probably resell at less than $20. And talk about the quick depreciation of books! That did not last long, so the rest went to goodwill and library. So, I look forward to buying things with a good resell value (like Birkenstocks). When I do buy… (that could be a while)
You are right, it’s just stuff. You can buy more stuff later when your are debt free and have cash.
Hi
I have at current 50 ads posted on craigslist weekly and about the same amount on EBay. I’m selling a car and a comic book collect as well as all of my cloths and my full library including all of my tools. I just sold a high end guitar for $1,300. I haven’t counted my money yet but the stacks of solid hundreds and thousand dollar bills are to big to fit in both of my closed fist in both. The bills are neatly rolled with all the presidents engraved portraits facing up in numerical order. Even with a strong grip I can’t wrap both of my hands around the uncounted stack. I don’t want to count it because I hate spoiling my surprises which will be the day I leave. I recently purchased a cargo bike frame and am building a bike that I can live on with a rolling bed and small aluminum canopy I’m building. I am in philosophical, ethical and spiritual principle disgusted and fed up with this mode and method of living and will no longer participate. It has and is poisoning, disconnect and killing us all and I can’t fix it and I won’t participate in it and I won’t contribute to it. Its is a wild juggernaut of economic enslavement which I am leaving. I out of the pig factory and out of the sweat shop very soon. I wish you all a trip to your paradise and a good long happy life. Sell everything!!!!