30 Best Things To Sell To Make Money

Put your sneakers up for sale on eBay, or, better yet, StockX, the world’s first stock market for shoes. 

Have something particularly in demand? Head over to GOAT and apply to become an authorized seller.

But why stop there? As GQ put it, “sneakers are just a great investment.”

It might seem insane to believe, but right now, there are many sneaker flippers out there making six figures (or more) annually easily.

Check out the Top 5 Sneakers with the Best Resale Value.

3. Jewelry

Yes, jewelry is still among the best things to sell that make money online. And who doesn’t have an extra piece or two lying around they could stand to part with?

Selling at a pawn shop is a thing of the past. Try selling high-end items to the community of vetted buyers at Worthy, or check out Ruby Lane, which specializes in vintage and antique jewelry.

For something more simple, you might like CashForGoldUSA, which will buy your jewelry directly with no fuss.

4. Watches

 It is estimated that there are around $100 billion in watches in people’s closets in the US alone.

This might start to make sense when you consider over 1 billion watches are sold every year around the world. It is an industry driven by enthusiasts and collectors who are always looking for that perfect piece. This is why there is good money to be made.

This is where you come in.

Put your watch up for sale to the watch-hungry community at Chrono24.  Or, if you have a particularly valuable timepiece, you could go straight to collector’s forums like Rolex Forums, Omega Forums, WatchUSeek, or ChronoTrader.

5. Your wedding dress

According to Glamour Magazine, more brides are buying used wedding dresses than ever before.

This means that whether your wedding has come and gone, or you’ve changed your mind about the dress you bought, or even canceled the wedding altogether, your wedding dress might be one of the easiest things to sell for money that you have.

Check out Preowned Wedding Dresses or Once Wed to sell your dress commission-free. Or, let Nearly Newlywed handle the entire process for you, and keep 65% of the sale for yourself.

How much might your dress be worth? Check out this handy Wedding Dress Value Calculator.

6. Baby items

They grow up so fast, don’t they?

It’s a beautiful thing, but it does mean all those clothes and toys, accessories and gear, those strollers and highchairs and car seats, are quickly unused and probably taking up space.

Good news – there are always new parents who need these things!

Check out Kidizen to sell the trendy clothes your kids have outgrown. Or, order a clean-out kit from thredUP.

To sell all those baby accessories you’ve accumulated, head over to Mercari or Swap.

And don’t forget Facebook Marketplace, Facebook groups, and Craigslist, where you can find eager local buyers in your community.

7. Home décor items

The online marketplace for home décor online is pretty much endless. From art and vases to pillows and linens, to dishes and other kitchen accessories, to home improvement items and beyond, there are many things to sell to make money in your home right now.

Yes, you can go the eBay route, but for a more informed/interested clientele as InStyle Magazine put it, consider Chairish or AptDeco.

Have larger items that would be expensive to ship? Try Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to find local buyers.

8. Holiday decorations

There can be no doubt that people like to decorate their homes during Christmas.

But it doesn’t have to be just about Christmas; there are holidays all year long, and unique decorations and holiday accents that go with them!

Start with Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to find local buyers, and consider eBay for items with a higher profit margin.

Have decorations you’ve made yourself in your spare time? Sell them on Etsy.

Pro tip: keep your eye on Etsy’s Marketplace Insights for holiday trends, to find out what you’ve got that might be worth big money this year.

9. Furniture

Everybody needs furniture. From those going off to college, buying a new home, those upgrading or downsizing, or choosing a new style altogether. It’s nice if you’re looking for things to sell to make money, to have everybody as your potential customer base.

Shipping good old furniture can be expensive, so it’s often best to try selling on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to local customers first. Bonus points if you have a truck to offer delivery!

But if you have a particularly stylish or high-quality piece, it might be worth your time to check out Chairish, which curates and sells only the best pieces.

Not sure how to price your furniture? Check out this Furniture Calculator for an estimated value.

10. Handmade items

It has never been easier to make things yourself and sell them online. Things like handmade soaps and bath bombs, cosmetics and lip balms, and even, my personal favorite, homemade pet treats, are so simple to make and are in high demand right now.

Check out my guide on 20 Easy Things to Make and Sell Online.

Looking to sell your handmade items? Head over to Etsy, the home of all things handcrafted and handmade.

And don’t forget my definitive guide for How to Sell on Etsy.

11. Thrift store finds

People want unique, quirky, vintage items, they just don’t have the time or the gumption to find these things for themselves.

This is your opportunity for a tidy side hustle to make some extra income.

Take those things you find at the thrift store and sell them to a global audience on eBay for a healthy profit. You might also try Ruby Lane for more unique items.

You might even like it so much you turn it into a side business and start your own online store.

Need motivation? Check out 7 Times People Got Rich Off Thrift Store Finds.

12. Collectibles

Do you have something old or rare laying around, or that you’ve found at the thrift store, something that you think might be of some value?

Get it professionally appraised at Value This Now to find out how much money you can get.

If it’s worth something, you can sell it on Ruby Lane, or, for higher-end items and collectibles, through The Internet Antique Shop, a membership site for serious buyers and sellers.

And if you’ve got something unusual or collectible of more modest value, you can always try to stimulate a bidding war on eBay.

13. Old books

Did you know that over 650 million print books are sold in the US every year? Or that 74% of US adults read at least one book a year? That old stack of books just sitting on your bookshelf could be one of the best things to sell that make money fast.

Check out how much your old books are worth on BookFinder or BookScouter, which shows how much online buyers are willing to pay for your titles right now. Simply choose the best offer and reach out to sell!

For more valuable books, try selling on AbeBooks.

Pro tip: Beyond collectible and rare books, old textbooks are the big money maker. To sell your textbooks, go to Textbooks.com or Chegg.

14. Toys and action figures

“Remember all those old toys, board games, and playing cards you had in the ’90s? Well, they’re about to make you rich,” claims Cosmopolitan.

They might be onto something…

Right now, things like Polly Pockets and classic Barbies are selling for hundreds of dollars online, while other vintage toys are selling for thousands.

Check out eBay and see if what you’ve got is bringing in the bids. And if you’ve got an antique toy, head to Ruby Lane.

Or, if you just want someone to sell your old toys for you, check out Swap. They’ll send you a prepaid shipping box to fill with toys; send it to them and they’ll make you an offer.

15. Board games

Here is a little secret: those old board games you see at thrift stores or yard sales selling for a dollar or two are currently worth 10, 20, 50, 100 times that, or more, online – see for yourself!

It’s simple. If you’re looking for things to sell to make money online, you have to try selling your old board games on eBay, particularly if they are rare, popular, or laden with nostalgia.

To target the board game community specifically, try selling on BoardGameGeek. Alternatively, Noble Knight Games and BoardGameCo will buy your games directly.

16. Lego

Lego has been a popular item to sell for years. According to Time Magazine, Lego is a better investment than gold.

That’s right, that Lego block you stepped on in the middle of the night might be your golden ticket.

Sell your Lego on eBay, where thousands of sets are currently being sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The most popular sets are those from popular franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the Marvel Universe, as well as vintage or advanced editions.

Check out the price on the original Millennium Falcon set.

You can sell to Lego collectors specifically at BrickLink. Or, if you don’t want to go to all the trouble, The Plastic Brick will buy your Lego directly. They’ll even buy giant bags of mismatched Lego blocks!

17. Pokémon cards

Since they were first released in the late-90s, 1^st edition Pokémon cards have appreciated in price over 10,000%! Today, there are dedicated Pokémon card collectors all over the world, including celebrities like Logan Paul and Steve Aoki.

The fact is, if you have Pokémon cards in good condition, you have what they thought Beanie Babies were going to be.

Just recently, a rare Charizard card sold for $311,800, while a sealed box of first edition cards went for an incredible $408,000.

If you’ve got Pokémon cards, you should be able to sell them on eBay, where collectors prowl.  Alternatively, go to Check Out My Collectibles to sell individual cards to set collectors.

Check out Forbes Magazine’s Top 10 Most Valuable Pokémon Cards (That You Might Actually Own)

18. Sports cards and memorabilia

From May-July 2020, 136 sports cards were sold on eBay for more than $50,000 each.

If you’ve got a collection of cards or memorabilia you’ve been waiting for to rise in value, well, it’s happened!

Now might be the time to either sell them on eBay or head to Check Out My Collectibles or Dave and Adam’s Card World for a more targeted community of buyers.

19. Old and vintage electronics

These days, technology moves fast. Don’t be stuck with a pile of old and outdated electronics cluttering up your space. Old electronics are among the easiest things to sell that make money fast.

Check out Decluttr, which will quickly and painlessly buy your stuff directly; they’ll even pay for you to ship to them!

Have something more vintage? eBay has become a great place to sell rare and vintage electronics, that stuff that has been collecting dust for multiple generations.

Check out 10 Old and Outdated Electronic Devices That May Be Worth A Lot.

20. Video games, CDs, DVDs

A recent survey found that the UK could be debt-free as a nation if its citizens sold their £1.8 billion of unused computer games.

If it could do that for the world’s sixth largest economy, what could selling your old computer games, CDs, and DVDs do for you?

It’s actually so incredibly easy. Go to sites like Ziffit or musicMagpie and use their apps to scan the barcodes on your games or media and receive an offer immediately.

Note: For something with such a low-profit margin, it’s not really worth the hassle of making ads on eBay or somewhere similar, unless you have something particularly rare or special edition.

21. Old phones

Did you know that hundreds of millions of used smartphones are sold worldwide each year?

If you’ve got an old phone laying around, somebody wants it, meaning it could earn you cash fast.

Try selling your phone on Swappa, which according to Wired is where you’ll get the most money for your old device.

Have a broken phone that doesn’t work anymore? No problem, uSell will still buy it from you!

22. Vintage video games, consoles

Like with your smartphone, your previous generation gaming consoles are some of the easiest things to sell that make money online.

Places like Decluttr will buy your console directly. Alternatively, and particularly if you have an older generation model, you may want to list it on eBay or Swappa. If you’re sitting on an Atari or old-school Nintendo, you can definitely facilitate a bidding war!

23. Fitness equipment

The COVID pandemic broke the fitness industry.

Unable to go to the gym, the demand for fitness equipment went up 600%. Even as prices rose 150%, longstanding and established stores simply ran out of equipment.

While we are (hopefully) beginning to overcome COVID, sellers of fitness equipment are still working down wait lists many months long. The point, your fitness equipment is one of the best things to sell for money right now!

Since most exercise equipment is heavy, consider selling local first on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Or, check out Global Fitness, which will buy your equipment directly.

24. Bicycles

In the words of the LA Times, “used bikes are the new new bikes.”

If fitness equipment is hot, bikes are hotter, and the secondary market is booming.

If you’re ready to sell, go to places like BikeExchange or Pinkbike first to put your bike in front of a community of bike nerds. Or, you may find it easiest to sell locally through Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Alternatively, The Pro’s Closet might buy your bike directly from you, and even pay for the shipping!

Bonus Tip: Use BicycleBlueBook to check the value of your bike before selling.

25. Plasma

Did you know that you can donate plasma three times per week, and places will pay you up to $50 every time? In fact, due to COVID, the number of donors is down significantly, so it’s likely you’ll be paid considerably more right now. For example, one company was paying an extra $400 to new donors.

In the US, check out Octaphrama Plasma or Donating Plasma to find a location near you, and put some extra cash in your pocket while helping your community.

26. Your hair

The best wigs and hair extensions are made of human hair. This means that your luscious locks might be one of the easiest things to sell to make extra money.

How much is your hair worth? Check out the HairSellon price calculator to get an idea; it could be hundreds, or it could be thousands. Most simply, buyers are looking for thick, healthy hair which has not been dyed, permed, or otherwise treated.

Ready to sell? List your hair on BuyAndSellHair, OnlineHairAffair, or HairSellon.

27. Musical instruments

There’s something nice about finding a new home for your unused musical instruments, like you are bringing songs into the world, and making a little money while you’re at it.

Whether you are upgrading your gear or never quite got around to those guitar lessons, it is easy to sell your musical instruments.

Check out Reverb; it’s an auction site like eBay, but for music gear. Guitar Center will buy back your guitar. Contact them and they’ll give you a quote right away. And a good option you shouldn’t discount is Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, particularly for larger, hard-to-ship items.

28. Your opinion

Penny for your thoughts? Well, maybe more than a penny…

Companies spend billions of dollars every year on market research, focus groups, and product testing? Why not get your slice of the pie?

How? Take part in the research! It’s one of the best ways to make extra money in your spare time!

Check out User Interviews, which recruits internationally, or Respondent, which targets professionals, students, and teachers. There, you can get paid to take part in focus groups, often more than $100/hr!

And for more online focus groups opportunities, check out these 16 Best Online Focus Groups.

29. Your Photos

These days, everyone with a phone thinks they’re a photographer.

They might be right …

Here’s the secret: many large stock photography companies want to license your shots, even if you don’t have a professional camera. Then. when somebody downloads your photograph from their catalog, you get paid!

Shutterstock, for one, has paid out over $1 billion to contributors worldwide to date.

Interested? Check out my definitive list of the 15 Best Websites for Selling Stock Photos for Money.

30. Gift Cards

We’ve all been there – you get a gift card you can’t use or simply don’t want.

There is no reason to let unused gift cards collect dust in your wallet when it is so easy to cash for it right now.

Check out Cardpool, CardCash, or Gift Card Granny, where you can get up to 92% cash back, or even trade it for other gift cards you do want.

Where can I sell things to make extra money?

Best apps to sell stuff online

• eBay
• Decluttr
• Amazon
• Poshmark
• Tradesy
• thredUP
• Etsy
• Instagram Checkout

Best apps to sell stuff locally

• Craigslist
• Facebook Marketplace
• Nextdoor
• 5Miles

Check out my guide on the Best Selling Apps To Sell Your Stuff Online And Locally.

How to make money selling things: Top 5 tips to sell your things fast for a higher price

1. Take good pictures

Something like 90% of online shoppers thinks product photography is “very” or “extremely” important. You don’t need to be an expert, but make sure to put some effort into taking high-quality photos of what you want to sell.

When listing your ad, make sure to use all the pictures you are allowed, including multiple angles and lifestyle shots.

2. Write good descriptions

This means including anything and everything the customer might need to know. Think of measurements, what materials it is made of, its model number, and, of course, brand name.

3. Disclose any issues

The last thing you want to do is deliver a product in worse condition than you advertised. Even buyback services will lower their offer, or reject your item altogether if it is not what you said it was.

The good news is that lots of people and places will buy your stuff even with issues, so long as you disclose them first.

4. Be responsive to inquiries

As people are browsing online marketplaces, their interest can be fleeting. Quick communication is crucial. Many platforms have built-in messaging apps to streamline the process.

Make sure to be clear and courteous. Understand that haggling is often part of the process and can be done respectfully.

5. Don’t forget shipping costs

Shipping costs can eat into profits fast. Always be on the lookout for ways to reduce these, either by using companies that provide free shipping, or selling locally, particularly with larger items.

So there you have it!

If you came here looking for things to sell to make money, you now know what to sell, and where to sell it!

The only thing left to do is get started and watch the money roll in.

If you have any questions, add a comment below or email me. I reply to every comment and every single email!

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