A post from Christine Olson (who is going to be posting here much more often)
How can you make more money?
We all could use some more cash right now, right? Sometimes friends, family and neighbors ask “How can I can make a few extra bucks for some Christmas spending money?”
$500 – $1500 selling clutter
Most of us have too much clutter. Why not turn it into cash? Almost any parent has at least $500 or even up to $1500 worth of junk sitting around the house they can sell. Between Craigslist and eBay there is no excuse to not create some extra cash this Christmas Season.
Now is a great time to sell old winter gear
First off, start with your winter gear. Pull out all the boots, snow pants and jackets and find out what doesn’t fit anyone. Sell the jacket and snow pants as a set if they are the same size. Any name brand stuff will get you more money than generic superstore brands. This is the time to sell winter gear.
Too many old toys cluttering up your house? Turn them into cash!
Next, go through the toys. Your house will be flooded with more of them next month so you might as well clear out some old ones. Craigslist is a great place to sell big toys that are too cumbersome to ship. If you have oodles of “Little People Sets” that are in good shape and you have most of the pieces, Craigslist is the place to sell them. To save time, sell them in one big lot. If you have a second hand kid’s clothing store nearby, like Once Upon a Child, they may give you good money for toys. I dropped off a load last month and got a check for $56.00. Sell little toys you can bunch together and easily ship on eBay. Grab a Large Priority Box free from your Post Office and see what fits inside. It is a flat shipping cost of $12.95. See if you can group items together like Dora, Disney, Electronic Toys, Baby Einstein.
Sell in lots to maximize profits
Speaking of Baby Einstein, go through those kids books and DVDs. Group them together by age and sell them as a lot on eBay. Large lots of chapter books do well on eBay. A single Captain Underpants book won’t sell but a group of 10 will get you $10 – $15. To save a pile of cash when shipping books or DVDs, use Media Mail through the US Post Office.
Turn used baby clothes into cash
If you are recently out of the baby years you have hundreds of dollars sitting around your house. I sold my Baby Bjorn on eBay for practically what I paid for it. Used baby clothes in large lots sorted by age will fetch $30 – $50. Do you have any Gymboree, Gap, Old Navy? Sell them now! Make sure you weigh your items before listing them so you charge an accurate shipping price. The post office has 3 free Flat Rate Boxes and a free Flat Rate Envelope. They charge one price for anything that fits inside. Visit your local Post Office and pick up a few.
Turn Knick-Knacks into cash
In the past, did you collect Christmas Ornaments? Department 56 items? Pottery Barn decorations? Are you tired of them? Do they waste space? Check to see what kind of prices you can get for them on eBay. Check Completed Auctions, they give you actual prices people paid.
Turn more clutter into cash
Are your kids tired of Thomas? Sell them! Yards of Geo-Trax taking up space? Craigslist them! What about scrapbooking stuff you bought at Micheal’s? You know, for the elaborate plans you had to create a layout for every special occasion? Never got around to it, did you? Why? Well… you have kids.
Rubber Stamps that you don’t use anymore? Kids puzzles? Games? But remember, everything must be in good shape with no missing pieces.
Important points:
- Take good photos. I have 2 large pieces of white foam board I bought at Office Max I use for photos.
- Don’t over price your stuff. We all have a tendency to over price our own stuff. We attach emotional value to it. Do your research, and price it to sell.
- Don’t undercharge on shipping. Visit your local post office and visit http://www.usps.com for shipping prices and free boxes.
- Write good titles on your listings. Include brand names and sizes. Think of the words someone may use to find your items.
To find out more about how you can start your own internet based business check out Skip McGrath’s site.
Christine Olson is a WHAM (work at home mom) and serial entrepreneur. She owns and operates BooksMN.com an online bookselling business. She carries books, DVDs, games, puzzles, and other assorted retail items. You can buy direct for her on her website or visit her ebay store.
Expect many more posts from Christine in the near future.