Where To Get the Most Cash for Your Unwanted (But Awesome) Stuff

There are options both online and locally where you could earn top dollar for your unwanted things. Nitiphonphat/Shutterstock

If you’re looking for ways to get cash for stuff you no longer need or want, there are a number of options both online and locally where you could earn top dollar. You just need to know where to look. Here are reliable places to get rid of your old stuff for the best price. Just keep in mind that the amount of money buyers are willing to pay may differ wildly from your expectations as a seller.

Books

Check BookScouter.com, where more than 30 used book vendors will compete to buy your books. Download the app and then input the ISBN number (either a 10- or 13-digit number on the book itself) to find out which book buyer, if any, is interested in what you have, and which one is willing to pay the highest price.

Decluttr.com buys books, too, and is the easiest way to make quick cash for your highly desirable used books. The site accepts hardbacks and paperbacks, used textbooks and children’s books, too. Know going in that Decluttr buys books that have a high degree of desirability. Then they offer a price that will allow them to resell for a profit. It’s certainly worth checking out.

Another option is to list your books on eBay, a large marketplace for used books, or consider selling to used bookstores in your area. Just know that means you'll need to take the books to the store, offer them to the proprietor, who will need time to go through what you have to offer, and then more than likely lug about half of them to the next bookstore (or back home). If you enjoy visiting used bookstores, you may find this to be a fun way to spend a day or two, depending on what you have.

Clothing

Sort your best clothes, pull out the gems and sell them to a consignment store, at ThredUp.com, PoshMark.com or through eBay. If you have vintage pieces Etsy will bring you the best buyers.

But first, make sure your items are impeccably stain-free and clean. It’s important for tags to be intact that show the brand, size, fabric content and laundering instructions. If these tags are missing, do your best to describe what you know about the item and attach that information on a note.

Group the rest that you are unable to sell as above into lots (12 child T-shirts, for example) and post them in an ad on Craigslist.org, on Facebook Marketplace or in your local classifieds. Sell what’s left in a yard sale.

Furniture, Antiques, Collectibles

Sell pieces of exceptional quality on consignment or at auction (online or off). Or search your local area for auctions and furniture consignment stores.

List good-quality pieces in local newspaper classifieds or on Craigslist. Sell lower-quality or less desirable items at a yard sale or estate sale.

Another option for pieces you are not able to sell on your own is to approach a specialty antique dealer who deals in specific eras or types of collectible furniture and furnishings. It will cost you a fee and perhaps a percentage of the sale price to go through a dealer, but what you earn is more than you would net should you donate these items to Salvation Army or Goodwill.

Electronics

Sell older electronic items on eBay, Craigslist or the classifieds of your local newspaper. You can sell older but still usably functional items at a garage sale. Just make sure you can demonstrate an item’s functionality. If you’re looking to sell vintage electronics, eBay is a good place to start. You could also check out Best Buy or another retailer that offers a recycling program.

Housewares

Sell highly sought-after items on Facebook Marketplace (one of the best online places to sell stuff locally and to ship as well), on consignment in a shop near you, on eBay or through Craigslist. Sell everything else at a yard sale, where you will need to price these items well below what you may think they are worth. (Remember this the next time you are tempted to load up on all kinds of cute, holiday-specific or otherwise delightful housewares at stores like HomeGoods or TJMaxx.)

Jewelry

First, get an appraisal from a reputable jeweler or two so you have an idea of what your piece(s) might be worth based on content -- gold, silver, platinum, precious stones. Then sell them through eBay, at auction or to that dealer or jewelry store. For the lesser pieces, look to a local consignment shop or list them on eBay.

Musical Instruments

Reverb.com is a great online place to sell vintage masterpieces and gently used musical instruments of every kind. Audio equipment, too.

Or let the band directors at area middle schools and high schools know you have an instrument for sale. Parents who will be looking for alternatives to buying a new instrument that their child may or may not use beyond a semester or two. If that fails, as a last resort, you can always sell your instrument(s) to a pawnshop or music store.