There’s a magic and a mystery to hoarding random junk. When, if ever, will these pieces of consumer detritus transform into highly valuable antiques? When will that Stairmaster gain a retro chic that makes it eBay’s hottest item? How long will it take for the VHS revolution to take hold like vinyl records?
In reality, very few mass-produced goods will ever grow in value, but you can still make a pretty penny by selling them on. We’ve come up with a few examples of places to help sell your unwanted items. So whether you’re looking to shift CDs, furniture or rare books, read on.
Uplift companies
If you’re clearing out bulky pieces of furniture, don’t phone the council straightaway. There are plenty of uplift companies dedicated to specific items, and they’ll even pay you the privilege of taking it away.
A prime example is We Buy Any Stairlift, which will effectively purchase your stairlift from you and collect it from your home for free.
Music Magpie
Music Magpie has become well-known for its fuss-free approach to buying CDs, DVDs, books and computer games from its customers. The set-up is simple; list the items you want to send to the company, receive a quote, package up your goods and send them to Music Magpie.
The downside? Unless you own something of substantial value, you’ll rarely receive more than a few quid for your media collection.
The company has made a substantial profit on the consumers’ desire to shed their physical media in favour of streaming services and e-books. From that perspective, using Music Magpie will give you a better return on investment than bunging your CDs to the nearest charity shop, but don’t expect to receive a life-changing sum in return.
eBay
The world’s most famous auction service has maintained its supremacy in the marketplace for a good reason. It’s fast, reliable and easy to use.
eBay is also a good service if you’re selling items of reasonable value, and has become the home to sellers of major electrical items and cars.
But any items that appreciate in value, like a videogame or first edition book collection, will do well on eBay. If you’re searching for a trustworthy site, this is the one for you.
Abe Books
Although traditionally the home to professional booksellers, Abe Books has become home to a variety of individuals parting with their book collections.
It’s a slick site, which is unsurprising as it’s owned by Amazon, and one that makes it easy to connect the consumer with the seller. That said, its fees of 5.5% on any sale made may make it too pricey for anyone with only a paperback collection to their name.
Those are our favoured sites to help you unclutter your home and make some moolah. Do you love or loathe any of our suggestions? Do you have online recommendations of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
