Do you find your home filled with things you no longer need or use? Unwanted clothing or furniture can make your living space cluttered and stressful. But what if there’s a way to turn those items into cash while simplifying your life?
The answer lies in using apps specifically designed for selling your belongings. This well-researched guide presents the best apps that can aid you in your decluttering journey and make your home more organized and appealing.
Table of Contents
How to Choose the Right App for Selling Your Stuff
Understanding your Needs and the Product
Choosing the right app to sell your items isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Factors to consider include what you’re selling and your target customers. Here’s a detailed look at what to keep in mind:
User Base
Are you after a quick sale? Apps like OfferUp, with its large user base, provide a platform where your product might be sold quickly and fairly.
User Interface (UI)
An easy-to-navigate UI can make both long-distance shipments and local meetups a breeze.
Quick Buy Options
For rapid sales, Facebook Marketplace shines, allowing your listing to be seen by a vast demographic.
Targeted Customer Base
For more specialized products like branded clothes, Poshmark is a winner. It’s an eCommerce site and social network in one, offering personalized pricing and discounts.
Specific Items to Sell
For technology enthusiasts selling old gadgets, Decluttr is a great option, while 5miles specializes in moving large items like furniture.
Safety and Convenience
Apps like 5miles ensure secure connections with local buyers, offering peace of mind and top value for your goods.
Top apps for selling stuff
Based on the considerations mentioned above, here are the top stuff wherein you can sell your stuff.
OfferUp
OfferUp is considered the best overall app to sell your stuff. It was founded in 2011 by Nick Huzar and Arean van Veelen. Letgo, an online marketplace rival, has merged with OfferUp.
A win-win situation for sellers and buyers regarding a speedy sale at a reasonable price is now possible, thanks to the increased visibility of listings on the same platform. OfferUp has detailed postings with seller ratings. For added convenience, ready-to-use posting templates are also available,
How it works
On transactions when shipping is required, OfferUp handles all contact, payment, and shipment within the app. Upon acceptance of an offer, the buyer is charged, and OfferUp produces a shipping label that is both trackable and pre-paid.
Once the package is delivered and the customer verifies their satisfaction, money is sent to the seller’s account via OfferUp, which charges a service fee of around 12.9% or $2. The customer can only initiate a return when the item is defective, inaccurate, or lacking information that was not disclosed during the sale.
Meanwhile, OfferUp encourages users to utilize cash rather than checks, cards, or payment applications for in-person transactions and encourages all parties to report any suspicious conduct.
Pros
- User-friendly and adaptable app
- Various “Community Meetup Spots” with video cameras in well-lit places for added security
Cons
- Oversight needs improvement
- No option for anonymous posting
- Online payments for in-person transactions are not available
Poshmark
If you are planning to sell clothes, Poshmark is the best app for you. In The Us, Canada, and Australia, more than 80 million people use Poshmark, a California-based app for selling old and new items, as well as a social network.
As a general rule, Poshmark charges a flat fee of around $3 for sales of less than $15 and a flat fee of about $7.50 for expedited delivery on all purchases. Poshmark provides a pre-paid USPS label for the seller that monitors the item’s delivery.
To cancel a deal, a buyer has five days to return the item to the seller, but most sellers are far quicker than that. Members’ profiles highlight their average shipment timeframes.
How it works
To put an item up for sale, provide at least one photo and details on the item’s sizing and brand. Both parties can provide a discount if other members “like” these things when shopping.
Customers willing to bargain might get even better deals on high-end products thanks to the feature. Poshmark makes a three-day deposit into the seller’s account once the item has been delivered. Poshmark is a great place to sell name-brand apparel since all sales are final (except products received by mistake or misrepresented by the seller).
Pros
- Easy-to-use interface
- Has filtered searches
- With daily group events for buying and selling
- Opportunities for earning commissions through selling or trading
Cons
- Expensive fees
- Shipping should be via the app
- The user shoulders shipping
- Somewhat limited to clothing and home goods
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a good place for those looking for quick sales. Boosting your listing as an ad on Facebook’s Marketplace is a way for the social network to make money from the service.
Because of this, a social media giant is a valuable tool for sellers who want to move rapidly with a sale and don’t want to spend money on sponsored advertising. It’s free to put anything on the Facebook Marketplace, and it’s hugely popular—more than 800 million people use it monthly to purchase and sell stuff.
With FB marketplace, you’ll have access to a wide audience and convenience for existing FB users.
How it works
Offering products for sale on Facebook Marketplace is no different than posting any other update on the world’s largest social networking platform, except that each listing is public so that it may be seen by anyone, anywhere.
There is no need for any other information beyond a photo and a brief description. The location and category of the goods will also be brought up.
Once satisfied with the listing, you may submit it to your News Feed or groups for others to see. Unless you can meet your buyer in person, Facebook charges a 5% selling fee on things that are sent. The seller receives a printable shipping label from Facebook and payment via Messenger for these sales.
Pros
- No need to install the app
- With 70 countries’ availability
Cons
- Payment for shipping
- Concerns with data security
- No option for anonymous posting
- The user must initiate negotiation and payment
Decluttr
Ideal for selling technology and electronics, Decluttr will provide you with a price quote if you describe what you’re selling. It is situated in Kennesaw, Georgia, and has helped more than 2 million clients since its start in the United States in 2014 remove the guesswork and difficulty of selling obsolete laptops, phones, and tablets.
How it works:
Just pack up your old things, ship them off, and Decluttr will pay you the day after it arrives if you like the offer. As a bonus, if something strange happens—say, the buyer can’t purchase your item—Decluttr will send it back to you at no cost.
Pros
- Quick application
- Will buy broken devices
- Accepts a wide range of devices, including CDs, DVDs, and even legos
Cons
- No drawbacks mentioned
5Miles
Developed by Dr. Lucas Lu was launched in 2014, 5mile app is best for selling furniture and big ticket items. With more than 14 million users, sellers may expect a large audience of potential purchasers. Moreover, for those who don’t speak English well, 5miles offers in-app translation capabilities and an “Awesome Experience” staff to answer queries, investigate suspicious behavior, and respond to any possible site misuse in real-time.
How it works:
5Miles leverages your phone’s location to connect you with buyers in your region. The app’s income strategy is to provide services to large-scale sellers, such as auto dealerships, rather than collecting fees for individual listings.
Pros
- Easy-to-use app
- Cost-free for the majority of sellers:
- Provides a meetup location locator
- Added safety, offers a triple verification mechanism (phone, Facebook, and user ratings)
Cons
- No drawbacks mentioned
eBay
With 187 million customers worldwide, eBay, founded in 1995, is one of the largest online marketplaces. On eBay, you can either auction off your products or sell them at a predetermined price. A Gigayacht sold for $168 million on eBay, the highest price for an eBay auction.
How it works:
The app’s most notable feature is its auction mode. Just submit a picture of what you want to sell, make a starting price, and decide the duration of your auction.
If the auction finishes with a winning bid, you must sell the item to the highest bidder. eBay’s automatic bidding feature, which automatically bids in increments greater than the initial bid, may also be used by buyers to bid on things.
Pros
- Monitors transaction
- Accepts various products
- Has several payment options
- Has an auction mode and a “buy it now” option
Cons
- High fees
- May have glitches
- Has a lot of competition
- Customer service needs improvement
Nextdoor
If you’re looking to sell or purchase anything locally, Nextdoor is a fantastic alternative since this is a neighborhood-focused social network. Moreover, your ad will surface in their newsfeeds even if your neighbors aren’t explicitly looking for products on sale. Hence, this is best for local sales thanks to its neighborhood-based directories, free and for-sale sections, and advertising to all local users.
How it works:
Posting a listing is done by clicking the “Post a Listing” icon on the top right of the page, then selecting “For Sale and Free.” This is followed by the addition of data like pricing and product descriptions, as well as images. It’s up to the buyer and seller to work out the logistics of picking up and paying for the goods.
Pros
- Does not have fees
- Ability to evet neighbors or buyers
- Features a For Sale and Free Section.
- Allows a filter to show either free or for-sale items
Cons
- Unclear guidelines
- Limited in the locality
Craiglist
Craigslist is a tried-and-true method for connecting local and long-distance buyers and sellers. For many, the site is regarded as the first true classified website. When it comes to buying and selling things, the CPlus app has all Craigslist’s greatest features at your fingertips. It allows you to post and sell items no matter where you are, or you are.
How it works
Many states, cities, and regions have Craigslist pages with a smattering of listings, making it a very adaptable online marketplace. CPlus will automatically notify you when a potential buyer expresses interest in your item so that you can reply immediately.
When chatting with other Craigslist users, you can use an anonymous Craigslist address or share your email address.
Pros
- Large following
- Has an extensive reach
- Smaller items do not have a fee
- Allow for anonymous posting
Cons
- Larger items have fees
- It may be platform for online scams
- The UI doesn’t include thorough posting instructions
Frequently asked questions
In what ways do e-commerce apps make money?
Several various revenue streams are available to merchandising apps. Buyers and sellers sometimes pay for developer charges in transaction fees. Moreover, you can boost your listings on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp by paying more for a higher ranking. This adds to their income streams.
How to know if an app for selling stuff is not a scam?
It might be difficult to tell which applications are safe and which are dangerous in the sea of apps available today, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself from falling victim to fraud. Research customer reviews before signing up for a new account with an app that allows you to sell items. You can also get in touch with a business and quickly check its validity.
Is it safe to use a sales app?
If you’re not vigilant with sales applications, it can pose a threat to your online security. To avoid being prey to these online frauds, find out whether there are mechanisms to secure your data by looking at the app’s security settings (Security).
Scammers may pretend to be customers on the site to take your merchandise or steal your personal information, so proceed with caution while chatting with other users.
Who should use these apps dedicated to selling stuff?
These applications can let you earn money while you’re moving, renovating, cleaning out your wardrobe, or wrapping off a semester of school. Hence, these may be used by anybody who wants to make a little more money or wants to eliminate clutter in their house. Any item in excellent shape might find a buyer when promoted on the proper app, but it is especially advantageous for anybody with name-brand merchandise.
What items are allowed for selling on apps?
New or lightly used products may sell more quickly and for greater prices; however, there are relatively few real constraints on these sites. Many applications limit the sale of weapons, alcohol, narcotics, live animals, or counterfeit products, and each app gives more extensive information on its rules in the terms and conditions. Common products to sell on such apps include gadgets, furniture, clothes, children’s toys, and books.
