10 Ways to Sell Household Clutter for Big Time Cash: Go Minimalist, Make Bucks

I'm still in the midst of my crazy minimalism journey. I'm loving the hell out of it, even though things are in that "messier before it gets clean" stage. I'll update with before/after photos next week when the house is photogenic again!  I've gotten rid of 90% of my already-purged wardrobe, all but one of my DVDs (I kept my collector's edition of the 1986 animated "Transformers the Movie" of course), boxes of books...and I'm making money to set aside for my future start-ups along the way!

Ah...photos from clean office past I'll get you back to perfection again, office!

The new year (13 days away- less than two weeks) is the time to purge and I love making money while I'm at it. Here are my 10 favorite ways to purge and make cash while I'm at it.

1) Garage Sale: The classic way to sell your excess items. Read: My Yard Sale Tips

Earn More: Advertise at least a week ahead of time via Craigslist and/or in your local newspapers for extra exposure. You'll earn even more when you

2) Craigslist: Craigslist is free so it's a great site to experiment with. I've heard of people selling off-the-wall things like used toilets on Craigslist, so try anything and everything. You never know what will sell.

Earn More: Excellent for furniture and lots but not individual high-priced items in my experience. Price a little more than you want to earn, Craigslist shoppers love to haggle.

3) eBay: You have to pay per listing on eBay, be selective with listings. Read: Ebay Selling Tips

Earn More: Collectibles, vintage items, raw materials and electronics are a safe bet.

4) Etsy: Etsy is good if you have a large amount of vintage or handmade items to sell. Read: My Etsy Tips

Earn More: You'll do better on Etsy if your items are artfully staged. Etsy gets less traffic than eBay, you'll be more successful if you promote it more within Etsy or via your established social media.

5) Used Book Stores: Powells locations buy used books, call one if they're near you to inquire about it. Barnes and Noble may buy your books, check their website. Look up local book stores that buy. Chamblins Book Mine buys books locally.

Earn More: Most used books stores are looking for quirky books that will sell, kids books, manga books/collectible comic books, and newer books. But try any/all of your books. I often make $25 bucks per batch I bring in.

6) Movie Stop/Movie Stores: I realized I haven't put a single one of my DVDs in the player in over a year, time for them to go!

Earn More: Movie Stop won't pay much per movie but if you have a large batch it can add up.

7) Plato's Closet/Consignment Shops: Consignment Shops like Plato's Closet will buy your clothes and resell them to customers.

Earn More: What they'll buy will depend on the shop, peek inside to see what they have and if it matches the clothes you're trying to get rid of. Again, they don't pay much but a big amount will add up. I recently sold 15 items and made $32, more than I expected and more than I'd have made simply donating the stuff! Take your items to multiple locations if they don't buy and take your items more than once, a different clerk may buy items the previous one did not.

8) Pawn Shop: A classic though fussy way to sell wares. Pawn shops won't offer much but it's a good way to get rid of some items fast for more than you'd have earned if you'd have simply donated it. Most will require photo IDs and for your thumbprint when you fill out the paperwork.

Earn More: This is a good option if you want cash in your hands and don't want to bother with listing, sales, or multiple stops and they take collectibles, electronics, DVDs, bikes, and more. Never clothing that I've seen.

9) Antique Store: Most antique malls don't buy vintage or antique items, but some antique stores will.

Earn More: Call local ones if you have some special true antique or old vintage items (difference here) and ask if you can bring some items in to sell.

10) Antique Mall: If you have a garage full of vintage/antique items (say you inherited some from a diseased relative or you finally bought everything down from the attic) and want to slowly sell it off you may want to invest in an antique mall booth.

Earn More: Start with a small space and experiment, depending on how much stock you have this can add up to a big monthly paycheck. If you want to sell it off fast, try Craigslist to sell it as a lot.

I highly recommend periodic purges. Every box donated or sold is a victory. It feels so good to have less in your life. The stuff I don't sell goes to friends, family, and services for the needy.

For good measure here are some general selling tips if you're a beginner with writing listings online. Good luck, make that money!

Did I leave out other options for selling wares? There are a lot of new services that send you bags/boxes to take your wares but most I've seen don't pay you unless the items you send them sell. Anyone have experience with regular consignment shops to share? I've only been to "Plato's Closet".

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