Ready to make cash off your unwanted clutter?

Consignment shops exist for almost everything these days. Consignment shops tend to keep 35-50% of the profit, but successfully sell things for a much higher price than you would at a yard sale, and with a lot less work than online selling and shipping. Some shops have daily walk-in hours, others require an appointment.

There are consignment shops for furniture, household goods, clothing, and collectibles in excellent condition. Save time and email photos and brief descriptions of items to the shops in advance, so you don’t have to haul anything until you know for sure if they will take it. Unless you have your own truck and labor, you may have to pay a company to deliver large items and furniture. Some consignment shops offer pick up service for larger items, and may deduct a delivery fee from your profit. Ask when calling.

Clothing, purses, shoes, and jewelry are common, easier items to consign. Make sure clothing is in excellent condition with no stains, pills, missing buttons, pulls, stretched fabric or broken zippers. Items that sell better are current styles within the last few years and show little or no sign of wear. If one shop does not accept your things, ask why and try another, as they may specialize in certain fashions, accept items only for the upcoming season or have space limitations. If you have designer clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories to sell, online companies such as The Real Real or Thred Up may work for you.

Artwork and collectibles. You can make more by consigning with a professional art collector or auction house rather than a general home consignment shop, on craigslist or at a yard sale. Emailing photos and descriptions is helpful here, too. You can also donate valuable pieces to a charity auction for a tax-deductible write off. Read more about tax deductible donating here.

Online selling without shipping…they come to you.

Craigslist can work well to sell furniture and other bulky items online and have the customer come to YOU. That is, if you’re patient and comfortable talking and meeting with strangers at your home to make a sale. When posting online, include good quality photos, a detailed description with dimensions, and a short and sweet history (“my grandmother Isabella used to make her delicious homemade biscuits every Sunday morning on this kitchen island”). Nice (and true) stories can make for a quicker sale. Honesty is important. If there’s a scratch, tear, dent, or something not working right, mention and show a photo of it. Selling items online is like fishing: sometimes you get a bite immediately, other times you need to be patient and wait a few days or weeks until an interested fish makes contact; a good reason to start the declutter process early.

If Craigslist or hauling to a consignment shop is not for you, there are charities such as Salvation Army that pick up clean clothing, furniture, and working household goods at no charge. You can also have luck giving things away on Freecycle.