10 Best Apps to Sell Stuff Online and Locally
A lot of us have stuff lying around our houses. Be it some old clothes, old electronics, or just about anything that we do not use anymore yet don't get ourselves get rid of them. Sometimes a yard sale or a garage sale is not an option for these unwanted items, and you wish to make money easier by putting your stuff online.
As everything is transitioning into the virtual world with the help of the internet, these are our 10 picks for the best apps to sell stuff online and/or for local buyers.
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Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace, as you may know from the name already, is a marketplace that was launched on Facebook some time ago. It's easy to use, and you can reach a lot of people this way.
You might be able to get more money for your things by selling them on the Marketplace than you would on other websites. All you have to do is post a picture of what you're selling and write a description of it. Then people can see it and might buy it from you!
It is not focused on any single category, and you can sell pretty much anything that you wish, ranging from old clothes and home decor items to your old car.
Since Facebook, despite a decline in the number of users, is still one of the biggest players in the social media world, your items for sale are sure to attract a lot of attention from potential buyers.
On the other hand, it would help spread the news about the stuff you are selling in a way that, for example, someone notices your item on the Facebook Marketplace and remembers that their friend was looking to buy it. They would notify the said friend, and here you are - you have a buyer. Easy as that!
It should be noted, however, that due to the size of Facebook and the Facebook Marketplace in general, there are a lot of buyers and sellers there, creating a competitive experience on the market.
You will have to check the selling price of similar items to the ones you try to sell in order to get a buyer quickly. It is also a great place to sell stuff locally as people will be able to check how close or far you are, and this may be an advantage for you.
Key takeaways
The Facebook Marketplace is great if you wish to sell something rather quickly, wish to have a lot of exposure to the things you want to sell, and do not wish to limit yourself to, say, clothes. Though the competition there might be a bit tough.
OfferUp
OfferUp is a mobile app that helps people buy and sell items locally and nationwide. It is an easy to use app that provides a prettier and, frankly, safer alternative to classified ads websites or actual physical boards providing that.
The ease of use comes from the fact that you can pretty much start to sell your stuff a minute after downloading and installing the app itself. All you have to do is add a picture of the items for sale, add a description, category, and location, and that's it. You are good to go!
OfferUp offers direct communication between the seller and the buyer using private messages, where you can negotiate the price and the location of the pick-up. If you are looking to sell your items locally, OfferUp will not take any fees on your sale.
The sales themselves have to happen in person, though. You can find so-called "Community Meetup Spots" that outline the possible places where you can give what you are selling and get paid. These spots are well-lit, public places that should ensure your safety.
If you are looking to sell nationwide, OfferUp will be involved in the process of communication, payment processing, and shipping itself within the app. Once everything is done with the deal, they will provide a prepaid shipping label and make sure your goods are tracked and that the buyer will receive what you were selling.
However, they take a fee for all of this, accounting to roughly 13% of the price that you were selling the item for, or a $2 flat fee. But the shipping costs and other things related to it are off your hands, both while you are buying and selling.
Key takeaways
OfferUp is one of the better apps to sell things locally. Since there are certain fees involved with the shipping and all of that, it is better to use it for local buyers and sellers. After all, the fee they take may be larger than what you would pay to ship the item for sale yourself. Similar to the aforementioned Facebook solution to sell your stuff, OfferUp also offers a wide range of different categories. Thus, you will be able to sell anything there.
Decluttr
Decluttr is a web-based and app-based company that buys and sells used electronics, DVDs, CDs, video games, cell phones, and books. It is a great resource for people who are looking to get rid of their old stuff and make some money in the process.
Decluttr offers competitive prices for old items, and it makes the process of selling them very easy. All you have to do is scan the barcodes of the items you want to sell, and Decluttr will give you an instant quote.
If you're happy with the quote, you can then package and ship your items to Decluttr for free. Once your items have been received and inspected, Decluttr will pay you via PayPal or check. They provide a prepaid shipping label for your convenience, making the process incredibly easy.
Besides electronics and video games, they also offer to buy your LEGO sets and books. As scanning barcodes or having a full-on set with a box intact is unusual, they will buy those things based on weight.
It is indeed one of the best-selling apps to sell your stuff without stepping into some online marketplace, having a Facebook account, or surfing through physical shops that would buy your vintage items.
Key takeaways
It is totally free, and you do not have to pay a fee of any kind. Everything is done for you. All you have to do is get that extra money!
Vinted
Vinted is an online marketplace and one of the apps to sell your used clothes. It is pretty much solely based on clothing items that you no longer wear or that do not fit you well.
It is available in nearly 20 countries already and has over 50 million members and countless items for sale. The key advantage (besides being available in a lot of countries as opposed to other similar services) of this app is zero fees. Yes, that's right, it allows you to sell without paying anything at all. It is completely free to list your items!
With this app, you can sell both locally and internationally, and you can sell bundles of clothes if that is convenient for you. Similar to Offerup mentioned above, Vinted takes care of things for you to the fullest.
That is, once you list your items for sale on this app for selling clothes, all you have to do is print the prepaid shipping label and drop the package at the convenient shipping point.
You receive the money as a direct deposit to your bank account (or by other means) once the buyer confirms that they have received the package. Needless to say, you can always make the sale directly and meet with the buyer live to simply give the items and get the money straight to your hand.
Considering the number of users and items for sale, sometimes selling a usual clothing item might be difficult unless you put the price at a way lower range. To combat this, Vinted offers boosting of your items, meaning that they will appear as featured and will be noticed by more potential buyers.
Key takeaways
Vinted is great to sell locally and internationally with little to no hassle. However, the items to sell must be clothes or accessories (and related things). Though, since it is completely free and a lot of us choose to throw out clothes, it is better to list them there since it is so easy to sell and free to use!
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is one of the best apps to sell stuff if you intend to make money with local sales. As the name suggests, this app encourages you to sell locally to someone who could be considered your neighbor.
Whether you are trying to sell a certain item or just trying to get rid of it without getting paid, Nextdoor has you covered, as it offers both for sale section as well as a free section. Once you decide what you want to do with the item at hand, the usual process applies. That is, filling out the description, sale price, add pictures, and so on.
As it is somewhat of a social media app, the items you provide will appear for your neighbors, regardless if they are looking for that specific item or not. Similar to, say, Facebook, where a story from your friends will appear regardless if you search for it or not.
The users on this platform are verified by their address, meaning that someone from faraway lands will not be able to get your item (and vice versa). This can not be considered a negative thing, as the focus of this app is getting everything within your neighborhood.
The app is free to use, it is free to list your items, and it can act as a virtual garage sale or a yard sale without the hassle of setting everything up. It is best for selling things to people who are nearby.
Out of the unfortunate qualities, the listings you add are only there for 30 days, and a lot of items are prohibited from being sold. Thus, check out the rules carefully before listing anything on this app.
Key takeaways
All in all, avoid shipping costs and sell your items locally. It is easy with Nextdoor as that is the sole focus of this social media/online selling app. It delivers what it promises to deliver, making it a great choice to sell stuff and to get to know the people around your area.
eBay
No list about selling apps can be complete without the absolute pioneer and juggernaut of the best apps to sell things - eBay.
Founded in the 90s, eBay, as a website, has millions of users who sell stuff there each and every day. You can sell your items there using a fixed price model or via a virtual auction, which is very popular with items for sale that are vintage or otherwise hard to get.
Selling stuff on the eBay app is very easy. All you have to do is add your item, add a picture, and short (or long) descriptions, and you are good to go. It is one of the apps for selling pretty much anything, ranging from clothes shoes to cars, meaning that you can "throw out" the unwanted items from your household and get some extra money for doing so.
Besides all the cool stuff that the eBay app offers, there are certain drawbacks. Notably, the incredible amount of users makes making sales a bit more difficult. Also, the registration for the service is free, but they do have a fee on each listing that you make (just a few cents), and eBay also takes 10% of your earnings from the sales that you make as a fee.
Key takeaways
The large user base and a lot of items for sale can sometimes be a good thing, meaning that you could sell your own items quicker. eBay is a classic choice, arguably the biggest selling apps around, with numerous payment options. However, the fees could be large, especially if you are selling an expensive item.
Etsy
Etsy is a website where people can buy and sell handmade or very old items. It was founded in 2005 by Rob Kalin. He was inspired to create Etsy after he made a wooden clock and couldn't find a place to sell it online.
Etsy is different from other online marketplaces because it focuses on unique, handmade, and classic items. All of the items on Etsy must be made by the seller or must be vintage items that are at least 20 years old. This ensures that all of the items on Etsy are unique and not mass-produced.
Since its launch, Etsy has grown into a huge marketplace with over 50 million items for sale. Buyers can purchase anything from handmade jewelry to vintage clothing to home goods. Sellers can list their items for a small fee of around 20 cents. Etsy also takes a 5% commission on each sale you make.
Key takeaways
If you engage in a hobby that produces a certain product, try selling it on Etsy for some easy profits. With some luck and marketing involved, you could become rather famous doing so and make money like it's nothing. As it is the 6th largest online marketplace around the internet, you are sure to make sales.
Swappa
Swappa is one of the selling apps focused on electronics and similar things. It is related to Decluttr by the idea.
Decluttr offers a buyback service, that is, they buy the electronics from you as a company and gives you some extra cash for it. Whereas Swappa is more similar to other apps to sell stuff as you will be selling your electronic items for other people.
It is indeed the best place to get the most money out of your unused electronic devices and related stuff. Different from other similar marketplaces, Swappa does not take a commission fee on your sales. However, it costs a small fee to list your items. The fee itself depends on the price that you wish to sell your item at. The bigger the price - the larger the fee.
What is cool about this app is the fact that it provides previous pricings of similar items to the one you wish to sell. This way, you can check what the right pricing would be and get more competitive without doing a lot of research that would be time-consuming.
Key takeaways
If you have a lot of electronics that you no longer use, Swappa would be a great place to sell them. Out of the best selling apps focused on electronics, this one might be at the top.
5Miles
5Miles, as you can judge from the name itself, is one of those selling apps that focuses on making sales of your stuff locally to your neighbors and people nearby. It is one of the best apps to use if you are focused on selling stuff that might be a bit bigger than an old radio or something similar.
The key feature of this app is probably the security aspect it has. You have to verify your account and identity with a triple verification, ensuring the safety of both the seller and the buyer. Once you find someone who wishes to buy your things, you both agree to a neutral location that is fully secure and make the exchange.
It is a great app to sell larger things, such as furniture since the shipping costs would be massive and no free shipping would be available. Thus, this selling app will help you with it, both when you intend to buy and sell. Selling items is easy and safe here.
5Miles is free to use for most users since it adds fees only to more business-focused enterprises that use to sell big items, such as cars, via their dealerships. Simple item sells are completely free, meaning you do not have to pay a fee in order to list your item online or to pay a commission on the items sold. You get paid the full price that you had listed.
Key takeaways
Selling items that are a bit bigger and with huge shipping costs is made easy with this online app. If you have a sofa that you wish would no longer clutter your place, check out 5Miles. You might just find someone who needs it within 5-mile radius!
Instagram Checkout
Instagram Checkout is not a specific app to sell your things on, it is rather an addition to an already well-known app - Instagram.
With this unique mix of social media app and a marketplace, this app allows you to sell your items directly via Instagram. Imagine this, you post a cool selfie wearing a sweater that you are tired of, and you tag the sweater itself on this image with a price. That's how Instagram Checkout works.
All of the purchases are made in the app itself via direct deposit payments, making it a great place to sell items of all categories, be it clothes shoes, or anything else. It will surely fill your bank account in no time if you have a lot of things to give out.
Key takeaways
A lot of people use Instagram, yet not everyone knows about this feature. If you are trying to sell some things online with no luck, or if you do not wish to be bothered by creating ads with descriptions and all that, try this free app out.
There are loads of apps that you can use to sell your things. Some are focused on a certain category, whereas others choose an "anything goes" approach. Regardless, if you have stuff all around your house that you no longer need, go for a few of these apps to make some money for it all completely online.
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