eBay is one of the most popular places to sell things online. Whether you’re getting ready for a cross-country move, earnestly clearing your house of clutter, or just trying to make money, it’s not your only option. Here are some other sites to try.
6 alternatives to eBay for selling items online
1. Bonanza
According to a 2016 survey about places to sell things online, this site was the one respondents would most likely recommend to friends. Bonanza doesn’t charge setup or listing fees, which makes it an appealing option if you’re worried about potentially spending more than you earn when selling through the Internet. You will have to pay a fee of 3.5 percent of the price of the item sold. That’s less than either Amazon or eBay.
The site also gives you a seller statistics dashboard. It shows details like how many people clicked on your items or the number of things sold in a given period. By using it, you could track trends that improve future results.
2. eBid
Established in 2008, this site boasts 4 million listings and more than 14,000 product categories. That means even if you’re trying to part with quirky items that are hard to categorize, there’s probably a way to sell them here. It’s always free to list things, and the sale fees for eBid are 3 percent or less.
3. Craigslist
Craigslist offers an extremely basic platform for selling items. Unlike eBay, it’s not a bidding site. You either set a price or let potential buyers know you’re open to negotiating. There’s also a section for items people are giving away.
The other sites covered so far have customer service departments you can rely on for clarification and help with the selling process. Craigslist isn’t like that, and depends on its users to make sure everyone follows the rules. There is a forum you can read for help, but no phone number associated with Craigslist to call.
People can report rule breakers by flagging their ads. As you can imagine, not everyone is honest when using this system. Many people who are following the terms of service get their content flagged anyway because competitors want to make those ads less visible. This dishonest practice is particularly problematic in the automotive and real estate sections of Craigslist.
4. Item-Specific Sites
Perhaps you’re trying to sell a very particular kind of item you know has a niche market. In that case, your best bet is to focus on item-specific sites.
For example, Apfelbaum facilitates direct sales of collectors’ stamps after an appraisals process. SecondSpin is for selling CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. There are also sections on that site for video games and vinyl.
Trying to get rid of clothes or handbags that are still in good condition? Look no further than thredUP. It could be an especially lucrative site if you have high-end, brand-name items. However, one little-known aspect of selling there is you must pay for a special bag thredUP sends you to use for shipping your clothes.
Top 4 apps to sell your stuff
Read Now ►5. Facebook Groups
If you’re even a casual user of Facebook, you’ve probably seen users there attempting to sell everything from baby strollers to couches.
Wondering how you could do the same? It’s easy. First, use the search function to find a group to sell your items, preferably one in your area. Then, read the rules for using the group. Many stipulate there are certain things you cannot sell, such as animals.
If you’re satisfied with the standards, request to join the group. Once approved as a member, find the Sell Something link on the group page. You’ll then have to fill out a form that indicates what you’re selling and for how much.
After adding those details, click the Post button. Depending on how the group operates, you might see the content right away, but it’ll probably appear after a moderator reviews it.
6. BriskSale
One of the main perks of BriskSale is it doesn’t charge any seller’s fees. Also, every item you post gets automatically uploaded to the Google Shopping Network for better visibility.
If you have a hectic schedule and want to sell many things, but don’t have time to upload them all to the site, BriskSale representatives can do it for you as a bulk upload. You just have to send them a file of your inventory, and they’ll post it to the site within one to three days for no charge.
If you’re done with eBay or at least taking a break from the site, you can still sell things online. After trying one of these alternatives, you may never return to the famous bidding website.
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