 Redecorating? Don't put castoffs out at the curb when you can sell them instead. When I recently updated my home office and had no more use for a vintage oak file cabinet, a bookcase, a ceiling fan, and a clunky tube TV taking up way too much space, I put up a sign in my apartment building with suggested prices and sold the whole lot to my neighbors and pocketed a nice chunk of change.
Here are some other tips for getting the most for your rejects:
Get a pro to sell it
If you have antiques or high-end furniture, an auction house or a company that holds house sales may pick them up and decide what they're worth, but you'll pay steep fees. You could also spread the word by e-mailing all your friends. When my friend Beth, who lives in Boston, e-mailed me photos of some antique end tables she was selling, I immediately forwarded them to a friend in another state who I knew was furnishing a new house. Done deal!
Consign it
You may have to cart in that antique rocker yourself, but a high-end consignment shop that specializes in furniture could sell it for as much as 60 percent of its original price. But, their cut may be as much as 40 percent of the selling price.
Use the Internet
Online auction sites are great places to sell stuff. You'll have to write a compelling advertisement and be tech savvy enough to load a picture of the item, but it won't cost you much—as long as you make sure the buyer has to cover all shipping costs.
Place an ad
Post a classified ad and you won't have to share your take. Also, the people who respond will be local, so you can stipulate that the buyer arrange to pick up the item.
And one last tip: Be sure to price it right. The most you can expect to get for newish furniture is about half of retail. If it's older or you don't remember the cost, a site like Oodle.com can help you figure out what to ask.
By Sue Perry |
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