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My storage room is maxed out plus I have bins in my living room. I can’t afford more storage so I need to get rid of some of the stuff I already have. I don’t have death piles because if I see an item lingering for months I clearly will never get around to listing it so I donate it back. So I’m trying to decide how to decide what to donate from my listed stuff or clearance out. Since I do 30 day listings I have no idea what the oldest stuff is. I would like to focus on a few niches instead of selling everything. You guys say you don’t have a niche but you sell mostly quality made vintage and that alone can be a niche. I have that stuff plus new items plus toys plush etc. Literally everything from recent to old. It’s overwhelming and I don’t know where to start to narrow things down. Lately my sales have died a lot and I can’t afford to keep buying stuff with no money or space to put it. Has anyone narrowed their stuff down and how did you do it? Thank you.
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I don’t have a niche, but I have some things I generally never sell, because it makes me crabby to list or pack/ship.
I don’t sell clothing, (a few rare exceptions), because I hate listing it, and it has a higher rate of return. I also don’t like selling dishes and glassware. Too much bubble wrap! It takes forever for me to get it all wrapped securely.
Is there anything that you dislike selling? If so, cull those items. What types of items in your inventory have the highest return rate? I’d consider culling them, too.
Do you have detailed, specialized knowledge of an item you like selling? If so, can you source that type of item with consistency? Is it an item that is in demand? That might be a way to focus your inventory a little.
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If you;re really at the point of just donating items you actually have listed, then just do a clearance sale: 50%. Then 75% off. Since you’ve done the work of photographing and listing, then squeeze any profit you can out them.
But if these items still don’t sell, make note not to ever buy or list those kinds of items again.
I agree with Stuff My Mom Threw Away that it’s best to focus on items you enjoy.
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For toys including stuffed animals and clothes, you may want to consider the online thrift site “swap.com”. I’ve used them in the past, and I usually get a small payout from them every other week. Their fees are a good bit higher than eBay (30% + $1.50 per item), but they do some of the work including storing the items for you. If someone buys something, but decides to return it, you don’t have to return any money. You don’t even know that it has happened.
Here are some other things you should consider:
Their acceptance criteria are pretty strict. On eBay, you can disclose any defects, but swap doesn’t even want to deal with it no matter the label name or how desirable the item is. Make sure to look at every piece of clothing inside and out in very good lighting. Check their policy on their website. You can have any rejected items returned to you for a $5 fee or swap will donate them.
You have to wash any used clothing before shipping to them. It’s a good idea to line any used boxes with plastic bags. Check any NWT items for smells, and air them out if you have to.
They only deal with current styles – vintage is not their thing.
Get as big of a box as you can without going over their size limit (I think 20″x20″x17″). You have to get a label through them, and you will be charged around $12 for each box. You don’t have to pay right away for the label; they take the money from your first few sales.
Because of the cost of the label and their high fees, it probably isn’t worth sending in items that are worth less than $8 or so dollars.
Remove batteries from toys and make sure all the pieces are there. They also accept kids, maternity, and baby care books, baby & kids decor, sports stuff, kid’s, men’s, and women’s clothing, etc. Check the categories on their website.
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