Best Apps to Sell Stuff – eCommerce Sites for Cash
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Whether you annually declutter around springtime or finally go through your closet of hardly-if-ever-worn outfits, an eCommerce site out there will help you do it. But not all selling apps are created equal. Here’s a detailed list of selling apps to choose from to ensure you get a fair payout for your items.
In this article
Overview of the best apps to sell stuff
App | Best For |
OfferUp | General items |
Decluttr | Tech, CDs, DVDs, and books |
Poshmark | Luxury items, clothing, and accessories |
thredUP | Clothing and accessories |
Vestiaire Collective | Designer clothes and handbags |
VarageSale | General items |
Vinted | Vintage clothing |
Mercari | General items |
Chairish | Rare pieces, antique furniture, high-end art |
eBay | Auto parts, used goods, broken electronics |
Craigslist | General items |
Mercari | Hard-to-ship items |
Facebook Marketplace | Hard-to-ship items, furniture, vehicles |
Nextdoor | General items |
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Best apps to sell stuff
OfferUp
Founded in 2011, OfferUp is a web- and app-based marketplace where users can buy and sell items locally. In 2017, Forbes featured OfferUp as the “largest mobile marketplace in the U.S.,” with over 33 million downloads and $14 billion in transactions. Today, OfferUp boasts over 90 million app downloads and 20 million active monthly users.
OfferUp is free to download. Users can sign up using their Facebook account or with an email address. Those who use their email address will be asked to set a password. Users can “verify” their account via OfferUp’s instructions for added security. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to verify the account.
To sell an item with OfferUp, simply snap some photos, write a description, set your sale price, and wait. Once the listing is published, you should receive a “congrats” email from OfferUp. Then, if someone is interested in buying your item, you’ll receive an alert notification in the app. You can then negotiate from there via the app’s instant messaging feature. OfferUp transactions can be completed through the platform’s in-app payment system or in-person using cash.
Need to sell something quickly? OfferUp also has a “bump” feature that allows users to push their listing to the top of the queue for a small fee.
Decluttr
Decluttr is a free platform where users can buy and sell cell phones, CDs, DVDs, games, books, and more. Decluttr’s instant price tool makes setting a price on your gently-loved tech easier than ever.
The instant price tool allows users to look up their item or enter the barcode for a free, instant valuation. According to the Decluttr website, potential sellers are guaranteed to get the first price they’re offered via the company’s Tech Price Promise. Decluttr also sends users a free Welcome Pack with a free shipping label. Print it out, tape it to your package, and you’re set.
Decluttr also offers next-day payment. Here’s how it works: Once your items arrive in the Decluttr warehouse, a team of experts will check over said items, remove any personal data, and then send out a payment via direct deposit or PayPal on the next business day. Unlike OfferUp, Decluttr buys your items directly, so you won’t have to worry about haggling with buyers or meeting a stranger in person. Decluttr takes care of everything for you!
Poshmark
Poshmark is an online marketplace where users can buy and sell fashion, home decor, beauty items, and more. The platform has a member base of 80 million across the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Poshmark members can sell their items via traditional listings or at a Posh Party, a virtual in-app shopping party where members can buy and sell in real time. Users can also choose a theme for their party. And, thanks to Posh Authenticate, buyers can rest assured that the luxury items they buy are authentic.
Shipping items with Poshmark is easy, too. Once an item sells, you’ll receive an email confirmation. In that email, there will be a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label you can print out and tape onto your box. According to the Poshmark website, sellers should ship their items using USPS Priority Mail boxes. Express Mail boxes are not accepted. Don’t have a USPS box? Standard brown boxes work too.
thredUP
Poshmark focuses on luxury items; thredUP focuses on sustainability. thredUP is all about selling second-hand fashion, extending the life of clothing, and reshaping “the future of fashion.” thredUP is an online consignment and thrift store where members can refresh their style while creating less waste.
Those interested in selling with thredUP must create an account and order a “Clean Out” kit. ThredUP provides Sell and Donation Kits. (If you just want to get rid of your clothes and are not worried about the money, you can opt to donate your clothes via the company’s Donation Kit.)
Once you select the Sell Kit, you’ll be asked to choose between a shipping label and a Clean Out Bag. Both options are free and have pre-paid shipping. You can also ask for return assurance — a thredUp program that guarantees to send members their clothing items back if they have second thoughts about selling or if the items were not accepted or didn’t sell through consignment.
Members can check on their items via the website or app to see if they’ve sold. Once an item sells, the buyer has 14 days to return it. If they do, the item goes back on the market. If the buyer decides to keep the item, the earnings will be posted to your account. You can cash out via PayPal, Stripe direct deposit, or use earnings toward a thredUP purchase.
Make $500+ Your First Month With KashKick!
- Transparent information on each offer for earnings and tasks.
- Money is deposited quickly and securely
- Featured offers maximize earnings
- First-class referral program
Vestiaire Collective
Like Poshmark and threadUP, Vestiaire Collective is a platform designed for fashionistas. With Vestiaire Collective, potential sellers can sell items directly from their closets. Vestiaire Collective sends sellers a free shipping kit with packaging and a pre-paid shipping label. The only caveat? Vestiaire Collective charges a flat commission fee of $7.50 for items less than $50 and a commission rate of 19.8% for items sold for $50 or more.
With Vestiaire Collective, sellers can list their items in minutes. Plus, according to the website, many sellers pocket up to 85%. To get started, snap some photos of your item(s), set your price (you can choose the price or ask Vestiaire Collective to suggest a price), and ship 'em out to the buyer. Once your earnings are available, you can transfer the funds to your PayPal account, debit card, or checking account. You can also use your earnings to buy something on Vestiaire Collective.
If a buyer returns your item, Vestiaire Collective will not only cover the cost of return shipping and handling, but once the item is back in your possession, you can re-list it! According to the website, 80% of returned items are resold.
VarageSale
VarageSale, as the name suggests, is like hosting an online garage sale. Here’s how it works: Join a community within your neighborhood, follow the safety guidelines to get your profile set up and verified, and sell your stuff! The VarageSale admin reviews each profile before publication to ensure everyone's safety.
Selling on VarageSale is simple via both the desktop site and the mobile app. Click the blue “post” button, upload a photo of your item, and add a title, description, price, and category. Then, choose which communities you’d like to post the item to. You can also reach more buyers by sharing your post on Facebook.
VarageSale was founded in 2012 by Tami Zuckerman, an elementary school teacher in Montreal, Quebec. 2014 VarageSale won Startup of the Year in the Canadian Startup Awards. Although the company is based in Toronto, Ontario, the app is available for IOS and Android users across the U.S. and Canada.
Vinted
Vinted is a secondhand shopping platform created for people ready to declutter their closets and find new pieces. Download the app or head to the desktop site to get started with Vinted. Then, take a few (high-quality) photos of your items, set your price, and click “upload.”
Once your item sells, box it up, print out your pre-paid shipping label, and take it to the drop-off point within five business days. Vinted doesn’t charge a selling fee, so whatever you earn is yours to keep. But, if you want to “bump” your listing to the top of the site or “spotlight” your wardrobe, you can choose to pay a small fee.
Vinted is unique because it is often described as Lithuania's first tech unicorn. It’s also a female-run business worth more than one billion dollars.
Mercari
Mercari is a marketplace platform where users can buy or sell almost anything. Unlike the other selling apps on this list, Mercari restricts in-person meetups and encourages sellers to ship their items to buyers. Mercari also processes all payments, so both parties know exactly what they’re getting.
In addition to restricting in-person pick-up, Mercari uses identification verification and reviews to reassure buyers and sellers that they’re working with real, trustworthy people instead of hackers or bots.
Posting a listing on Mercari is free. If the item sells, however, Mercari charges the seller a minimum fee of 10% of the item price. If you choose to use Mercari’s shipping label, you’ll also be asked to pay a shipping fee. If you choose to use your shipping label, you’ll need to provide Mercari with the shipping info so the company can track the package (which you can also do in the app).
Chairish
Chairish is unlike any other consignment platform — Chairish is the art world’s best-kept secret. On Chairish, users can buy original oil paintings, rare and vintage home decor, and antique furniture, among other one-of-a-kind items.
Because Chairish is designed to help sellers sell off their most unique pieces, the platform offers tiered memberships: Consignor, Professional, Elite, and Wholesale. Elite and Wholesale members are required to apply before they can begin listing items. The Consignor plan is Chairish’s most basic seller account available. It’s perfect for someone looking to sell a few items and the commission rate is 30%.
Selling with Chairish requires more effort than the selling apps on this list, but it’s well worth it in the end — for both the buyer and the seller. Sellers can use the Pink Book Pricing Guide, the Make an Offer feature, or set up trade pricing. Chairish offers several shipping options, including in-home delivery, local pick-up, local delivery, seller-managed delivery, and pre-paid shipping labels for smaller items.
With Chairish, sellers are more of a brand or storefront than an individual. The platform encourages members to personalize their profiles (or shops) to show buyers who they are. The site also asks members to use high-quality photos and to share their storefronts on social media.
Make $500+ Your First Month With KashKick!
- Transparent information on each offer for earnings and tasks.
- Money is deposited quickly and securely
- Featured offers maximize earnings
- First-class referral program
eBay
eBay is one of the “original” online marketplaces. It was founded in 1995 and is best suited for people trying to get rid of unwanted items for extra cash. The website is free for buyers, but sellers are charged two types of fees: an insertion fee and a final value fee. The fee amount depends on the item’s selling price and the category it’s listed in.
Listing items on eBay is easy and, if done right, can be a lucrative side hustle for people interested in reselling products (e.g., eBay pallets, bulk buyers, etc.). Sellers can also use eBay’s appraisal tool to determine the sale price of their items or choose the “accept best offer” feature, which allows buyers to make an offer. (The seller can then approve or decline the said offer.)
Although eBay started as an auction-style eCommerce site, sellers can choose to sell their items for a fixed price via the “buy it now” feature. This means the buyer can buy the item for a fixed price without bidding.
Related: Best Work from Home Jobs
Craigslist
Craig Newmark founded Craigslist in 1995, but the website didn’t go live until 1996. It also started as an email list to a small group of friends in the San Francisco Bay area. Today, Craigslist receives nearly 20 billion page views — and 80 million new classified ads — per month.
On Craigslist, sellers can list jobs, housing, pets, furniture, vehicles…you name it, and Craigslist has got it. But even though the site is free to use, it comes with a few quirks. For example, some people may be looking to lowball you on price, while others may try to scam you. However, you should be fine using common sense and good judgment.
Craigslist is very basic — there are no pre-paid shipping labels, and everything (e.g., price, shipping, pick-up location, etc.) is up to the seller and the buyer to decide. The iOS app, CPlus, allows sellers to upload photos directly from their phones.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a great way to sell items to local buyers. It’s especially convenient for moving sellers who want to remove their furniture and other items quickly and efficiently. This is because Facebook Marketplace lets you decide whether the buyer can pick up the item(s) you’re selling.
Using Facebook Marketplace is simple. Just upload your photos, set a price, and publish your post. You can also post your listing in more than one FB community; this way, you can get more eyes on your items. You can chat with buyers directly through the FB Messenger app.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor is described as a “social network for neighbors.” Nextdoor allows users to interact with their “neighbors” by viewing posts and buying products and services from local businesses. Unlike Facebook, these “neighbors” are actual neighbors who live in or close to your neighborhood.
Many members use Nextdoor to post local updates about missing pets or suspicious activity. Users can also ask for recommendations, host polls, invite others to events, or sell items locally. To sell an item, simply start a post, select what the post is about (e.g., items for sale), add a subject, a description, and a photo, and then publish the post.
FAQs
Which selling app has the most users?
eBay is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces. According to Statista, eBay had approximately 159 million active buyers in the second quarter of 2021.
Is Poshmark a ripoff?
Poshmark is a legitimate site, but the company is not BBB accredited. Some reviewers say Poshmark isn’t worth the hassle due to the platform’s 20% commission rate and time commitment.
Is Mercari a good app?
Although Mercari boasts an A+ rating on BBB, many reviewers complain that the customer service is lacking. In fact, the company only has a 1.08-star rating, as far as reviews go.
Why should someone use a selling app?
For several reasons, someone may want to use a selling app instead of hosting a traditional garage or yard sale. Using a selling app takes the hassle out of selling: Just post a photo, set a price, and wait. Some platforms (like Facebook Marketplace) allow users to set a pick-up preference on their items — technically, you could make money without ever leaving your home.
Related: How to Make Money From Your Phone
Make $500+ Your First Month With KashKick!
- Transparent information on each offer for earnings and tasks.
- Money is deposited quickly and securely
- Featured offers maximize earnings
- First-class referral program
The bottom line
Whether you’re trying to sell a few small items, clothing, furniture, or even a vehicle, a selling app could help you get the price you want with little to no effort. Even so, most apps (but not all) charge a small fee once the item sells, so be sure to read the fine print before publishing your listing.
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Writer
Tabitha Britt is a New York-based freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared on INSIDER, the Huffington Post, and Taste of Home. When she's not glued to her computer screen, she can be found walking her beloved pooch, Biscuit.
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