Clearing out, and getting paid for it
Buyers search where their kind of item lives. A wardrobe sells on a local classifieds site because nobody wants to post it. A dress sells on a fashion app because buyers filter by size and brand. A phone sells where buyers feel protected. Listing everything in one app is the most common reason things sit unsold for months.
Where each kind of item sells
| What you are selling | Where it sells | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday clothes and shoes | Vinted, Depop, Poshmark | Buyers browse by size and brand |
| Designer pieces | Vestiaire Collective | Authentication reassures buyers at higher prices |
| Phones, tablets and laptops | eBay, Back Market, Swappa | Buyer protection, or a fixed trade-in offer |
| Furniture, bikes and bulky things | Facebook Marketplace and local classifieds | Collection in person, no shipping |
| Books, DVDs and games in bulk | momox | An instant price for a whole box, lower than selling singly |
| Records and instruments | Discogs, Reverb | Specialist buyers who know what they are looking at |
| Sneakers | StockX | Verification before the buyer receives them |
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General marketplaces
eBay. The widest audience for almost anything that can be posted. Filter a search by sold items to see what things actually went for, not what sellers hope for.
Facebook. Marketplace lives inside the main app, and for furniture and bulky items collected locally it is often the fastest sale.
OfferUp. Local and shipped listings in the United States, and the app that absorbed letgo.
Gumtree. The long running classifieds site in the United Kingdom, strong for furniture, bikes and cars.
Kleinanzeigen. Germany's main classifieds app, formerly carrying the eBay name.
leboncoin. The default for selling almost anything second hand in France.
Wallapop. Local and shipped sales in Spain and a few other European countries.
Carousell. The main second hand marketplace in Singapore and much of South East Asia.
Specialist apps
Vinted. Clothes, shoes and accessories, with prepaid shipping labels. The buyer usually pays the protection fee rather than the seller.
Depop. Fashion and vintage for a younger audience, where good photos and a consistent style sell.
Poshmark. Fashion resale in the United States, with a social side built around sharing listings.
Vestiaire Collective. Designer resale with authentication, which is what buyers of expensive pieces are paying for.
Back Market. Mostly a refurbished tech shop, and it also buys old phones and laptops through a trade-in offer.
Swappa. A United States marketplace for used tech that checks devices are not reported lost or stolen before listing.
momox. Scan a barcode and get a fixed price for books, media and some clothing. Low prices, very little effort.
Discogs. The reference database and marketplace for records. The app's reviews are poor, and many sellers manage their stock on the website.
Reverb. Guitars, pedals, synths and studio gear, sold to people who know what they are buying.
StockX. Sneakers and some streetwear, with verification before the item reaches the buyer.
A listing that sells
Photoroom. Removes a messy background from a product photo in a second, which makes a listing look far more trustworthy.
Google Lens. Photograph an item to find its exact model name, which is the thing buyers search for.
- Price from sold listings, not live ones Asking prices tell you what sellers want. Sold prices tell you what buyers pay.
- Photograph in daylight on a plain background Several angles, the label, and any flaws close up. Hidden damage turns into a return.
- Put brand, model and size in the title That is what people type into the search box.
- Give measurements It prevents most of the questions and most of the returns.
- Reply quickly The first seller to answer a question is usually the one who makes the sale.
- Meet in a public place for local sales Or have someone with you when a buyer collects from home.
Platform payment, and what it costs
- Protection when a buyer claims something went wrong
- A tracked shipping label
- No cash to handle
- A much wider audience than your neighbourhood
- A fee, charged to you or to the buyer
- Money that arrives a few days later
- A returns process you have to follow
- Expensive shipping for large items
Fees change often, and several platforms have recently moved charges from sellers to buyers in some countries. Check the current fee page before pricing, because the difference decides whether a cheap item is worth listing at all.
List each item where its buyers already look, price from sold listings, and keep every payment inside the app.
Frequently asked questions
Which app has no fees for sellers?
Some fashion platforms charge the buyer a protection fee instead, and a few marketplaces have dropped fees for private sellers in certain countries. Terms change often, so check the current fee page.
A buyer wants to pay by bank transfer outside the app. Is that fine?
No. You lose the platform's protection, and it is how a great many scams begin. Keep payment inside the app.
Should I reset a phone before selling it?
Yes, after removing your Google account from it. A phone reset while still tied to your account asks the buyer for your login, which makes it unusable for them.
Is it safe to give out my address?
For shipped items the platform's label handles it. For local collection, meet in a public place or make sure someone else is at home.
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