As the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” goes, those old items you have at home, which collect dust and get in the way could be worth some serious cash. Whether you’re refreshing your wardrobe, or redecorating, any items you might consider throwing away could be sold online.

Marketplaces such as Ebay, Depop or Shpock have blown up in popularity over the past few years, and are the ideal place for you to sell your unwanted items online. Our guide below lists some tips and tricks you need to know to sell your items online.

• Build your profile
  First things first, you need to set up a profile. This is fairly easy but you must make sure all the information in your profile is accurate and complete to increase traffic and make it clear that you’re legitimate to potential buyers.

• Make sure you get good feedback
  Buyers won’t bid for any big ticket items unless you’ve got a good track record and they can see that you’re a trusted seller. Start by marketing small items which buyers are more likely to buy from a new seller, so you build up a bank of great feedback.

• Know your market
  Before you jump right in and start listing your items, do a bit of research. Check the listings for items that are similar to yours and make a note of the average price, how they are presented online and what questions prospective buyers are asking. That way, when you go to list your items, you’ll be hitting the right audience in the right way.

  Ebay even has a ‘sell one like this’ feature, so if you find a product identical to yours, use this feature as it automatically fills in a lot of the information for you – but don’t copy the descriptions or photos, these need to be unique to you.

• Photos
  When it comes to selling anything online, pictures are probably the most important factor. Take photos of your items in bright, natural daylight and try to include as many photos as you can, using different angles and stylings.
  If you are selling clothing, photos of you wearing the item are a big plus, as they give the buyer a better idea of sizing and fit. For smaller items, style the photo by using props such as flowers or a magazine.

• Description
  Always make sure the description is as detailed as possible. The more informative the description, the less questions you will have to answer about the item before someone buys it, which can waste time. Include information about the condition and colour. If it is clothing, sizing and fit.

• Shipping
  If you’re unsure of how much you should charge for shipping, contact your local post office for details on shipping estimates, they’re free and really helpful for beginners. You should also consider whether you want to ship aboard, this will increase your market size, but you will have to increase your shipping costs to reflect this.

Happy Selling!