Easy Ways to Sell, Donate, or Recycle Your Stuff
Of the newer marketplaces out there, Swappa is one of the most polished and professional when it comes to shifting anything electronic—in the case of phones, you just need to click a few buttons to indicate what model you’re wanting to sell. OfferUp makes the process of selling anything from your phone very straightforward—just take a photo and fill out a template—while Poshmark is a good bet for items of clothing.
If you’re happy to shift something locally, then Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor are two of the most popular options. You won’t reach as many people as you would on eBay, but you’ll probably have an easier and quicker selling experience most of the time—these kinds of platforms are ideal if you’re more concerned about convenience than profit, and they’re both straightforward to get started with.
Give Away Your Stuff
Tap into the Freecycle network to give away your stuff.
David Nield via FreecycleIf you’re feeling charitable, really pushed for time, or both, then consider giving away your stuff. You won’t have as much cash at the end, but it’s certainly quick—people will take almost (but not quite) anything if it’s free, and there are likely to be resources you can use in your local area for making donations.
You can list your unwanted possessions for free on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Nextdoor, which we’ve already mentioned. All three of these platforms are split up into local regions, and it shouldn’t take you too long to find someone in the neighborhood who’s willing to take items off you.
As there’s no money exchanging hands, you don’t have to be quite so careful in terms of the accuracy of your listing and the quality of the photos—the person who takes your item isn’t going to be demanding a refund, after all—but it’s still courteous to accurately describe what you’ve got and the condition that it’s in.
The Freecycle Network is also worth a look if you have something to give away for free. Again, the platform is split up into local regions, and you can either browse the listings for items that people are looking for to see if you’ve got a match, or post a listing describing what you’re trying to give away and see if you get any takers.
Local charities are another option open to you, but be sure to check up on what they are and aren’t accepting before you drive a van load of goods down to a shop. The website for your preferred charity should be able to tell you where your local shop or drop-off point is, and any guidelines that you need to know about when it comes to donating items.