If you need to make some quick cash, selling stuff from around your house is one of the best ways to get started. Plus, this can help you do a bit of Spring cleaning by getting rid of things you don’t really need.
However, many popular selling apps and websites involve selling stuff to people across the country, or even the world.
Selling online can be great for finding buyers quickly. But it also means you have to deal with shipping costs, the hassle of shipping, and you also don’t get paid in cash.
That’s why this post is covering some of the best local sale sites you can use to turn your extra stuff into quick money.
Looking for other quick ways to make money? Checkout:
- Branded Surveys: Share your opinion to earn PayPal cash and gift cards!
- Swagbucks: Another fun way to earn gift cards and cash in your spare time.
The Best Websites To Sell Stuff Locally
Selling online can be a great side hustle, especially for more niche products where it might be hard to find enough local buyers. However, local sale sites keep life simple; there’s no shipping, package tracking, and online payment details to worry about.
1. Facebook Marketplace
It goes without saying that the Facebook is one of the best ways to sell items online locally. After all, it has over 10 million different groups, and 1.8 billion users every month, so there’s no shortage of active buyers and sellers on the platform.
And the Facebook Marketplace is really one of the best ways to start selling. It lets you post almost anything for sale, completely for free, and you just need a Facebook account to get started.
We have a guide on the best things to sell on Facebook Marketplace, but popular categories include:
- Apparel
- Baby supplies
- Books
- Collectibles
- Cars
- Home goods
- Shoes
- Toys
- Video games
Facebook Groups also have a lot of local selling potential, especially if you can find a good collector’s group for something you’re selling.
To get started, look for Buy Sell and Buy Sell Trade as well as Garage Sale groups and ask to join. This lets you post your items for sale, and you can also research similar items or maybe even find merchandise that you’d like to purchase.
2. Craigslist
Founded in 1995, Craigslist has been a leading website to sell locally for several decades.
With many different local versions targeting buyers and sellers by community, this is a great way to reach local buyers no matter what you might be selling.
All you have to do is create a free account and then post you items under the “For Sale” section.
Like Facebook, things like furniture, electronics, apparel, sports equipment, and toys are popular things to sell on Craigslist. But you can sell almost anything, as long as it’s legal.
What I like about Craigslist is that it’s also a great place to find local cash gigs if you’re looking for a new side hustle or need to pay for a particular service.
You can read our post on Craigslist vs. The Facebook Marketplace for a comparison of these popular local selling sites.
3. OfferUp
Another excellent local online marketplace you can use to sell almost anything is OfferUp.
Formerly known as LetGo, OfferUp is a local online marketplace that is available to U.S. buyers and sellers. It’s very similar to Facebook Marketplace, and it’s completely free to sign up and list your items for sale.
Top selling products on OfferUp include categories like:
- Clothing
- Bikes
- Electronics
- Jewelry
- Furniture and home goods
- Tools
- Toys
- Video games
You can also sell online with OfferUp, but you pay up to 12.9% in online seller fees, so it’s not really worth it.
Plus, OfferUp has plenty of pre-approved local meeting places that are usually near police stations or busy public areas. This helps increase buyer and seller safety, and it’s one of the main reasons OfferUp is an excellent way to sell stuff locally.
4. eBay Classifieds
You may be familiar with the auction and buy it now listings on eBay, but did you know they also have local classifieds?
That’s right: you can create local listings on eBay, just like you would on a site like Craigslist, to find local buyers instead of dealing with online selling.
The downside to eBay Classifieds is that there’s a $9.95 fee for a 30-day listing. This is obviously more expensive than local selling sites like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp.
However, eBay has a massive audience, so it might be worth paying for its classifieds fee if you’re struggling to find buyers on other local selling marketplaces.
5. Swappa
If you have electronics to sell, Swapps is one of the best local online selling websites that you can use.
This platform lets you sell a variety of electronics and tech products like:
- Cameras
- Computers and laptops
- Phones
- Speakers
- Smart home devices
- Smart watches
- Tablets
- Video games
Normally, Swappa lets you sell electronics online, and the buyer pays for shipping. But it also has a new feature, Swappa Local, that lets you sell to people in your area.
With Swappa Local, you can list your item for sale and have it delivered to people in your area within the next 24 hours. You pay a $10 local pickup fee, but this is a small price to pay for a rapid sale.
Swappa actually partners with Roadie, a gig app that pays people to deliver packages for other people, so you’re also helping people make money in the gig economy by using this service.
Just note that devices must be in working condition to resell them through Swappa.
6. Nextdoor
Want to sell items to someone nearby in your neighborhood or community? In that case, Nextdoor is a great online marketplace to buy, sell and trade with others who live near you.
Joining and using Nextdoor is free of charge. Once you sign up, you can post things for sale in your area, so it’s pretty similar to Facebook Marketplace.
But since Nextdoor is so neighborhood-focused, it’s excellent for selling things where picking them up or shipping them is a hassle; think things like patio furniture, heavy tools, sofas, and bulky items.
Nextdoor is also useful for advertising a business or side hustle, so it had to make our list of the best local selling sites.
7. Vinted
If you want to sell clothing, accessories, and shoes, then Vinted is one of the best local selling marketplaces you can use.
This platform is a fashion-focused resale site that specializes in second hand clothing and accessories. With over 45 million users, Vinted gets your listings in front of an enormous audience, and there are no selling fees either.
One important thing to note is that most listings on Vinted are meant to be shipped. However, if buyers are within 10 km, there’s an option for local pickup so you can keep things local.
Ultimately, Vinted works best for local selling if you live in a larger city, since there’s a larger pool of buyers. But it’s still a great alternative to Poshmark you can use if you want to avoid fees for selling your clothing.
Note that Vinted is based in Europe and is primarily only available in Europe, Canada and the United States at this time.
8. VarageSale
One final local sale site you can use is VarageSale, a modern take on the typical garage sale you’re probably familiar with.
There’s no denying that garage sales are a great way to make money. But with VarageSale, you no longer have to have them in your driveway!
With VarageSale, you can create an online garage sale, listing stuff you own for sale to people in your area. And all buyers and sellers have to verify their profiles through Facebook and a manual review, which helps increase safety and reduces scammers.
There aren’t seller fees on VarageSale either, so it’s an excellent option to try if some of the local sale marketplaces above don’t work for you.
Tips for Selling Stuff Locally
Now that you know some of the best websites for selling locally, here are a few tips you can keep in mind to help make the selling process much easier.
I’ve been selling locally and online for years, and I’ve found that these tips can really make a differences for attracting buyers and also closing deals.
Add Plenty Of Photos
It doesn’t matter if you’re selling locally or online; potential buyers want to see as many photos as possible so they know what they’re buying.
So, take several photos, featuring several images all from different angles. Also show close ups of tags, sizes, and any other pertinent features that customers might be interested in.
For the best results, make sure your photos are well lit, even if you have to take the photos outside and try to keep any clutter or other items out of your images.
For small items, it can even be helpful to share a comparison shot that shows it next to a ruler or a common item such as soda can so that shoppers can get an idea of the size.
Write Detailed Descriptions
Make sure you add as much information about the product you’re selling to help buyers make informed decisions. Examples of info you can mention in your descriptions includes:
- Size
- Condition (new, like new, used, etc.)
- Brand
- Original MSRP
- Why you’re selling it
- If you live in a pet-free or smoke-free home
In short, the more information that you offer buyers, the more likely they are to make a purchase or get in touch with you.
Clean Your Items
Want to sell your stuff as quickly as possible? Make sure it is clean and in good condition. Items that are visibly dirty will be less likely to sell.
This is especially important for used clothing, shoes, and equipment. Just do your best to present the best possible product!
Be Honest
It’s always important to be transparent with buyers, and when selling locally, this helps avoid wasting people’s time.
Always be upfront about your item’s condition, and don’t try to hide imperfections like scratches, dents, or damage to try and fetch a higher price.
And if there is something significant like stains or tears, it can be helpful to even show it in photos so that the buyer is completely aware of the condition.
Meet In Safe Public Areas
Whenever possible, try to meet buyers in a well lit and public location instead of at your home. This protects your own safety, and that way there are also likely cameras where your transaction is taking place.
Many police and fire stations have spots designated for individuals buying and selling locally, and you can also meet at places like a store or gas station parking lot.
Respond To Buyers Quickly
When shopping on local marketplaces, buyers want instant answers. If you delay your response even by a few hours, you could easily lose the sale to another seller, so reply to buyers as fast as possible.
In addition to responding quickly to potential buyers, be ready to meet up for sale. Many buyers want to purchase and pick up right away. Don’t post items for sale locally and then leave town, or you’ll miss out on opportunities.
Do Competitive Research
How much are other people selling similar products for in your area?
Make sure you research the competition so you price your listings reasonably. You don’t have to undercut everyone, but be in the same ballpark so you actually get some buyers.
Stick With Cash & E-Transfers
To avoid buyer scams, make sure you actually get paid for the stuff you’re selling. This means accepting cash or a direct bank deposit when the buyer is still in front of you.
Sometimes, buyers try to scam sellers by using online payment processors like PayPal and then requesting a refund, claiming they never received the item. And some buyers even try scams like writing fraudulent checks.
Just stick with cash if possible to avoid these scams. But for larger purchases, it can pay to know how to spot counterfeit bills or to even use a counterfeit bill detector pen to make sure all currency is legitimate.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re looking to make money to pay bills or just want to get rid of clutter, selling online locally can be quick and easy. From clothing to collectibles, furniture to vehicles, so many different things can be sold to earn extra income. As an added plus, when you sell locally, there’s no messing with shipping.
While these are just a few of the websites to sell stuff locally, there are other options out there to make money quickly.
Hopefully, one of the sites on our list helps you make some extra cash while keeping things local!
