De-cluttering for Christmas with eBay
Christmas.
Okay so I said it, the dreaded C word, in September, and although I am still very much in denial at where this year has gone, I realise that in just two months time it will be December and there is literally nowhere for any new toys to go!
Last year we had a new playroom built and everything had a place for a whole week (if that!) and it was amazing to have a clutter free house. And then slowly but surely the toys started creeping into the lounge, the kitchen, piled up infront of the toy boxes and balanced precariously on shelves. And with having four (very spoilt!) children, I realised that we simply have too much stuff!
So last week I decided that unless we get rid of all of the old toys, there will be no new toys allowed in! With a Christmas list a mile long the children weren’t overly happy about this and so helped me to separate their favourite toys from the ones they no longer played with.
With several boxes of unwanted toys, many of which were still like new, I donated those of a lesser value to the charity shop and any larger items I decided to sell on eBay. I wasn’t quite sure how easy it would be to sell via eBay, I thought it might be too time consuming or too much hassle faffing around with postage and packaging, but actually it was surprisingly easy!
Having downloaded the ebay app it was a case of following four easy steps to make a sale –
1. Snap it
Treat the photo of your item like you would a selfie, getting the best lighting, angle and taking several shots until you find the perfect one. The better your photo the more chance you have of making a quick sale, nobody wants to buy an item that is too blurred or dark to really see what they are bidding on!
2. Write it
Use keywords to write a description of your item making sure that it is interesting, informative and honest. I made sure that I wrote a clear, concise outline of what each toy did, any features or sounds it had, and the condition it was in.
3. Price it
I found this quite tough to know how much to price my items, especially as some had been used. eBay gives you the option to sell your item as an auction or a buy it now price. If you know an exact price you are happy to sell for then a buy it now option is perfect, for those items you aren’t quite sure of how much they are worth, its best to start it as an auction with the minimum amount you would be happy to receive.
4. Post it
If a buyer is local then collection is always the easiest option, but obviously that isn’t always the case with eBay being global! I loved that eBay gave suggested postal costs for a variety of couriers and also the option to buy a postage label after making the sale, pay on line, print out and parcel up to conveniently drop with your local courier! Simple!
Armed with all of these tips, and even more over on the simple selling guide from eBay, I listed two items last week to test the water, easily done via my eBay app, and allowed the auction to run over the entire week. By the second day I had bids on both items, and by the third day I had even more. By the time my auction ended this weekend I had made a total of £70, literally from items we had lying around the house! I couldn’t believe how easy it was!
The best thing for me is that not only am I decluttering, but I am raising funds to put towards Christmas so that my children can have all of those items on their wish lists. It’s lovely to think that other children will be able to enjoy the toys that my children no longer need, as a big fan of Toy Story I would hate to think of those toys thrown out and unloved!
I now find myself wandering around the house looking for things to eBay and with just a few snaps on my phone I can have it auctioned amongst millions of users and the money into my PayPal within the week. Christmas is usually quite a worrying time for us as a family of six with only one income, so it is a relief to know that we can have that money put away ready to treat our children at the end of the year. And next year, no doubt sell many of those toys back on eBay!!
You can read how other Mums found selling their unwanted items on ebay here .
*This is a collaborative post. I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity. I have received a voucher as a token of thanks for this post.*
I really need to pull my finger out and look at getting some bits on eBay as it is of course a great way to make space and make a few extra pennies for Christmas.
Definitely, and super easy too! xx
I would not have sold anything on E-bay if it was me. I would probably buy a treasure box and put it there. And yes with your point, click it, I will click and put it in an album in case my stuff gets destroyed.
I doubt there is a treasure box big enough for all of the toys we had to get rid of! Don’t worry they didn’t get rid of anything of sentimental value! xx
Christmas really is just around the corner. In some countries, the celebration starts in September. Super cool! Thanks for sharing!
Wow that is early! xx
This is exactly what I am doing now! I have just sold a bunch of Wii games that I didn’t use in years and it’s amazing how much money I’ve made on some items which were just taking space in my house and were never used.
It’s crazy isn’t it? Usually I dump the lot at the charity shop or even throw it out! I love that I can make some money for Christmas just from my phone! xx
I love ebay! I sell all my daughters dance costumes on ebay and you are right it is so easy with the ebay app. The only hard bit is getting to the post office!
Yes! I am going there tomorrow! xx
Yeah we need to do this in our house we have sorted them all out in the shed but that is as far as we have got.
It’s hard work isn’t it? Good luck! xx
I tried using ebay to clear some stuff out once when I was moving and it just ended up being way more work than it was worth for me! I ended up just dropping most of my stuff off at a Goodwill. Kudos to you for having the patience!
I think anything you can do from your phone makes life easier, and printing the labels at home even simpler! xx
I’m proud to say that I know what “faffing” is now and will be trying to launch it here in the States.
And thank you for donating those toys to the charity shop….I donated around 30 books to my local shop today as well.
Great minds think alike!
Hahah Patrick “faffing” is such a good term, you can use it in so many contexts, I hope you manage to get it to cotton on!! I always donate to our local charity shop, they always run out to help me as they know I’ll have lots to carry in! xx
I used to sell old books on eBay to make room for more books! 🙂 It’s a great way to make some side cash.
Definitely! I didn’t realise just how simple it was! xx
Yes Christmas seems to come round earlier every year. Looks like you are getting organised though
I need to make some space for the influx of toys! xx
We did exactly the same thing with our toyroom and then yes it lastest a whole week too! I’m also in the process of decluttering and simplifying things, with the first hit list being the toys!
There’s just so many of them isn’t there?? I’m sure they multiply! xx
In India, I think we cannot sell things on Ebay ,but yes we have few other platforms. But this is really good way , decluttering and raising funds together for something new. Shall try doing that with ample of my son’s redundant but functional toys.
Ahh that’s a shame, it’s such a great way to sell things. I’m glad you have something similar! xx
I used to love eBay until someone hacked my account and also spent a fortune on it but otherwise it’s a good place to sell and glad you made some money
Nooooo! That’s awful! Sorry to hear that Anosa. xx
I so desperately need to declutter, but I’m so lazy when it comes to eBay I end up just putting it all to the charity shop, lol! I’m missing out on making money though.
That is me all over, but some of the toys were really quite expensive and if I can make just a little to put towards Christmas it helps to take the pressure off! xx
I love Ebay! we use it to buy baby clothes as well as Christmas presents but it’s a fab way to get rid of unwanted stuff!
You can buy just about anything, it’s great! xx
Love this post and the motivation behind it: decluttering while making some money for new Christmas gifts. I think too few of us use eBay to get rid of unused stuff because we fear the whole process is too much effort. But your post showed the opposite. It is easy and rewarding. Thank you 🙂
Definitely! It’s really quite easy! xx
It’s good to know how easy it is to sell something on Ebay, I’ve never done it but there are definitely a few items I could do with selling
Oh you should try it! It’s quite addctive! xx
I love selling items on Ebay and making room for new items x
Me too! It’s so therapeutic! xx
I made a similar decision where I said I couldn’t buy any new clothes til the old clothes had gone! I actually managed to make a couple hundred quid by selling stuff xD Great idea to declutter on eBay 🙂
Oh yay!! It’s fab when things sell and you can make some money! xx
Thanks so much for writing this. I must be one of the few that has yet to sell on ebay and I found your tips really useful. I could do with making some room at home.
Oh you definitely should try it! xx
These are all great tips and I so need to have a clear out before Xmas thanks for sharing ?
Thanks Louise. xx
I never tried this before but it looks a good idea to sell out old stuff, I’m really amazed how easily we can do it through ebay 🙂
So easy, you should try it! xx
We do this seasonally! It’s great to get the house decluttered and make some extra pennies x
I’m so going to do this every Autumn, I think I can raise enough funds to cover Christmas! xx
This is such a great idea! you can make so much money off of ebay!
Definitely, and unclutter your home too! xx
I love selling on ebay but haven’t given it a go for a while. You’ve just spurred me on to get listing some things
Oh you really should, it’s so easy isn’t it? xx
We just moved house and we have SO much stuff. We need to get rid of some, so will put it on eBay.
Oh you should, you could make a fortune! xx
I totally need to get on the ebay band wagon, we have so much toys and clothes my daughter has worn once, which should go to a good home. Plus it is great way to make a few extra for Christmas.
Yes definitely, there’s a lot of money to be made! xx
We haven’t used Ebay for years but need to have a clear out before Christmas too to make way for all the new gifts no doubt x Might give it a go!
Its definitely worth it to make some extra cash! xx
I am always nervous about trying to use Ebay. But this is so cool. Thanks for all the great information about how it all works.
Ahh you should give it a go! It’s so easy! xx
So many things to get rid of, so little time haha! I have the rule that if you get something, you have to get rid of something you don’t need, but it would be awesome to get some money in the process! Ebay sounds easy enough!
Yes! One in one out, it’s a great rule! xx
You’ve done so well with your first listings. I really love eBay and am forever selling and buying things there. It is quite addictive though isn’t it!
It really is, I’m looking for what else I can sell! xx
I’ve been using Ebay to declutter and I feel so much better because I’ve managed to sell items I forgot I had! It’s nice to have an organised house and to have made some money too.
I totally agree, it feels great when everywhere is tidy! xx
I’ve got a whole load of stuff I need to sell, I haven’t used eBay for a while but I think it’s all going to go on there.
You should try it, it’s super easy! xx
I have never put something up for sale on Ebay as when we are decluttering at Spring or anytime of the year we give the stuff away. At Christmas, I would not sell anything, but give it to those who really need them,
We give SO much to charity our local charity shop often has to turn away the things we send, but for the bigger items that are very expensive, I find ebay is great especially when we have little money to afford christmas. xx
This is a great idea. I have to try eBay myself too. As the saying goes ” One person`s trash is another person`s treasure”.
Yes! So true! Thank you for reading. xx
That’s a great idea. I really don’t like clutter around my house.
This is such a good initiative. It’s so cool that Ebay has a user-friendly app that makes it super easy.
Yes, anything with an app is great isn’t it? xx
This is such a great way to declutter and also put your stuff to good use. I love that ebay’s app is so user-friendly and makes decluttering a breeze.
Yes its super easy Aditi! xx
Great post! I love using ebay for clearing out unused/unwanted things. Such a great place for making a bit of money for Christmas.
Holly x
It’s so easy too isn’t it?? I’m a little bit addicted! xx
This is exactly what I will we be doing as soon as I move into my new house – sifting through all the stuff that I’ve accumulated, and deciding if I really need to keep it. Anything that I don’t need I will sell on eBay or Gumtree 🙂 x
It’s so easy to accumulate things, I don’t even know where to start in some rooms! xx