Instagram isn’t just for selfies and stalking. It’s also a great way to sell your extra stuff.
Laura Gummerman / Graphic by Rachel Sanders
These days, there are plenty of ways to sell things you don't want or need to other people. Sites like eBay, Poshmark and Amazon make it pretty easy, or you can kick it old-school with an IRL stoop or yard sale. But most selling and bidding sites want a cut of your profits or require you to register, and in-person sales hinge on who can make it to your side of town in time.
Enter: the Instagram sale. More and more people (myself included) are using Instagram to sell items because it's easy, and buyers have direct access to you if there are questions about things like color or fit. Best of all, you get 100% of the profits.
Before you throw a virtual yard sale of your own, check out these tips from bloggers who have already mastered the art:
Sort through your stuff and pick out what will actually sell.
Since you're going through the trouble of photographing, listing and shipping the item, the more recognizable the brand name, the better (though I've seen items from Forever 21 sell as successfully as vintage Chanel, just at a lower price point).
Stuff like records and kitchen items/appliances are usually hot-ticket items as well, as long as you can practically ship them. Make sure everything is clean, presentable and ready to be photographed.
Via ak-hdl.buzzfed.com
Set up an easy way for people to pay you.
PayPal is a free, secure way for people to pay you, and you can link it straight to your bank account so transferring funds is easy. You can ask shoppers to leave the email address connected with their own PayPal account when they bid, and send them an invoice directly through the site.
Apps like Square Cash and Venmo are solid options, too.
Via i.myniceprofile.com
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