Unsure what to sell? You don’t have to have your beloved items auctioned. Here’s how you can make good money selling things you didn’t even know were valuable
The saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is never more true than when it comes to selling things online. As our handy list shows, you can actually make money by buying and selling cheap everyday items and even things you would otherwise throw away.
While rarer items command the highest bids on sites like eBay, it would be unwise to ignore the smaller revenue streams. Those smaller sales add up.
There is money to be made in every corner of your house. You just have to know what to look out for.
What can you sell to make money?
Do you want to earn extra money? These are the best things to sell:
Table of Contents
1. Your old clothes
If you have a closet full of clothes that you never wear, you should dig them out and use some websites and apps to sell clothes online.
Branded or vintage clothing is often the easiest to sell, but other items can also make good money. Just make sure you make them presentable, take good photos, and write accurate descriptions.
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2. Hanger
Do you have a closet that contains more hangers than clothes? Why aren’t they sold? They won’t last long, but that’s better than nothing! If you have a matching set of hangers you can probably get about 50 cents online.
3. Wine cork
Wine corks are great for crafts, making them a perfect sales item.
If you drink enough of the good stuff to build a collection, you can make around 10p per wine cork and up to 15p per champagne cork (literally). Facebook Marketplace is a good option for this, as it allows you to sell locally and save on shipping costs.
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4. Unused parking space
Do you have private parking but no car? You will be surprised how much money you can make by renting out your parking space and if you live near a city center the potential is even greater.
Check with your landlord if you are renting as this could be classed as subletting.
5. Your body (for testing!)
It may surprise you that taking part in drug trials can earn you around £100 a day. The payment for this can even reach thousands of pounds (depending on the study, of course).
Alternatively, you can also register with product testing websites. That way, you’re compensated for trying new products, not your body.
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6. Advertising space on your blog
Do you have a personal blog? One of the easiest ways to make money from your website is to sell ad space.
You can apply to advertise networks like Google Adsense or even approach individual companies. If they sell products in the same niche as your website, they might want to advertise to your readers.
7. Old Cell Phones
Do you have old phones in the drawer that you haven’t used since the upgrade?
Instead of letting them gather dust just in case you need them (which you never will), why not just sell your old phone for cash? You can get up to a few hundred pounds from them.
8. Your Services
You don’t even need any expertise to make money from your services. Apps like Task Rabbit allow you to make money by helping other people complete small tasks (usually home improvement). It’s worth signing up for to-do apps to do small, very simple tasks around you for a fee.
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9. Old university books
Let’s face it, it’s unlikely you’ll ever read them again. The faster you sell your textbooks (that is, while the edition you have is still current), the more money you’ll get for them.
Just think of the shipping costs, because packages full of books can get pretty heavy and expensive. Or, better yet, sell them to next year’s students!
10. Empty glasses
Are you a fan of spices? Take your eco-friendliness to the next level by charging passionate jam makers online for recycling your jars. You can earn around 50p per glass and around £1 per glass for coffee glasses.
11. Remote Controls
It’s another weird way to make money, but it’s funny how every household seems to have a spare remote in a drawer that no one remembers what it was originally intended for.
If you have one laying around, look it up on eBay – you could get £ten for it.
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12. Egg cartons
Let’s say it’s about someone who raises chickens and can’t eat eggs fast enough. Or maybe someone looking for cheap soundproofing?
Whatever the reason empty egg cartons are being sold online, the fact is they are. Fifty half-dozen boxes sell for about five dollars each on eBay.
13. Makeup and Beauty Trials
If you’re on our mailing list or Facebook group, you’ll know that there are beauty giveaways up for grabs almost every day.
And while we all love free offers, not everything is to your liking. So why not start collecting the samples you don’t like and sell them as sample sets online?
14. Aluminum cans
Another unusual thing to sell is empty aluminum cans. Instead of throwing them away, you can visit the Think Cans website to find a recycling center near you that will buy the cans from you. It’s just another way to make money from recycling!
15. Empty ink cartridges
When you have a printer, an empty ink cartridge is inevitable, and buying a new cartridge doesn’t come cheap! So it would be a shame to simply throw away the old device.
Luckily there are companies like The Recycling Factory that buy up used cartridges for recycling. They get money and they don’t end up in a landfill – a win-win situation.
16. Children’s toys
Your inability to part with your old sweethearts might finally pay off.
It’s always worth browsing through your childhood toy collection and checking eBay to see what they’re selling for. And who knows, you might have one of these toys too – it could be worth thousands of pounds!
17. Gift Cards
Gift cards are the most popular “I didn’t know what to buy you” gift. But what if it’s a loan from a store you never buy from?
As long as it’s not past its expiration date, you can try selling it on eBay. If you charge anything less than the value of the gift card, it will be stolen in no time.
18. Your hair
That might not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to selling things, but you can get a lot of money for your hair.
You need long, healthy hair to make the biggest gains, so make sure you take good care of it! It’s also best to find a buyer before you cut your hair, as some companies won’t accept hair that isn’t freshly cut…
19. Old toilet paper roll
We’re not even joking. All those cardboard sleeves that you and your roommates have collected out of sheer laziness can be turned into cash.
We’ve seen someone sell 800 for £48 plus £22 postage, but more realistically you can sell old rolls of toilet paper for 10p each. Better than throwing them away for free, right?
20. Your photos
We’re not talking about photos of you and your friends getting drunk on the beach in Marbella… But if you have a keen eye and a creative mind, you can make a lot of money from your photos. You don’t even need a fancy camera to take photos that can earn you money.
21. Your opinion
If there’s a way to make you feel like your opinion really matters, it’s when someone offers to pay you for it.
Take paid survey sites, rate videos for money, or offer your expert opinion on new music for money on Slicethepie.
22. Your knowledge
If you are passionate about a subject and know a lot about it (perhaps a subject you study at university), why not take advantage of it?
You could tutor or become a freelancer in your field. It’s a good way to earn some extra money and looks great on your resume too.
23. Your language skills
Are you blessed with the ability to speak a second (or third, or fourth…) language? You could make money selling your language skills. From translating texts to creating language resources, there are many possibilities.
24. Old CDs, DVDs, and games
We all have movies we’ve only seen once (or not at all) or games we’ve played once that bore us. Luckily, there are places where you can sell and monetize your old DVDs, CDs, and games.
How much you can get for it depends entirely on the item, but expect to pay around 50p: £1 for CDs, £1.50 for DVDs and £15 for video games.
25. Your steps
There are many other ways to make money from running. You can use apps like Sweatcoin, which give you coins for the number of steps you take, walk the dog, become a human billboard, and more. So many ways to make money AND keep fit.
26. Empty boxes
It is quite common to buy used goods online that do not come with a box, so buyers are willing to pay for the corresponding empty boxes to keep the item looking new when they give it away.
You will be surprised to see empty boxes for iPhones, Playstations, and many other electronics that cost a lot of money.
27. Instruction Manuals
Do you still have manuals lying around for things you don’t use or already know how to use (so you no longer need the instructions)? Manuals for things like sound systems and computers sell quite well on eBay.
28. Broken electronic devices
While this is a niche business, selling broken items on eBay is not entirely out of the question.
As long as you are aware that the item is not working and that you are selling it as a “spare part” it will likely be sold.
You could also sell your tech to companies that refurbish used equipment. For example, take a look at Music Magpie’s promotional prices.
29. Personalized Gifts
If you’re a little artistic and business-minded, you could set up your own online shop and sell on Etsy.
While some people make a few pounds every month, others have turned it into a profitable full-time business. Research what he’s selling and give it a unique spin: the possibilities are endless.
30. Money (for more than its true value)
With all these new coins and notes, collectors are scrambling for the rarest coins and bidding big on old coins to complete their collections. Check your wallet and check your coins before you spend them.
31. Empty perfume bottles
Yes, we’re not sure about that either, but sometimes it’s better not to ask questions.
Before you throw away your empty perfume bottles, list them for sale on eBay and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised…
If you’re running out of things to sell, check out our guide to making money fast online.
