By: Ariel Kormendy | Co-Founder
In our last few podcasts, and for several months, I’ve been talking a lot about saving money and earning more income.
I’m sure you’ve sat back and had this conversation with yourself, or with your spouse. “We spend too much on…”.
One thing we can learn from being in self-isolation during the COVID-19 days is that you don’t need as much as you think you do. Whether it’s food, entertainment, clothing, or services, it’s easy to see how the general population spends too much on things we don’t need. So, while this is a great time to self-assess, it’s also a great time to make some extra money on things you don’t need, but already have!
If you’re like me, you’ve likely been ordering a bunch of stuff from Amazon or other online retailers that offer touch-free delivery. If you’ve noticed, your curbside recycling every week is getting piled with cardboard on a more regular basis, or you’re likely starting to collect a few extra boxes in the garage or basement.
Let’s put these to use!
Set a day this week to start that thorough spring cleaning around the house with the first step of purging and decluttering.
First, gather empty boxes you’ve been collecting from deliveries and make two separate areas. The first area will be for things to donate/give away and; the other for items of value that might be easy to sell.
If you’re not planning on moving any time soon, doing this task is just going to make you feel better about not having unnecessary clutter around the house and being better organized. If you are planning on moving, this will ensure you’re not taking anything to your new home that doesn’t need to go.
It’s super easy to set up delivery pickups at your doorstep with FedEx, Purolator and Canada Post. You package it, label it, place the parcel pickup on the website and leave it at your door. Remember, you’re using boxes received from deliveries.
The reality is, eBay has been on fire in the last few weeks, with people browsing for things they need or want, or for those that get the late-night urge to shop. There’s a worldwide market of buyers at your fingertips, and that’s my suggestion of where to sell anything that isn’t big, bulky or heavy. Being in Canada likely means your shipping rates are going to be too high to be competitive in other markets. Selling items that are cheaper to ship are the best options for eBay from my personal experience. Things like CDs and videogames, clothing, sports cards and collectables and smaller niche items are perfect.
I could go more in-depth and talk about Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Twitter, and so many other ways to sell stuff, but this blog would go on forever. So, for now, let’s keep it simple and start selling the things you can ship quickly. Get your feet wet, start the purge and make a few extra bucks right now while you can.
Have fun with it – it can become addictive, especially after selling something for way more than you thought.
I’ve been flipping stuff and selling crap around my house on eBay for over 20 years – it’s crazy to think about it. But it’s been a passion of mine, and I can confidently call it my official “side-hustle.” I’ve sold things from used clothes to framed artwork, sports cards and comic books, right down to boat parts and household furniture. You name it; I’ve sold it.
One of the oddest sales was when I sold a pair of Gucci shoes that were a gift to me many years ago. They were “driving” shoes, and I loved them. They looked great, and I wore them all the time, but I didn’t care for them as well as I should have. Long story short, after 4 or 5 years of wear, they were done. They had many scuffs and holes, started to look rough. As much as I didn’t want to part with them, they had to go. Instead of throwing them in the garbage, which is what I had planned on doing, I decided to take a couple of clean and well-lit photos of each shoe, then a few more as a pair, and try to sell them on eBay. A week went by, and I thought to myself, “WTF am I thinking, just throw them away.” Surely, the next day they sold. Yep, someone bought the shoes. After shipping costs, I profited about $40 on them. Not bad for what otherwise would have been in a black bag on garbage day.
So, there’s my challenge to you. Start your Spring purge and find a few things to sell online for a few extra bucks. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what your junk around the house might be worth to someone else. Trust me, Your bank account and storage areas will thank you.
Get into good habits now and get the experience of selling things on eBay and, who knows, maybe it could become your side-hustle too!
I’d love to hear your stories and share ideas so leave me a comment 🙂
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Ariel Kormendy is co-founder of the KT group of companies. As a Milton Real Estate Agent and entrepreneur at heart, both he and his partner, Adrian Trott, have shaken up the real estate industry by implementing their genuine passion for providing exceptional customer experiences, fun and value-driven service. If you’re considering a career in real estate or are looking for assistance moving, whether buying, selling or investing in real estate, contact the team today.
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