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| The Basics | Turn your surplus stuff into cash online
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How the sites break down
Amazon.com
Best for: Books, CDs, DVDs, electronics and other fixed-price items.
How it works: You search through Amazon.com listings for the exact item you want to sell, then click on the "Sell yours here" button on the right-hand side of the screen. (If you can't find your item listed, you're out of luck.) You set the price for your item, compose your advertisement and give Amazon your credit card and bank account numbers, along with your name, address and phone number. If the item sells, Amazon gives you a shipping credit to offset some of your costs, then deducts its fees from the buyer's payment and deposits the proceeds into your bank account.
Listing fees: None
Selling fees: 99 cents plus 6% to 15% of the selling price, depending on the type of item sold.
Craigslist
Best for: Hard-to-ship items, fixed-priced items and sellers who want minimal hassle and no fees.
How it works: You click on the community where you live (listed on the right-hand side of the Craigslist home page) and find the appropriate category under the "For Sale" section. You compose your ad, include pictures if you like and post. Potential buyers contact you directly (typically via e-mail) and you work out the details.
Listing fees: None
Selling fees: None
EBay
Best for: Collectibles, hard-to-find items.
How it works: You create a seller's account and provide credit-card or debit-card numbers, as well as your bank account information. You're given the option to sign up for PayPal, a payment system that allows you to accept buyers' electronic payments (or, for a fee, credit card payments). You compose your ad, decide on your selling format (typically auction method or fixed-priced), add pictures or other special features, select a category and post your listing.
Listing fees: 25 cents to $4.80, depending on the starting or minimum price. For additional fees, you can upgrade the look of your ad or guarantee it more prominent placement.
Selling fees: 5.25% of the first $25, plus 2.75% of the amount up to $1,000, plus 1.5% of the amount over $1,000. (So if you sold something for $1005, you would pay $1.31 for the first $25 of value, plus 2.9% of the amount over $25 but below $1,000.01, or $26.81, plus 1.5% of the remainder, or 7 cents, for a total of $28.19.).
Half.com
Best for: Books, DVDs, CDs, electronics and other fixed-priced items.
How it works: You set up a user account, then click the "Become a seller" link. You type in your credit card number and contact information, then choose the shipping methods you want to offer. If your item sells, Half.com deducts its commission from the buyer's payment and deposits the remainder directly into your checking account.
Listing fees: None
Selling fees: 5% to 15% of the selling price, depending on the cost of the item sold.
Alternatives to using big sites
Trading assistants: Plenty of businesses and individuals will conduct your online auctions for you. You just drop off the item, or arrange for pickup, and your work is done. Count on losing 30% to 50% of any sales to commissions, and consider using assistants screened by the site. You can find eBay's list of trading assistants here.
Trading forums: If you have a hobby, chances are there are several Web sites devoted to it, and many have buying and selling forums. One poster in the Your Money message board, for instance, recommended AnandTech.com for computer aficionados and techies.
Consignment shops: Best for high-end items like designer clothing, formal wear and better furniture. The usual deal is the shop takes 50% of whatever sells; if it doesn't sell, it's usually donated or returned to you.
Yard sales: The time-tested way to get rid of stuff in a hurry. Price things cheaply for quick sales -- the idea is to get it out of your house, not make a fortune. Even then, you'll wind up taking some things to the dump or Goodwill; one Your Money poster recalls having to comfort her husband, who couldn't understand why no one wanted his old recliner with the duct tape patch.
Donations: You won't get cash up front, but you could realize a financial benefit at tax time if you itemize. Check with the charity first to see what items it doesn't accept, and refrain from donating stuff that's unusable.
Freecycle.org: Your only payment will be good karma, but that goes a long way. Freecycle.org connects people who need stuff with people who are willing to give it away. You can find more details in my earlier column, "Don't need that old blender? Freecycle it."
Liz Pulliam Weston's column appears every Monday and Thursday, exclusively on MSN Money. She also answers reader questions in the Your Money message board.
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