by Murray Lunn

Created on: August 02, 2010

There are literally thousands of dollars sitting around your house - right under your nose! The problem though is what to do with all these unused and unwanted items.

Do you go online and sell them through eBay or would it be better to hold a garage sale? Both of these methods can be great to unload these items and make a bit of money while doing it.

The following article will help you determine if it's better to sell your items on eBay or at a garage sale.

THE BENEFITS OF USING EBAY

eBay is arguably the best place to sell your items online. The sheer volume of people looking for items is enticing enough to sell your items. No doubt you'll find someone that is interested in your items.

With millions of items for sale on eBay, you can correctly gauge the price of your items so you don't have to haggle with those trying to buy in person.

Additionally, because you can set your eBay listings for multiple days you don't have to worry about the time restrictions as that presented during garage sales.

WHY EBAY MAY NOT BE FOR YOU

eBay, being an online auction platform does come with it's pros and cons.

With each listing you'll not only have to take the time to create a picture, write a description but you will need to pay listing fees.

If your items do not sell, you will be stuck having to pay for your fees which will cut back on the overall profit you could have made.

THE BENEFITS OF HOLDING A GARAGE SALE

Garage sales, unlike eBay, allows you to sell your used and new items to your community.

With actual foot traffic coming to your garage sale you can command your own prices and even make additional sales by throwing in incentives.

One good customer at a garage sale could come through and sweep all of your items within a few hours.

Additionally, garage sales can be a lot of fun because you'll be able to clean out your house and get to know your neighbors and community.

WHY GARAGE SALES MAY NOT BE FOR YOU

Garage sales can be great when comparing it to eBay but one problem that arises is that you're going to have to put forth the physical effort of setting up your sale.

If you spend hours setting up tables, placing signs and spending hours sitting, waiting for people and no one comes than a lot of time and effort is wasted.

THE BEST APPROACH TO SELLING YOUR ITEMS

Although there is an endless debate on wither eBay or garage sales are better for selling your items the best approach is to utilize a hybrid method.

Use eBay to find competitive pricing and sell items which would catch you a larger profit while a garage sale can be perfect for getting rid of the rest of your items.

After all is done, you could always list your items on eBay that didn't sell or donate them to a local charity.

FINAL THOUGHTS

In all, eBay would be perfect for those that are willing to take the time to list their items for the best price.

Garage sales are great for those that aren't entirely technical and just want to hold a short sale.

With enough effort and the right platform you'll be able to make a great deal of additional money and sell off your unused/unwanted items.

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