Ebay

Before Kids, I used to sell more aggressively on Ebay. Then we started remodeling houses gung-ho, and there was no more room for packing materials among the paint cans. Until now, we never lived in a house with a garage or storage space.

Then we bought this house, which needed almost no remodeling. (Though I couldn't mention it at the time, it was priced significantly below what it would have brought on the MLS open market--so we didn't go completely soft.) I promised myself I would find other ways to earn some pocket money. I have a built-in inventory of things which won't work in this house. However, I'm learning that it's often quicker, easier, and cheaper (free!) to put things on Craig's List first. I don't have to pack, ship, or pay fees--and if it doesn't sell on Craig's List, I already have the text and photos ready to load on Ebay. Of course, I do have the potential to price items too low and lose that auction effect that makes Ebay so exciting.

When I clear out my excess stuff, my goal is to buy one thing every time I garage sale or thrift that will pay for the things I plan to keep. For instance, we needed some fall sweaters. We went to Goodwill on 99 cent day. I bought four sweaters for us and one Christmas sweater by Storybook Knits/Home Shopping Network. The sweater is already up to $12, so I've earned double what I paid for our own sweaters. When I think about selling this way, it makes the whole Ebay attempt seem less formidable.