Tips when selling things second hand

With fall coming and so the feeling of change it’s a great thing to clean out the closet and sell some stuff that’s been laying there for waaay to long. We have a big storage space in the attic that I succeeded to give away and sell off  – about 2/3 of all the things up there! Feels great.

Also with all that information about how we’re tearing down the Earth, with the Overshoot Day and all that I posted about a couple of days ago going second hand with your stuff is truly the best. In stead of just buying new stuff – if we can reuse what we have or simply buy second hand we’re saving some of the earths resources. (For Swedish people download Blockets report about the environment here).

Since I buy most of my stuff second hand and I also spend way to long online browsing “finds” on dark nights… There are some things that I have been thinking about and I want to share them with you.

Second hand rules by Isabelle in Swenglish:

1. Check your spelling/kolla stavningen
Mostly in English I’ve learned that you write words apart. Like you don’t write bunkbed – it’s bunk bed. In Swedish you mostly do the opposite it’s not Vånings säng but våningssäng– In Sweden there are real drama if you do this grammar wrong!
It’s tricky I know but heey people  – try a spell check or google the word before posting an ad! This is also good if you want to buy stuff online because if you type bunk bed or bunkbed you mostly get completely different search results.

2. Better write too much than less – much is always more! / Mycket är alltid mer – skriv en målande beskrivning!
Stories goes around the block. I like to write why I’m selling my stuff and what great purpose it has been giving me in my life or that we don’t have pets at home or that the color in the photo is a bit stronger than in real or that you need two strong persons to carry the thing down my stairs when buying it or whatever useful or nice info it may be! Explain the the thing you are selling in many words and in an honest way. People doesn’t just want o buy stuff because they need it- you need to sell it to them!
3. Photos people – it’s all about the image! / En bild säger mer än 1000 ord ni vet!
I don’t need to explain this in our photomaniac time. Even if it’s the crappiest images ever taken it’s still better than posting an ad without one. And also be honest- take photo’s of the bad stuff as well – a tear in the sofas fabric or a crack on one of the chair’s legs. Here I always go for much is more again. I you want someone to get up from their sofa to buy yours – you need to present it good.

4. Size is everything! / Glöm inte måtten!
How much space will this lovely thing you’re selling take? How High, broad and deep is it? Can you also measure other things – like what’s the hight from the floor up to under the bed – is it high enough for extra storage? Or how much does the armrests go out from a chair? Or how big are the drawers in the cupboard? It amazes me every time people are putting up ads – like huge storage or tables without any measurements.

5. Shop around with the pricing. / Spana in konkurrensen!
Yes, your stuff may be worth much more  – but firstly check out the going rate for what you’re selling then compare their stuff to yours. Is it in better or worse condition? – then the pricing will be different. Do they live in town or far out in the suburbs? People tend to buy stuff a little more expensive when it’s sold in town since you don’t need to make the effort of going far or paying for gaz. Also even if a thing is worth alot – but it isn’t worth anything to you – sell it cheaper and just get rid of it. Or if you really have the time and space let the ad be up there for a longer time but with the risk that it will disappear among all the other ad’s. Swedish Blocket alone, have more than half a million ads every week! I tend to sell things cheap but still make a lot of money since it quick and many small things adds up! And also I love when someone buys stuff from me and it makes them happy with something that I don’t use or want anymore.
Also keep in mind that you have to make room for the wonderful art of bargaining when you set a price on something to sell!

Right now I’m selling this pair of red chairs on Blocket that I’m working with right now. I’ve used them for a job but unfortunately I don’t have any room for them.
If you’re interested check out my Blocket ad right here – 1000 kronor and they are yours!

Ps,  a litte #tbt
I also sold all my old vinyls – a 1 meter high pile  of records that I got 1000 kronor for (about 150 bucks). I know I have funky taste in music but that old records like that was worth anything – I didn’t know! Almost just threw them out.  Also stuck in between an old Prince cover the buyer found this portrait of 14 year old me!

Good luck with your second hand buying and selling!

xxx
Isabelle