Household Items You Should Sell and Not Throw Out

A cleaning binge or a simple walk through your house can turn up all kinds of items that you may want to toss in the garbage. Throwing them away, however, could be like throwing money away.

With a little effort, you could sell various household items online, at local consignment shops or during a garage sale, among other options. Below are some used items that probably take up extra space in your home, but could net you some cash:

Electronics
Old cellphones, computers, tablets and other electronic devices can have too short a lifespan and fill up a drawer or clutter a room fast.

Websites such as Amazon, Gazelle and Decluttr buy old electronics, possibly paying $100 or so to help you buy the next gadget you want. To get the best price, cellphones should be in working order with no major cracks or other damage and with only some light wear and tear.

Books
If you’re not attached to your books and keep too many around the house, it can be worthwhile to try to sell them at your local bookstore. You might not get much money for them, but finding them a new home will help declutter your house and give you some cash to buy a new book to read. Consider having your children bring their old books, too.

Some books can bring in some real money. Textbooks, first editions and volumes from popular authors can be sold on Amazon, Decluttr and other places online. To find the best price for your books, try BookScouter. It searches dozens of buyback vendors to find the best price for a specific book you want to sell.

Appliances
If you’re looking to upgrade your home appliances, try selling your old ones on Craigslist or eBay. Landlords in your area may be looking for affordable appliances that will be used in student housing, or new homeowners may be looking for a deal.

Toys
Craigslist and eBay are also good places to sell used toys, but a garage sale may be your best bet. No matter what route you choose, be sure to get your kids’ permission first.

Clothing and Accessories
Instead of giving away your old clothes and accessories to a thrift store, which is still a good idea if it’s a charity, you may be able to make some cash by selling them.

Popular accessories, such as designer handbags, that you no longer want can still be desirable to other potential buyers. For example, the website Bag Borrow or Steal verifies that handbags are authentic designer items (not knockoffs), and will either buy them outright from you or consign them.