But how about all the other things that sadly THE FIFTH COLLECTION do not take? Here is your ultimate guide, backed by years of experience, to sell anything second hand.
CURATE
Before working hard on a listing, make sure you curate appropriately the item that you are about to sell. Sadly ,many things have no more value in them and are better off being donated or properly recycled.
Having said that, please do go the extra mile when you donate an item. Make sure that they are still in good shape and never donate something that is clearly at the end of its life or is way too damaged to find a new home. And, yes, even when doing donation online such as with FB groups or Carousell, always attach a photo and a minimum description - it is just a nice thing to do.
When it comes to recycling, it can be a little bit more tricky and you might have to do some extra research to find the adequate place for it. However, we can assure you that it is oh-so-satisfying when you know that your items are being recycled the right way.
2. PUT YOURSELF IN THE BUYER SHOES
Always ask yourself these simple questions: “If I am the buyer, what would I would like to see in the listing? Would I be ready to pay this price for a second hand item? Do I want to go through all the trouble for it (pick up etc…)?”
We know too well how painful it is to have paid top dollar for a piece and get only so little in the second hand market. but the reality is that in our modern society, we all have access to so many “brand new” alternatives that you have to take that into account. Plus, getting some kind of value of it is better than nothing at all. Afterall, it is better to $xx for it than $0 (and dust) in the closet.
Once you understand that concept, trust us you won’t be shopping the same way again and realise that some items are worth the splurge because you will still want to get back some $$$ when you are done using them.
Let me give you a personal example as I do use some peer-to-peer platforms to mainly donate and sell some items that I no longer use. I also do it regularly in order to lose the minimum I paid for. A month ago, my daughter decided that she no longer wants to use her Stokke chair at the dining room table as she felt she has outgrown it. Straight away, I made a listing and got back most of what I paid for initially. Because I purchased the real thing and something that is on top of the wish list of many parents, I was able to recoup at least half of my initial purchase which was extremely satisfying as my daughter got to use the Stokke chair for years. On top of that, the chair got many parties interested, and was sold in 24hours.