13 Best Things to Sell to Make Money

If you are in need of some quick cash, 13 might be your lucky number. Here are some easy, relatively painless ways to make some extra money without taking a lot of time or having to create your own website.

Almost anything will sell if the right people spot it but your best bet will be commonly sought-after items in fair to excellent condition. Remember when you are selling things it makes sense to take the extra time to clean them up and make them look decent.

You can buy polymailers, envelopes, packing tape, and other supplies cheap online. And when you shop at office supply stores like Walmart, FedEx Office, or OfficeMax through Swagbucks, you can even earn cash back too. In fact, you get $10 cash on your first purchase of $25 or more.

What Can I Sell to Make Money Fast?

Sports gear: From old skis to rollerblades, used sports gear is a popular re-sale item. List your used sporting equipment on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, or you can even bring it to a local consignment store like Play It Again Sports.
Art supplies: Unused paints, brushes, easels, and other items are great for beginners or even artists who are long on talent but short on money
Old smartphone: Your old smartphone can be a great first phone or a backup phone for someone
Unused gift cards: Sell or trade your unused gift cards.
Clothes: Your closet could be full of the latest trends as everything old becomes new again. Designer labels can bring in even higher prices on the resale market.
Baby gear: Gently used clothing, furniture, and baby bottles are hot selling items. (In some states there may be restrictions with re-selling bottles and breast pumping supplies.)
Gaming Equipment: Old school consoles and their accessories are selling big especially with people who still have the games but have no way of playing them

What Products Can I Sell to Make Money?

You can sell virtually any product as long as you can find a receptive audience for it. Even broken electronics or ripped clothing can be desirable for someone so it is only a matter of matching what you have to the people that want it.

According to an August 2021 article on US News.com some of the top items that are hot in the online marketplace include:

Electronics including TVs, laptops, video games, and phones
Fashion and jewelry items. Top designer names bring in the top dollars but well-made items from smaller boutiques are also sure to sell
Baby items. Cloth diapers, barely worn clothing, gently used furniture sell incredibly well
Pet items, especially anything that can be personalized became major sellers as more people bought or adopted pets during the pandemic.

What is the Most Profitable Thing to Sell?

The most profitable things to sell depend on whether you want to make it, flip it, or just sell. How much money you can make from your items will depend on how much time and effort it takes to make them.

The Most Profitable Thing to Make and Sell

If you have some spare time and want to create the things that you sell online, self-care items are the fastest way to quick profits.

Bath bombs are quick and easy to make with simple ingredients and can sell for as little as $1 for a basic bomb to $20 or more for an elaborate one with decorations and hidden surprises
Face masks, body scrubs, and other beauty treatments can be made with items from the average kitchen.
Find ingredients, cute cookie cutters for molds, and packaging supplies at Dollar General. Save on your items with coupons from Swagbucks and be sure to save your receipts to get cashback with Magic Receipts.

The Most Profitable Thing to Flip

Old furniture and it is one of the most profitable and rewarding things to flip and sell. Find it online or on the side of the road. You can find many pieces for very cheap or even free.

If the item is very old but not considered antique use care that the paint is not lead-based when sanding or dealing with its removal
Free items should be inspected carefully before you bring them home. Wooden items are good. Upholstered items should stay where they are.

The Most Profitable Thing to Sell

Jewelry and fashion label clothing can retain most of their value and will be easily sold for profit.

Look to the trends on TikTok and Instagram to know what is going to sell the best
Know the prices and the values before you post your item
Handmade jewelry is selling very well especially for women-led businesses

What is the Easiest Item to Sell?

The easiest items to sell are fitness items. From barbells to fitness bands, fitness items are hugely in demand and bringing in more money than ever before.

When the pandemic closed the gyms, gym hounds rushed to buy weight sets, benches, and other items leaving stores scrambling for stock
Most stores are still having issues coming up with enough weights as people have learned they prefer the home gym experience
Prices on items have nearly doubled on even basic gym equipment

What Can a Teenager Sell to Make Money?

Teenagers can sell electronics, video games, and collectibles that they no longer have an interest in.

Older video games and gaming systems are huge with nostalgia buffs
Laptops, PCs, and tablets that are not “cool” for a teen are great for younger kids who are just getting their first taste of online life. With more young children doing distance learning, the older electronics are in high demand
Collectibles including old comic books, figurines, and posters are hot-sellers

Additional Money Making Ideas for Teens

For the teen that doesn’t want to part with items, there are additional ways to make money:

Start a business providing services to neighbors such as mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, or walking the dog
Tutor or mentor younger students
Do light shopping and delivery in areas that are not serviced by the grocery delivery services

What Are the Best Things to Sell to Make Money Online?

As promised, here are the 13 best things to sell to make money online with your own website or through an app, or another website.

#1. Books and Toys

Books and toys are both items that tend to be collected and hoarded, take up a ton of space, and may quickly fall out of favor with the person who has them. But, as much as the owner is done with them, there are other people willing to spend decent money buying them, especially certain toys and books by very popular authors. Before you sell either:

Make sure that you are not underpricing a rare collectible.
Check books for personal information, hidden cash stashes, or mementos before shipping them off
Make sure that toys are listed in an accurate condition. If the toy is battery operated or electric, make sure it works or specify that you are unsure of the mechanics.
Compare shipping costs and consider them before listing your price

#2. Clothes and Shoes

Last year’s sweaters may not fit you but there will be other people that would love to have them. Sell items one by one or as a lot if you are short on time. People will snap up a whole lot just to get one particular item if it is desirable enough.

Items should be clean and fresh-smelling
List all damage in the post and provide clear pictures
Sizes should be listed as well as measurements. Include the type of size as well to avoid confusion. For example, say “US Size 6” rather than just “Size 6”
Take pictures from several angles. Items look best on a mannequin or on an actual person rather than just flat.

#3. High-End Jewelry

If you are desperate for cash, selling your jewelry may be the last resort. You can take jewelry items to local pawn shops where the options include getting money without selling outright. Pawning jewelry is sadly the better deal as most pawn shops will only give you what the metal is worth at that time.

Jewelry can sometimes be sold to jewelry stores but the catch may be that they will give you a higher quote if you are planning to buy new jewelry from them.

It is important to stay safe when selling jewelry. If you sell locally, meet the person in a public place during daylight hours only. Make sure that at least one person knows where you are going and who you are meeting.
There are several apps and websites that can help you sell jewelry without putting yourself at risk. Check to see if they have protection for you, the seller before committing.
Consider getting a new appraisal before listing the jewelry.

#4. Baby Stuff

In a terrifying article, New York Life lays out the full expenses of a baby’s first year. In addition to things that include housing, medical costs, and childcare, the additional needs of a newborn can be staggering. Some of the items that you can sell at a yard sale, online, or through word of mouth include baby clothes, furniture, bottles, and baby toys. Trendy toddler clothes and toys do especially well in the resale market.

Make sure that the item is compliant with the most recent baby safety standards.
Unopened, unexpired baby formula should be donated to local food banks rather than sold.

#5. Small Appliances and Home Goods

During the pandemic, everyone caught baking fever causing major shortages in flour and other baking items. If you fell victim to the kitchen frenzy but find you aren’t cooking or baking as much now, you can sell your items on eBay, Craigslist, and other sites to make more room in your home and get some money as well.

Trendy, one-use items may only sell for collectors where good quality pans may be in much higher demand
Appliances should be in working condition with all of the stated accessories

#6. Furniture

Another of the hobbies that took off during the pandemic was upcycling. Nearly all furniture can be seen as something desirable to upcyclers who take “junk” and then find creative ways to turn it into a treasured work of art.

#7. Craft Items and Supplies

Along with furniture, crafters found themselves creating art and home decor out of a wide range of materials. You can sell your homemade items on Etsy and other sites or if your need to create has run its course, sell what you have left to people who still have a creative fire.

Crafters can also generate income by teaching what they know. Any time that you are well-versed in a particular subject, consider it as a money-making opportunity.

#8. Holiday Items

Some people collect and hold on to holiday items while others just buy things as they go. The closer to the holiday in question, the higher the demand may become especially if there is a shortage. If you have an extra Christmas tree or two, now is the time to sell it and people will probably fight to pay top dollar for it.

#9. Pet Supplies

More and more people are turning to our furry, feathered, or even reptilian friends for companionship than ever before and they are spending over $100 per month on pet supplies. Items that sell well for these pet parents include

Pet clothing like sweaters, booties, and costumes
Like new toys and pet beds
Cages and crates
Personalized items are a great seller for creative/crafty people. If you can add a name tag to any item you can bump the price up substantially without hurting sales

#10. Sports and Fitness Equipment

Every year, millions of people stand in their homes and directly lie to their family and friends. It starts with “My resolution is…” and the resolve slowly dies out from there. You know you are not running a marathon, Diane. So, every year in February you can still pick up new treadmills, exercise bikes, dumbbells, and fitness wear, hold it for a month or two and then sell it for wild profits when the first sign of warm weather makes itself known.

You can sell your own used equipment at sporting good sites including Play it Again Sports.

#11. Tech and Media

Some people are constant upgraders while others wait for prices to come down before making a change. If you find yourself with older TVs, stereos, video games, cell phones, or computers you can make some good money. Most of these things may have abundant life left in them but are just not the “coolest” or latest version.

Stick to the basic facts with your listing including whether it works or not
For phones, mention if it is “unlocked” or not
List the operating system of phones, computers, and tablets.

Some cell phone providers will buy back phones especially if you plan to upgrade or switch to their service. You can also sell your used phone at kiosks in malls, even if it is broken.

#12. Moving Boxes and Supplies

In addition to selling the boxes to cardboard recyclers, you can sell them to companies like BoxCycle or ContainerExchanger. U-Haul will buy back boxes. Locally, you can list boxes and other moving supplies in your Facebook groups.

#13. Gift Cards

Gift cards are usually a great gift idea especially for people that you do not know very well but sometimes there can be issues with using them and people would rather have the cash. Sell cards online on your own or sell them directly at Gift Card Granny or Card Cash.

Where Are the Best Places to Sell Things to Make Extra Money Online?

There are several online options no matter what you are selling:

Create your own online store using a web hosting company such as HostPapa
Sell on eBay, Amazon, Etsy or Craigslist
Use an app like Decluttr, Poshmark, or Let Go

Sites may charge a fee or keep a percentage of your sales in exchange for some protections and other benefits. But selling online is usually safer than meeting a stranger, and people tend to search eBay and similar sites before they search a random website for most items.

Final Thoughts on Things to Sell to Make Money

Making extra income can be as simple as shaking the dust off of an old handbag or grabbing a stack of books off a shelf. If an item is not doing its job in your house any longer, you can sell it and make a few bucks from it. Don’t stub your toe on the out-of-place side table if you can grab $20 for it from the friend who has been eyeing it for a project.

Be honest, be realistic when selling things and you will find it easier to continue making money whenever you need some extra cash.