The US secondhand market hit $56 billion in 2025 and is growing 5x faster than traditional retail. With 93% of Americans now buying secondhand, there's never been a better time to turn your clutter into cash.
But not everything is worth selling. Spending an hour photographing and listing a $5 item doesn't make financial sense. This guide shows you exactly what's worth your time, where to sell each category, and how to maximize your returns.
What's Actually Worth Selling?
Before you start photographing everything in your closet, establish a minimum threshold. Most professional declutterers recommend $10-15 as the floor—anything worth less should go straight to donation.
As one organizer puts it: "If an item is only going to bring in $10, I don't think it's worth my client's time."
The Quick Decision Framework
Sell if:
- Worth $15+ after fees
- Designer or recognizable brand
- Original tags still attached
- Good condition
- In-demand category (electronics, fashion, collectibles)
Donate if:
- Worth under $15
- Generic or unknown brand
- You need it gone quickly
Trash if:
- Broken beyond repair
- Mildewed, stained, or odorous
- Missing essential pieces
"If you think it's trash, somebody else is going to think it's trash too."
What Sells Best: Category Breakdown
Clothing & Accessories
High value (sell individually):
- Designer handbags: Hermès Birkin bags retain 250% of value; Louis Vuitton 92%, Chanel 87%
- Lululemon (the #1 brand on ThredUp): Leggings sell for $40-$80
- Vintage Levi's: $30-$150 depending on style and condition
- Designer sunglasses: $40-$100
- Band tees and 90s/Y2K vintage
Condition requirements: No holes, rips, or stains. Items should be within a few seasons for contemporary fashion.
Where to sell:
- Poshmark: Best for Nike, Lululemon, and mall brands
- Depop: Vintage, Y2K, and unique pieces (0% seller fees)
- The RealReal: Authenticated luxury
- Mercari: General fashion at 10% fees
Electronics
Apple products dominate resale. iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks hold value far better than Android alternatives.
Price ranges:
- iPhone 13: $300-$500
- MacBook Pro: $500-$1,500
- PS5: $350-$450
- Nintendo Switch OLED: $250-$350
- AirPods Pro: $150-$200
Critical requirements:
- Devices must be functional
- iCloud/Google locks must be removed
- Original packaging commands premiums
- Cracked screens reduce value 50-70%
Timing matters: New model releases cause 15-30% overnight value drops. Sell before announcements, not after.
Where to sell:
- Swappa: Low 3% fees, quality-vetted listings
- eBay: Largest audience, best for collectible electronics
- Facebook Marketplace: Good for local cash sales
- Gazelle: Instant quotes, zero effort (lower payouts)
Furniture & Home Goods
Mid-century modern furniture is trending and commands premium prices. A 3-year-old couch in good condition typically sells for 45-50% of original price.
Best sellers:
- Mid-century modern pieces
- Ergonomic office chairs and standing desks
- Quality outdoor furniture
- Rugs and mirrors
- Le Creuset, All-Clad, KitchenAid mixers
- Vintage Pyrex ($20-$200+ depending on pattern)
Skip: IKEA particle board furniture has minimal resale value.
Where to sell:
- Facebook Marketplace: Zero fees for local pickup
- Craigslist: Free, great for bulky items
- Chairish: Curated vintage and antique (12-30% commission)
- AptDeco: Full-service in select metros (25-38% commission)
Books
Textbooks offer the highest margins—30-60% profit—particularly STEM, medical, law, and test prep titles.
Peak seasons: August and January see 400-500% demand spikes due to back-to-school.
What holds value:
- Textbooks (especially STEM and law)
- Non-fiction over fiction
- Hardcovers over paperbacks
- Rare first editions and signed copies
Where to sell:
- Amazon: Largest audience (15% + $1.80 per book)
- BookScouter: Compares 30+ buyback vendors instantly
- Powell's Books: Good for rare/antiquarian
Pro tip: Use Amazon's Seller App to scan ISBNs. Best Sellers Rank under 500,000 = sells monthly.
Toys & Games
LEGO appreciates 11% annually. Retired Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Marvel sets command the highest premiums. A 2007 LEGO Millennium Falcon sells for $2,000-$2,400.
Other strong sellers:
- Pokémon cards: $1,500-$3,000 for rare cards
- Vintage toys with original packaging
- Retro video games (especially sealed)
- Board games (must be complete)
Common misconception: Most Beanie Babies are worthless despite persistent belief otherwise.
Jewelry & Watches
Luxury watches from Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Omega often appreciate over time. Gold jewelry sells based on karat and weight—online gold buyers typically pay 50%+ more than pawn shops.
What to skip: Gold-plated items (marked HGP or GF) have minimal value.
Musical Instruments
Guitars from Fender, Gibson, Martin, and Taylor hold value exceptionally well—vintage pieces can sell for thousands.
Resale returns by venue:
- Guitar Center: 30-40% of resale value
- Music Go Round: 40-60%
- Reverb (peer-to-peer): Highest returns
Other High-Value Categories
Sports equipment: Golf clubs, camping gear, weights (always in demand)
Baby items: Premium strollers (UPPAbaby, Bugaboo) hold value well. Never sell car seats—safety and liability concerns.
Tools: DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita power tools maintain value. Generic brands don't.
Vinyl records: 1960-70s rock, blues, and jazz command premiums. First pressings are most valuable. Reality check: 90% of vinyl collections average just $1-$2 per record.
Platform Comparison: Where to Sell What
| Platform | Fees | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Marketplace | 0% local / 10% shipped | Furniture, local sales |
| Craigslist | Free | Large items, vehicles |
| eBay | 13-15% | Collectibles, electronics, vintage |
| Mercari | 10% | General items, fashion |
| Poshmark | 20% (or $2.95 under $15) | Brand-name fashion |
| Depop | 0% + 3.3% processing | Vintage, Y2K, Gen Z buyers |
| Swappa | 3% + PayPal fees | Phones, tablets, laptops |
| The RealReal | Keep 40-70% | Authenticated luxury |
Platform Selection by Item
Furniture: Facebook Marketplace → Craigslist → OfferUp
Fashion: Depop (vintage/unique) → Poshmark (brands) → Mercari (general)
Electronics: Swappa (phones/tablets) → eBay (general) → Facebook Marketplace (local)
Luxury: The RealReal (full-service) → Vestiaire Collective (higher payouts)
Collectibles: eBay (largest audience) → Specialty platforms (cards, vinyl, etc.)
Listing items across multiple platforms? SellyGenie generates professional descriptions from your photos in seconds. Upload once, get platform-ready listings for eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, and more.
Pricing Strategy That Actually Works
Research Sold Prices, Not Asking Prices
On eBay, filter by "Sold Items" to see actual transaction prices. What people ask for and what items actually sell for are often very different.
Calculate sell-through rate: sold listings ÷ total listings × 100
- 90-100% = Items sell in 1-2 days
- Below 20% = Could take months
Price Psychology
- Prices ending in 9 are perceived as lower ($29 vs $30)
- Price 10-30% higher than your target to create negotiation room
- On eBay: Use ".99" endings
- On Poshmark/Facebook: Use whole numbers
Build Fees Into Your Price
Formula: target_price = (cost + shipping) / (1 – fee_rate – desired_margin)
Example: You want $40 for an item after Poshmark's 20% fee
- $40 / (1 - 0.20) = $50 listing price
Photography Tips for Faster Sales
Quality photos directly impact selling success.
Lighting:
- Natural light near a large window
- Avoid direct sunlight (creates harsh shadows)
- Cloudy days produce ideal, even lighting
Technique:
- Use rear camera only (never selfie camera)
- Don't zoom—move closer physically
- Don't use flash
- Use a tripod to reduce blur
Composition:
- White or neutral backgrounds
- Show front, back, sides, and details
- Capture all flaws for transparency
- Include 6-8 photos minimum
Hate taking product photos? SellyGenie analyzes your photos and generates complete descriptions automatically—including condition details and key selling points.
Shipping Without Losing Money
Best practices:
- Purchase labels through eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, or PirateShip for up to 46% savings versus retail rates
- USPS is cheapest for packages under 2 lbs
- UPS works best for heavier packages (10+ lbs)
- USPS Priority Mail includes free packaging and $50-$100 insurance
Platform shipping perks:
- Poshmark: Prepaid USPS Priority labels ($7.67 for up to 5 lbs)
- Mercari: Prepaid labels through USPS, UPS, and FedEx
Tax Rules Simplified for 2026
Good news: The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (July 2025) permanently rolled back the controversial $600 reporting threshold.
Current rules:
- You'll only receive a 1099-K if you receive more than $20,000 AND complete more than 200 transactions
- Selling personal items at a loss is NOT taxable (you bought a couch for $1,000, sold for $400 = no tax)
- All profit from reselling IS taxable, 1099-K or not
Records to keep:
- Original purchase receipts (to establish cost basis)
- Sales records
- Shipping costs
- Platform fees
Strategic Decluttering: Room by Room
Where to Start
Professional organizers recommend starting with the kitchen—it's the "hub of the home" with often the easiest decisions. Work methodically like a "windshield wiper sweep."
Rooms With Highest-Value Items
- Master bedroom closets: Designer clothing, handbags, jewelry
- Garage: Tools, sports equipment, vintage electronics
- Home office: Electronics, collectibles
- Basement/Attic: Antiques, forgotten collections
Bulk Selling vs. Individual Listings
Sell as a lot:
- Lower-value items not worth listing individually
- Similar items (clothing lots by size, book series)
- Incomplete sets
- Quick clearance situations
List individually:
- High-value items ($50+)
- Rare or collectible pieces
- Designer or branded items
- Items where condition details matter
Timing Your Sales
Seasonal patterns:
- January: Fitness gear, organization supplies
- July-September: Back-to-school (second-largest retail season)
- November-December: Holiday shopping (30-40% of annual retail revenue)
eBay auction timing:
- End auctions Sunday evenings, 8-10 PM buyer's time zone
- Avoid Friday/Saturday evenings
- Use 7-day duration for maximum exposure
Strategic approach:
- List seasonal items 2-4 weeks before the season
- Clear seasonal inventory early—don't hold winter coats until March
Hidden Value Items to Watch For
These commonly overlooked items can be surprisingly valuable:
- Vintage Pyrex (especially rare patterns)
- Mid-century modern furniture
- Lesser-known luxury brands (Acne Studios, Isabel Marant)
- First edition books with dust jackets
- Vintage vinyl (first pressings, 1960s-70s rock)
- Sterling silver (marked "925")
- Discontinued LEGO sets
What to Skip
These items rarely justify the effort:
- Most Beanie Babies
- Silver-plated items (marked "EPNS")
- Mass-produced depression glass
- Most china sets
- Unsigned generic paintings
- Common figurines
Ready to Start Decluttering for Profit?
The opportunity is real: a $56 billion market with 93% of Americans participating means buyers exist for almost everything worth selling.
Quick action plan:
- Set your minimum threshold ($10-15)
- Start in high-value areas (closets, garage, office)
- Research sold prices before listing
- Match items to the right platforms
- Factor fees into every price
The Rule of Three: Items should sell for at least 3x your buy cost to net 100% return. Below your threshold, donate and move on.
Don't let description writing slow you down. SellyGenie transforms your photos into professional, marketplace-ready listings in seconds. Upload, review, and post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth selling items under $20?
It depends on your time value and how many items you're selling. For a single $15 item, probably not—after fees and the time spent photographing, listing, and shipping, you might net $5-8. However, if you're batch-listing many items or using it as an opportunity to learn the platforms, lower-value items can make sense.
What sells fastest online?
Electronics (especially Apple products), brand-name fashion (Lululemon, Nike), and in-demand collectibles typically sell within days. Furniture and vehicles sell quickly locally through Facebook Marketplace. Generic items and off-season goods take longer.
Should I sell on multiple platforms at once?
Yes—multi-platform sellers report 2-3x more sales. Just note "cross-posted" in listings and remove promptly when something sells. Tools like Vendoo and Crosslist can help manage listings across platforms.
How do I know if something is valuable?
Search eBay's sold listings for comparable items. Check the condition of items that sold at higher prices. For collectibles, specialized price guides exist (BrickLink for LEGO, Discogs for vinyl, etc.). When in doubt, list it—you might be surprised.
Do I need to pay taxes on things I sell?
If you're selling personal items at a loss (which most decluttering is), no taxes are owed. If you're reselling for profit, that income is taxable. The 1099-K threshold is now $20,000 AND 200+ transactions, so casual sellers typically won't receive tax forms.
