From unopened scientific calculators to winter coats that were used only once, our closets badly needed spring cleaning.   These items no longer bring us joy, and take up space physically, even mentally.

With a growing pile of unwanted items, we first tried to pass them on to people we knew, as well as donate to charities.  The problem with the former is they may take it, but will they use it? With the latter, are we just adding to their work because now they have to sort and store these and find them second homes?

But the thing is, we also knew these items would be useful to others.  So we explored the ways they can be reused and recycled.

In other countries, you could bring your items to consignment stores that will handle the selling for you, in exchange for a commission or a percentage of the sale.  You could also bring them to brick-and-mortar stores which will assess your items and give you a price on the spot.  Expect to get a lot less, but hey, at least you walked away with cash.  We actually explored both while staying in Singapore, and sometimes the price is right, and sometimes you’re better off walking away with your item.

After seeing the limited options we have here, we ended up in Carousell.  We first tried to sell via Instagram as we saw many do, but we didn’t find this social media platform to be seller or buyer-friendly.  As we hardly use Facebook, their Marketplace page is also not the right choice for us.  But Carousell, who we knew before as Sulit, and then OLX, gave us the flexibility to post our unwanted items, and the privacy as well not to let all our contacts know we were selling, and what we were disposing.

Nearly two years into Carousell, here are some tips on how to turn your unwanted items into cash, which may be welcome extra spending money for the holidays.

#1 Pictures are worth a thousand clicks

It’s not enough to just take photos of your items and upload them.  You are competing with a million other listings so make sure your photos will stand out in buyers’ feeds.  Lighting is important as you want the color of the item, such as a shirt, to be as close to its true color as possible.  Framing also helps which means your item is at the center of the frame and not cut off at the top or bottom.  For clothing, buyers like to see WW photos, or when worn, to better appreciate fit and style.

#2 Set attractive prices for buyers

Much as you would want to get the best price for your items, be realistic.  You want to sell the items, not keep them, so be prepared to give the buyers a good bargain. I admit I struggled at pricing some of our items at less than half what we paid for them, especially the brand new items with tags, but posting them with high prices will not get us any likes or clicks or sales.

#3 Being responsive pays (and sells)

More than half of our sales were urgent transactions.  Those scientific calculators sold fast to students who needed them for exams.  While we posted them for less than half the retail price, we did not expect they will sell out fast.  To make sure you don’t miss a potential sale, set up notifications for messages received from Carousell so you can give timely replies and move your merchandise.

#4 Be prepared for lowballers and bargain shoppers

I posted our hardly-used exercise bike at half the price and got an offer for half of that.  The buyer said he could pay and pick it up right away.  But it was such a lowball offer that I decided I would rather continue staring at my exercise bike than say yes.  You need to know that nearly all buyers will ask for a discount, and some will lowball you.  So consider this in your pricing and leave some room to make hagglers feel better, and you not feel robbed.

#5 Use ratings to vet buyers and boost your sales

It seems scammers are everywhere these days, and Carousell is no exception.  To vet your buyers, check their ratings and reviews.  A buyer that just started and has no single sale or purchase is a big red flag.  For each sale you have, encourage your buyers to leave you a review, and you can leave one for them too.  This helps validate that you are both upstanding members of the Carousell community.

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Don’t expect to sell all your items at once, or at the best prices.  Some weeks are busy, and some weeks you don’t get any likes or inquiries.  Try to use Carousell tools to help your listings get bumped up (this comes with a fee), or compare prices of similar listings (this is free) so you can make adjustments if needed.  But the great part is you are turning your unwanted items into cash, which you can now choose to spend more wisely.