Whoever came up with the idea of holding a garage sale to sell stuff you don’t want anymore was a genius.
You make money with a garage sale by getting rid of a whole bunch of items that you no longer need or want, while somebody else gets to buy something they need at a much lower price than the original.
It’s a win-win!
But if you’ve ever held a garage or yard sale, you know that hosting a successful garage sale isn’t as simple as setting up a few tables and piling your used items on them, hoping to sell everything. Almost every garage sale ends up with a bunch of leftovers.
So what can you do with your garage sale leftovers?
It used to be common to put all the leftovers in a box and take them to your local Goodwill. That was—and still is—a great idea, especially considering that you can use the charitable donation deduction to lower your income tax.
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But there are also other ways to deal with garage sale leftovers, some of which can also earn you more money (like we did with our sale where we made $1000 in a weekend yard sale!).
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What to Do with Garage Sale Leftovers
Here are the best ways to deal with the items left over from your garage or yard sale.
1. Use Freecycle
If you have items that didn’t sell and you want to give them away, try posting them on Freecycle.org.
This website encourages neighbors to list their wants and offers in hopes of saving items from being needlessly sent to the landfill. The only condition for listing is that the items must be free.
2. Sell Your Leftovers on eBay
As you might expect, eBay is an excellent platform for selling virtually anything and has a worldwide reach. However, what you sell on eBay needs to be valuable enough to justify the cost of shipping; otherwise, it might not attract much interest.
For higher-value items that didn’t sell locally, eBay is fairly easy to use and can attract buyers, especially for special or unique goods.
Make sure to account for eBay’s listing fees and decide whether the buyer or seller will cover the shipping costs. Include multiple high-quality photographs, highlighting both flaws and the item’s best features—it’s crucial to maintain good feedback as an eBay seller.
3. Sell Leftovers on Craigslist
Craigslist is a great source of extra income for many.
You can try advertising the leftovers on Craigslist by adopting the same approach as eBay—listing items one by one. The best part is that selling on Craigslist to people near you eliminates the hassle of shipping costs.
An alternative approach is to look for someone to pick everything up and take it away, which can help you quickly clear out the leftovers. In this case, you shouldn’t expect to get the market value of all the items. After all, the buyer will likely want to make their own profit in turn. But for an easy way to clear out the remainder, this is a practical option that still earns you some money.
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You might even find people on Craigslist willing to trade items with you. This way, you can get rid of your stuff and, in return, acquire something you need. There are tons of ways to make money with Craigslist; you just need to be creative and take action.
4. Sell the Rest on Facebook
Many people think of advertising their garage sales on Facebook, but did you know Facebook also hosts online garage sales?
In many cities, users have set up Facebook pages for online garage sales, allowing anyone to join. It’s a similar idea to Craigslist but generally less prone to scammers.
To find local Facebook garage sale groups, just search for “Facebook garage sale/yard sale” followed by the name of your city.
For example, to find one in St. Louis, Missouri, I searched on Google “Facebook garage sale St. Louis” and found a few, like this one.
5. Sell to Thrift Stores
If your leftover items are in good condition, consider contacting local thrift stores to see if they would purchase them.
You shouldn’t expect much, as the thrift store needs to make a profit, and you will have to deliver and unload items yourself. However, it’s worth trying.
6. Donate to Goodwill
If making money isn’t your primary goal, you can donate unsold items to a charity shop, such as those run by Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, or the Salvation Army.
Be aware that some organizations may be selective about what they accept. For example, they might refuse older electrical items due to potential failure and liability concerns.
That said, there’s no substitute for the satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped someone in need. Plus, you might receive a tax receipt for the value of the items, helping you save some money during tax season.
Here are some links to help you locate the nearest stores or centers for the mentioned organizations:
- To find Goodwill stores near you, check out this page.
- To find Habitat for Humanity centers near you, check out this page.
- To find Salvation Army stores near you, check out this page.
7. Pass on Books and Magazines
Just because you’re finished with them doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy them. Think about all the dentist and hospital waiting rooms you’ve seen with stacks of magazines for patients—consider donating yours to them.
Public libraries often have a box for donated books or even their own shelf pulls, which are offered freely to readers.
If you have some good old books and the idea of passing them on for free doesn’t appeal to you, consider selling them online through one of the many book buyback sites. Or better yet, use BookScouter to quickly compare offers and find out which site pays the most for any given book.
8. Hold Another Garage Sale
If none of the above ideas appeals to you, why not simply have another garage sale?
This time, try to be more realistic with your pricing to encourage people to take things off your hands. For additional guidance, check out this article on successful garage sale tips.
Sorting it Out
Whichever option you decide to try, the first step after your garage sale is to sort out what’s left. You won’t know which methods will work best until you take stock of the remaining items.
I recommend separating your leftovers into different piles based on their potential:
- Start by identifying items you believe are valuable enough to sell. Set these aside to advertise locally or sell online.
- Next, determine if there are items you might want to keep if you can’t get a good price for them. Some pieces may hold personal value, even if others don’t find them worth purchasing. Be realistic and decide whether their intrinsic value justifies holding onto them.
- Finally, sort out items you wish to donate to charity. Make sure they’re in reasonable condition to ensure they’ll be accepted. Donating these can be a satisfying way to help others while clearing your space.
- Fourth, consider giving away some items that haven’t sold. A simple approach is to move them to the curbside with a big “Free” sign on them. Alternatively, use Freecycle, as explained earlier.
- Lastly, you might opt to hold another garage sale in a few weeks or months. If you have space to store the leftovers, set them aside for another time, and be sure to mark them down so they sell next time.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, this post gave you some useful ideas on what to do with your garage sale leftovers. These tips can help you either make some extra money or bring joy to others by donating items they need.
Either way, it’s a fantastic way to recycle used items, reducing waste and keeping more things out of our landfills.
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