Selling My Clutter on VarageSale
I remember when it used to be that there was only one place to sell things online and that was Craigslist (and eBay!). There has been an explosion of apps to sell your discarded things online, including VarageSale, Facebook Marketplace, DeCluttr, YardSalr–you name it.
I haven’t used nearly all of them, so this VarageSale review will only focus on my experience at using the VarageSale app to sell some things lying around my garage.
My garage has been a junk collection over the years of all the amazing stuff I have found at the thrift store.
Letting Go
I’ve decided that over the next few weeks I’m going to be categorizing everything into one of three piles: keep, donate, and sell.
But it’s soooo hard to let go of things!
My creative mind can’t help but think that one day I’ll get to it, use it, make it over, upcycle it, improve it–you get the idea!
But big decisions needed to happen because the artist and woodworker in me are screaming for a pretty garage workshop! I want to spread out my tools and be able to move around without having to suck in my belly or straddle furniture just to reach places. HAHA
The stuff is going bye-bye!
Will It Sell on VarageSale?
Aside from unsuccessfully listing a few pieces of furniture on Craigslist, I generally haven’t tried to sell things online.
But I was really curious about whether I’d stand a better chance of listing things on VarageSale (“Varage” stands for “virtual garage sale”).
The idea is that instead of just inconveniently buying and selling things with random strangers from all over your state or nearby states, you can target specific communities with people that live close to you.
And not only are people within miles of you, but it also fosters a more trusting environment because these people are essentially your neighbors, and their accounts link to their Facebook profiles so that you can actually see who you’re wheelin’ and dealin’ with.
When you think of selling used furniture and other items from your garage, though, the first that comes to find is Craigslist, right?
But I’ve never had much success on that platform. It’s so saturated, and I hate getting random replies from spammers with shady email addresses.
So I am excited to get started with VarageSale to see how it compares!
See The Garage Clean-Out in Action!
Aside from moving a table with my head….I think everything went well. LOL. There are so many more things to go through and list for sale! But this first hour was a start. See for yourself here!
What I’m Getting Rid Of
I really loved these mid-century modern stools that I had found at the thrift store! But they’ve sat in my garage for ages now. I just don’t have a place for them.
And while they’re not matching, they look pretty good together, don’t you think?
I probably should have cleaned them up a bit…. But we’ll see how it goes. If I need to edit the listing, I will.
I also wanted to get rid of these chairs because while I like these reproductions, they match nothing in my house. I guess I could find a place for them in the kitchen if I needed to. But let’s see if they sell first.
I’ve got a bunch of stuff that I found in my garage that I’m planning to list, but it will take time to get everything up. The garage is overwhelming!
I did find some great shoes that I had bought from the thrift store and had planned to sell on eBay at one point, but I’ve started listing them on VarageSale instead.
They’re all in great condition!
These are size 8 Nine West shoes that I’m listing for $15. I wish I could fit them!
What was really cool is while I was pulling things out of the garage, I was able to post some of them immediately to VarageSale since the app is easy to use. All I did was snap pictures of the stuff and started listing it.
I filmed my little garage adventure today, too! I admit it was overwhelming. Much of the time I didn’t even know where to start. Let’s start small with shoes and stools, shall we?
I’ve had a few days to play around with VarageSale and was able to join about 5 communities now, all within a few miles from me. There are some things I really like, and some things that I’d probably change.
What I Like About VarageSale:
- The app is easy to use. It really takes the pain out of posting stuff because it can be done quickly.
- I like that there are more categories and I can search for specific stuff.
- If I like something, I can “watch” it.
- It’s available for Apple and Android.
- I can post something once and it automatically posts in all my communities.
- I can bump my listings to the top of the pile of listings with a simple touch of a button. The app allows for four bumps per hour.
- The app will ping you if you have any messages or activity on your listing so you never miss an interested buyer.
Caveats
- You can’t post multiple pictures of things. You have to add additional pictures in the Comments section. Would be nice if you could just swipe through several pictures of different angles of the item.
- Would be great to have a star rating for buyers and sellers so you know who’s reliable.
- There’s no way to see how much interest or activity your post is getting. It would be nice to see how many people actually see each post. If a lot of people are seeing it, but aren’t interested, then maybe I need to make some changes.
I’ve had a few things listed for a few days now and I’m not seeing any action yet on those items. Crossing my fingers that people want to buy my clutter! 🙂
Over the next weeks, I’m going to be chipping away at the clutter in the garage and listing as much as possible on VarageSale. I’ll keep you guys posted on exactly how much I earn!
Have you guys ever used VarageSale? What have your experiences been like?
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I sell quite a lot on OfferUp (I’m not sure if it’s available in your area). Great app on your phone and super easy to list things. I also joined a Buy/Sell/Trade group for my town, as well as my county on Facebook. I’ve sold a TON of stuff on there – including furniture. People love the FB groups.
Thanks, Jennifer! I’ll look it up! 🙂
Serena, thought I’d also mention another way I’ve been able to sell furniture. I’ve got a great consignment shop in a nearby town. If I can’t sell it on my own after a period of time, off it goes to the consignment shop. They have all kinds of unique furniture and I see quite a bit of MCM in there. They are a charity, and take 50% of the sale, but they do mark the prices higher than I would have so that makes up for it a bit. Since it’s for a charity I don’t mind the high percentage on their part. 🙂
You had a story not too long about battling with a reseller at the Thrift Store, so maybe a trip to your local flea market will give you access to someone with a storefront (of sorts) to sell your wares. You know that there are people there with your taste. I have no idea how it works on the seller’s end, but many people who sell on Etsy sell vntage finds in as is condition or things that they have refurbished. I can’t imagine it would yield a quick turnaround for sales, but if you have a piece you really put some work into and don’t want to give away, it might be worthwhile for you.
Hey, Catherine! Yes, great idea! I do have an Etsy store and sold something on there once. But I hadn’t put much in there. I’ll list some things there. Thanks for the idea! 🙂
Serena, I love your videos. I wish I was there with you clearing your garage. I love working garages!
I was sorry to read in the comments above that furniture is hard to move on these sites. I’ve posted free items to a Buy Nothing group that I’m in and tend to find homes for kids games and toys. I have a Little Free Library at my curb, so books are passed through there. The rest I tend to donate. I like supporting the non-profits in my community, and find that the effort involved in selling items is often more trouble than it’s worth (i.e. very little ROI) I’ll be interested to hear how you do.
I have a suggestion for a different approach to clearing the garage, and that is starting with all the large pieces first. Once they’re out of the way, you’ll instantly have more room to move around in and will feel better for it.
Alys, I would welcome you with arms wide open! HAHA It was overwhelming. Garages are hard because if you pull everything out, you have to get everything back in before the evening comes! That’s why I’m thinking pushing everything to one side and just working on 1 side a time is a good idea. What do you think?
And I love the idea of moving the big pieces first! I’ve got that big MCM dresser that I use as a TV stand, and I’m considering making that my project for next week. It’s a simple strip-and-restain. Once that’s done, I can move it back into the basement and that would free space! 🙂
Thanks, Alys!!
I was unfamiliar with VarageSale until I read your post. I enjoyed poking around there. I will try it out for selling some collectibles I have.
As with CL, there are some listings that are ridiculous with bad photos, poor descriptions. Such is life
Kristen, I think you’ll love VarageSale, because the platform is really easy to use. I like the notification feature. And the fact that you can “reserve” an item. You can’t do that on CL, per se. I’m going to poke around in it myself a little more and see if I can find some affordable accessories for my garage! 🙂 Thanks, Kristen!
Hi Serena, I have a few things posted in Craigslist right now. I was successful in selling a couple of items on there in the last two weeks.
Vicki, woo hoo! Extra money! 🙂 What did you sell?
I’ve sold(and bought) lots of stuff from my craigslist here in Phila. It’s been great for furniture. And I tried to sell on a fb page here. It’s like varage, and you have to be invited to join. It was terrible. Lots of just LOOKIE-loos :), or people just didn’t follow through. I’m not sure I’d give another site a chance. CL is great for me. Ps..to above post, dining room furniture is VERY hard to sell. People can’t even give it away…except for great old chairs. Please let us know how you do Serena, I’m hoping you have better luck than me. ❤️
Mimi, that’s interesting. What do you think it is about dining tables that is so hard to sell? I’ve thought about keeping this one, anyhow, and use it for some of my tools that don’t have spaces to sit in the garage. I think it would be perfect! Plus, a place to sit while doing projects where I need to spread things out.
What kinds of things do you think most successful to sell? I’m curious!
Serena, I a 1999 Audi and an old couch.
I have been selling on ebay for 15 years and been quite successful, but obviously furniture and heavy items are difficult and costly to send. I also use gumtree (Australian) which is free, kind of like Craig’s list, and that has been quite good for me too. I have also used freecycle to give things of value (especially plants etc) to others. Will look into varage but things usually take a while to gain momentum in Australia. I’d love to buy from craigs list but hardly anyone adds items to it in my state, let alone my region. Thanks for sharing, I love to read what you are up to.
Hi, JulieAnne! Okay, I want to hear all about your eBay tips! Is there something special that you do when listing things? Do you find certain kinds of things to sell that do better than others? Please share those tips! 🙂 Enquiring minds want to know!
There’s an app for that! 🙂
Sounds interesting. I never have much luck on craigslist either.
gail
Gail, that’s unfortunately! I like the idea you mentioned about having a little booth! I think it’s so targeted. You get people specifically looking for crafty stuff and they’re willing to pay for the quality. Good luck!!
Hi Serena- I, too, am having a very difficult time selling furniture on the internet. I have tried Online Yard Sales on FB in various areas, Freecycle for free things, etc. I have found that buyers on these sites are very unproductive for me. Everyone is interested and no one follows through. I had several good items posted on one of these sites and eventually (within a week) deleted my whole post because of non-responsive potential buyers and my fear of dealing with the unknown. I feel for you. There aren’t many good options that don’t require grinding yourself to the ground. Unfortunately, I have found that I can’t find a consignment shop to take the goods of my elderly relatives. And, many places won’t even take donations. Sorry to be a bearer of bad news. 🙁
Sue, yikes! Bad news indeed! LOL The good thing about selling things online, though, is that you’re able to at least save yourself from having to haul everything onto the curb and then have to haul it back into the garage! 🙂 Bright side, right? That’s what I like about VarageSale. No risk, all gain, as long as you can sell it! 🙂 Thanks, Sue! Sorry to hear you’ve had such a hard time. How come consignment shops won’t take stuff??
I’ve bought some stuff off of Varage sale but the one thing I’m trying to sell is a china closet and it ain’t selling! Good luck to you and keep up the great work!!
Mary T
Hey, Mary! I feel ya! People want to buy things for next to nothing onilne! LOL. What do you have it listed for? Did you make it over?