Marketplaces differ in fees, but that shouldn’t be your top priority when listing your products. You’ll make the most sales when you sell on the marketplace where there are many buyers searching for exactly what you’re selling. Ask yourself what you’re selling and where you can sell it the quickest. Technically, any electronics, computer hardware, and phones can sell on eBay, but there are plenty of niche marketplaces like Swappa or Gazelle who have buyers specifically looking for technology. Clothes move quickly on Poshmark due to ease of sharing on Facebook and targeting shoppers interested in fashion. Handmade goods, antiques, and vintage clothes sell best on Etsy, Bonanza, or eBay. If you sell on Amazon, you won’t earn as high of a profit as say Bonanza or eBay because Amazon Direct Fulfillment fees are high, but you have access to over 300 million active buyers worldwide. Furniture, tires, and other larger than life items are best sold locally on Facebook or CL because you can avoid shipping costs altogether by having the buyer come pick up the item. Selling in batches? Try selling your items on Amazon. You can take advantage of their high traffic and Fulfilled by Amazon service.
What you should be considering first are the fees associated with each platform and how comfortable you will feel using each site. Amazon charges referral fees of 6%-45% per item depending on the category sold and a subscription fee of $39.99/month for professional sellers or $0.99 per item for individual sellers. eBay charges final value fees of about 10%-15% with the first 250 listings/month free before you pay insertion fees. Craigslist alternatives like Facebook or OfferUp allow most local items to be posted for free and only charge you if you decide to use their shipping service. They take a 5% fee. While Bonanza charges a mere 3.5% transaction fee. Poshmark costs you $2.95 commission on sales under $15 and 20% on sales $14.99 and higher. Sites like Swappa charge a flat rate to list your items. There are also tech buying sites like Swappa as well as Gazelle and Glyde which allow you to sell tech to them directly.
Now that you know how much each site costs you to sell on, let’s discuss who you can sell to on each platform. Having a large pool of buyers increases your chances of selling your product, but not all buyers buy everything. Amazon has the largest customer base of anywhere online with over 300 million active buyers globally. The website is clean, professional looking, and search optimized making it ideal if you want to sell new or refurbished goods that you can sell to Amazon in bulk. Approximately 135 million shoppers shop on eBay worldwide. Their website isn’t the best looking (it’s pretty outdated honestly), but if you’re looking for a large global audience to buy rare, vintage, or one-of-a-kind items eBay is your best bet. Facebook Marketplace and CL are great if you want to sell locally. You avoid shipping costs by allowing the buyer to come pick up the item. Both websites integrate seamlessly on mobile and are very user friendly. If you list your items on Facebook you’ll reach Facebook’s 2 billion plus users as well. Both Bonanza and Etsy attract buyers looking for vintage, antique, and handmade goods. Bonanza has a cleaner interface than Etsy and charges less fees which is why independent sellers prefer it. Poshmark is completely app based and focuses on pictures over text. This Shopify alternative is great if you want to sell clothes because your target buyer is most likely shopping on their phone and cares about social media styling. Swappa, Glyde, and Gazelle are niches sites where you can only sell electronics. This makes shopping easier for buyers because they know every single product is a cellphone, computer, gadget, or accessory.
No matter what platform you use to sell your items there are certain things you should do to ensure you have a successful selling experience. Invest in taking good pictures. Good pictures sell. Period. Clear pictures allow customers to see every detail of what they’re buying and leads to less questions from buyers. Write thorough descriptions on your items. Include dimensions, condition, brand, model number, and any defects the product may have. People appreciate when you’re honest about your products up front and are less likely to return your product if they feel you were transparent in your listing. Price your product correctly. You can do this by searching your item on that particular platform and pricing competitively. For auctions on eBay, you can also low-ball your price to gain more bidders. Respond to potential buyers quickly. The more you communicate with your buyer the more trustworthy you seem. If you’re taking long periods of time to respond to questions, the buyer will find someone who will. Lastly, if you sell on shipping based platforms take extra care packaging your product. Ship your product within 1-2 days of selling. You want to keep your buyer ratings high to continue selling. Keep track of your profits. It’s easy to forget how much Amazon is taking out of your sale compared to say Etsy. Your profit margin will vary from site to site.
Local (CL, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp) vs. wide (Amazon, eBay) online selling isn’t black and white. Honestly, it depends on what you’re selling and how you’d like to sell it. Personally, I use CL whenever I have bigger items to sell like my bike or television. Why? Because CL gives me access to hundreds of local classifieds websites which are free or extremely cheap to use. If I’m selling something heavy or expensive to ship, I’d rather meet the buyer at their local coffee shop and transact in person. Not only that, but Craigslist alternatives are perfect if you don’t want to go through the hassle of packaging and shipping your product. If it’s easily breakable then you risk damaging the item when transporting to your post office. Platforms like Amazon and eBay are great because your listing will be seen by millions of buyers nationwide (eBay and sometimes international). You’ll sell your product much faster and for a higher price. Again, niche items and collectibles sell the best on big marketplaces. Poshmark and Swappa are great examples of both worlds. They limit your marketplace to the U.S. and your listing to a certain category.
Amazon Pros: Highest quantity of buyers online. Cons: Fees are high and there are a lot of sellers selling exactly what you’re selling. Amazon also has very strict account policies that will suspend your account for even the smallest infraction. eBay Pros: Auctions can get you top dollar for rare items. Cons: If your product is common you’ll likely receive crappy sales prices. eBay will also protect you as a seller if the buyer happens to scam you. Craigslist Pros: Access to hundreds of classifieds websites. Cons: Safety is always risk when meeting strangers. Facebook Pros: Accountability of using Facebook profiles. Cons: No centralized payment method or seller protection. Bottom line is you need to decide what matters most to you when selling your items online. If you plan on selling in high volumes, selling on Amazon is worth it despite their fees and excessive seller competition. If you only plan on selling one item, CL is good enough.
Selling online is a great way to pass some extra cash. Whether you want to earn money on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, there’s a platform out there for you. Each site specializes in certain products. If you know what you’re selling, you know what marketplace to list it on. Cross reference where you decide to sell with this guide and you should have no problem selling your used goods online. Good luck and happy selling!
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