I had a closet full of things I never used — an old iPad, a KitchenAid mixer I received as a wedding gift and used exactly once, and a stack of video games from a console I no longer owned. They sat there for two years because selling things felt like too much work.

Last month I finally listed everything across a few apps. It took about two hours total — photographing, listing, responding to messages. I made $800. The mixer alone went for $180 in under 24 hours.

Which Platform for What

The Photo Trick That Made Things Sell Faster

I used to take one blurry photo in bad lighting and wonder why nobody messaged me. Then I spent 30 seconds per item:

• Natural light near a window. No flash. Flash makes everything look worse.
• Plain background. Put the item on a white sheet or a clean wooden table. A busy background distracts from the item.
• Multiple angles. Front, back, any damage or wear. Buyers trust listings that show imperfections — it signals honesty.
• One photo with a common object for scale. A quarter, a soda can. “9 inches wide” means nothing in a photo.

Pricing That Works

Search for your item on the same platform and filter by “sold” (eBay and Poshmark let you do this). That tells you what people actually paid, not what sellers are asking. Price yours 5-10% below the average sold price if you want it gone fast. List at the average if you can wait.

$800 for two hours of work. That closet is now empty except for things I actually use.