How to Get Rid of Your Unwanted Gifts and Make Money Too

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It's already 2017, which means it's time to take inventory and clean up. Got a few unwanted or duplicate presents for the holidays? Here are five ways to make money on the gifts you don't want.

Sell Clothing on ThredUp

Need something to do with your "ugly christmas sweater" from the work holiday party, or the pjs that are four sizes too big? If you're saddled with some brand new clothes you don't want, resell them on ThredUp — a site dedicated to clothing recycling and reuse. Sign up and send a batch of your clothing with their provided kit, and they will send you payment based on what they deem the clothing to be worth. You can even estimate what you might earn. Soon, you can make some scratch to spend toward that cute unicorn pj onesie you really wanted.

Sell Toys and Games on eBay

Some sites stay the same for a reason. When it comes to toys, games, and other collectibles, you just can't beat eBay. It's where folks looking for a specific item are shopping. If you're stuck with a gigantic Power Rangers toy your kids don't want, or a third copy of Big Bang Theory Monopoly, it's easy to post them with a "Buy It Now" and/or an "Make an Offer" option. eBay even makes it easy to fill out the product form, as half the fields can be auto-filled based on the product. Take a photo and you're good to go.

Sell Books on Amazon Marketplace

Turns out everyone in your life only knows one thing about you, because everyone got you a copy of the newest Peanuts collection. You should definitely push off your other copies at Amazon Marketplace. When one shops for books on Amazon, they can look at the section reading (for example), "5 used and new starting at $2.46." People buy tons of books there, as you can usually get a really good deal on a used, but "like new" copy. Group together a crop of books you don't need, then simply sign up for an Amazon Marketplace account as an individual selling fewer than 40 items per month, so that you only have to pay 99 cents per item and a few other fees.

Sell Antiques and Appliances on Craigslist

Good old Craigslist is always there for when you need to get rid of something fairly quickly. Got some majorly heavy and space-consuming gifts from family you can't use? Post an ad for that awkward antique floor lamp, the racing bike gathering dust, or that huge pizza oven that you'll never bake with on Craigslist. It's easy and everyone knows how it works. No setting up an elaborate account, and there's minimal upkeep. The buyer comes to you to pick up the bulky item and then it's out of your life.

Sell Household Items on OfferUp

For miscellaneous presents from friends and family that you know will only gather dust, sell them while they're still new on OfferUp for extra money. OfferUp attempts to make the Craigslist style of selling accessible and easy for the mobile phone generation. Snap a photo of the item, add details, and post. You can chat instantly with buyers within the app, which is especially helpful for those who dread getting emails and texts from random strangers on Craigslist.

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