Selling Stuff

Oh, I tried to sell a FAB art print of Thom Yorke of Radiohead on Craigslist - it was gorgeous, and the artwork and framing together cost quite a bit. I thought a fellow fan would die for it, and considering Radiohead was playing an upcoming show in Dallas, I thought for sure I could sell it at the BARGAIN price of $200 (it cost altogether about $900, and it was an original print) but only got a few lowball offers for such a nice piece of art. I ended up giving it to a friend who I knew would appreciate it, because it was worth more to me to give it to someone who would enjoy it as much as I did, rather than sell it off for nothing. It's hard sometimes to get the price you want on Craigslist.

I'm in the market for a futon for my bedroom at my mom's house so that after I leave, there will be a nice comfortable place for her to sit when she converts it to crafting, and I found four on CL for her to contact before I get back - one was $150, one was $50, one was $30, and the other FREE.  

I expect the free one was snatched up, but in looking at the photos, the $150 one looked in no better condition over the $50 one....BUT, the $50 one was being sold by a college student moving out so was willing to price it low to get rid of it.  

One more question! What about a full set of antique silverware?

One more question! What about a full set of antique silverware?

Call around to some local antique shops and see if they are interested. Probably one of those "Captain Obvious" suggestions, though. 

or try an estate jeweler, sometimes they deal with silver and gold household goods.  If you won't get a lot of money for the silverware, consider selling the silver to one of those "we buy jewelery" places.  You might get more for it!

One additional question... I have two rare books and took them to my two local shops and neither were interested. Anyone know if there's an online resource for selling/buying old books?

I think it would be difficult to sell old books online because so much depends on the condition.  I went to a talk by Ken Gloss of the Brattle Book Shop in Boston recently (http://www.brattlebookshop.com/sell.html) and he did some evaluations afterwards.  I had a book on carpentry designs dated 1796 which was in pretty poor shape -- front cover detached, Scotch tape (ewww!) on some pages, etc.  He said in mint condition it could go for $300 but as it was about $125.  A lady behind me had an old paperback copy of a Zane Grey title (!) and his comment was "Well, its a good read."  Old family Bibles are worth practically nothing except to the family.

I would heavily recommend Amazon. With our massive book collection to sell off, Amazon has helped us to move them fairly quickly. It's not great, and it can be extremely frustrating to see something you treasure go for half what you paid for it, but there are some surprising sellers. Toys, collectibles etc, especially from the Harry Potter and Tim Burton movies go for pretty nice prices. Amazon charges a .99 cent transaction fee, and a commission of 6 to 15% of the sales price, depending on the items category (electronic, book etc). However, they also give you a shipping credit of 3.99 for books. Shipping with media mail, my wife and I have managed to put aside a fairly sizable amounts in savings. And the way I look at, I'm making more than I would at a yard sale, just because of a wider consumer base--nobody really buys "Bioarchaeology in the Age of Agriculture" at a yard sale, but somebody who specifically needs it and is searching for a deal on Amazon is another matter 

I would heavily recommend Amazon. With our massive book collection to sell off, Amazon has helped us to move them fairly quickly. It's not great, and it can be extremely frustrating to see something you treasure go for half what you paid for it, but there are some surprising sellers. Toys, collectibles etc, especially from the Harry Potter and Tim Burton movies go for pretty nice prices. Amazon charges a .99 cent transaction fee, and a commission of 6 to 15% of the sales price, depending on the items category (electronic, book etc). However, they also give you a shipping credit of 3.99 for books. Shipping with media mail, my wife and I have managed to put aside a fairly sizable amounts in savings. And the way I look at, I'm making more than I would at a yard sale, just because of a wider consumer base--nobody really buys "Bioarchaeology in the Age of Agriculture" at a yard sale, but somebody who specifically needs it and is searching for a deal on Amazon is another matter 

I did this, too, and have made about $300 so far!

I can't figure out the Amazon marketplace thing!

I can't figure out the Amazon marketplace thing!

I can help you. PM me.

I can help you. PM me.

Will do, once I have the final stack of books to go! Thanks!