Expert shares tips on selling unwanted used household goods, clothing

WASHINGTON (7News) — Americans have too much stuff. Nearly half of all Americans report being overwhelmed by clutter. People are buying larger homes to contain all their belongings.

And if there’s not enough room in their homes, people are renting storage units.

The U.S. feeds a $40 billion storage unit industry, and to add to that, baby boomers are downsizing, meaning they have to get rid of their household goods and clothing.

The second-hand market is booming.

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"The second-hand market is really burgeoning with really quality stuff. So there's a lot of value there," saidKevin Brasler, executive editor at Consumer's Checkbook. "Stores have caught on too. Patagonia and Lululemon have figured out there's so much money to be made as far as a resale that they've begun their own programs."

There's value for buyers but not so much for sellers, who will only make a quarter of the wholesale price at best, whether consigning or selling online.

"Most of the stuff that you're thinking of getting rid of, even though it may have a lot of value to you, sentimental value or you paid a lot for it, you're not going to get rich selling it online,"Brasler said.

And get ready to do some work, if you want to resell those items.

"If you're selling on eBay or some other resale site, you have to make a listing for it. You have to take a picture of it and make a description. If it sells you have to pack it up and mail it,"Brasler said.

Some top online resale sites for clothing include Poshmark, Thredup and Vinted. And for household goods, Brasler suggests Amazon Marketplace, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor or Craigslist.

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Some items do retain their value, such as sports memorabilia, exercise equipment, books, collectibles and high-end luxury brands.

But for most other stuff, you may just want to donate them.

"If you're looking to declutter, often the best solution is to make a big drop off at Goodwill. And if you're looking to help the environment there's lots of organizations that foster the sharing of used stuff to help the planet rather than produce new. The Buy Nothing Project, and FreeCycle, are good places to start," Brasler said.