29 things you can make money from selling right now

Unsure what to sell? You don’t need to resort to auctioning off your much-loved items – here’s how to make decent money from selling things you never even knew were valuable…

DOWNLOAD MOVIE

The saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is never more true than when selling stuff online. As our handy list proves, you really can make money from buying and selling low-price, everyday items, and even things that you might otherwise throw away.

While rarer items will bring in the highest bids on sites like eBay, it wouldn’t be wise to snub the smaller streams of income. These little sales all add up.

There’s money to be made in every corner of your house – you just need to know what to look for.

To make the most of this list, it’s worth swatting up on how to become a pro eBay seller and maximise your profits as an Amazon seller – it won’t take much longer than a tea break, and it could really pay off.

Things you can sell to make money

Looking to earn extra money? These are the best things to sell:

Childhood toys – Your inability to let go of your old favourites could finally pay off. It’s always worth raiding your childhood toy collection and having a quick look on eBay to see what they’re selling for. And if you have any of these toys, you could be sitting on thousands.
Your old clothes – If you’ve got a wardrobe full of clothes you never wear, dig them out and try using some sites and apps for selling clothes online. You can then use the profits to kit yourself in some new stuff instead.
Gift cards – Everyone’s favourite didn’t-know-what-to-buy-you gift, but does it involve credit for a shop you never buy from? If so, sell it on before it expires! Your best bet for this is eBay.
Coat hangers – Most wardrobes will have way more hangers than is necessary. Sets of hangers that match can fetch around 50p online.
Wine corks – Arts and crafts favourites! If you drink enough of the good stuff to build up a collection, you’ll get around 10p per wine cork and as much as 15p a pop (literally) for champagne corks.
Your hair – Have you been nurturing a long healthy mane (read: cash)? You could earn some serious money for your hair.

Credit: NBC
Unused car parking space – Got a private parking space but don’t have a car? You’d be surprised how much money you can make from renting out your car parking space – especially if you live near a city centre.
Your body (for tests!) – Taking part in drug trials can earn you on average £100 per day – and signing up to product testing websites can see you being reimbursed for trying out new products.
Old loo roll – We’re not even joking. All those cardboard tubes you and your flatmates have been collecting out of sheer laziness can be sold for 10p a roll!
Advertising space on your blog – Have you got a personal blog? You’d be surprised how easy it can be to make a constant stream of income just by selling ad space on your site to brands.
Your photos – We’re not talking pics of you and your mates getting drunk on the beach in Marbella… but if you have a keen eye and a creative head on your shoulders, you could make great money on your pics. You don’t even need a fancy camera to produce money-making photographs either.
Credit: Dmitry Galaganov – Shutterstock
Old mobile phones – Got some old phones stuffed away in drawers that you haven’t used since you upgraded? Rather than letting them gather dust ‘just in case’ you possibly need to use one of them (never going to happen), why don’t you sell your old phone for cash instead?
Your opinion – If there’s ever a way to make you feel like your opinion really matters, it’s when someone offers to pay you for it. Sign up to online paid survey sites, try reviewing videos for money or offer your expert opinion on new music in exchange for cash on Slicethepie.
Your knowledge – Don’t be greedy. Spread the love/knowledge by offering your brains for payment – we’re talking private tutoring or freelance work in your area of expertise.
Your services – You don’t need an expert skill to cash in on your services either. Apps like Task Rabbit will earn you cash for helping people do small (normally DIY-related) tasks. It’s worth signing up to task apps to complete small and super-easy tasks in your local area for a payout.
Your language skills – Are you blessed with the ability to speak a second (or third, or fourth…) language? There are loads of ways you can make money selling your language skills.
Unused university books – Let’s be honest, you’re unlikely to ever read them again, and the quicker you sell your textbooks (i.e. while the edition you have is still current), the more cash you’ll get for them.
Old CDs, DVDs and games – We’ve all got films we’ve never watched more than once (or at all), or games we played once and got sick of – turn them into quick cash using one of these sites.
Empty jars – Big on your condiments? Go one step further in your recycling by selling your jars online to keen homemade jam-makers. You can expect to make about 50p per jar, and around £1 each for glass coffee jars.
Your footsteps – Yes, you really can earn cash from walking.
Empty boxes – Hear us out on this one! As it’s quite common to buy second-hand goods online that don’t come with a box, shoppers are willing to shell out for the appropriate empty boxes to make the item look new when giving it as a gift. You’ll be surprised to see empty boxes for iPhones, PlayStations, and loads of other electrical goods going for a decent amount of cash.
Instruction manuals – Got any manuals knocking about for items you don’t use, or know how to use already (so no longer need it)? Manuals for things like sound systems and computers sell pretty well on eBay!
Remote controls – This is another weird way to make money, but it’s funny how every household seems to have a spare remote control stuffed away in a drawer that no one can remember what it was for originally. If you have one laying around, have a look for it on eBay – you could snag a tenner for it.
Broken electronic devices – While this one’s definitely more niche, selling broken items on eBay isn’t a complete no-no. As long as you’re really clear that the item doesn’t work and that you’re selling to be used ‘for parts’ it’s likely to sell. You could also sell your tech to companies that refurbish second-hand electrical goods. For example, have a look at the offer prices from Music Magpie.
Egg boxes – We’re guessing this one is for those who keep chickens and aren’t able to eat the eggs fast enough… or they’re looking for some cheap sound-proofing? Who knows why they sell, but they do – 50 half-dozen boxes will get you around a fiver on eBay.
Personalised gifts – If you’re a bit arty and business-minded you could set up your own online store and start selling on Etsy.
Money (for more than its actual value) – With all these new coins and notes being released, collectors are going wild for rarer coins and offering big money for old coins to complete collections, so make sure you check your coins before you spend them.
Empty perfume bottles – Yeah, we’re not really sure about this one either, but sometimes it’s best to just not ask questions. Before you throw your empty perfume bottles out, stick them up for sale on eBay and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised…
Make-up and beauty samples – If you’re on our mailing list or in our Facebook group, you’ll know that beauty freebies are up for grabs almost daily. And while we all love free stuff, it’s true that not everything will be to your taste – so why not start collecting the samples you’re not wild about and sell them as a sample set online?