Whether you want to fatten up your wallet or just free up a little space in your nest, the Internet can be a great place to sell your used household items. Area rugs are no exception. Take a look around any online auction site and you’ll find hundreds of types and sizes for sale.
Want to get in on the action by selling your old area rugs online? These tips will help you get started selling on eBay or through the classified section of a home décor website such as Apartment Therapy (And while you’re there, you can pick up some fab design tips for smaller spaces!).
So, without further ado, here’s our easy, five-step guide for selling your area rugs online!
- Take some photos
The first thing you’ll want to do is snap a few pictures. Then snap about a dozen more. Place them in a well-lit area free from clutter (nobody wants to see that pile of laundry or a stack of magazines when they’re thinking about buying your rug), preferably with a light-colored background. Take pictures of the front and back of it and of any tags that it might have. Zoom in to show it’s texture and edges. The more pictures you have the greater chance you’ll give yourself at making a sale. - Decide where to list your rug
eBay and Craigslist are the most obvious choices, but you might see faster results by using a consignment retailer. This is an especially great idea if you’re trying to sell an antique item. After passing a number of pre-set criteria, these shops will purchase your item and then sell it to someone else at a profit. Keep in mind that you might not get the full value of what you’d get selling it on your own, but you will save yourself the hassle of trying to find a buyer. - Write a great pitch
You don’t have to be Don Draper to sell a product, but you should put some effort into writing an attractive description of the floor covering you want to sell. Think about the item as though you were thinking of buying it. Imagine what questions you would ask about it. What are the dimensions? What is the brand? What type of fabric is made out of? Where did you purchase it originally? How old is it? Were there any smokers or pets in the home? Aim to answer at least five questions you think might come up when dealing with a potential buyer. - Establish a price
Here comes the tricky part. It can be really tough to know what the value of the items we own truly is. Most people tend to inflate the value of their belongings simply because they know what they paid for it and our brains tend to tell us that it’s still worth that much even after it’s been in our home for months or years. Look at other used area rugs online that appear to be similar to yours. Pay close attention to the condition of these items in comparison to what you want to sell. Once you’ve seen how much is being charged for a similar type, then you can set what you feel is a fair price. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for just a little more than what you think you might get. Auction sites are a little bit of a game, after all! - Be a good seller
Check in with your listing often to see if it’s received any attention. If you receive an email with a question, try to follow up within 24 hours. Any longer than that and your buyer could get frustrated and move on. Be open and upfront about the quality and condition of your rug. Once the sale is made, act as quickly as possible to get it packaged up and sent on to its new home. A speedy and pleasant transaction will get you good reviews and maybe even pave the way for a new — and lucrative — hobby for you!