How to make money from a Move

• April 3rd, 2016
• Posted in Commercial Movers, Commercial Movers New York, CT Movers, Eco Friendly Movers, Fine Art Moving, International Moving, Local Movers, Long Distance Movers, Movers and Packers, Moving Company, Moving Connecticut, Moving New York, Moving Services, Moving Supplies, Moving Tips, Moving Videos, Music Equipment Moving, New York City Movers, New York Movers, Piano Moving, Residential Movers New York, Residential Moving, Storage

Moving can be pricy – not only do you have to contribute funds for the movers, the truck, all packing material and boxes, you also have to consider the costs of your new property. It would be a pragmatic and wise choice to maximize your ability to get as much of that money back as you can. The good news is that you can actually make quite some money in the process of the move. Packing is the ideal time to sort through your belongings and decide what you want to keep and what you want to discard – or sell. If you’re unsure of where you can get some of that extra cash, here’s a bunch of suggestions that are sure to yield some profit.

 

Furniture

You can usually make between 15 to 75 percent of the object’s original value. Furniture can sell for quite a bit, especially if it’s an antique or rare archival piece. The usual trend is for consignment stores to sell your item for 30 percent of the original retail price, which you will get half of. If the item doesn’t sell within about a month, the price will be lowered gradually until it does. If you have a particularly rare or appointed furniture collection, consider selling it on online platforms like Chairish or Krrb. Although there will likely be some waiting time before the piece sells – especially if you’re not in a major metropolitan area – it can take some time to find a buyer. So if you know you’re moving, put your furniture up on listings sites as soon as you can – as early as possible.

 

Moving Boxes

After you move, it’s likely that all the boxes that you used to transport your belongings will languish in a pile in some corner of your house. You might be surprised to learn that these moving boxes aren’t worthless after you no longer need them – you could just put them in the curb, but if you’re really a born hustler you can list them on websites like Boxcycle, where each box depending on it’s size can earn up to 2 dollars.

 

Clothing

Depending on the clothing and the consignment store you can make up to half of the original retail price. You have a number of viable options here. You can bring all the clothing out to a local store like a Buffalo Exchange to get cash or store credit, or you can send your clothing to an internet based consignment shop like Tradesy or thredUP which will photograph, list, and sell your clothing – and send you a percentage of the profits.

 

Children’s Toys

Moving sales and yard sales are the tried and true method of selling old or unwanted toys. Many people look for stuff for children at yard sales, and it’s likely that you’ll be able to sell any items you have at an increased price. If you don’t have the interest or ability in holding a public yard sale, consider selling to stores like Once Upon a Child, which sells all sorts of child related items on consignment, from toys to clothing.

 

Tools and Hardware

If you want to get new tools along with your move, look through your garage or workshop looking for name brand equipment, which can all garner a lot of cash on ebay. Whatever else you find laying there, make sure to research the market value – there’s tons of online demand – and marketplaces – for old tools, and you can make quite a pretty penny selling even the most random or obscure equipment.

 

Books & Periodicals

Since even used bookstores aren’t doing too well in today’s economy, a really good option is to bring any unwanted books to a used bookstore that will accept payment in trade – you will get somewhat better value, as well as the pleasure of supporting an important local business. However, if you have a very old copy of a book or collectable magazine in perfect condition, you can make quite a bit online with them. On Ebay and Etsy you can find a community of sellers and buyers interested in vintage books and magazines – if you’re vigilant you can sell almost anything.

 

Old CDs or Records

Depending on the artist, popularity, condition, and particular CD you have, Amoeba Records will pay you for it – between a dime to 5 dollars for some CDs, unless you have an ultra rare album which can garner you a large payment. Look at websites like Discogs or CDandLP to figure out the specific value of any record or CD that you have.

 

Electronics or Smartphones

If you have a bunch of old gadgets that you no longer use, you can recycle them at a nearby ecoATM for a sum of money – it really depends on the model and make of your equipment. Online retailers like Gazelle do the same thing – however these sites usually only take newer items. And as a general rule, unless your items are specific and rare, the newer the items are the higher value that they will fetch in the marketplace.

 

Kitchenware and Dishes

If you have vintage dishware – especially Pyrex – check out websites like Etsy or eBay and list them all – depending on the particular model you can get anywhere between 10 or even over 100 dollars per piece. Anything 1950s-1960s-esque can make money, especially on Etsy.

 

Consider Donating

Even if you’re not getting instant cash in this scenario, it’s certainly better than simply throwing all the stuff away. If you document your donations to officially IRS recognized charities, you can get a tax deduction for the charity – which you can claim in up to 50 percent of your gross income. Not to mention the fact that you’re putting charity forward in the world.