Thinking of selling that old phone or tablet tucked away in storage? Finally kick-starting that side hustle you’ve been planning for a while?
Whatever you’re selling, there’s someone out there who wants to buy it – and we’re here to help you find them! This article will share 11 fantastic sites to sell your stuff online. We’ll also discuss the easiest way to set up your own online store, regardless of your level of tech expertise. Lastly, we’ll even touch on the process of building your own eCommerce website from scratch, if that’s what you’re into. Let’s go!
Table of Contents
Best US Sites for Selling Online
Best Local Sites for Selling Online
Best Global Sites for Selling Online
Want to Sell Something in Particular?
- Where to sell clothes online
- Where to sell handicrafts online
- Where to sell furniture online
- Where to sell electronics online
Create Your Online Store and eCommerce Website
- Can I set up my own online store without any tech expertise?
- Can I build my own eCommerce website from scratch?
Verdict
With more and more consumers embracing the online shopping experience, there isn’t a better year to start selling stuff online.
That said, let’s dive right into it:
Best US Sites For Selling Online
In 2020 alone, the US had (unsurprisingly) reported a drastic 44% surge in e-commerce sales. As the effects of the pandemic wear on, this figure is predicted to increase exponentially.
Here are some of the biggest US online marketplaces where you can sell your stuff:
1. Amazon
Kickstarting this list is Amazon, one of the biggest e-commerce platforms in both the US and the world, with a reported 5.2 billion visits per month.
The shopping categories here are endless, from branded electronics to children’s toys, household appliances and fashion. Sellers can expect to sell almost anything and everything here, so go wild!
There are two kinds of seller plans on Amazon: the Individual and Professional plans. The Individual plan charges $0.99/sale, whereas the Professional plan charges a flat fee of $39.99/month, regardless of the number of sales you make.
Additionally, sellers should expect to shell out for selling and shipping fees, both of which factor in the price and type of product sold as well as the shipping service chosen by the buyer.
2. eBay
Next up we have eBay, and boy, does eBay give Amazon a run for its money.
Offering the same broad range of product categories, you’ll find plenty of listings for electronics, health and beauty products, home and garden tools and many more.
Much like Amazon, there are also different kinds of seller plans you need to be aware of.
There are 5 tiers of store subscriptions: Starter, Basic, Premium, Anchor and Enterprise. Depending on your needs and budget, these plans are priced from $7.95/month to $2,999.95/year and come with different benefits.
Unlike Amazon, however, casual sellers have the choice to simply sell off products as is without subscribing to a plan. Yeap, it’s as easy as it sounds – just create a seller profile and set up a listing.
However, all sellers would still be charged for insertion fees (i.e. posting a listing), and final value fees (charged after you make a sale, generally 12.35% of the product price).
3. Walmart Marketplace
Everybody knows about Walmart department stores, but did you know that you could be a seller through Walmart Marketplace too?
That’s right, you could list your items on the Walmart website itself and reach one of America’s biggest consumer bases. Some of the top sellers here include tech gadgets, home appliances, school supplies and stationery.
And here’s the good news: There are no annual or monthly fees required.
Instead, there will only be a referral fee for every item you sell, which, depending on what you’re selling, could range between 6 – 20% of the product price.
All you’ll have to do is to apply to be a seller, complete your seller profile, receive approval and you’re ready to go!
4. Bonanza
While Bonanza isn’t as famous as some of the other e-commerce giants on this list, it’s still attracting a hefty 4.1 – 5.2 million unique visitors monthly, making it one of the fastest up-and-coming e-commerce platforms on the internet.
And it’s still growing!
Perhaps what makes it so attractive is that there are no listing or monthly store fees. In fact, Bonanza only charges you once you sell your item, and even so, only at 3.5% of your product price.
However, do note that Bonanza has a list of items that you can and can’t sell. For more detailed information, do visit their T&Cs page or get in touch with their customer service.
5. Handshake
And of course, we have Handshake.
As the only wholesale marketplace on this list, Handshake appeals to all B2B merchants, regardless of whatever you sell – from apparel and accessories and food and drink, to stationery, beauty products, and pet products.
So if you’ve been thinking about expanding your business, here’s where you should go!
Oh, and did I mention that there are no fees?
Yeap, you heard that right – there are no commissions, no referral fees, nada, zip, zilch! All your profits go directly to you, at least for the time being.
To start as a wholesale seller on Handshake, you’d have to first register for a Shopify account, and from there apply to be a wholesaler. It’s as simple as that.
Best Local Sites For Selling Online
However, if you’re looking to support local businesses and are specifically looking for sellers near you, you might want to check these sites out:
6. Facebook Marketplace
This one might be a no-brainer to existing Facebook users, but for those not familiar with it, Facebook Marketplace is a superb place to sell to local buyers.
To start selling on Facebook Marketplace, all you’ll have to do is to create a Facebook profile and create a listing. The Marketplace is open to every Facebook user, so you’re sure to instantly reach a mass audience base.
In terms of fees, Facebook Marketplace charges 5% of the product price for every completed sale.
One more thing to note is that there’s quite a number of pre-loved items sold there, so let the spring cleaning commence!
7. Craigslist
Now, before you say anything, let’s just state clearly that we know Craigslist has a reputation for attracting scammers and all manner of creeps.
That said, it’s still almost synonymous with local in-person sales, and attracts plenty of serious buyers and sellers on the daily.
One of the best parts of Craigslist is that it’s completely free to post listings, with very few exceptions. These exceptions include job postings in selected areas, apartment rentals in certain areas, car/truck deals in specific areas, and more.
Outside of that though, it allows most types of postings for free.
Just remember to take all the necessary safety precautions to avoid being scammed!
8. Letgo
If you’ve never heard of Letgo before, that’s because it’s a brand new up-and-comer on the local selling scene.
More intuitively designed than Craigslist, Letgo almost exclusively caters to the secondhand market, making it the best place to go for selling pre-loved items.
Letgo is also completely free to use, for both the buyers and sellers. So all you’ve got to do is to set up an account and start listing!
Best Global Sites For Selling Online
On the other end of the spectrum, those of you looking to cater to a worldwide audience would find the sites you’ve been looking for here:
9. AliExpress
Reportedly receiving 534.4 million visits per month globally, AliExpress is one of the biggest international e-commerce platforms. It’s especially good for electronics, fashion, sportswear, health and beauty products, as well as baby products.
Available to over 220 countries across the world, potential merchants would have to first set up and verify their business accounts. Once approval has been received, sellers are then free to start listing their products.
Oh, and don’t worry – AliExpress won’t charge you anything to start up your account. All you’ll have to fork out for is a commission fee between 5 – 8% for every successful sale you close.
10. MercadoLibre
Ranked internationally as the seventh most visited e-commerce site, sellers can tap into the Latin American market through MercadoLibre.
Through the Global Selling Program, MercadoLibre takes care of essentially everything you would usually have to worry about as a global trader.
From language barriers, currency fluctuations, logistics and shipping – all you’ll have to do is set up an account and make sure you upload proper product dimensions to ensure a smooth experience.
Similar to other marketplaces, listings are free on MercadoLibre, but every product sold is liable for a 16% cut to the platform.
11. Taobao and TMall Global
Also in the top ten most visited online marketplaces, Taobao and TMall Global allow sellers to market to Asian audiences, particularly those in China.
However, Taobao is generally considered as a domestic site for Chinese businesses, whereas TMall is where buyers would go to buy authentic, and often foreign products.
To set up a store in Taobao, sellers would have to have a legally registered business in China itself, or partner with local sellers to create listings.
For TMall, there is an extensive criterion for global sellers to meet before they can receive approval.
Ideally, the easiest route for smaller business owners to penetrate China’s consumer base would be through partnerships. For bigger, more established businesses, however, going through TMall may be the way to go.
Want To Sell Something In Particular?
Got a specific list of things that you want to sell? Well, here are some of the best platforms to visit for different product categories:
1. Where to sell clothes online
Regardless of whether you’ve bought the wrong size or if you’re downsizing your wardrobe, everybody has old clothing that they can sell.
Some of the best platforms to sell clothing would be Swap, ThredUp, and Poshmark. For those looking to build up your own branding, it might be a good idea to start your very own online boutique.
2. Where to sell handicrafts online
Nobody can resist that good old handmade charm.
We all know Etsy is one of the biggest marketplaces for crafts, but if you’d like to branch out, ArtFire and Bonanza are both good sites you could check out.
To boost sales and increase viewership, you can even try opening an Instagram store – just be sure your photos are #aesthetic.
3. Where to sell furniture online
Furniture listings may be a bit rarer than the aforementioned product categories, but are still nonetheless a fairly large market.
Local marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp are all favorites for used furniture, but AptDeco is also proving itself to be a promising site for furniture sales.
4. Where to sell electronics online
Last but not least, old electronics.
As you upgrade to better gadgets, your old ones can still fetch a pretty price. Some of the recommended sites to sell electronics on would include Decluttr, Amazon, and Gazelle.
Can I Set Up My Own Online Store Without Any Tech Expertise?
Yes, setting up your own personal online store is a very simple and fast process these days, even if you don’t have much tech expertise. The rise of excellent eCommerce platforms means that total beginners, as well as entrepreneurs and start-ups can build and manage a professional online store without needing to know a single line of code.
If you’re looking to get an online store up and running quickly, we’d recommend Hostinger Website Builder (formerly named Zyro), a no-nonsense e-commerce platform that’s intuitively designed and extremely simple.
They offer seller-first features like pre-built store templates and easy linking with other platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Amazon – which means you can get your ideal store up and running in under an hour. Check our full Hostinger Website Builder review here if you’re interested.
Setting up your own store that is independent from the selling platforms listed earlier in this article will help you escape fee deductions, give you more control over your own listings, and reduce direct competition with veteran sellers.
Can I Build My Own ECommerce Website From Scratch?
Yes, another option to sell your stuff online is to build and self-host your own eCommerce website from scratch. Following this route will give you maximum control and independence over the design, performance, and management of your store.
A popular way to build your own eCommerce site is to set up a self-hosted WordPress website and combine this with a content management system (CMS) like WooCommerce that specializes in selling online.
The general process for this involves 4 steps.
- Research and decide on your CMS.
- Sign up for a web host and domain name.
- Install WordPress and the CMS.
- Design your site and launch it.
A critical step choosing an web host that is optimised to support selling online. The best hosts ecommerce prioritize speed, which is crucial for retaining online shoppers who expect quick load times. These hosts should also provide strong uptime, security to safeguard transactions, and compatibility with popular ecommerce platforms. Check our write-up on the best ecommerce hosting for our shortlist.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! A comprehensive list of websites and marketplaces for everyone with something to sell. As you create your listings and wait for the right customers to roll up, do remember that it’s all a learning experience, and try not to spend all the money at once.
We’ve also covered the easiest way to set up an online store, as well as provided an overview of how to set up your very own eCommerce website.
Stay safe, and happy selling!