Twice a year, I purge my home of unwanted goods. Looking around my house there are a lot of things in good shape that I never use. Here’s where I sell my stuff in Portland.
Instead of bagging everything up and taking it to Goodwill or Salvation Army, I sell my stuff. In the past two years, I’ve made enough money selling unwanted goods to pay for pet emergencies, get away for a long weekend and contribute to my investment accounts.
Where do you even start with selling your stuff? Here’s my tried and true guide to sell your stuff in Portland.
There are many places, both in-person and online, to sell your stuff in the Portland area. Below I list both options. But first, let me tell you what has worked best for me over the years.
What I’ve Sold
You can sell just about any household item online and make something on it. These are some of the unwanted goods I’ve sold to pad my pocket with some extra money. Here is a list of some items and the amount I earned:
Snowpants — $25
Acoustic guitar — $40
Bike — $100
Backpack — $30
Bookcase — $30
Cedar hope chest — $40
Perfume set — $60
Pet carrier — $20
Toaster oven — $15
New electric tooth brush (seriously) — $10
Blender — $40
Cell phone accessories — $10
Sell Your Stuff Online
When you sell stuff online, you’ll have two options: local or national. For me, posting my stuff for a national or regional audience was not my desired option. I can barely find the time to ship presents to my family and friends, let alone ship a secondhand item across the country to a stranger.
I decided to try my luck with the Portland community. Here are the sites where I’ve listed my stuff.
What Works Best
I sell almost all of my items on Facebook Marketplace. The others I’ve sold on are OfferUp (bed frame) and Nextdoor classifieds (toaster oven and bookcase).
It’s easy to post your items on any of these platforms. For Facebook Marketplace, everything is managed through Facebook. Upload your images, add a description and location, and list your price. It is as simple as that.
Facebook will also track how many people view your item and suggest price changes if your item isn’t getting a lot of engagement.
If someone is interested, they send you a Facebook message, then you work out a deal and pickup from there.
In the past few years, online payment through Venmo and porch pick up has made this an even more convenient option. See my safety note below before agreeing to a meetup at your home.
Tips for Listing Items
Price your items at $10 or more. I’ve found that items listed for less than $10 tend to result in no shows. No one wants to waste their time driving to an agreed upon place to meet or put your day on hold just to have the other person not show up.
Cut your purchase price by at least 25 percent. I know you spent your hard-earned money on these items, but in the eyes of the buyer, they are secondhand. I used to suggest cutting the price to 50%, but it really depends on supply and demand for your item. This has a lot to do with the season, such as selling a bike in the spring or winter coats in the fall. Take into consideration the condition of your item and choose a lower listing price based on wear and tear.
Specialty items need special treatment. Do you have incredible antiques, vintage memorabilia or collector’s items? Try to find the market in which to sell them. eBay is known as an online space to find speciality items. Check out our list of Portland stores that may buy your items from you below.
Safety note
When you sell items online, you inevitably will be meeting strangers to exchange your goods for money. Here are a few rules I follow:
- Meet the buyer in a public area, such as a store parking lot, park or mall.
- If you are comfortable having strangers come to your home, require them to pay via Venmo or PayPal before arriving.
- If the buyer is coming to your home, do not let them inside. Conduct all business from your porch. For larger items, store them in your garage and have the item cleared out and ready to go for the buyer. Another option is toplace the items on your porch for easy, contactless pickup.
- Be sure you clearly negotiate and agree upon a price and payment option (cash or mobile payment service) before you meet the buyer. This may sound obvious, but do not accept a check from the buyer.
Sell your stuff at Portland stores
A walk down Hawthorne Blvd. reveals how vibrant vintage and resale stores are in Portland (mid-century modern couch, anyone?). There a many places where you can consign or sell your items. You likely have one or two in your neighborhood!
Here is a small sampling of the places where you can sell your stuff in Portland:
Artifact — Furniture, lamps, art, decor, clothing, accessories, and jewelry
Beanstalk Children’s Resale — Children’s clothing, shoes, toys, books, and gear
Give & Take — Furniture, clothing, decor, jewelry and gardening
Next Adventure — Outdoor gear and apparel. View my full guide to buying and selling outdoor gear.
NW Pro Gear — Bikes and bike parts
Portland Rerun — Books, jewelry, movies, furniture, clothing, household items and art
Powell’s City of Books — Books
Village Merchants — Clothes, antiques, art, housewares an collectibles
Where to sell clothes in Portland
Clothes can be hard to sell online. The clothing items that have sold the best for me are outdoor apparel brands, such as Columbia and Patagonia. Instead, be part of our community’s dedication to sustainability by selling your items at these local stores.
If you’re looking for in-person options to offload gently used clothes, here are some Portland businesses to check out. You can sell, get store credit, trade or consign your clothes at these stores.
Here’s a list of Portland businesses where you can sell, trade or consign your clothing:
Artifact — Make an appointment to sell, trade or consignment your clothing.
Buffalo Exchange — Sell your vintage and used clothing for cash.
Consign Couture — Make an appointment to consign your high-end, well-made men’s and women’s clothing, shoes and accessories in good condition.
Crossroads — Sell current, on-trend clothing and accessories for cash or trade credit.
Gather Resale — The St. Johns location offers consignment by appointment only.
Give & Take — The North Portland consignment shop accepts clothing for all genders and kids from 6 months to 10 years.
Here We Go Again — Bring your upscale gently used clothing that is in season for consignment.
Modo Boutique — Consign your luxury and designer apparel, handbags, shoes, and accessories by appointment.
Raylee Consignment Boutique —Bring your high-end and luxury women’s clothing and accessories and get paid when the items sell.
Portland Rerun — Call ahead to set up an appointment to sell your clothing and accessories.
Vein of Gold — Book an appoint to consign gently worn to new clothing items for all genders.
Village Merchants — At this shop, you have the option to sell, trade or consign your clothing.
Do you know of more places in Portland to resell your stuff? Share in the comments section below!
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You may also like:
Where to Find Used Outdoor Gear and Sporting Goods in Portland
50+ Portland Area Thrift and Consignment Stores
5 Portland Fabric and Craft Stores You Need to Visit
