Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included in this post. When you make a purchase, HHH may receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information on HHH policies, check out the disclosures and policy page.
If you are in the thick of decluttering, it’s time to address what you should do with all your clutter. I don’t really recommend selling your unwanted items if you are new or struggling to declutter. Why? If the item is in your house for too long, you might change your mind. You want to get those things out as fast as possible. On the other hand, sometimes you aren’t willing to part with something without getting something out of it. In that case, Mercari might be for you!
Selling on Mercari: What is Mercari? Mercari is an online marketplace/app, similar to eBay. I’ve used eBay in the past with some luck but the experience made me a bit anxious. Let me explain why I like Mercari so much.
- Free to list: this means minimal commitment!
- Easy to list: it’s beginner-friendly and simple to use.
- Low seller fees: Mercari charges 10% when an item sells
- Shipping: Mercari makes shipping super easy.
- The app: simple and easy to use
What you need to get started:
- Scale – to weigh packages, this way you aren’t spending all your time at the post office.
- Bubbler mailers/boxes and other packing material -to package your item
- Printer – to print labels
- Label paper (optional) – eliminates the need for tape
- Phone or camera – to take pictures
- Items to sell
Now that you have the supplies, here are some tips and tricks to a successful and stress-free experience.
- Take good pictures – no need to get super fancy or anything. Find a neutral backdrop with decent lighting and BOOM, you’re in business baby.
- Consider creating outfits when selling clothes – in my experience, I had better luck selling outfits and bundles than I did selling single pieces.
- Use the description – list measurements or other pieces of relevant information that will help buyers make an informed decision to buy. This is where you can convince them to buy your item but also let them know of things they should be aware of if they decide to purchase.
- Price to sell – be realistic about what your items are worth. More than likely, you paid more than what someone else is willing to pay you for them. That’s okay. Think of it this way, that item owes you nothing and if you get a few extra dollars out of it while getting rid of it – Awesome! The best way to research price is to search for the item on Mercari and click the sold filter. You can view how much similar items are going for. You can even look at the description and see what other people included to get the sale. Only take a few minutes!
- Offer or be willing to bundle – this helps customers save on shipping. When I bundle, I usually give the customer a deal on the products too.
- Start out relatively small and/or inexpensive – build up those ratings and experience with cheaper items that are easy to sell. That way when you decide to list more expensive and challenging items, like collectibles, you will have a reputation for being reliable and trustworthy.
- Have boxes or mailers – make sure you have something to ship your items in. This may seem like a no-brainer but with only three days to shop, you want to make sure you are prepared. I also like these printable labels for easy and fast shipping.
- Weigh your items as you list – Mercari’s shipping process is a bit different from eBay’s. If you charge the customer for shipping, you can’t edit the details later. That means if you said an item weighs under one pound but it actually weighs 1.4 pounds, you are going to have to talk to the post office about fixing it AND it’s going to come out of your pocket. Super annoying. Avoid this and weigh your packages as you list so you can confidently ship when a sale comes through.
- Media mail – when I sell a book or a movie, I prefer to go the “free shipping” route and ship it media mail. It takes longer but it’s a lot cheaper (for me and the customer) and I can usually charge a little more for the item.
- Respond to messages in a timely manner – you don’t have to be at the mercy of your phone to be successful with Mercari but it is important to respond to messages and offers within a certain time frame. Note: You have 24 hours to accept or counter an offer.
- Don’t underestimate the power of a good profile picture, username, and description – if people are reminded that you are a real person, they will be more likely to treat you as such.
- Be friendly and helpful – this is a customer service game and the customer may not always be right, you should still try to be polite.
- List items during peak shopping times – the most recent items appear higher in search results. More visibility = more likely to find a buyer.
- Lower the price – after a few days, consider lowering the price to appear in more recent searches.
- Clothes sell better when it’s sold as an outfit, especially kids’ clothes. Combining pieces makes it more enticing to buyers. They can visualize how they would wear it and shipping prices are a bit more justifiable.
- Mercari buyers want a deal. Price it a little higher than your minimum price because these people like to haggle. Some are realistic, some are not. Some will even message you to tell you why your listing price should be lower.
My best sellers on Mercari:
- Old electronics (especially Apple products)
- Collectibles (Pokemon cards and Funko Pops)
- Kids Clothes
- Books
In my first month, I managed to make a $420 profit! This is amazing considering I didn’t put much effort into it in the beginning. It’s a little time-consuming to create listings but totally worth it! There’s a level of excitement that comes with a sale that makes it kind of addicting.
If you sign up for Mercari using my link, you can receive $10 off as a buyer and $40 when you sell $100 worth of items.
Some things sell better on other platforms. Here are some of the other selling platforms to consider:
- eBay
- Facebook Marketplace
- Poshmark
- OfferUp
- Craigslist
- Pango Books
If you haven’t started the decluttering process, now is the time! Free up some space and find some items to sell. Get started here. Let me know how things are going for you in the comments below. Now get to selling!