This is how you sell your junk for thousands of euros on Marktplaats

Statue Sophia Twigt

A few summers ago we discovered a treasure in our barn. We were cleaning these up after years (an ideal summer activity for the whole family!) and collected boxes full of old junk. The treasure we found was not hidden behind some double wall, no, the treasure, which later yielded about three thousand euros, was exactly all that junk.

We are not alone. Many more people have such a treasure in their shed or storage room or in the attic. Old toys, electronics, an unused racing bike, old comics, a forgotten suitcase, together it is worth more than you think. Take a look in your own shed. It’s just a matter of digging out and selling everything.

Throwing it away is a sin and not sustainable. So when I saw all that stuff, I started photographing everything like crazy and putting it on Marktplaats. That is the most famous e-flea market in the Netherlands. But there are also alternatives.

Secondhand.net: this is a site with a strong focus on Belgian users.

Ebay.com: the worldwide parent company of Marktplaats. For selling your international junk.

Vinted.nl: excellent for selling your second-hand clothes. Also international, so a greater sales opportunity.

Catawiki.com: an accessible online auction house, where you can sell your most valuable junk. This always goes through an auction, so don’t forget to set a minimum amount.

I sold at least 75 percent of our stuff, including things I didn’t expect, like a flatfinch, old magazines, and jigsaw puzzles. After a while Marketplaces I realized what worked well on this site.

1. Take good photos of your product.

Marketplace photography is about standing out from all the other junk. That means: lots of photos, from all sides, including any damage, taken in daylight and without other background clutter.

2. Keep the description as short as possible.

It is enough to name all the features (and flaws) as businesslike as possible.

3. Make your price competitive and don’t be difficult to negotiate.

What matters is that you sell a lot of items quickly. Don’t try to get the most out of it. Look up what your product does on Marktplaats. Sit on or under it. Mention your minimum price immediately when negotiating. Any amount is profit.

4. Offer both shipping and collection.

If you also send, you increase your sales area. With PostNL’s built-in calculator, you can immediately state the shipping price. Then there is no need to negotiate.

5. Always opt for a free advertisement.

You sell small things for little money. Paid ads are not worth it.

6. Customer friendliness is everything.

Marktplaats works with reviews. Sellers with five star reviews are more reliable and sell better. That means: responding to all messages (including the one-line ones), being friendly and preferably also a bit fast. In the beginning, I asked customers for a review.

As with many skills, here too, things are slow in the beginning. Keep offering stuff, you will automatically become an experienced Marktplaats trader.

Journalist Vincent Kouters makes saving and investing simple. Have a question yourself? Mail to [email protected].

ttn-23