This post has been sponsored by VarageSale. All opinions are our own!
I got inspired to de-clutter and de-junk the house in preparation for Christmas. The amount of toys coming into the house is about to increase greatly, and we can’t make room for new stuff without purging some of the old. What am I going to do with all these gently used toys, clothing, household items, etc? Have a garage sale?
How about a virtual garage sale.
I had the opportunity to try out VarageSale – an online community for buying and selling. Its not like a massive website with thousands and thousands of listings, by unknown strangers, from one end of the metroplex to the other. No, its a local community where people can buy and sell gently used items. A user admin (who lives in the area) moderates the community to help build a safe and non-threatening environment. Admins review the user requests to join and ensure they are actually local. You create a brief profile – so when you are buying and selling, you have an idea just who you might be meeting up with in the Starbucks/Target parking lot.
It is really easy to use, here’s how it works:
- You go through your house and find items that are in good/gently used condition, but aren’t used by your family for whatever reason.
- Post your gently used items to the feed.
It’s quick and easy from the website, but even easier on the mobile app. Post anything from clothing, accessories, baby items, to home decor and more. - Browse the feed to see what people are selling nearby. Comment on an item to ask questions or express your interest to buy.
- Private message a user to confirm transaction details, such as final price, pick up time and location. Users typically meet at someone’s house or in a public parking lot to complete the transaction.
- Had a good transaction? Leave a nice comment for the member so others know they are a pleasure to work with.
Although I went on to sell a few things, I suddenly remembered that we had been looking for a leaf blower. So I went to the appropriate category and searched. Boom. Found one in excellent condition, only used one season and came with an edger, too. All for $50.
Then I got hooked. Wait, wasn’t I supposed to be selling and purging…and not buying? What else could I search for?
I really had fun searching through the Christmas decor section. Just look at these fun things I found:
The Toys and Baby categories were full of awesome finds – baby swings, strollers, high chairs, dollhouses, push toys, etc.
VarageSale was started by a mom on her maternity leave and has grown to communities all across the US and Canada. There are currently five active buy and sell communities in the metroplex.
- Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX Buy & Sell
- Grapevine/North Fort Worth Buy & Sell
- Frisco/Plano/The Colony/Carrollton
- Community Blessings of Prosper
- McKinney/Allen/East Collin County
Have you found something amazing from others’ sales?
We’d love for you to share your treasures in the comments!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by VarageSale. I received a credit to use in order to try my experiences. All opinions are 100% my own.
