Try New Sites to Turn Spring Cleaning Trash Into Cash, Advises ParcelHero
With thousands of new sellers expected on eBay this Easter, E-commerce experts ParcelHero advise traders to try out new sites.
Easter is the traditional time for a spring clean, as homeowners take advantage of the holiday in Europe and many US States. With many thousands of new sellers looking to sell unwanted items on the leading auction site eBay, international courier ParcelHero says Easter could be a good time for traders to try out one of the many alternative marketplaces.
Says ParcelHero's Head of Public Relations, David Jinks MILT: 'In the old days, car boot, garage and yard sales were a great way to make money from unwanted items. Today it’s easier, and warmer, to join eBay’s 150 million active users worldwide. eBay celebrates its 20th Birthday this year, and is the obvious choice for anyone considering selling unwanted items. However our research indicates eBay could become remarkably busy this Easter. Sellers may want to try out other sites to make their items stand out from the crowd.'
David explains: 'There are a number of good reasons to explore online market places. Traders might try them simply to give their item a better chance of being noticed. That's not the only reason to try a change however. For example, if sellers want to ensure their item is posted and sold very swiftly they may want to consider using a mobile App like Shpock and Wallapop. With these Apps, it is possible to sell unwanted items online in a matter of seconds. Shpock (Shop in your Pocket) is strong in German speaking countries and growing fast in the UK, and is based on location, and Wallapop is a swift “flea market” App again based on location and pictures. Wallapop is popular in Spain, France and Portugal as well as the UK.’
Adds David: ‘For would-be sellers preferring to keep their sales within their local area, pioneering classifieds site Craigslist, founded by the eponymous Craig Newmark in San Fransisco back in 1995, is now in 70 countries and centred on over 200 cities world wide. It’s a useful site for selling larger items cleaned out from the garage, as most buyers collect.
‘Gumtree is a serious alternative in the UK, and was originally set up by ex-pat Australians keen to find and trade jobs, kitchen equipment and furniture during their stay in Britain. It is now the UK’s number one classified advertisement site, selling a million items a week and is largely free. Vivastreet, the second largest site in the UK, is also in 18 other countries including the US, and again there is no charge for non-business users.’
'Preloved is an attractive site with over 5 million visitors each month. Again ihere is no cost to individuals, though fees apply to small businesses. Unlike eBay it’s not an auction site, every item has a 'sticker price' and there is no online bidding.
'One of the sites most directly comparable to eBay is CQout. CQout is a UK-based online auction that trades in over 80 countries. The seller pays the site a percentage commission on each sale.'
Adds David: ‘Finally, if the spring cleaning has made people feel virtous and altruistic, sites such as Freecycle are a great way to find unwanted items a new home. The Freecycle network has 7 million members across over 85 countries and everything posted must be free. The site estimates that it is keeping 500 tons a day out of landfills.’
David says: ‘One common thing to many of these sites is that they lack flexible mailing options, or are set up so that the buyer collects. Often this is not convenient. Courier services such as ParcelHero can pick up items from a seller and deliver directly to the buyer, eliminating much of the hassle.
Concludes David: ‘In addition, many sellers are nervous about selling beyond their own country. Offering flexible international mailing boosts the chances of a successful sale enormously. Companies such as ParcelHero are up to 72% cheaper than the Royal Mail for international deliveries, and pick up items – saving a trip to the Post Office.’
Essential advice on shipping eBay items, and for other market place sites, is available on the ParcelHero website.
For more information please contact David Jinks, Head of PR, on david@parcelhero.com or by phone on 0208 7584962 (07772 055748 out of office hours)
Leading international online courier ParcelHero® strategically partners with the world's leading, logistics companies, including DHL, UPS and DPD to provide a flexible, cost-effective range of parcel delivery services to over 220 countries worldwide. Huge bulk purchasing power allows ParcelHero® to offer highly competitive pricing with no compromise in service quality.
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