The easy way out has always been Ebay. But rising fees and even more fraudulent activity than ever has made Ebay a haven for crooks. More and more retailers are beginning to put up their Ebay stores and driving some of the prices up on some items. However, Ebay is a pretty good gauge on how market value is determined for the particular item you want to sell or buy. But here are some alternatives to selling your junk without using Ebay.
I, personally sell my stuff on Anandtech Forums. If you become part of an online community and users begin to know your nickname, you can build a reputation of being a “good” guy. Obviously your reputation won’t build like that over night, but it will get there. Mostly, there are computer enthusiasts that buy old computer junk and even newer stuff. You can find stereo equipment and games for cheap. I call it a virtual garage sale. You can always find something for cheap.
You ask how do you know if this person is reputable? Well, you may never know, but sites such as Heatware.com bring the testimonials to you of the users that sell items within the forums. Yes, people can put up fake rating and yes they can be lying, but like with anything done online, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. So use caution and common sense.
There are sites like Craigslist as well. This site has just about everything under the sun. They have personal ads as well as classifieds. But they are not governed by anyone and most people do not use any type or feedback based system. Most postings are for local metros and require a pick up option. If you find a great deal on something, you most likely have to go pick it up. But at least you will get what you paid for instead of cross shipping. Once again, use caution when replying to one of those classifieds.
These are just a couple of options for people to choose from. There are thousands of sites where people are trying to get rid of their stuff. Just use caution when going through a transaction of this nature. And if you do, you will come out with something you want or need for a great price. Happy trading.
