10 Sites That Will Pay For Your Old Junk

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, as the old saying goes. It’s an extremely fortunate truth for those of us who are in possession of many things that we don’t use: what we see as worthless and simply taking up space, another person may see as wonderful and of great value. It’s a win-win situation, if ever there were one.

And, while it’s typically easy to give our perceived junk away to those who might like it, it’s increasingly easy to make a few bucks off of our junk.

Thanks to more and more websites that will pay cash or offer store credit for things like old cell phones, laptops, books, clothes, and more, people are sending in their junk instead of throwing it out. They clear out their homes, and they make a few bucks while doing it.

If you’ve got some old junk to get rid of, and you’d like to put some cash in your pocket along the way, you’ve got a lot of options. Here are ten sites that will pay for your old junk.

1. Gazelle

Gazelle is one of the better known websites for selling old smartphones, tablets, computers, and more. They focus on Apple products, but if you have an Android-based phone or tablet that’s just a year or two old, chances are good that they’ll give you some cash for it. You answer a few questions about your item’s condition and model, and they’ll make you an offer, which is good for 30 days. You send your product to Gazelle (they’ll pay shipping) for an evaluation. If they accept it, you’ll be paid within a few days, and they can even send you money via a PayPal transfer.

2. uSell

“The most money for the least effort” is uSell’s motto, and they stand behind it. They’ll buy your outdated smartphone, tablet, game console, laptop, and even Blackberry. Start by describing your item and its condition, and uSell will give you a cash offer. All you have to do is pack up your item carefully, send it to uSell (on their dime), and wait a few days for it to be inspected. You’ll get paid through PayPal or with a check, and uSell will keep in touch throughout the process so you know when your money will be in your hands.

3, MaxBack

MaxBack promises payment in as few as three days for your late model electronics and devices. They’ll buy back smartphones and tablets, like Gazelle and uSell, but MaxBack will also buy your fitness tracker, headphones, speaker, virtual reality headsets, and more. They don’t buy back all models, but if you have a qualifying item that’s still functional, MaxBack will take it, and you’ll have a few more bucks in your PayPal account

4. BuyBackWorld

Not only does BuyBackWorld pay for used smartphones, tablets, and computers, but they’ll also buy your other gently used electronics: headphones, Apple accessories, digital cameras, smartwatches, and more. Plus, they’ll buy unused gift cards, so if you’re never going to use that $25 card to Tractor Supply that your Aunt Pat gave you last Easter, sell it to BuyBackWorld. You’ll usually get paid within a week via PayPal transfer or check.

5. Cash4Books

The market for used books is surprisingly good, so if you’ve got a bookshelf full of titles you’ll never read again, Cash4Books will gladly take them off your hands. It’s a simple process: just enter the ISBNs or use their free app to scan book barcodes, ship the titles they want on their dime, and then wait for your PayPal deposit to clear or for your check to arrive. Cash4Books does buy mostly textbooks, but they also buy most titles that are just a year or two old. Enter your book ISBNs and see what you’ll get from Cash4Books: you might be pleasantly surprised.

6. Powell’s

Powell’s is a Portland-based independent bookstore that’s been around for over 40 years, and they’ve had a strong online presence for about two decades. They will pay you for your old books, though you’ll want to note that Powell’s is particular about condition; books need to be in good shape, with no rips, stains, writing, and so on. If you’re in Portland, you can bring your books right to the store, but if you’re not, enter your ISBNs on their website, send them the books they want (they pay for shipping), and you’ll either get a PayPal transfer or a Powell’s store credit.

7. thredUP

When you buy new clothes, what happens to your older ones? Often, they get relegated to the back of the closet, stacked on shelves, or boxed away for…who knows what? If you’re not keen on last year’s duds, send them to thredUP. The site buys brand name clothing in good used condition, so if you’re the type who updates your wardrobe with the seasons, this is a good way to recoup some of your costs. You’ll get thredUP credit initially, but if you can’t find anything you want to buy from them within two weeks, you can either get a PayPal payout or a thredUP Visa Prepaid Card.

8. Vinted

Vinted is like the world’s greatest online consignment shop. If you’ve got some clothes that are in good shape but just aren’t in rotation in your wardrobe, you can sell them to buyers on Vinted. Best of all, you don’t have to ship anything until it sells; just upload photos, list your price, and wait for a buyer. Vinted takes a percentage of the sale and helps you with prepaid shipping. Once you get money from a sale, you can use it as store credit or transfer it to PayPal or a checking account

9. Amazon Trade-In

You probably know Amazon as a one stop online shop for just about anything you could ever want, but did you know that Amazon will also buy back items like books, smartphones, video games, CDs and DVDs, all sorts of wearables, and more. Amazon Trade-In will offer you a buyback price; accept it, and you’ve got seven days to send them your items (with a prepaid postage label). You won’t get cash for your trade-ins, but you will get Amazon credit, and that’s sort of the same thin

10. Etsy

It may seem strange to see a site like Etsy on this list — after all, they’re not paying anyone for anything, junk or otherwise. However, we’ve included it on this list for a good reason, and it’s this: Etsy will facilitate the sale of any vintage item, and, to paraphrase the saying we quoted earlier, one man’s junk is another man’s vintage.

Lots of people look on Etsy for older items, and if you’ve got a lot of stuff that you consider junk, you might list it on Etsy and see if it goes. It costs only 20¢ per listing, and then Etsy takes a small percentage of the selling price as its commission. It’s a vibrant online vintage marketplace, and lots of people have made money selling their junk here.