Hi KCL! Now that term two has started, you may be thinking about ways to make some extra cash to help you make the most of the rest of the academic year. For our second blog post in this “side hustle” series, we thought we’d focus on reselling as an extra source of income. Lots of us will have items we no longer use that are gathering dust at home. Instead of letting these things go to waste, reselling can allow someone else to make the most of them. Best of all, you can get paid for it! There are so many options in terms of reselling so this post will focus on a few of the routes you can go down.
Clothes and shoes
Everyone probably has clothes they no longer wear anymore. Consider selling these on platforms such as Depop or Vinted. Branded or vintage items of clothing tend to sell more quickly (take a look at what items of clothing the most popular sellers are listing). But taking clear pictures with a neutral background also goes a long way. You can sell shoes on these platforms too, but if you have any unused trainers (or ones in good condition), you could look into reselling these via websites such as StockX or GOAT, which have worked well for me in the past. If you happen to own a popular pair of trainers, you can make a big profit doing this!
Textbooks
Any university textbooks that you no longer use can be sold via platforms such as Amazon, ebay and Facebook marketplace. Bear the shipping costs in mind, as packages filled with books can get quite pricey to send. An alternative option would be to sell these to students in years below.
Old CDs, DVDs and games
Most of us probably have CDs, DVDs or video games lying around that we’ll never use again. You can sell these via platforms such as musicMagpie. Payment is usually made via bank transfer or PayPal on the same day which is a big plus! The amount you receive depends on the item, but you can expect around 8p-£1 for CDs, £1.50 for DVDs and £10-£15 for video games.
Aluminium cans
Lastly, this one may seem a bit unexpected but you can make money from any old aluminium recycling cans by selling them via recycling centres! Have a look at the Think Cans website for a list of recycling centres in the UK.
Reselling is more straightforward than people think so hopefully this post gives you some insight into how to make a bit of extra money by selling items that you no longer use, or would otherwise throw away. As always, feel free to reach out to KCL Money and Housing if you any questions. We’ll see you in our next post!
Aanchal Raina
King’s Student Money Mentor
Part of Money & Housing Advice
The King’s Student Money Mentors blog shares our students’ personal experiences and thoughts on money-related topics. Any reference, opinions or recommendations on a particular company/brand are only the views of the student(s) who wrote the blog post. King’s College London, the Money & Housing Advice service and the Money Mentor project do not share the views in the blogs nor endorse any of the companies mentioned. Readers should conduct their own research before using any companies mentioned in our blog posts.