I've previously suggested that you can make money by selling stuff you own. A reader of my post titled $10k Challenge: Make Money at Auctions just did this. Here's what she had to say:
I actually made over $400 in a month by selling stuff on ebay from around my house that I simply wasn't using anymore. But I did research first to see if similar items were getting bids and how much they were selling for so I wouldn't be out any seller fees. It pays to do your homework.
Think of all the stuff you have in your house that you're not using. Why not sell it, clear out some space, and earn yourself some extra cash to boot?
One idea I particularly like is looking at your old coins and seeing if they are worth anything above face value. Flexo details how to determine the value of a coin and this is something I'm definitely going to be looking into this year. I have several old coins that I collected as a kid/teenager as well as some coins we received from my wife's father when he died. I think a few of them have some potential. Who knows, maybe there's a half-year of college for one of my kids waiting for me in a box downstairs. ;-)
They say pennies from 1982 and earlier have a higher copper content which makes them worth more than face value.
Posted by: laura | January 18, 2008 at 07:58 AM
ooooh, pennies....
Posted by: anon | January 18, 2008 at 08:22 AM
I did this just a couple of weeks ago. I had a coin from my parents. An uncirculated Carson City silver dollar from the late 1800s. I sold it on Craig's List for $150.
Posted by: Rhea | January 18, 2008 at 08:48 AM
As a numismatist myself, I want to beg those that are considering selling your coins, especially silver coins, that you do NOT sell them to people who will be melting them down to resell for the silver value. Coins are a piece of history and deserve much better than that. If you are looking at selling your coins, I recommend doing a couple of things. First of all, if you go buy a coin values book, don't expect to get those values if you sell to a dealer. A dealer is out to make money by reselling them and will undercut those prices. Secondly, do your homework for a respectable dealer. When you go to a dealer, make sure that they have a good reputation and know approximately what your coins are worth before going. You may want to have them appraised by one dealer before you sell to another.
FMF, if you are considering selling, let me know. I would be interested in knowing what you have.
Posted by: rdub98 | January 18, 2008 at 08:55 AM