Best places to list your items online
Mar 23, 2025
Getting Started: Where and How to Sell Online
Ready to start selling your items online but not sure which marketplace to use—or how to keep everything organized? Whether you’re downsizing, flipping finds, or launching a small resale business, choosing the right platforms and managing your listings effectively is crucial for success. This guide will walk you through the best online selling sites, how to keep your inventory and listings in sync, basic team roles, and simple steps for smooth sales, fees tracking, and shipping or pickup.
1. Top Online Marketplaces for Beginners
There are dozens of places to sell your items online, but some are especially beginner-friendly and offer tools to make reselling easy. Here are the best options:
eBay: A classic choice, ideal for everything from collectibles to electronics. Offers auction or buy-it-now formats, robust shipping support, and a huge audience. Learn more about selling on eBay.
Facebook Marketplace: Great for local sales, quick listings, and no selling fees. Easy to coordinate pickups and communicate with buyers. Try Facebook Marketplace.
Mercari: Perfect for beginners, with straightforward mobile app listings, prepaid shipping labels, and a wide range of categories. See Mercari's guide.
Poshmark: Focused on fashion, but also accepts home goods, beauty, and electronics. Shipping is simple, and the social aspect makes it easy to gain exposure. Explore Poshmark.
Etsy: Best for handmade, vintage, or craft-related items. The audience is niche but loyal, and the platform provides seller support and analytics. Start selling on Etsy.
OfferUp: Another local-focused app, useful for furniture, tools, and bulky items. Simple messaging and payment systems. Get started on OfferUp.
2. Managing Inventory and Listings Across Multiple Sites
Listing on multiple platforms boosts your chances of a quick sale—but keeping everything in sync can get tricky fast. Here’s how to simplify inventory management and avoid double-selling:
Centralize Your Inventory: Use a spreadsheet (Google Sheets works well) to track what’s listed, where, and for how much. Include columns for item name, description, SKU, quantity, platforms listed, and status (e.g., listed, sold, shipped).
Automatic Sync Tools: Consider using a centralized solution like Gavelbase. With Gavelbase, you can sync inventory, manage listings across platforms, and track sales and fees in one dashboard. Other options include Vendoo or List Perfectly, though features and cost vary.
Remove Listings Promptly: When an item sells, immediately take it down from other sites (or mark as sold in your spreadsheet/tool) to avoid accidental double sales.
3. Assigning Basic Team Roles (Even If It’s Just You)
If you’re working with a friend, partner, or small team, a bit of structure goes a long way. Even solo sellers can benefit from dividing tasks:
Listing Manager: Handles creating and updating listings, ensuring photos and descriptions are clear and accurate.
Inventory Keeper: Tracks stock, removes sold items, and manages restocking or sourcing new inventory.
Shipping Coordinator: Packs, labels, and ships sold items or arranges pickups. Also tracks when shipments go out and updates buyers.
Customer Service: Responds to buyer questions and handles post-sale communication. (If solo, batch these tasks to save time.)
Assigning or scheduling roles, even informally, helps ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
4. Tracking Sales, Fees, and Payouts Without Hassle
Each platform has different fee structures and payout timelines, so good recordkeeping is key for understanding your profits. Here’s how to keep it simple:
Use a Sales Tracker: Expand your inventory spreadsheet, or set up a separate tab for sales. Log sale price, platform, fees (platform, payment processing, shipping), and net payout for each transaction.
Centralized Tools: Advanced inventory managers like Gavelbase can automatically track fees and payouts across platforms. This is especially useful if you scale up or sell on more than two sites.
Review Regularly: Set a weekly reminder to update your sales records and double-check that all fees and payouts match your expectations.
5. Handling Shipping or Local Pickup Cleanly
Nothing frustrates buyers more than unclear shipping or pickup processes. Here’s how to make fulfillment easy and professional:
Use Prepaid Labels: Platforms like Mercari, Poshmark, and eBay let you print prepaid labels directly from your account. This ensures you have tracking and don’t need to calculate postage yourself.
Package Carefully: Use sturdy boxes or mailers, plenty of padding, and tape. Reuse shipping materials when possible to save money.
Track and Communicate: Always send tracking to buyers and update them if there’s a delay. Most platforms automate this, but if selling locally, message buyers once you’re ready for pickup.
For Local Sales: Meet in well-lit, public places or designated exchange zones (often outside police stations). Have cash or payment app info ready.
6. Simple Steps to Get Started
Pick 1–2 platforms based on what you’re selling (e.g., eBay for collectibles, Facebook Marketplace for local furniture).
Set up a basic inventory spreadsheet or sign up for a free trial with a central management tool like Gavelbase.
Take clear, well-lit photos of your items and write honest, detailed descriptions.
List items on your chosen platforms, tracking where each is posted.
When an item sells, update your inventory, remove listings from other sites, and pack/ship or arrange pickup promptly.
Keep sales and fee records updated so you always know your profits.
Review your process weekly and tweak as you go to save time and hassle.
Helpful Resources for Further Reading
With these steps, you’ll quickly build confidence as an online seller—and avoid common beginner headaches.