Things to buy that make you money

Unsure what to sell? You don't need to resort to auctioning off your much-loved items. Here's how to make decent money from selling things you never even knew were valuable...

The saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" is never more true than when selling stuff online. As our handy list proves, you really can make money from buying and selling low-price, everyday items, and even things that you might otherwise throw away.

While rarer items will bring in the highest bids on sites like eBay, it wouldn't be wise to snub the smaller streams of income. These little sales all add up.

There's money to be made in every corner of your house. You just need to know what to look for.

Childhood toys

Your inability to let go of your old favourites could finally pay off.

It's always worth raiding your childhood toy collection and having a quick look on eBay to see what they're selling for. And who knows, you may have one of these toys – they could be worth thousands of pounds!

Your old clothes

If you've got a wardrobe full of clothes you never wear, dig them out and try using some sites and apps for selling clothes online.

Branded or vintage clothes are often easiest to sell, but other items could still bag you some decent money. Just make sure you make them look presentable, take decent photos of them and write accurate descriptions.

Gift cards

Gift cards are everyone's favourite 'didn't know what to buy you' gift. But what if it involves credit from a shop you never buy from?

As long as it's before the expiration date, you can try selling it on eBay. If you ask for a little less than the value of the gift card, it'll be snatched up in no time.

Coat hangers

Got a wardrobe filled with more hangers than clothes? Why not sell them? They won't go for much, but it's better than nothing! If you have a matching set of hangers, you can probably get around 50p online.

Wine corks

Wine corks are perfect for arts and crafts, which makes them a perfect thing to sell.

If you drink enough of the good stuff to build up a collection, you can make around 10p per wine cork and as much as 15p a pop (literally) for champagne corks. Facebook Marketplace is a good option for this, so you can sell locally and save money on shipping.

Your hair

This may not be the first thing you will think of when it comes to finding things to sell, but you can earn some serious money for your hair.

You'll need long, healthy hair to earn the biggest profits, so make sure you look after it! It's also best to find a buyer before you cut your hair, as some companies don't accept hair that's not freshly cut...

Unused car parking space

Got a private parking space but don't have a car? You'd be surprised how much money you can make from renting out your car parking space, and there's even more potential if you live near a city centre.

Just make sure to check with your landlord if you're renting, as it could be classified as subletting.

Your body (for tests!)

You may be surprised to hear that you can earn around £100 per day when taking part in drug trials. Payment for these can even reach thousands of pounds (depending on the trial, of course).

Alternatively, you can sign up for product testing websites. This way, you'll get reimbursed for trying out new products, rather than your body.

Old loo roll

We're not even joking. All those cardboard tubes you and your flatmates have been collecting out of sheer laziness can turn into cash.

We've seen someone sell 800 of them for £48 plus £22 P&P but, more realistically, you can sell old toilet roll for 10p per piece. Still better than throwing them out for free, right?

Advertising space on your blog

Have you got a personal blog? One of the easiest ways to make money from your website is by selling ad space.

You can apply to ad networks like Google Adsense or even reach out to individual companies. If they sell products in the same niche as your website, they could want to advertise to your readers.

Your photos

We're not talking pics of you and your mates getting drunk on the beach in Marbella... but if you have a keen eye and a creative head on your shoulders, you could make great money on your pics. You don't even need a fancy camera to produce money-making photographs either.

Old mobile phones

Got some old phones stuffed away in drawers that you haven't used since you upgraded?

Rather than letting them gather dust 'just in case' you possibly need to use one of them (never going to happen), why don't you sell your old phone for cash instead? You could get up to a few hundred pounds from them.

Your opinion

If there's ever a way to make you feel like your opinion really matters, it's when someone offers to pay you for it.

Sign up to paid survey sites, try reviewing videos for money or offer your expert opinion on new music in exchange for cash on Slicethepie.

Your knowledge

If you're passionate about a topic and know quite a lot about it (perhaps a subject you study at uni), why not profit from it?

You could offer private tutoring or take on some freelance work in your area of expertise. It's a great way to earn some extra money and it also looks great on your CV.

Your services

You don't need expert skills to cash in on your services either. Apps like Task Rabbit let you earn cash for helping people do small (normally DIY-related) tasks. It's worth signing up to task apps to complete small and super-easy tasks in your local area for a payout.

Your language skills

Are you blessed with the ability to speak a second (or third, or fourth...) language? You could make money selling your language skills. From translating texts to creating language resources, there are loads of options out there.

Old university books

Let's be honest, you're unlikely to ever read them again. The quicker you sell your textbooks (i.e. while the edition you have is still current), the more cash you'll get for them.

Just make sure to keep the shipping costs in mind, as parcels filled with books can get quite heavy and pricey to send. Or, better still, just sell them to the students in the year below!

Old CDs, DVDs and games

We've all got films we've not watched more than once (or at all), or games we played once and got sick of. Luckily, there are places to sell your old DVDs, CDs and games and turn them into quick cash.

How much you can get for them completely depends on the item, but you can expect around 50p – £1 for CDs, £1.50 for DVDs and £15 for video games.

Empty jars

Big on your condiments? Take your eco-credentials to the next level by getting paid to recycle your jars online to keen homemade jam-makers. You can make about 50p per jar, and around £1 each for glass coffee jars.

Your footsteps

There are lots of other ways to earn cash from walking. You can use apps like Sweatcoin that give you coins for the number of steps you take, walk dogs, become a human billboard and more. So many options to earn cash AND stay in shape.

Empty boxes

It's quite common to buy second-hand goods online that don't come with a box, so shoppers are willing to shell out for the appropriate empty boxes to make the item look new when giving it as a gift.

You'll be surprised to see empty boxes for iPhones, PlayStations, and loads of other electrical goods going for a decent amount of cash.

Instruction manuals

Got any manuals knocking about for items you don't use, or know how to use already (so no longer need the instructions)? Manuals for things like sound systems and computers sell pretty well on eBay.

Remote controls

This is another weird way to make money, but it's funny how every household seems to have a spare remote control stuffed away in a drawer that no one can remember what it was for originally.

If you have one laying around, have a look for it on eBay – you could snag a tenner for it.

Broken electronic devices

While this one's definitely more niche, selling broken items on eBay isn't a complete no-no.

As long as you're really clear that the item doesn't work, and that you're selling to be used 'for parts', it's likely to sell.

You could also sell your tech to companies that refurbish second-hand electrical goods. For example, have a look at the offer prices from Music Magpie.

Egg cartons

We're guessing this one is for those who keep chickens and aren't able to eat the eggs fast enough. Or perhaps someone who's looking for some cheap soundproofing?

Whatever the reason is for empty egg cartons selling online, the fact remains that they do. 50 half-dozen boxes will get you around a fiver on eBay.

Personalised gifts

If you're a bit arty and business-minded you could set up your own online store and start selling on Etsy.

While some people make a few quid from it every month, others have turned it into a full-time profitable business. Research what is selling sell and give it a unique twist – the options are endless.

Money (for more than its actual value)

With all these new coins and notes being released, collectors are going wild for rarer coins and offering big money for old coins to complete collections. Have a look in your wallet and sure you check your coins before you spend them.

Empty perfume bottles

Yeah, we're not really sure about this one either – but sometimes it's best to just not ask questions.

Before you throw your empty perfume bottles out, stick them up for sale on eBay and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised...

Make-up and beauty samples

If you're on our mailing list or in our Facebook group, you'll know that beauty freebies are up for grabs almost daily.

And while we all love free stuff, it's true that not everything will be to your taste. So why not start collecting the samples you're not wild about and sell them as a sample set online?

Aluminium cans

Another unusual thing you can sell is empty aluminium cans. Rather than throwing them away, you can check out Think Cans website to find a recycling centre near you that will buy them from you. It's just another way to make money by recycling!

Empty ink cartridges

If you have a printer, an empty ink cartridge is inevitable – and buying a new one doesn’t come cheap! So it would be a shame to simply throw the old one out.

Luckily, there are companies like The Recycling Factory that buy empty cartridges to recycle them. You get some cash and they won’t end up in a landfill – win-win.