The first step is separating personal valuables, valuables and junk. Personal valuables are items have personal value or are so personal they are automatically junk. Personal valuables might be a autographed book or symbolic of a special time in life. Even though sitting in a corner of the room or closet they still belong to a larger ideal of the future. This ideal might be realistic like knowing wherever a person moves they will need clothing, utensils or basic objects to survive. Usually sentimental attachments reserving items for personal use.
No one wants old underwear or school notebooks. These items are also personal, yet they are too personal. Charities could wash the underwear, yet it is gross. I donate underwear fresh in the plastic wrapper. There is a time after graduation everyone thinks, "I am going to go over my past notes to make realizations about life and remember my college days." I realize my notes only made sense during the lecture and remembered sitting in the classroom. At that time it was difficult to let go. As much as it no longer makes sense to me it makes less sense to anyone else. Throw it away. Anything between personal valuables and junk is for sale.
After personal valuables are safe, it is time to identify the value of valuables. This step separates items into valuable, usable and junk. There are a plethora of methods to identify if something is valuable to a buyer. Amazon.com provides a database of many objects. Look up books with the ISBN number. Use the brand name, description or model number to find out if people are selling specific items on the internet and how much they are selling it for. If unable to find an exact match look for comparable items and find an approximate price.
Future value is not important when wanting to sell everything now. I significantly reduced the price of Return of the Jedi Collector Glasses after noticing a dozen or more for sale for $8. None of them had bids, because they were marketed as collectibles. Everyone bought them and kept them safe. My Father gave them to me years ago because one day they would be valuable. Years-and-years later everyone else also has a set. There are more sellers than buyers.
One day they will probably be valuable, yet right now they are worth a glass. Sometimes they are not worth a glass because no one wants to use them for that purpose. With a large collection of glasses I estimate someone will pay less than what they would pay for new plastics cups at a grocery store. They are nice dishes that are dishwasher safe. Truthfully, they are extremely associated with the 70s and 80s. The historical value will last a long time and they will always be worth something, just not right now.
Everything usable has a value; however, it might be difficult selling it to someone else. Spatulas, ladles, dishes bought at the grocery store and shoes, lamps, shoelaces, soap dishes were mass produced are difficult to sell unless it was expensive. Either everyone has one or it is not difficult to buy something similar that is new. Expensive items are not as mass produced, because the cost is too high, yet there are many people who want one if it costs less.
A person must understand the buyer. Exercise equipment has virtually no after-market. Most people buy inexpensive equipment that sits in a corner or only buy new equipment. There is only a very small group of people looking to save money when buying something specific. In fact, the only equipment with after-market appeal appears to be hunting equipment and bicycles. Someone might take it for $20, even high-end equipment sells for less than $100; however, that might change in the future.
Furniture always has value because as long as it works and does not have any major problems a dresser is a dresser and a desk is a desk. People always want to save money even when they could get a new assembled table for less because they want solid wood. Solid wood costs more new.
People are also looking on the internet for comparable prices. Newer items are not as available so they sell for around half the original price and then there are a couple decades where after-market value is low. No one can be sure if it will go up in value. Vintage solidifies winners and losers of a generation, yet any event could make a no name product into the quintessential character of a decade. When there are a lot of buyers demand makes items more valuable. However, most shoppers think about their existing decor. Size and color are important. Match it to a reasonable price and someone will buy it.
Continue the process by accessing quality. A rare book with severe water damage is worthless. Even collectible books over one hundred years old never increase in value if severely damage. The wooden tray table that might sell for $20 are worth nothing if they have stains deep into the grain of the wood. It probably it not worth the time and money to make repairs to sell them for $20. Throw them away.
Charity has standards. If the overall value is not more than the value of the object throw it away. I will not sell anything without making a profit. All those odds-and-ends that collectively add up to $100 at a garage sale, I give to charity. I refuse to pay someone to buy my things. I give books to the library and everything else to Goodwill. It is not worth it to me to sell anything worth less than $5 as is. Frequently if it is less than $10 in the after-market and there is no way to increase value, other will still find it useful and they also have standards.
Now everything is separated. Keep the things still wanted. Priced what is for sale. Gave to charity. Threw away the junk. Now it is time to sell it.
Amazon.com is great for selling books and smaller items that can be shipped. They include the price of shipping and reimburse it to the seller. Even with this the seller should sell everything for a few dollars; otherwise, they are paying to have buyers. Sell furniture and larger items locally. There are plenty of websites for selling and they do not charge for the ads.
Antique and Vintage shops pay a lower price to remove the hardships of trying to sell it yourself. They want items that sell quickly. They must make a profit. Pawnshops also accept newer computer equipment and others item with value. They still have to make money so it is a percentage of the value anticipated from a sale.
I find the appropriate simply letting it all go price is between what to expect at a pawn ship and higher after-market prices, because sometimes it is more important to reduce excess quickly.
That is how to sell things. Modify prices depending on how much time you want to spend selling everything. If a leisurely project charge similarly to shop owners who specialize in selling similar objects. If wanting to sell quickly sell it between what a pawnbroker would pay you and what they charge customers. If having some time undersell the other guys selling the same thing. Always have self-respect. Do not let buyers bully you into paying them because they want it for much less than the offer, delivery or free-bees. It is possible to keep it or give it to a family member who wants it.
