With the cost of living increasing worldwide, it’s only natural that more Americans are increasingly worrying about inflation. As the cost of basic needs such as housing and healthcare rise, 80% of American families are concerned that their budget for other categories, such as recreation, retirement, and higher education, will be swallowed up.
Due to this, more and more Americans are searching for ways to make extra money in the hopes of making their living situation more comfortable. And while there are many ways to boost your income, sometimes you might not even have to look further than the doors of your garage — a dumping ground for all the stuff you have no idea what to do with.
Half-completed projects. Christmas decorations that haven’t quite made it back into the attic. Boxes of stuff that were meant to be donated months ago. Old children’s toys. Cars we don’t have the heart to sell. We just shut those doors and forget about everything; unaware our garage could hold a valuable item whose resale value has grown.
So, what’re you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves, grab a couple of garbage bags, throw open the garage door, and get searching! To help you out, we’ve even listed several things with incredible resale value to keep an eye out for while you’re searching that’ll make you wish you sold them years ago!
Old Vehicles
Cars are one of those substantial buys that we often find challenging to get rid of, as we convince ourselves that we’ll have use for them further down the line. However, they often end up deteriorating in our garages until they make their way into the hands of buyers of junk cars.
If your garage is home to an old car like a Ford Focus, BMW 3 Series, Vauxhall Astra, Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio, or any other model of car, you could consider selling it for some quick cash. It’s easy with junk car buyers to sell your old car for cash since they’re likely to offer you a fair price for the vehicle and take it off your hands quickly, unlike if you went with a traditional method of sale.
If you’d like to learn how to junk a car for cash, consider visiting the websites of buyers of junk cars like CarBrain. With a free pick-up and junk car removal service, their junk car buyers can present you with a quick, straightforward way of disposing of the old car cluttering your garage. Visit their website for more information or contact a team member with any specific questions.
Camping Gear
After the past couple of years all but stamped out the American public’s travel plans, more and more people have found delight in a simple staycation. Due to this, there has been an increased need for camping gear, so if your garage has any items suitable for braving the outdoors, you might find yourself with a few interested buyers.
As many fond adventurers can attest, brand-new camping gear is expensive, and not many people can afford to buy it outright, so many opt to purchase it second-hand. So long as it’s in good working order, many frugal campers would gladly take camping gear off your hands (and out of your garage!), whether it’s a lantern, cooking equipment, tents, sleeping bags, or anything else.
These items can be easy to sell both online and offline. If you’d like to save yourself the expense and effort of postage and packaging by throwing a yard sale to rid yourself of your camping gear, bear in mind that you might have some bargain hunters wanting to haggle against your prices! If you want to save yourself the hassle of arranging a yard sale, you could use online marketplaces like eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Children’s Toys
When you were younger, did you ever stop playing with your Barbies one day, only to wake up a couple of months later to find that they’d mysteriously vanished from your room? Chances are, if you’re a parent, you’ll probably know all about this popular vanishing trick.
One second, they’re in a box in your kid’s room; then, abracadabra, they’re collecting dust in the corner of the garage. As your kids slowly grow up, you’ve probably used this trick several times with Pokémon cards, action figures, board games, Hot Wheels, comic books, and any other toys your children may have grown out of.
However, unbeknownst to you, children’s toys can rack up an impressive amount of resale value as the years pass. For instance, if you have an old binder of 1990s Pokémon cards, you could be set to pocket as much as $90,000 depending on the card types inside.
The same goes for other retro toys such as Star Wars action figures, American Girl Dolls, G.I. Joes, Hot Wheels, and many other retro toys that you might remember playing with in times past. Although its value depends on the item’s condition and packaging, you’re sure to get a decent amount if it’s desirable, and free up some space in your garage simultaneously!
Building Materials
Although not an item commonly found in everyone’s garage, if you’ve recently undergone a home renovation or own your own construction company, you might not have had an excellent place to store the surplus of building materials other than your garage.
But suppose that you now have an excess of building materials taking up room in your garage. If this is the case, why not consider selling them? As you know, building materials can be costly to purchase brand-new, so avid DIY-ers, home builders and home improvers might be interested in buying them from you.
Whether you have excess flooring, wall tiles, pavers, doors, circuit breakers, or any other building materials, you can resell these items for a good portion of the original price through online marketplaces or sites like DiggersList. If worse comes to worse, donate them!
