eBay makes it easy to get rid of unwanted items. But while it’s a great platform to make extra cash, it can be intimidating for first-time users.

Here are 20 essential tips that you’ll need to confidently start making money on eBay.

• 1. Start your eBay auction prices at 99p
• 2. Understand free listings
• 3. Download the eBay app
• 4. Make your eBay listing stand out
• 5. Be original
• 6. Price it right
• 7. eBay is all about timing
• 8. Organise your selling around your life
• 9. Post items ‘Recorded Delivery’
• 10. Keep your eBay postage costs under control
• 11. Pack things well
• 12. Use lots of pictures
• 13. Choose the right category
• 14. Build your eBay reputation
• 15. Make a few small eBay purchases
• 16. Respond to people ASAP
• 17. Let people know what you’re selling on eBay
• 18. Don’t forget bigger items on eBay
• 19. Never underestimate what people will pay for
• 20. Don’t give up

1. Start your eBay auction prices at 99p

2. Understand free listings

eBay now allows private sellers 300 free listings a month on almost all categories, and it’s 35p a listing after that. If you want to pay extra to promote, it’ll still cost something – but could net you a better audience to boost your profit. You can set a reserve price which means the item won’t sell unless it reaches that price, but you’ll pay 4% of that reserve whether the item sells or not.

On some items, like cars and vehicles, eBay will let you know you’re listing your item for free when you put it live, you’ll still pay a final value fee. This is 10% of the final cost of the item, including postage. There will also be a PayPal fee if you use that to get your cash.

It’s not a lot, but something to be aware of when looking at how much you’ll actually make on each sale. When you set up your selling account, the easiest method to pay these fees is by direct debit each month. You’ll get an invoice of how much you owe.

You won’t pay a final value fee if your item doesn’t sell. So if it fails to attract any buyers, try again. You can choose to automate this process by ticking the box to allow relisting if it doesn’t sell. It may be that the right buyer wasn’t around at the time, so don’t give up!

Read more about final value fees on eBay’s website.

3. Download the eBay app

If you sell often it’s worth downloading eBay’s free app. Using it to post listings is quick and easy – and it means that you can keep an eye on your listings and respond to queries on the go. You can take photos, create your listing, and keep track of how auctions are going all in one place.

4. Make your ebay listing stand out

With 1.7 billion live items on eBay, making your listing stand out is crucial.

When buyers search for an item, eBay only looks for words in the listing’s title, so always use keywords such as brand names, colour, and sizes. Double check spellings so people can find your items!

5. Be original

A little bit of copying and pasting with a few adjustments and tweaks will save you loads of time and effort when writing up descriptions for products. But never copy descriptions or pictures wholesale, as this infringes other sellers’ copyright. You could also accidentally include damage that isn’t on your item but is on the other person’s, which reduces its value!

Look at other successful sellers to see how they describe their products and learn from them.

If you sell lots of the same thing, write up your own template and save it on a file on your computer or phone. Then you can copy and paste it, fill in the particulars for the item (size, colour, etc.), add photos and you’re pretty much done!

6. Price it right

auction listings

Fixed-price listings

7. eBay is all about timing 

8. Organise your selling around your life

9. Post items ‘Recorded Delivery’

You can also send parcels to any UK address from a CollectPlus store (CollectPlus.co.uk), which means you avoid the lengthy queues at the Post Office – and cut costs. What’s more, the 6,000 shops that offer this service are all open late, seven days a week.

Compare

11. Pack things well

Ensure that you ship sold items carefully, as if it arrives broken you must give the buyer a refund.

What’s more, if you leave buying your packaging until the last minute, you’ll end up forking out more than necessary. Cut costs and recycle used jiffy bags and bubble wrap.

If you must shell out for brand new packaging, look online for the best deals. Retailers such as Amazon sell job lots of mailing bags, which come in a variety of sizes, for as little as £3.

Pound shops and other discount stores are also great for cheap packaging, whether it be parcel paper or bubble envelopes.

12. Use lots of pictures

With each listing, you can list up to 12 p­hotos for free. Take advantage of this so that potential buyers can see what you’re selling.

Adding multiple good-quality photos to your listing to help you increase sales and give your buyers a more accurate idea of what to expect – and reassure them that you’re a legitimate seller.

Aim for a well-lit, clutter-free, plain white background and always take photos from several angles highlighting the condition of the item. Be honest about any imperfections (nicks and scratches, etc.)

A clean kitchen table or counter could be good options. Use a plain white sheet if need be.

15.  Make a few small eBay purchases

If you’re a new seller with little or no feedback, buyers might be reluctant to make purchases from you.

So, before you start listing items, you might want to make a few small purchases to accumulate positive feedback, and to get used to the eBay process.

Take note of things like how they describe their items, postage times, and packaging. See if you can get any inspiration, or note anything you’d do better!

Having the app with notifications switched on can help you see messages much faster.

17. Let people know what you’re selling on eBay

19. Never underestimate what people will pay for

20. Don’t give up 

 

If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

Relist unsold items and tweak your posting to grab the attention of buyers. For instance, changing the title, adding a better description, and changing the format of your listing (buy it now or auction-style) can all help.

Take new photographs or add extra photographs to your listing. Photos are absolutely key, so note how other successful eBayers are doing it and put in the effort!

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You don’t have to be a professional to do it nowadays.

Have you ever taken a photograph, uploaded it to a social networking site, and been surprised by just how many people comment on it? If so, it’s likely you could make a bit of cash if by selling your photos online.

• Why sell your photos online?
• How does it work to sell your photos online?
• Top tips for perfect pictures
• How much can you make if you sell your photos online?
• Sell news photos for big money

Why sell your photos online?

Although photography was once considered a rather expensive and complicated hobby, modern technology has created many a budding Herb Ritts or Mario Testino.

Yes, there are a lot of amateur photographers about, but the demand for digital images is also increasing. Every day, new photographs are needed for company websites, public sector newsletters, corporate presentations and thousands of other uses.

This means if you have a camera and an eye for a good image you can sell your photos for good money.

Selling your photos is not hard to do. There are buyers all around the world, so sell your photos online and you can make money while you sleep!

This isn’t child’s play, but if you’re a fast learner you can get up and running quickly. If you can capture an image that is well-constructed, well-lit and properly focused, we’ll show you how to set up a passive stream of income.

How does it work to sell your photos online?

Step 1: Register with an online agency

There are lots of online agencies. Some popular sites include

• Alamy
• Shutterstock
• Getty Images
• Adobe Stock

When you register your details, the site will usually ask you to send between five to ten photos so it can test the quality and type of photos you send them. If your photos don’t conform to the site’s requirements, they will be rejected.

If this happens, don’t worry – just try again, taking their comments into consideration. Sometimes it may just be because they already have too many of the sort of photo you’re sending.

Step 2: Upload your pictures

Once you’ve received the go ahead from the agency you can upload batches of pictures. Each photo is manually checked by the agency in question, so if you want your pictures to go on sale quickly, send them in batches of 5 or 10.

Step 3: Pictures Are Go!

After your pictures have been checked and cleared you’ll be notified when they go live on the website, usually after about 24 hours.

Then there’s nothing to do after that except wait until people buy your photos. Once your account reaches a certain limit you can get your hands on the cash. The usual method of payment is by cheque or PayPal. You can drive people to your photos faster by building a social media following and posting them there – but make sure you keep the watermark on them to avoid people stealing your pics!

Top tips for perfect pictures

Subject matter

It can be tempting to take pictures of things that are pretty or cute – a great sunset, a bluebell wood, or an adorable shot of your cat peeking out of a plant pot. These types of pictures are in a very competitive market, however.

Stock libraries want a wide range of pictures, covering many different subjects, ideas, concepts, cultures and issues.

When a buyer types a search term – no matter how obscure – into their site, they want to find an image to match their needs.

Think about the types of photographs you see in the news.

• A story about food hygiene might be accompanied by a shot of someone washing their hands.
• An article about petrol prices might show someone fuelling their car.
• We use a lot of pictures of money, credit cards and simple pound signs!

These descriptive images are the real money spinners. Think about what you see in corporate communications, branding, even advertisements – these are the types of images that will do well, especially if you can take several variations of the same products or actions. If you’re using people, make sure they sign waivers to allow you to sell their image, and try to be as diverse as possible with your casting.

Picture quality

We’ve all taken dud photographs. Maybe it’s a family portrait in which Aunt Molly has been accidentally decapitated. Or a group shot, with an unknown stranger throwing crazy dance moves in the background. Perhaps overuse of the flash has left your subjects looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost.

If you’re using a digital camera, a bad shot is not the end of the world. But there are a few rules of thumb that you can follow to improve picture quality.

• Buyers often want high resolution images they can crop to fit into a particular space.  Leave a little extra space around the subject of your picture, so it can be cropped to size without losing anything crucial.
• Generally speaking, buyers want clear, bright colours, as anything washed out or over-saturated will not reproduce so well. It’s often worth playing with the exposure settings on your digital camera to improve this.
• Try to get a ‘clean’ shot. This means there is nothing in the background that will detract from the focus of your picture. And hold the camera steady and straight.

While it can be tempting to want to learn how to do all kinds of fancy photo editing stuff with Photoshop or other software, remember that your photo is going to form the base of someone else’s work. That means they usually don’t want things that have lots of digital alterations already – so keep things simple, and only use editing software to enhance your image (such as correcting a slight colour issue, or removing a person from a background that shouldn’t be there).

There are hundreds of websites offering tips on digital photography. But remember, rules are made to be broken!

Legal considerations

• Pictures of identifiable houses or models (any person who is in the photo) will in most cases need a release form. This is signed by the model or house owner to cite that their permission has been given for you to profit from their personal belongings. Each website has a release form for you to download if you need it.
• Avoid taking pictures of car registration plates, company logos (these might be Registered Trade Marks) and anything that could be considered inflammatory (racist graffiti, for example). You should also be careful of some buildings if they are registered as artworks. For example, you can take photos of the Eiffel Tower – but not of the light display at night, which is a copyrighted artwork.
• Finally, decide how much control you want over how your image is used. In UK law, a photographer automatically owns the copyright to his or her work unless they sell it on and sign a contract.
• Most online agencies allow the photographer to retain copyright, but they sell the pictures under different licenses. The buyer will have to specify whether they intend to use the photo in a magazine selling 100,000 copies a month, a website with a medium number of unique visitors, or for private personal use. The price will reflect this scale of use.

It is quite possible that you could sell an image through an online agency for £3, and discover it is on the front page of a book being sold around the world. If you are concerned about this look for a site that allows you to sell ‘rights managed’ images, and to apply restrictions to the sale of your photographs. It’s a complicated topic, but Alamy explains the different structures well.

Submissions guidelines

Most of the stock sites specify that if you want to submit a photo to sell, it has to be a high quality (low compression) JPEG.

The higher the image resolution, the more you’ll be paid. Image resolutions are grouped into web resolution (below 1200 by 1000 pixels, this will fit straight onto a web page), medium resolution and high resolution. The high resolution shots will normally take a few minutes to download.

How much can you make if you sell your photos online?

The price you earn depends on the resolution of your photographs, as higher quality images are more expensive.

The types of photo-selling websites can be divided into microstock (high volumes of photos, low prices paid per photo) and macrostock (vice versa). There have been suggestions that microstock sites devalue photography, but on the other hand, selling a photo for just a few pounds can give a beginner a confidence boost.

Microstock

To make money on these sites, you’ll need to aim for volume sales.

The royalty structure on iStockphoto is 15%, but you could make up to 45% for exclusive pictures when your ranking is high. This being said, its rates of pay are very low and depend on the buyers, so you may not get anything for web resolution photos. This site is probably only good to look at when you can sell high resolution photos of very good quality.

Macrostock

Alamy supplies a high-end market of editorial, advertising and publishing companies, so it’s safe to say anything you submit has to be high quality that follows their submission guidelines strictly. If you do, you have the potential to earn 65% commission. Their prices begin with £35 for a web resolution royalty-free photo, and up to £230 for the highest resolution royalty-free picture. Exclusive pictures command a slightly higher selling price.

Sell news photos for big money

If you witness a potential news story or have an interesting celebrity encounter, get a snap of it and you could make serious money by selling your photo to an agency.

Agencies will sell your photos on to major newspapers and magazines in exchange for commission.

They will pass images on to the Daily Mail, The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, Heat and the Daily Mirror to name a few. Most agencies accept images in all formats, including those taken on a mobile phone.

The clearer your image is, the better it’ll sell, but if yours is the only photo available, quality won’t be as much of an issue.

How much can I earn?

How much you can earn depends on what the photo depicts. If it’s a huge, unexpected occurrence which will become global news, you stand to make hundreds if not thousands.

Likewise a celebrity snap – if you manage to capture someone famous in an embarrassing or unusual situation, there’s potential for you to make serious cash.

However, a photo of a Z-list personality walking down the street won’t be anywhere near as valuable. Nevertheless, every little helps develop your portfolio online and nab that extra bit of cash.

Get snapping!

Got any picture-perfect money spinners? Tell us about it in the comments below.

The post How to Sell Your Photos Online appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

So, how can we do good and help out charitable causes when we haven’t got that much money to spare ourselves? 

Luckily, there are a few ways you can incorporate helping out charities into your daily life, without having to spend money you don’t have. Here are just a few of them…

• Donate via a cashback site
• Give to charity online: search engines that pay charities with each search
• Remembering to tick the Gift Aid box
• Give to charity by donating your stuff
• Play games online and give to charity

Donate via a cashback site

You might already use a cashback site – but if you don’t, ask a friend if they use one that they can send a referral link to. This means you both get some cash as an incentive when you sign up! TopCashBack, Swagbucks, and Quidco are popular choices. 

You can choose to keep your cashback earned from your purchases for yourself, or donate to charity – either some or all of it. This helps you give back without spending anything more than you would have anyway!

Give to charity online with charity cashback sites

The alternative to using a cashback site of your own is to use one that manages the donations on your behalf. EasyFundraising.org and Savoo are both great examples of websites that have been set up to make sure consumers don’t pay anything extra, but instead of giving you cashback, they donate their commission from your sale to a charity of your choice.

Savoo is a particular favourite, because it also has a wide range of discount codes and offers, which means you save money while also raising money for charity.

Remember to tick the Gift Aid box 

Never really been sure what Gift Aid is? It’s a nifty government scheme can help charities, with literally no effort from you at all. 

Gift Aid is a long-running government scheme that gives charities a basic 20% tax relief on whatever you’re donating to them, as long as you’re a UK taxpayer. The scheme has been in place for 30 years, and has gifted charities billions of pounds in that time. All you have to do is tick the Gift Aid box whenever you’re making a donation, sponsoring your neighbour to run that 5k, etc, to ensure Gift Aid is included. Easy! 

Gift Aid doesn’t cost you anything extra – but means the charity gets the tax relief on your donation. This puts more money in their pocket!

Give to charity by donating your stuff

You don’t need to be giving money to charity to be helping them out. Instead of throwing out that old chair or pair of jeans you’re bored of, or those kid’s shoes that don’t fit anymore, why not drop them off at your local charity shop instead? 

Of course, you can support charities by shopping in their high street stores too – books, DVDs, clothes and lots more will be significantly cheaper than they would be in other retail stores, and you’ll be doing a good deed in the process. Remember to hand your donation bag to a member of staff and ask for the Gift Aid form to make sure they get the most from your donations, too.

Play games online and give to charity 

Did you know you can raise money for charity just by playing games online? Turns out you can! 

Our favourite find is the Free Rice website, from the World Food Programme. For every correct answer, the site’s sponsors will send the cash equivalent of 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme, who will funnel it into feeding those in need around the world. Spending time on your phone has never felt so worthy! 

The post How to Give to Charity Without Spending a Penny appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Best Platforms to Sell Cassette Tapes

1. eBay

Best For: Rare, collectible, and vintage tapes

eBay remains one of the top platforms for selling second-hand tapes due to its global reach. Listings can be auction-style or “Buy It Now,” giving sellers flexibility in pricing.

Case Study: A seller listed a rare Metallica cassette from the ’80s and started bidding at £10. Due to its limited edition status, the price soared to £300 in a week!

Tips:

• Take high-quality photos from multiple angles.
• Mention the condition (sealed, used, etc.).
• Offer international shipping to attract collectors worldwide.

More selling tips on MoneyMagpie

2. Discogs

Best For: Music enthusiasts and collectors

Discogs is a music marketplace where collectors and audiophiles search for specific releases. Unlike eBay, it is tailored specifically for music sales, making it an ideal platform for selling tapes.

Example: A seller listed a rare Nirvana “Bleach” cassette and sold it for £150 within days due to Discogs’ active music collector community.

Tips:

• Provide detailed metadata (year, edition, label).
• Grade your cassette and case condition accurately.
• Engage with buyers through messages for better conversions.

3. Facebook Marketplace & Groups

selling old casettes

Best For: Local sales and bulk deals

Selling on Facebook Marketplace is a great way to offload common or bulk cassette collections quickly without shipping hassles.

Case Study: A collector in Manchester sold a box of 100 second-hand tapes for £250 by targeting local vinyl and cassette collector groups.

Tips:

• Join niche groups like “Cassette Tape Collectors” or “80s & 90s Music Fans.”
• Use high-quality images and be transparent about tape conditions.
• Offer bundle deals for faster sales.

4. Etsy

Best For: Vintage and artistic collections

Etsy is a hotspot for vintage and handmade items, making it ideal for selling cassette tapes with unique appeal.

Example: A seller packaged 80s rock mixtapes in retro-designed cases and successfully sold them as gifts, making £1,000 in a month.

Tips:

• Add creative descriptions and artistic images.
• Offer custom-made cassette bundles for niche buyers.

5. Reddit’s r/cassetteculture & Other Forums

Best For: Engaging with serious collectors

Reddit has a thriving cassette collector community. Posting tapes for sale on r/cassetteculture can yield fast sales without marketplace fees.

Example: A user posted a rare punk rock tape and received multiple offers within hours, selling it for £75 directly via PayPal.

Tips:

• Follow forum rules before posting.
• Be active in discussions to build credibility.

6. Local Record Shops & Car Boot Sales

Best For: Quick cash sales

Many independent record shops buy used tapes, especially in urban areas where vintage music culture is strong.

Case Study: A seller in London visited a local vinyl shop and sold 30 used tapes for £5 each, making a quick £150.

Tips:

• Call shops ahead to check if they buy cassettes.
• Bring rare or niche genres for better offers.

7. Gumtree & Preloved

Best For: No-fee, local sales

Gumtree and Preloved allow you to sell directly to local buyers without fees or commissions.

Example: A user in Birmingham sold a collection of 50 classic rock tapes for £200 within a week by meeting buyers in person.

Tips:

• Be clear about pickup locations.
• Accept cash only to avoid scams.

Explore more selling options on MoneyMagpie

How to Maximise Profits When Selling Cassette Tapes

1. Identify Valuable Tapes

Not all tapes are equal. Limited editions, first pressings, and sealed tapes can fetch high prices. Research on platforms like Discogs to check market value.

2. Bundle Sales

Selling tapes in themed bundles (e.g., “80s Rock Collection”) attracts more buyers and increases profits.

3. Clean and Test Tapes

Clean your tapes and test playback quality before listing. A working tape commands a higher price.

4. Optimise Your Listings

Use targeted keywords like “sell cassette,” “selling tapes,” and “second-hand tapes” in your descriptions to attract more buyers via search engines.

5. Engage with Buyers

Prompt responses and good customer service can lead to repeat sales and positive reviews.

Conclusion

Selling cassette tapes can be a lucrative venture if you use the right platforms and strategies. Whether you choose eBay for rare finds, Discogs for music collectors, or local shops for quick cash, there’s a market for your tapes. Follow the best practices outlined above, and you’ll turn your old cassettes into profit in no time!

Looking to sell your cassette tapes? Start listing today on these platforms and tap into the growing retro music market!

Find more money-making ideas on MoneyMagpie

The post Where to Sell Cassette Tapes: Best Platforms and Strategies for Maximum Profit appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

You can make up to £7,500 a year in tax free cash if you rent out a spare room. But apart from the tax-free cash incentive, how else could it benefit you?

Let’s examine it in depth:

• Want to rent a room for tax-free cash? Who would be interested?
• Furnishing a room to rent
• Contents insurance
• Advertising your space
• References
• Drafting a contract
• How much can you make?
• Is it for you?

What is the Rent a Room Scheme?

The Rent a Room Scheme is an incentive by the Government to allow homeowners to take in a lodger and earn up to £7500 a year tax free (which works out at £625 a month for a regular annual lodger agreement). You can earn more than this, but only the first £7500 is tax free, and you’ll need to complete a tax return if you earn more than the allowance. The allowance is per property not per person, so if you’re a couple who owns the property, you each have a £3250 allowance totalling £7500.

It’s worth noting that this allowance is for the entire year – but you don’t have to let for the whole year. So, for example, if you want to rent a room out for six months instead of twelve, you could charge a higher rent than across the year. This might suit people who have a spare room during term-time to let to students, for example.

What are the Rules?

While an extra person at home will increase bills by a small amount, the overall benefit is a large chunk of cash every month that you can use to pay your mortgage. You could use it to reduce your own contribution each month, or to overpay your mortgage and pay it off faster (check that your loan agreement doesn’t charge for overpayments, if this is what you would like to do).

There are a few simple rules to qualify for the scheme. You must be a resident in the home as well – it can’t be a separate annexe, garden building, or self-contained flat (a good rule of thumb is if you share a front door with the lodger, your home qualifies). If you share communal spaces like a kitchen, the renter will be an excluded occupier with few rights – including ‘reasonable notice’ for eviction and no court processes required. If they don’t share communal spaces, they are an occupier with basic protection, which includes a court process for eviction.

Who Would Be Interested?

So who to rent your room out to? Your first port of call of course should be your friends and family. Renting to them may be more ideal than a stranger, providing you can live with them. But at least you don’t need to worry about not knowing someone.

But if you must rent to someone you don’t know, the location you live should give you a good idea who may be interested in renting your room. Such as:

• Are you close to a university or college? You could provide accommodation for students.
• Or do you live close to an airport? Cabin crew are frequent lodgers as they often move away from home to do their dream job and need somewhere close by to rest their head when they are not travelling.
• If you live in a city or within close proximity to train stations and other good transport links, your property is likely to attract interest from commuters who need a weekday place to stay.
• Do you live in an area that is popular with tourists or has a lot of people visiting for work or study? You could list it for very short amounts of time on Airbnb or a similar site.
• If you live somewhere where there are a lot of English language colleges, you could rent for a few weeks at a time to foreign students, as you can see here.

Furnishing a Room to Rent

Depending on what your room is currently, or was previously used for, you may want to think about furnishing it for ‘rent a room’ use and perhaps re-decorating. You do need to let the room furnished for it to qualify for the scheme.

Which means you don’t have to go overboard, but if the room is neutral in decor and contains the necessary amenities then it is likely to appeal to a greater amount of potential lodgers.

Cheap and cheerful furnishing

If your spare room is currently unsuitable for lodgers to move into, furnishing it can be easy and cheap. You may even be able to get things for free, but make sure they are in good condition before you buy them.

Sites like:

• Gumtree
• Snaffleup
• Freecycle
• Freegle
• NextDoor

All these offer free stuff, you just need to be able to pick the items up and take them home.

You’re unlikely to be able to furnish the whole room from such sites, and even if you do, it won’t match. But even if you manage to get a bed, some drawers or a desk, at least this will help towards the cost.

For items that you don’t want or can’t get secondhand, you can pick up simple, co-ordinating furniture relatively cheaply from places like Ikea,

• Amazon
• Furniture Outlet Village
• Ebay
• Argos.

Don’t forget that any expense you have when it comes to furnishing the room will eventually get covered by the rent paid by tenants. You can also put some of it against your income reduce your tax too.

Think about what you’d like if you were renting a room somewhere. Include basics such as:

• Wardrobe
• Chest of drawers
• Bedside cabinet or shelf
• Desk and chair
• Kettle
• Mini fridge

This will help people feel at home and make the most of their space.

Contents Insurance

If you are providing a ready furnished room, you will want the contents protected under the house insurance should anything happen to them through theft or fire, for example.

• The first thing you need to do to ensure your belongings are covered, is to give an accurate estimation of what they are actually worth. Don’t underestimate the value of your belongings just to get a lower premium. If you do this and make a claim, insurers may only pay out a fraction of what your damaged possessions were actually worth. It’s you who’ll lose out in this scenario, so always be honest.
• There are ways in which you can lower the cost of your premiums, for example by installing fire alarms. To compare policies check out this home insurance comparison page.
• The valuation of the contents of the room may include the furniture you have provided with the room. But it may also include the belongings of the tenant. In this case, you will need to wait until you have a tenant before you can fully estimate the value of the room’s contents.
• You will, however, be able to discuss with your tenant whether they would rather add their belongings onto your existing insurance policy or create one of their own. If their items are added to yours, don’t forget to add the cost onto their weekly or monthly rent. This makes sure you don’t have to pay for their belongings on your premium. It’s often easier for them to make one of their own.
• There is a guide for homeowners on the Association of British Insurers website which outlines what you need to include in your estimation. As well as what most insurers will generally cover.
• Make sure you update this list every year when the policy is renewed.

Keep your insurer informed

The second thing you need to do is make sure your insurers are aware of your lodger. Having someone live in your house that you didn’t previously know, and your insurers are not aware of, can invalidate your cover.

This is because should you make a claim for theft, your insurers could challenge it with the fact that you have a stranger living with you.

Advertising your space

This is fairly simple to do:

• First, if you live near to a university, college, ask if you can put some notices around campus.
• Secondly, use sites like
  • Gumtree, 
  • Spareroom
  • NextDoor

To advertise for free.

• Also, don’t forget your own social media pages. Facebook Groups are particularly good for this.
• Failing these, you could advertise in your local newspaper or put an ad in your newsagent’s window, although both of these will cost you a small fee.

References

Unless you manage to rent your room out to a friend or acquaintance, you are ultimately inviting a stranger into your home to live with you. Ask potential tenants for some references before you give them the keys. Ask for at least two.

These will ideally be previous landlords and workplace references.

Take the time to call them up by phone instead of sending them an email. You’ll be able to get an idea of their authenticity a lot easier if you actually hear their voice.

For previous landlords, you may want to ask some of the following questions:

• What was their address? Use this to check that the reference is actually who they say they are.
• Did they pay their rent on time?
• Did you receive any complaints from neighbours?
• Were you happy with the way they looked after the house?
• Would you rent to this lodger again?

For workplace references, you may want to ask some of the below questions:

• When did they start working for you?
• What is their position?
• What sort of hours do they work?
• Are they full or part time?
• Do they get paid on a weekly or monthly basis?

This will ensure that the lodger is telling you the truth and ensure that their rent will be paid.

Drafting a Contract

It’s important to have a contract in place so that there is a written agreement between the two of you. And you can refer to this in the event that anything goes wrong.

• You will need to state the rent amount per week or month, when it is to be paid, whether it is to be paid in cash or by direct debit.
• Which bills are included and how non-included bills will be paid (do they pay 25% of the electricity bill? for example)
• How much notice each side needs to give for the lodger to leave. The legal minimum is one pay period or 28 days, whichever is longer.
• It is reasonable to ask for about a month’s rent in advance. This can also act as a deposit in case of damages. If the lodger decides to move out, and there are no damages, then the deposit can be given back.
• It is a good idea to lay down some house rules in the contract. If you work shifts or have young children, your lodger can’t expect to be up all night watching TV loudly or stumbling in from a night out.
• As silly as it seems, you may want to make it clear that you expect them to tidy up after themselves, it is your house after all.
• If they have any pets, but it’s always a good idea to set some rules on this.
• The same goes for smoking, you may be happy for them to smoke, confine it to their room, or go outside.
• If you have difficulty with them, such as the lodger being continuously late with their rent or they disrespect your home, you can offer a warning. But if trouble continues, they need to leave.
• It will also be a good idea to get next of kin details from your lodger. Just in case.

There’s more info on the rights of both sides when you are renting a room to a lodger on the Gov.uk website here.

You can create your own lodger agreement, or there are a few on the Net that you can use. Here is one, for example, that is useful to copy.

How Much Can You Make?

How to get paid

Cons

If you like your privacy and can’t bear the idea of sharing your bathroom and kitchen with a stranger, then renting out a room is probably not for you.

Lodgers do have a right to occupy the other rooms in the house and also to invite guests over, at least not without your approval. So if you’re not a people person this might be difficult.

But bear in mind that you could gain a lodger who simply likes to keep themselves to themselves and spends most of their time in their room. Screen potential lodgers properly and everything should be OK.

The post Rent a Room for Tax-Free Cash appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Here’s our easy guide to help you find the best places to sell, buy and swap your old books online and cash in on the best deals around.

• Before parting with your old books
• Sell online
• Apps to sell your books
• University students 
• Swapping book schemes

Before parting with your old books

You’ve poked around all the books in your home, picked up the ones you’ve never read, thought you were one day going to read, and cleared the bedside table. So, hopefully, you’re now ready to sell! Great news.

But before you put these books up for sale, it’s important to check your books for anything hidden inside. Bookmarks, cards, notes, receipts, anything personal that may have slipped in needs to be taken out before you lose them for good.

It’s also important to check the condition of the books you want to sell. Any scratches, notes, highlighted sections, water marks, burn marks, old spines and rips in pages might cause your books not to sell. If your name is written inside, it might be best to scribble it out (neatly!). Be prepared to be honest about the condition of the book. Hiding flaws will leave you with returns and unhappy online reviews!

Where to sell online

You’re able to sell your old books on all the usual suspects – but different sites offer different deals dependent on the edition, publishing year, vintage or modern text, and whether the author is in high demand.

Music Magpie

Not part of our brand but we’re aligned in our money making goals! Music Magpie buys all kinds of technology, DVDs and games, and books as well as textbooks.

It’s easy to start selling. Enter the barcode of the book so that the site can identify the title, author, edition and year it was published. If you download their app, the app can scan the barcode for you so you don’t have to fumble about with the numbers! The minimum order minimum is £5, and you can have a maximum of 500 items in one order. If the amount of old books you want to sell reaches 500 that’s impressive!

eBay

A firm favourite when it comes to selling books online. eBay makes it easy for second hand books to be sold, and offer good prices compared to established sellers like Amazon. Their conditions for books range from ‘used’ to ‘new’, but if the spines are worn, there’s writing in the text, or any other scribbles it’s best to labelled them as ‘used’.

Check out the eBay guidelines about editions, authors, and book specifics to make sure you’re getting a good price.

WeBuyBooks

This site does what it says on the tin! It’s a speciality second hand retailer. Type in a book’s barcode or ISBN number (usually found on the back of the book), for an immediate valuation. If you reach a value of £25, you get 5% more on your trade!

WeBuyBooks also helps recycle books, as they are accredited by the Environment Agency.

Momox

Momox is another great tool to use to get quick cash for your old and used books. The portal works like an online flea market, giving the same momentary valuation of how much your edition is worth, and guarantees a fair price. Free delivery’s included, which is great for those clunkier text books or coffee table books.

Peter Harrington Antique or Vintage Books

For more rare, vintage or antique books that are sat on your shelves and cases, try a specialist like Peter Harrington. These services make sure you’re selling your antique books ethically, responsibly, and that you get a good price for them.

They offer an in-person valuation for rare or antique texts, so it may take more time to see the cash come in. First editions of popular texts offer a true goldmine opportunity to make money from your old books, too!

Use apps to sell old books locally

If you want to trade directly with buyers, try using an app that connects you with local buyers. It’ll save on travel or postage costs, too!

NextDoor

NextDoor specialises in organising swaps, trades and bargains with locals and neighbours on your street, town, borough and county. Encouraging more community build, this app can help you sell anything to those immediately around you, as long as the item is in good nick!

We’ve seen books go for as little as 50p, but the drop-off is nearby so you’re not paying postage costs. Compared to eBay, this saving on postage means a strong possibility of good returns.

Facebook Marketplace

A great way to use the social media platform Facebook is to sell your books to locals in your area. People sell all sorts using the Marketplace function, including cars and even pianos, so it’s a great place to sell your old books and make money from them, instead of letting them catch dust.

School and university books

If your child is still at school or completing compulsory education, then it might be worth chatting to school librarian’s or even tutors about selling old textbooks back to the school as a way to make money. This ultimately gives the school more resources and means you’re making money of your child’s old books and helping someone else save on the cost of a brand new copy.

University Facebook groups

Nowadays most courses and departments at universities across the UK have specific Facebook community groups and chats. If you’ve just finished one year or even graduated, using these groups to sell course required texts to students in lower years helps offload the tomes and makes cash.

Most students will also be grateful for your little notes that can help them get better grades!

Not on Facebook? Look for noticeboards in your campus library to advertise your texts. Alternatively, if your faculty has a newsletter, Whatsapp group, or online forum, post your books for sale on there.

Book Swapping schemes

Consider swapping books with family, friends and those around you to save money and help the environment by reducing waste. Many family members buy the same book twice or three times, so if you’re able to swap copies then that’s even easier!

Many book swap schemes have cropped up in local parks, train/tube stations, and in community cafes that enable you to drop and pick up books at your own leisure. It’s a great community builder and means you walk away with popular sold-out titles, too.

The post Make Money From Your Old Books appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

• Collecting Video Games
• Selling Video Games
• Big Players

Collecting Video Games

Most people nowadays tend to have some form of games console – anything from a Nintendo switch to a vintage N64. There’s a big range of consoles and games that appeal to most people across the globe. With the Video Gaming Industry estimated to be worth around $178.73 Billion in 2021, it is clear to see that people are putting their money into it. It grew by 14.4% from 2020 and it is predicted to be worth $268 Billion by 2025 so it seems to be the perfect time to get investing.

Like with most things, nostalgia plays a part in the popularity of gaming but there is always interest from younger audiences – so what should you be investing in? Well, that’s up to you – you could go for vintage games or maybe just start collecting what you like to play. The market is unpredictable, something you deem to be a popular game might have fewer cartridges purchased so it may be worth more in the long run.

Selling Video Games

There are a lot of choices when it comes to selling video games so we’re going to give you the run-down on your best options.

eBay

eBay is a good choice when it comes to selling anything on the internet – it’s easy to join, easy to sell, easy to make money. You have the option to sell your games individually or as a collection, the choice is up to you.

Music Magpie

Music Magpie allows you to type in the barcode of your game to find out how much they’ll pay you for it. All you have to do then is post it off to them and wait for the money to appear in your bank account. This is easier than selling on eBay, but you might not make as much money. People often get us confused with Music Magpie, but we’re not affiliated in any way!

Car boot sales

Maybe your games aren’t worth loads – but don’t despair. You can still get some of that cash back by selling at car boot sales. You can sell job lots or individual games – either way, you’ll recuperate some losses.

CEX

Most towns and cities have a CEX but even if yours doesn’t, you can send your stuff by post to sell to them, too. You might get a few quid for older games or more for recent ones – and can choose between cash or vouchers. Cash is a lower amount, so if you plan to buy more games or technology it is often worth opting for vouchers for the best trade in value.

Big Players

We’ve put together a list of the top 5 most expensive games sold at auction just in case you have any lurking in your attic.

Nintendo Campus Challenge

Made for Nintendo systems, this game was designed to be played on college campuses. With three games in one, it works as a triathlon. It was designed to be a marketing tool to sell more consoles and encourage competitive gaming. It sold in 2009, at an American auction for $20,100.

PowerFest ‘94

Again, this game was designed for a gaming competition. 4 teams competed to get the highest score possible on three Nintendo games. Originally 35 cartridges were produced but only 2 remain. Whilst they are yet to be sold, one seller is asking for $25,000.

Air Raid

Made for Atari 2600, this unique T-Shaped cartridge game was released on January 1^st, 1982. Similar to space invaders, users fight in the skies to defend the earth from invaders. In 2012, a copy of the game sold for a whopping $33,433.30 – worth checking your attic for.

1990 Nintendo World Championships

Another competition game, this game was produced in 1990, with a limited run of 116 cartridges. 26 of the 116 were encased in gold with the remaining in the traditional grey. In 2014, a gold cased game sold for $100,088 on eBay.

Sealed Super Mario Bros

Made for the original Nintendo, this sealed copy of Super Mario Bros, from 1985 is the most expensive video game ever sold. You can get your hands on it for an eyewatering $2,000,000! This copy has its extreme price tag due to it still being brand-new and a “limited print run”.

Why not have a look through your loft now you know how to make money from old video games!

The post Make Money From Old Video Games appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

It’s surprising how you really can make money from broken and half-used stuff. Things you would normally throw away might be another man’s treasure. This is true on sites like eBay, eBid, Gumtree, and Ziffit. Don’t rule anything out!

• Make money from broken mobile phones
• Make money from broken computers and iPads
• Sell half-used bottles of perfume and creams
• Sell old books, CDs and DVDs
• Make money selling toilet roll innards
• Broken Jewellery, crockery and even guitars
• Sell old gift vouchers for cash

Make money from broken mobile phones

It really doesn’t matter what state your old mobile phone is in – you can always get something out of it.

Even a really old, non-smartphone model that isn’t working can bring in a fiver or so. Companies like to use the parts, particularly the chip, which can be used in caravans and other vehicles to track them.

Dig out your old mobile phones from the back of your drawers and see how much you can get from them.

Make money from broken computers and iPads

It really doesn’t matter what state your laptop, desktop, iPad or printer is in. Someone will always be happy to take it off your hands.

Broken Apple products

Pretty much anything made by Apple can be sold, whatever state it is in. A broken laptop, for example, can be sold on eBay. Computer menders and people who love Apple products will pay decent money for them.

Broken laptops and desktops

Take a look at what similar products are selling for on eBay and put yours up for roughly the same amount. If you have a bundle of bits (cables, mice and other items) you could sell them as a job lot. Again, see what others are selling them for. Name a ‘buy it now’ price, but accept offers.

If you just want to get rid of them…

…just put them on Freecycle.org or the ‘free stuff’ section on Gumtree. There’s always someone who will come and take them off your hands for free.

You could also offer computers and other technology that you don’t want to special charities. For example, Computers For Charity use them to help children in developing countries in their education.

Sell half-used bottles of perfume and creams

People who love expensive perfume are often quite happy to buy half-used bottles of their favourite scent. If you have Channel No.5, Versace, Dior, Mugler or one of the other posh brands, you can definitely make money selling them on eBay. Cheaper brands go well at car boot sales.

Perfume fan Kirsty Bowman-Vaughan regularly buys half-used bottles, and is very happy with the result. “I bought a bottle of Channel No.5 recently which was about three quarters full,” she says. “It cost me £25. I’m very happy with that. I don’t mind at all that it is second-hand. I think it’s a bargain!”

It’s the same with good brands of cleansers, moisturisers, toners, and other cosmetics. Even make-up – if a good brand like Clinique, Dior, or Elizabeth Arden – can sell well on eBay or eBid. You can also try sites like DePop and Vinted, or the NextDoor app too.

Take good photographs of the products. Make sure you’re very accurate about the state of them: how much is left, how old they are, etc – and price them at a similar price to others that have sold on the site.

Sell old books, CDs and DVDs

On the reselling website Ziffit.com you can get rid of old books, CDs and DVDs that you don’t want anymore. Even ones that have dog-eared pages, broken cases and torn paper can sell for something.

All you need to do is to download the Ziffit app via Google Play or the App store, scan all your items, and, if you like the amount of money they are offering, accept it. You can send the items off for free. They’ll give you the money straight away either via Paypal or cheque.

See our article here about how to sell your books, CDs and DVDs on Ziffit.

Make money selling toilet roll innards

As you can see in our article on how to make money on the toilet, it’s possible to sell the insides of toilet rolls for cash. Parents and nursery school teachers buy them for children’s arts and crafts.

It’s not huge money – about £7 for 50. But if you have the space to store them as you collect 50 or so, it could be worth it!

Broken jewellery, crockery and even guitars

Put in the word ‘broken’ into eBay  or on Gumtree – it’s amazing what comes up:

• Job lots of broken jewellery
• Old, broken iPhones and iPads
• Bits of broken crockery (sold ‘for craft’)
• Broken guitars

…and more.

Before you throw something out, consider whether it could possibly be used by someone for parts, for craft, for playing with, or for turning into something good.

Sell old gift vouchers for cash

If you got some gift vouchers for Christmas or your birthday, but you don’t want to use them, you can get money back selling them online at CardYard. Even if they are dog-eared, someone will be pleased to take them off your hands.

Hunt through your wallet and drawers to see if you can find an old one that is still valid, and make some money from it!

The post Make money from broken and half-used stuff appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

There are over 40 million unused bits of technology cluttering up homes across the UK. If you have a few bits lying around, it’s time for a tech spring clean! Dig out those old unwanted mobile phones and broken tablets and see if you can earn yourself a decent chunk of cash.

Here’s our easy guide to help you find the best places to sell and recycle old tech online and get the best deals you can.

• Mindful Decluttering
• Before Parting With Your Tech
• Where to Sell
• Where to Trade-In
• Make Money From Broken Electronics
• Recycling Tech

Mindful Decluttering

When it comes to clearing your tech, it’s important to make sure you’re not just looking for the instant cash boost that might mean you end up paying more later down the line. We’re often tempted to go all-out when we declutter to try and make room and feel better about our home space being free of stuff. However, rash decisions can mean you end up buying again – often at a higher cost – only a few months later.

Unless you’re really strapped for cash and need the money right now, think about whether you could continue with the piece of tech for a little longer. Some things will be an obvious clear-out, such as broken items or that Nokia 3310 hiding in the back of your cupboard. But if you’ve got a laptop that is a little slow but does the job, consider hanging on until you can comfortably buy a new one in the spring sales.

Before Parting With Your Tech

So you’ve had a clear out and found a few devices you no longer use and are going to sell? Great.

But before you start selling make sure that any data is backed up and then deleted from the device. Then, restore each device to factory settings. While most third party sellers say they professionally reset every device they receive, you don’t want it falling into wrong hands. If someone can access your personal photos, passwords, or card and banking details, which most phones now automatically store, it could cause you serious trouble down the line.

If you have an Apple device, make sure you delete your Apple account from it. You can make sure this is done by accessing your Apple account online through iCloud and see which devices are linked to it. Deregister the device from there if you can see it, to make sure nobody can get access from the second-hand device. It is also important to do this because a second-hand shop will require the removal of your account before they will take it from you.

Where to Sell

You can sell old tech in high street stores such as Cex, and there is an abundance of sites online where you can sell, too. Best practice is to shop around before selling to make sure you get the best deal, particularly if you’re selling a relatively new device.

Compare and Recycle is a great site to use! Simply search for the product you are selling and it’ll list prices being offered, how you can be paid and how long until you receive payment. It’s a good way to make sure you’re getting the best deals possible to make the most of your tech spring clean.

GIFFGAFF

Old phones can bring in an extra few pounds. If you update your phone every few years, chances are you have a couple of spares around the house. Networks such as giffgaff will buy these off you to put some extra cash in your pocket.

Music Magpie

No relation to us – except for the money making ethos! Music Magpie buys everything from mobile phones, to Kindles, tablets, and laptops, to CDs and DVDs and books. It’s easy to use: start an order online by inputting the items you wish to sell and receive an instant quote.

To complete an order it has to reach a minimum of £5 and you can have a maximum of 500 items in one order. No worries if you have even more – you are allowed to complete as many orders as you wish.

Money 4 My Tech

Money 4 My Tech buys a range of electronics including laptops, iMacs, tablets, games consoles, iPods, and headphones. Depending on the size of your items you can either borrow packaging from them for free and return when you send your order or request a collection from you. Both options are free of charge.

Ebay

The third party sellers make it easy to send of your old tech to them but it is worth checking out whether you can make any more money by selling it directly yourself. So much technology (used and broken too) is sold on eBay every year. Research yourself to see if people are selling similar items to yours and what prices they are selling for.

If you’re selling on eBay, be very accurate with your description. If there are scratches, show them in photos. If the device is broken, list as for spares and repairs. Take a video of the item in working order and also of the packaging you put it into before sending to the buyer. This will help you with any disputes. Private sellers don’t have to accept returns but they might be required to refund a buyer if the buyer complains about an inaccuracy in your description versus what they received.

Where to Trade In

Trading in is another option to recycle your old electronics and save money. If you’re looking to purchase a new version or upgrade then you can get better deals by agreeing to a voucher rather than hard cash.

On Wex Photo & Video it is easy to submit a request for an instant no-obligation quote. If you agree to the quote, you’ll receive credit you can spend in-store or online. They also offer regular trade-in bonuses with up to an additional £500 available.

Apple offers a trade-in on Apple products (but you might get a better deal for vouchers or cash elsewhere, so do shop around before you choose).

Most phone service providers also welcome old phone trade-ins and will offer discounts off your next purchase in exchange for them. Samsung, for example, also offers serious discounts for wearable tech like the Galaxy Watch.

Make Money From Broken Electronics

Devices not in working order still make money! Your tech spring clean hasn’t been futile – you can get cash for your broken tech.

eBay

eBay is a goldmine for broken technology – devices with smashed screens, broken buttons, and dead batteries are all being sold! A lot of people buy old tech on eBay to break down the items and use parts so it’s the perfect site to use to make money from your damaged items.

Make sure you are accurate in the description of the product you are listing and fully disclose the extent of the damage so it doesn’t backfire on you later on.

Gadget Salvation

Gadget Salvation is happy to take almost any device off your hands, even if it’s broken. It’s on a case-by-case basis, so you’ll need to fill out a form about your broken tech to get a quote.

Recycling Tech

Sending electronics to landfill is not only a waste of parts but begins to cause enormous environmental problems, too. Even if you don’t want the extra hassle of selling your old tech, make sure to recycle it and not put it in the rubbish.

Recycle Now is a very useful site that tells you how you can easily recycle your old tech – giving means they can sell on the products for cash, or take it to a household waste and recycling centre where they have an area specifically designed for electronics. Use the tool here to find your nearest electrical recycling point.

Your local tip will also have an area specifically for recycling old technology and gadgets, too.

Need more ideas? Read our article about making money from broken and used things!

More Useful Reading

For more ideas on how to declutter and make money from all your unwanted items, check out more of our articles here:

• Make Money – Sell CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, Video Games and Books
• Clear Your Clutter: How to Turn Your Trash Into Hard Cash
• 5 Ways to Make Money Selling Your Junk
• Declutter Your Life in 10 Easy Steps

The post Have a Tech Spring Clean to Save Cash and Make Money appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

For the more sentimental among us, this could be a rather sad state of affairs. However, if you’ve been hanging on to each Christmas card you’ve ever received, and maybe even safeguarding those of previous generations, you could be sitting on top of a miniature goldmine!

As Christmas cards become increasingly novel, so their value grows.

Let’s take a look at ways you can make money from collecting Christmas cards.

• How Christmas cards became a thing
• The most expensive Christmas card in the world
• How to identify a valuable Christmas card
• Where to buy and sell

How Christmas cards became a thing

Perhaps the best place to start our investigation is to go right back to the very beginning.

Although it may seem like Christmas cards have always been around, they really only date back to the 1800s.

The first ever Christmas card was created in the UK in 1843 by London-based illustrator John Calcott Horsley on behalf of Sir Henry Cole. Horsley designed and hand-coloured the original, after which a total of 1,000 were lithographed. These cards were sold at a shilling each.

The card shows a Christmas dinner with three generations of a family enjoying a Christmas party. The side panels show charitable scenes with people clothing and feeding the poor. Only 12 of the original 1,000 cards still in existence.

The most expensive Christmas cards in the world

Unsurprisingly, both their rarity and historical significance has made these cards extremely valuable.

In November 2001, Horsley’s original hand-coloured Christmas card – the prototype upon which the 1,000 lithographed copies were based – was sold at auction in Devizes for £20,000 and bought by an anonymous bidder. Cole had sent this exact Christmas card to his grandmother. It also holds the Guinness World Record for the most expensive greeting card ever sold at auction.

Of course, this isn’t the only Christmas card that’s ever made its way to auction.

Earlier this year, a group of 15 Christmas card designs by Salvador Dalí were put up for auction. The cards were commissioned by the Spanish pharmaceutical laboratory Hoechst Ibérica between 1959 and 1976. They were expected to raise up to €1m at Artcurial’s Modern and Impressionist Art auction in Paris.

Unsurprisingly, Christmas cards with a royal history also tend to rake in pounds. In 2017, collection of 35 cards sent by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh over a 40-year period were sold at auction for £1,530.

How to identify valuable Christmas cards

Now, the chances that you have one of Horsley’s original 1,000 lithographed Christmas cards in your possession are slim. And so are the chances that you have any designed by other famous artists or sent by the royal family.

However, this does not mean that your collection is devoid of value.

Here are a few things that could spell big bucks when it comes to old Christmas cards:

Age

Since holiday and birthday cards are considered by most to be nothing more than sentimental ephemera, it’s not unusual for them to end up in the trash once festivities are over. Which means it’s extraordinarily hard to find really, really old Christmas cards.

If, however, you suspect that there might be a couple gathering dust in your storeroom, go have a bit of a rummage.

Obviously, the older the specimen the more valuable it will be.

Condition

Another big determiner of value is how well-preserved the Christmas card in question is. If you have one dating back to 1890, but it’s torn and faded, the likelihood of it bringing in any money is close to zero.

If however, the card has been stored carefully, protected from any possible damage and still looks as pristine as the day it arrived on the mantlepiece, you may just be in luck!

Artwork

What’s on the card? If it’s an original artwork by a moderately to highly successful artist (who knows – maybe your great grandparents were well-connected), the card may just be of interest to collectors.

Another thing to take note of on the cover of the card in question is whether it depicts an historic event or popular character. Examples of the former may include anything alluding to one of the World Wars, while the latter could perhaps come in the form of classic, vintage illustrations of anyone from Santa Clause to Mickey Mouse.

What’s inside

Finally, even if the well-preserved outside is somewhat unremarkable, the inside may be where the magic lies.

If you have a Christmas card with an ink-on-paper celebrity signature, its value is almost sure to shoot up. Of course, there’s also a hierarchy to consider here. If you have one signed by Queen Elizabeth herself, it’s probably quite a bit more valuable than one bearing the signature of your local radio station’s host.

Where to buy and sell

Tickled by the idea of making money from Christmas cards? We suggest you start your career on eBay!

It’s pretty easy to set up an account and you’ll also have full control over your auctions and sales.

Currently, vintage Christmas cards are selling from anything between £0.50 and £539.12.

Once you have your foot in the door and your collection starts growing, you may want to investigate which auctioneers could help you find the best bidders for your collections.

The post Make money collecting Christmas cards appeared first on MoneyMagpie.