Montanans: Garage Sales vs. Online – What’s Best for Sellers?

Selling your stuff has never been easier, but it still takes effort.

Most people seem to accumulate a lot of stuff. Just take a look at how many storage units are around Montana. They can't seem to build them fast enough, and many have waiting lists.

As my kids outgrow toys, clothes, beds, and other miscellaneous items, we've been purging items this summer. We've sold some items online and we also had a garage sale. Here's my take on the pros and cons of both.

Garage sale vs. online selling?

Numerous platforms provide ways to sell your unwanted, no-longer-fits, junk stuff that you don't use anymore. Some of the more popular online marketplaces include:

• eBay
• Amazon
• Craigslist. Do people still use Craigslist?
• Facebook Marketplace. This seems to be a popular selling platform in Montana.
• Etsy. Specializes in handmade, vintage, and unique goods.
• Poshmark. Focuses on clothing, accessories, and fashion items.

All have their benefits.

Our garage sale was a LOT of work.

My spouse, father-in-law, and sister-in-law decided to have a multi-family garage sale (held on two Saturdays) a few weeks ago. I was skeptical, but whatever. Credit to my wife for handling nearly all of the work sorting, folding, pricing, and hauling LOADS of clothes, kids' toys, etc. It was a ton of work.

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We made around $230 bucks. Better than nothing, but for the amount of time it took, I hope to never have a garage sale again.

Online was much easier... for bigger ticket items.

My youngest kid outgrew one of the big wooden playhouse/clubhouse things and we sold it via a Facebook post on my private page. I wanted to offer it to people in my circle before dealing with random strangers, scammers, and no-shows on Facebook Marketplace.

It sold within hours. We made arrangements for the buyer to come get it, they showed up a few days later at the appointed time with cash and everyone was happy. We also sold a kid's kitchen set, various princess costumes, and some other items the same way, headache-free.

How has your experience been with selling online in Montana? Drop a comment if you're reading this on Facebook, or reach out on our Mobile App.