It's time to clean out the garage! If you're like most men, you've probably got a few forgotten treasures hidden away in there. And if you're lucky, those treasures could be worth a lot of money! In this blog post, we'll show you how to find and sell your forgotten treasures for cash. So grab a broom and get started!
A garage is one of the biggest rooms in a home. As such, it collects a lot of junk over the years. One day you walk in and can barely move around, and it’s impossible to try to get the car in or out!
It Is Important To Sort Your Junk Before Throwing It Out
The first step in managing the task of cleaning out your garage is to sort things into three primary categories - items that may not have value to others but are special to you, items that have value and can be sold to others, trash and other worthless items that should just be thrown out.
Family Treasures
The sentimental items in your garage might not be worth anything to others, but they have value to you. These are the things you should keep, even if it means renting a storage unit to do so. If an item has personal meaning, find a place for it in your home where you can enjoy seeing it every day.
This includes items such as:
- baby items such as blankies, stuffed animals, or special toys
- Your childhood bike
- Sports trophies and mementos from your glory days
- Old family photos
With these, you should look for a way to preserve items that you want to keep and if you are truly trying to de-clutter, consider what you can either part with and send to the trash or give to family who might want to preserve the items for themselves.
Items That Have Monetary Value
Once you’ve sorted out the things that are special to you, it’s time to focus on the treasures that could be worth some serious cash! To get started, make a list of all of the sellable valuables in your garage.
This includes items such as:
- Old furniture in good condition
- Musical instruments
- Power tools in good condition
- Lawn equipment
- Antiques and collectibles
- Cars, boats, trailers that you aren't using
- Collectables such as dolls, trading cards, or pop culture memorabilia
This is where the money can be made!
These forgotten treasures can add up to a handful of cash for a nice guys night out or perhaps even far more depending on what you may have just uncovered.
Items to Throw Away or Recycle
The final category is the stuff that you can just get rid of. This includes broken items, things with no value, and anything else that’s taking up valuable space in your garage. To get rid of these items, you can either throw them away or recycle them.
How Much Can You Make From Selling Stuff Found In Your Garage?
Each guy's garage is going to have a different assortment of treasures so the short answer is "it depends". However, here are some examples of what you could get by selling your forgotten treasures.
Selling Your Old Car
If you’ve got a car you never use taking up space in your garage, why not sell it? There are plenty of auction sites online where you can sell it. However, let's face it ... if you have a car buried in your garage for years ... chances are that it is less than operational.
No worries - even if it doesn't work, there are options for guys who are wondering how to sell my junk car and get scrap value for it. For example, cars that are upwards of 10 years old can be exchanged for around $300 to $400 at least, which is a great amount of money to get by just selling one item. Get the space hog out of your garage and pad out your bank account at the same time!
Sell Collectables On eBay
If you’ve got some old toy or baseball card collection in the garage, go online to find a collector. There are hundreds of people out there looking for high-quality vintage items, and you could even get upwards of $1000 for a rare item. And if you’re not sure if you can part with your collection, don’t sweat it too much. It was in the garage, rather than on display, so maybe it wasn’t all that sentimental in the first place?
Bring Your Unused Tools, Guns, and Musical Instruments To A Pawn Shop
While you can sell these items through online auctions, shipping can be awkward for big heavy items. Instead, take your tools and guns to a pawn shop. They will give you a fair price for the items, and you don’t have to worry about packaging or shipping.
The same goes for musical instruments that you no longer play. If they are in good condition, a pawn shop will likely give you a fair amount of cash for it, without you taking the effort of listing them online and then paying to ship it to the buyer.
Have a Yard Sale
Finally, if you’re not sure about the options above, you could simply set up a yard sale just outside your house. Let people know you’re holding it on social media and other local forums and then wait for your neighbors and various locals to come by to see what you’re offering. Everyone loves a yard sale! Keep things cheap, be willing to haggle, and keep the sale running from the early morning to the early evening for maximum earning potential here.
Clearing out your garage could net you at least an extra $100 just in a weekend and now you'll have a clean space to work on hobbies or just hang out in as a mini mancave.
