My mom was recently talking about try to sell a few things on eBay. This would be her very first attempt at selling something on eBay.

It's a cinch to buy things on eBay, but selling takes a bit more work. So I started looking for some eBay tips & tools that might make the process easier for her.

The good news: If you're not a wiz on the computer and signing up with a credit card (to use PayPal for handling all of the payments associated with your items) sounds intimidating... you're not alone. My mom wasn't crazy about either of those things. But she decided to get with the times in order to take advantage of all that eBay has to offer -- in terms of helping you sell your unwanted items in a ziffy.

Here are the best tools we found to make selling items easier when using eBay.

...and how people are going to utilize the old "junk" you decide to give away (for FREE) on Freecycle.

Did you know this?...

When you're recycling plastic bottles (water bottles, for example), never leave the cap on the bottle itself.

Why?

Who doesn't like yard sales? It's such a great way to make some quick cash and get rid of clutter at the same time!

(Besides, people routinely take stuff that's been left at the curb for FREE when it's intended for the garbage, so why not sell it?)

But in my mind, preparing for a yard sale is a process (...if not an art).

Each time, I fine-tune the things I've done in the past and make mental notes of the things I want to do and not do at my next yard sale.

In order for businesses to be successful, they have to constantly reinvent themselves and create ideas that will appeal to their audiences. The key to a successful yard sale is to look at it as a business. Just like any event or product, you want to try to draw attention through advertisement and uniqueness. Although it is not a day-to-day job, you can prepare for this event in advance to ensure success." --Roxanne Ranelli

What if, at the end of the day, you're left with most of the items that you started with?...

If you want to have a successful yard sale, one of the most important things you can do is to get more people to simply notice your yard sale.

What it all comes down to is this:
It's a numbers game. The more people who a) See your sale, then b) Choose to slow down when driving by your sale, and finally c) Actually get out of the car to have a look around your sale... the higher your profits will be.

So think: "What can I do to bring attention to my sale?" Here are some things you can do at the yard sale itself...

One of the best things you can do at your yard sale is to give away some items for free. And don't be shy about making a big deal of it!

I always offer free stuff at each of my garage sales.

This year, the biggest hit was:

I actually like to have an entire section of free stuff. Because, when it comes right down to it, you know that everything you have is not going to sell. So why not try to guess which of your items are LEAST likely to sell & just offer those for free right from the beginning.

Honestly, people are usually so shocked to see something for free, that they simply don't believe it. And it's only those who are TRULY interested in the item who will actually ask about it. So, it's a win-win... you only get the serious inquiries, and you both feel good about giving & receiving something for nothing!