How to price used furniture and household items

1. Look at what it actually sells for, not what it cost

What you paid doesn't matter much to a buyer. What matters is what similar items have sold for recently. Search for the brand and model on sites that show completed or sold listings, and ignore asking prices that have sat unsold for weeks.

FriendsSale does this for you: when you upload a photo, our AI identifies the item and searches the web for what similar things sell for used, then suggests a starting price. Treat it as a starting point and adjust with what you know about the item.

2. Adjust for condition, honestly

• Like new, barely used: toward the top of the used range.
• Normal wear (small scratches, faded fabric): the middle of the range.
• Visible damage, stains, missing parts or pet hair: the bottom, and say so in the description with a photo.
• Big, heavy furniture that needs a truck and two people often sells for less than its condition suggests. Buyers factor in the hassle.

3. Things that hold value, and things that don't

• Usually hold value: well-known brands, solid wood furniture, quality tools, outdoor gear, stand mixers and other durable appliances, and anything in demand locally.
• Usually lose value fast: particle-board furniture, mattresses, older TVs and electronics, printers, generic decor, and anything that's hard to move.

4. When friends bid, start low

In a bidding sale, the starting price is a floor, not a final price. A low start gets the first bid in, and if two people want the same thing, bidding pushes it up to a fair price on its own. A high start often means no bids at all.

A good rule of thumb: start around the low end of the used range. If you truly wouldn't sell below a certain amount, make that the starting price.

5. Bundle the small stuff

A dozen $2 items are more work than they're worth individually. Group small things into a lot ("box of kitchen utensils", "kids' books, about 30") and price the bundle. You'll sell more and spend less time on pickups.