Mike's NBC-TV stories

Forget eBay or Craigslist: Four Alternative Apps to Sell Unwanted Stuff

Time to clean out the house and garage and do some spring cleaning by getting rid of all that stuff you no longer need. Sure, there’s eBay and Craigslist. But  a growing number of apps are available to serve as alternatives to those older online marketplaces.

Mercari is one of the most popular online marketplaces outside the U.S. and starting to build its service stateside. The app is free for Apple and Android. It links buyers and sellers. Categories include everything from antiques to sports gear to electronics. Listings can be shared via social channels. And Mercari doesn’t charge a listing fee or take a commission.

Depop bills itself as the little shop in your pocket. Think “Instagram meets eBay,” with an even more personal and interactive version of eBay’s limited feedback system. Like Instagram, you can apply filters to spruce up your photos. Descriptions can be short. Listings are free and Depop doesn’t charge any commission. Free for Apple and Android.

One more online marketplace – Chairish. Also free for Apple and Android, it specializes in higher end home décor, furniture, and jewelry. You provide the pics and details – they provide the online market. Chairish helps manage payment, shipping and online presentation, but there is a 20 percent commission for this one and other fees, such as insurance on shipping, could be involved.

Be sure to check out my report for NBC below to see the apps in action:

Updated (Oct. 16, 2015)OfferUp is becoming more and more popular. OfferUp connects buyers and sellers who live close geographically (relatively in some cases). It allows sellers to quickly take pics of stuff they want to sell and allows buyers to quickly look through a bunch of stuff that couldn’t be sold at the seller’s garage sale. It’s kind of a big mess, but nonetheless interesting to scroll through. I’m not saying you can’t find some interesting things (locally, I found an available pair of tickets to watch the Detroit Lions lose to the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 3), but it’s hit and miss. Also, all transactions are done in-person and with cash – and I can’t figure out how the developers of OfferUp make money – so you have been warned. OfferUp is free for iOS and Android.

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.