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  1. Home
  2. Finance

Top 5 tips for making money from unwanted items

From trash to treasure. - by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
  • 06 Nov 2019

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure is a phrase we all know, and in today’s world this could not be more true. From recycling plastic bottles and cans in exchange for 10 cents to selling old trinkets, you can make money from pretty much anything. 

WATCH: How to make a reusable bag from old plastic bags

With spring cleaning and decluttering now well and truly in motion, we have put together our top five ways to make money from your unwanted items around the house.

1. Dig out your old VHS tapes

Woman with VHS tape
Getty

Now is the time to check the back of your cupboards and drawers for those old video tapes from your childhood. Niche markets are on the rise all over the internet and collectors are searching far and wide for VHS tapes. While you might want to keep these for sentimental value, selling them can get you up to $10,000. Don’t fret it you only have DVDs, establishments will also pay good money for your first edition DVDs that you no longer need. 

2. Get recycling

Woman holding empty plastic bottles
Getty

Instead of putting your drink containers in with your household recycling, set them aside in a bin or bag to get yourself some quick cash. TOMRA recycling machines will give you 10 cents for every valid bottle, can or carton that is returned through their machines in NSW, QLD & NT. Alternatively you can opt to help others from now until 22 February by choosing to donate your earnings to Bottles for the Bush in support of farmers doing it tough this festive season. 

3. Sell toys in good condition

Cabbage Patch doll
Getty

Kids always want the hottest toy of the season, and more often than not these toys are rarely used before the next big thing comes along. Selling toys in good condition on sites like Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace can give you a few more dollars that you didn’t have before. Not only will selling these toys help declutter your life, but it will make sure they are loved by someone else when they are no longer wanted in your home. It also pays to dig through your own box of childhood toys for sought-after collectables including original Cabbage Patch dolls, My Little Pony figurines, and Furbies.

4. Rid your home of old school gadgets

Nintendo 64
Getty

Selling all of your old gadgets can now make you quite a lot of money. Nintendo 64s and PS2s are selling for upwards of $300 on sites such as Gumtree and ebay with collectors paying even more for original remotes and games. This trend isn’t limited to gaming either, it applies to mobile phones as well. If you are one to replace your phone when a new edition comes out, odds are your old device is sitting in your wardrobe untouched. Selling old phones that still work can score you a few hundred dollars.

5. Upcycle your old furniture

Woman painting table
Getty

Upcycled furniture is not a new trend, however it is always a popular way to make some cash. With home trends constantly changing, people are always looking for the next piece to make their home stand out. Upcycling furniture may be a hobby for some, but is a business for others. Taking unwanted and unused items from our everyday lives and making them into works of art can be a great way to make some extra cash and even a living. 

  • DIY
  • Finance
  • Better Life
Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
Rebecca Lowrey Boyd is a former magazine editor and the founder of Wee Birdy, one of The Sunday Times’ Top 50 Blogs in the World. A design nerd and bird enthusiast, she can usually be found poring over Pinterest, knee-deep in Bunnings or sticky-beaking at modernist homes in Sydney’s bushburbia.

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