Selling Holiday Decorations You No Longer Use, Before the Season Starts
Many of us have a closet shelf or attic corner full of holiday decorations we no longer use: a second set of ornaments, a wreath that never quite fit the door, a box of lights from a bigger house. If those boxes are just taking up space, early November is a sensible time to sell them, before shoppers start decorating.
The money from one good box of decorations could help cover a month of a $15 to $25 streaming plan. That is an estimate; what things sell for depends on what you have and where you live.
Why list before the holidays
Holiday items are most in demand right before the season. The resellers behind the Flea Market Flipper blog make the point plainly: holiday goods sell better before the holidays, and anything unsold may sit for another year. Listing after Thanksgiving still works, but you give up the shoppers who plan ahead.
Getting your decorations ready
- Sort into groups: sets of ornaments, lights, wreaths and garlands, figurines, tree skirts and stockings.
- Plug in every string of lights and check for broken bulbs or damaged cords. Sell only what works and say so in the listing.
- Check for recalls before you sell anything electric or made for children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says it is illegal to sell any recalled product, and its recall list is at cpsc.gov/Recalls.
- Dust items and photograph them in daylight against a plain background.
Where to sell
Bulky or fragile items, like big wreaths, lighted figures or full boxes of glass ornaments, are usually easiest to sell locally on Facebook Marketplace or at a yard sale, so nothing breaks in the mail. Smaller items that are older or collectible may reach more buyers on eBay. On Etsy, an item must be at least 20 years old to be listed as vintage, and Etsy may ask how you know its age.
To get a sense of price, eBay suggests using Advanced Search and choosing “Completed listings” to see what similar items sold for. Selling a box as a set (“12 red and gold glass ornaments”) is often simpler than pricing each piece.
Taxes and safety
According to the IRS, if you sell personal items for less than you paid, you don’t owe tax on the sale, though you can’t deduct the loss either. If you sell something for more than you paid, the profit is taxable. If you get a Form 1099-K from a selling platform, the IRS explains what to do on its Form 1099-K page. If you receive SSI, Medicaid or housing help, ask how sales are counted for your situation.
For local sales, meet in a public place or a police station lobby when you can, have someone with you for porch pickups, and lift heavy bins with care or ask the buyer to carry them.
More on Replace a Bill
- Facebook Marketplace for Beginners: Selling Furniture and Household Items Nearby
- Selling to Neighbors Safely: Local Pickup and Payment Made Simple
- Side Income and SSI, Medicaid or Housing Help: What to Check Before You Earn
