Born on this day!! Actor Paul Sand (“St. Elsewhere”) is 89. Actor James B. Sikking (“Hill Street Blues,” ″Doogie Howser, M.D.”) is 87. Actor Dean Stockwell (“JAG,” ″Quantum Leap”) is 85. Football player-turned-actor Fred Williamson is 83. Actor Samantha Eggar (“The Molly Maguires,” ″Dr. Doolittle”) is 82. Actor Michael Warren (“Soul Food,” ″Hill Street Blues”) is 75. Actor Eddie Hodges is 74. Singer Eddy Grant is 73. Keyboardist Alan Clark of Dire Straits is 69. Actor-comedian Marsha Warfield (“Night Court”) is 67. Magician Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller is 66. Actor Adriana Barraza is 65. Actor Talia Balsam (“Divorce,” ″Mad Men”) is 62. Musicians Charlie and Craig Reid of The Proclaimers are 59. Actor Paul Blackthorne (“Arrow,” ″24″) is 52. Guitarist John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 51. Singer Rome is 51. Actor Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”) is 47. Actor Eva Mendes is 47. Actor Jolene Blalock (“Enterprise”) is 46. Model Niki Taylor is 46. Actor Kimberly McCullough (“General Hospital”) is 43. Actor Karolina Wydra (“Wicked City,” “House”) is 40. Actor Sterling Knight (“Sonny With a Chance”) is 32. Actor Jake Lloyd (“Star Wars” films) is 32. Actor Micah Fowler (“Speechless”) is 23.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

1770 – The Boston Massacre, a pre-Revolutionary incident that grew out of anger towards British troops, occurred. Five anti-British rioters were killed.
1933 – In the last free elections in Germany until after World War II, the Nazi Party received 44% of the vote.
1946 – Winston Churchill delivered his famous Iron curtain speech, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent.”
1953 – Soviet dictator Josef Stalin died at age 73, after 29 years in power.
1963 – Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hankshaw Hawkins were killed in a plane crash.
1997 – North and South Korean representatives met for the first time in 25 years for peace talks.

Today Is: Dress in Blue Day, Employee Appreciation Day, National Day of Unplugging, National Absinthe Day, National Poutine Day, National Salesperson Day, National Speech and Debate Education Day, Saint Piran’s Day, Shabbat Across America/Canada, World Day of Prayer, World Tennis Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 –  MacGyver  /  9:00 – Magnum PI  /  10:00 – Blue Bloods
NBC – 8:00  – Blacklist  /  9:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 –  Shark Tank  /  9:00 – 2020
FOX – 8:00 – Friday Night Smackdown
CW – 8:00 –  Whose Line Is It  /  8:30 – Whose Line Is It  /  9:00 – Penn and Teller Fool Us

TV Talk Shows

Jimmy Fallon: Amanda Seyfried, Omar Sy, Lil Durk featuring 6Lack
Seth Meyers: Colin Jost, Harvey Guillen, Raghav Mehrotra (R 2/23/21)
James Corden: Adam Devine, BLACKPINK (R 1/27/21)
The View: Kathryn Hahn, Guy Fieri
The Talk: Kate Walsh, Colman Domingo
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Eddie Murphy, Eric Ripert
Ellen DeGeneres: Randall Park, Allison Holker Boss, Zara Larsson, guest host Stephen “tWitch” Boss
Wendy Williams: Hot Topics (R 3/1/21)
The Real: Kyle Massey
Kelly Clarkson: Amy Poehler, Jennifer Mathieu, Ben Feldman, Diane von Fürstenberg
Tamron Hall: Common (R 12/2/20)
Drew Barrymore: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Jamie Kern Lima

WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!

QUESTION: You thought you were gonna CANCEL DR. SEUSS?? Nice try!!! Dr. Seuss books SOARED TO THE TOP of the best-seller lists this week as they were attacked!!

 

QUESTION: Tired of NFL CHEERLEADERS?? You’re in luck!! The Washington “Football Team” just decided to replace them with a male/female DANCE TEAM!!! Huh????

 

QUESTION: Did he apologize enough?? YES!! Rachel Lindsay says she ACCEPTS Chris Harrison’s apology, and now he says he plans to return to “The Bachelor!!!!!”

 

QUESTION: Did Nostradamus predict a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE IN 2021?? Yes, he did!! And now the CDC has updated their “Zombie preparedness kit!!” Check it out!!!!

 

QUESTION: Is this pizza a great idea??? Or ONE OF THE MOST DISGUSTING THINGS YOU’VE EVER SEEN!! It’s from Iowa.. the FROOT LOOPS PIZZA!! Yummy!!!!!!!

Patrick Getting SpongeBob Spinoff

Nickelodeon announced on Thursday a new SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff focusing on a younger Patrick, titled The Patrick Star Show.  Patrick and his family star in the animated family sitcom, which will air on Nickelodeon this summer. The network has ordered 13 episodes.  It will follow a young Patrick as he hosts his own television show for his neighborhood. Patrick’s sister Squidina, parents Bunny and Cecil and grandpa GrandPat will also be featured.  Bill Fagerbakke is returning to voice Patrick, with Tom Wilson as Cecil, Cree Summer as Bunny, Jill Talley as Squidina and Dana Snyder as GrandPat.  SpongeBob SquarePants voice stars Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Roger Bumpass (Squidward), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs) and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton) will also make appearances.
********Wait. He’s a starfish?? Who knew???
*******So Patrick is kinda the Jimmy Kimmel of Bikini Bottom?? Perfect!!

Chris Harrison To Return To The Bachelor

Chris Harrison plans to return to The Bachelor after stepping away from the franchise.  He appeared on Thursday’s episode of Good Morning America, where he discussed his controversial interview with Rachel Lindsay and his future with The Bachelor.  Harrison stepped aside from The Bachelor last month after “speaking in a way that perpetuates racism” in an interview with Lindsay on Extra. In the interview, Harrison defended Bachelor Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who later apologized for “offensive and racist” past actions.  On GMA, Harrison said he was wrong to defend Kirkconnell, whose social media history included photos of her attending an “Old South” plantation-themed party in 2018 and liking racist posts.  Harrison said he’s spoken to “leading scholars, teachers, faith leaders” and a race educator and strategist since stepping away from The Bachelor. He ultimately plans to return to the franchise.  “I plan to be back and I want to be back. And I think this franchise can be an important beacon of change,” Harrison said. “I know that change is felt, not just by me, but by many others. And we are excited and willing to do the work to show that progress.”
********”The Bachelor” has proven that no matter what race, creed or color you are, you can still sleep around!!
******Right after we purify Chris Harrison, we’ll move on to attaining World Peace!!
*******The ratings plummeted after this controversy. Maybe it’s because “Bachelor” fans don’t want to hear about this stuff!!

Alec Baldwin Quits Twitter

Alec Baldwin on Wednesday deactivated his Twitter account — complaining the social media platform is full of “a–holes.”  He made the decision after getting skewered on Twitter for commenting about Gillian Anderson’s use of an American accent while accepting a Golden Globe on Sunday.  He fumed that Twitter is where “all the a–holes in the United States and beyond go to get their advanced degrees in a–holines.”  He added: “You can’t do any irony in the United States anymore because the United States is such an uptight, stressed out place.”  Addressing news of Anderson’s accent-switch earlier in the day, Baldwin tweeted, “Switching accents? That sounds … fascinating.”  His wife, Hilaria Baldwin, was recently roiled in controversy for her fluctuating Spanish accent while leading people to believe she was raised in the country, when, in fact, she grew up in Boston.  “The difference is Gillian lived in London during her childhood and lives there so an accent developed. She’s never denied her Americanism. Big fan of yours, but this is an awful take,” one person commented on Baldwin’s tweet.  Another Twitter user wrote: “Except Anderson was really raised in London. Born in the US and raised in PR and London.”
*******Yes, Twitter is full of a-holes, and now that he’s gone?? That’s one less!!!
*******Twitter is like driving to a neighborhood where you don’t know anyone, rolling down your window and asking a crowd, “What do you think of ME??” And then they all go: “YOU SUCK!!”

Will The Oprah Royal Interview Be Delayed?

ITV has released its first clip of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah Winfrey as the broadcaster vows to release the two-hour show despite Prince Philip’s ongoing health problems.  Meghan and Harry are accused of being disrespectful to the Queen and her husband after it emerged they won’t delay the release of their Oprah interview despite Philip’s health problems.  The couple are under huge pressure to ask Oprah to delay the broadcast in the US on Sunday night and across the world on Monday after it was revealed Prince Philip underwent heart surgery yesterday. Critics including several MPs have warned them they are ‘badly advised’ to go along with the plan – but the couple insist that it is up to CBS, who don’t have ‘any intention’ to delay the show set to make them millions of dollars in sales and advertising revenue.   A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that the screening on Sunday is still expected to go ahead, claiming the decision now lies with the broadcasters set to make millions from the two-hour show.  ‘There are a lot of people who are going to talk about this until the program airs, but the programming and all the rest of it is ultimately up to CBS, we’re not involved in that side of things’, the source said, adding: ‘As it stands, I don’t think there is any intention from the program maker to change its air date’.   But there is growing anger over the broadcast, with royal experts, fans and politicians calling for a postponement. Conservative MP Bob Blackman told MailOnline today: ‘The reality is I don’t think the interview is appropriate at all.’
*******Meghan can’t wait to bite the hand that fed her!!!!
******How big is this?? It could be the end of the monarchy when it’s all said and done!!
*****Meghan is the Yoko Ono of the Royal Family!!!
*********The idea that H&M have nothing to do with the broadcast is not gonna wash with the British public!!!

Friends Reunion Show Ready To Tape

The much-delayed “Friends” reunion on HBO Max will finally be taped “in a little over a month,” according to cast member David Schwimmer.  He revealed the updated plans Wednesday during an interview with SiriusXM host Andy Cohen.  When asked about where things stand on the project, Schwimmer spilled the beans.  “Oh, it’s happening. Actually, in a little over a month, I’m heading out to LA,” he said. “So, finally, I mean, we figured out a way to film it safely, and there’s going to be a portion of it that we film outside because of, you know, for safety protocols.”  The cast was initially expected to regroup for the special in time for the HBO Max launch in May 2020. But with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, filming was delayed, and delayed again, and again, and again, and again, and … well, you get the idea. They were on a break. And it seems they’ve had to pivot a lot since then.  But when the gang does actually get back together, don’t expect them to be in character. In an interview with Variety last summer, Kudrow said she “will not be Phoebe,” and Aniston added that she “will not be Rachel, although I kind of am. Well, we’re all sort of little fragments of them. Not really. But yeah.”
*********Thanks, Jen. That’s crystal clear!!
******By the time they film it, they’ll have to call it “Old Friends!!”
****Matthew Perry will have to lose some weight, or he won’t fit in the studio!!
******If there isn’t at least one story of a love affair between cast members, it’s a waste!!

Wills and Kate To Appear On TV Before Meghan and Harry

The Queen will appear on a television special featuring Prince William and Kate, as well as Charles and Camilla hours before Harry and Meghan’s US interview criticizing the Royal household.  Six senior Royals will be seen on A Celebration For Commonwealth Day which will be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday. It will be seen by millions of Britons before Meghan’s pre-recorded CBS sit-down with Oprah Winfrey which has already been trailed showing her hitting out at ‘The Firm’.  In fact six of the eight senior Royal Family members will be seen speaking beforehand – with only Princess Anne and Edward not featured.   The Queen’s annual Commonwealth Day message will pay tribute to communities across the family of nations have come together in response to the pandemic.  Later the Prince of Wales will addressing the universal devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic in a recorded message and wife Camilla will tell broadcaster Clare Balding about the importance of books.  The show steals a march on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to beat them to the airwaves by addressing the nation on TV first.
*******It’s hard to compete with a rip-roaring speech by Prince Charles!!!
********Also that day, Meghan will wake up to find a horse’s head in her bed!!!
*******The official title of the Queen’s address is “Up Yours, You American Tramp!!!”

 

Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!

Jaden Smith Sees Cara As a Model Girlfriend-(National Enquirer)

A new romance seemed to be flowering in West Hollywood!  Catwalker Cara Delevingne, 28, was caught on camera smooching Jaden Smith-the 22-year-old son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith-who was presenting the British beauty with a large bouquet of roses.  The pair recently co-starred in the drama “Life in a Year.”

Park Ranger Insists Bruce Was Blitzed-(Globe)

As controversy swirls around music legend Bruce Springsteen’s recent DWI bust, the lawman leveling the charge insists The Boss was so crocked he was “visibly swaying” and couldn’t follow directions when they pulled him over.  A federal park ranger, R.L. Hayes, bagged the 71-year-old “Thunder Road” singer after he stopped his motorcycle to snap a picture with fans by the lighthouse at the Gateway National Recreation Area park near Sandy Hook, N.J., on Nov. 14.  “The Patron [tequila] bottle that Springsteen admitted to taking two shots out of was completely empty,” says Hayes.  Bruce “was visibly swaying back and forth,” had “glassy eyes” and “took 45 total steps during the walk and turn instead of the instructed 18.”  He also refused the breath test, but he was charged with driving and drinking in a closed area.

Have Mercy!-(Us Weekly)

At 57, John Stamos is “so grateful” to not only be married to Caitlin McHugh, 34, but to also share son Billy, 2, with her.  “[It] feels right,” he gushes, noting an expansion is very possible.  Hints Stamos, “[Billy’s] been asking for a sister.”

Hole Lotta Love-(Star)

Pebble Beach, Feb. 10

Let’s hope there were no gophers on the green!  Bill Murray, who hilariously clashed with a pesky critter in 1980’s Caddyshack, teamed up with NFL player Larry Fitzgerald for the AT&T Every Shot Counts Charity Challenge.  The 70-year-old actor and the athlete, 37, faced off against two teams-Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum Alfonso Ribeiro and rapper Macklemore, and actress Kathryn Newton and former Miss America Kira K. Dixon-during the five-hole, $1.6 million fundraiser.  Despite landing in third place, Bill (who penned 2000’s My Cinderella Story:  My Life in Golf) and Larry made a great pair, earning an impressive $209,000 for local charities.

Throwback!  Jimmy Fallon-(Life & Style)

The Tonight Show host has no shortage of famous pals, including Justin Timberlake and Drew Barrymore, but that wasn’t always the case.  “When I was 15, my friends were stand-up [and] a jukebox,” Jimmy captioned a pic of himself rocking a mullet in high school.

Engaged:  Ricki Lake & Ross Burningham-(People)

The former talk show host, 52, announced her engagement to lawyer Burningham, 54, on Feb. 20 after just over six months together.  “Ross and I literally pinch ourselves that we have found each other at this time in our lives,” says Lake.  “We fell as if we are kids again.”

Last Laughs-(In Touch)

“Kanye West spent Valentine’s Day alone.  So he spent it with the one he loves most.”-Paul Lander.

“Donald Glover and Phoebe Waller-Bridge are working together on a Mr. & Mrs. Smith reboot series.  Donald and Phoebe’s partners are probably deciding whether or not they should be on set every day since they’re not about to let a reboot of Brangelina happen!”-DListed’s Michael K.

“Producers have announced a new action heist movie based on the card game Uno.  Which is also how many tickets the movie will sell.”-Seth Meyers.

 

STUPID NEWS

Big Money Found At Goodwill Store

Employees at a Goodwill store in Texas said it took weeks of searching to find $5,000 cash that was mistakenly left in the pocket of a jacket that was donated to the store.  Goodwill Fort Worth officials said a man came into the thrift store chain’s location in Hurst in early February to report that his wife had mistakenly donated an old jacket that had an envelope containing $5,000 cash in the pocket.  “We roughly get donated anywhere from 50 to 200 donations a day, so when the customer had come in, I explained to him that we had to go and sort through bag-per-bag,” store manager Rhonda Davis said in a video posted to YouTube by Goodwill Fort Worth.  Davis said workers searched through donations for several days without success. She said the search was slowed when icy weather forced the location to close for multiple days.  The manager said employee Maqayla DeLaPena finally found the envelope three weeks after the search began.  The cash was returned to the customer and DeLaPena was rewarded with a bonus and the Goodwill Medal of Integrity.
*********Dummy!!! You didn’t find any money, did you???
*******If you have $5,000 in cash lying around, you can A) put in the bank, or B) stuff it in the pocket of an old coat and forget about it!!  Try “A!”
TOPIC: Have you ever lost money and found it much later???

2 Women Pull Airbus Jet

A married couple from Wales broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to pull an Airbus A320 aircraft 65.6 feet by a team of two women.    Sue Thomas-Franklin, 52, and Sam Taylor, 42, pulled the massive aircraft the required distance in 37.63 seconds during the Sunday attempt in Barry.  The women, members of GymVision in Pontprennau, have both amassed a number of accomplishments with their strength. Thomas-Franklin has two British deadlifting records and nine mixed powerlifting records, while Taylor placed second in the Europe’s Strongest Woman competition in 2019.  They said they were recruited by Guinness to break the record in celebration of St. David’s Day.
*********Both women also set a record for “most facial hair, female division!!!”
*******See? These girls don’t worry about transgender athletes!!!
******Their diet helps them compete!! They eat “Testosteroni, the San Francisco treat!!!”
*******For their next stunt, they’ll pull a diesel truck across Britain!!!

Expensive Bowl Sold At Yard Sale

A small bowl bought for $35 at a Connecticut yard sale was identified as a 600-year-old Chinese antique and is expected to sell for up to $500,000 at auction.  Sotheby’s auction house in New York said the seller, a man who is not being identified, purchased a floral bowl for $35 at a yard sale in New Haven in 2020 and sent photos of the object to auction specialists to see if it was a genuine antique.  The porcelain bowl was identified as a “lotus bowl” from the court of the Yongle Emperor, who ruled from 1403 until 1424. Sotheby’s said only six other lotus bowls from the same period are known to still exist. The auction house said the bowl is expected to fetch a high bid of $300,000 to $500,000 — up to 14,300 times the amount of money it sold for at the yard sale.
********”Honey, what did you do with that old Chinese bowl? Oh, you sold it at a yard sale??”
*******We bought a New Kids on the Block lunch box for $5.00 and had it appraised!!  They said, “You paid too much!!”
TOPIC: Ever find out you had something that was really, really valuable??

Cat Attacks Pilot

A passenger plane in Sudan turned back 30 minutes into the flight and made an emergency landing when a stray cat stowaway caused a ruckus in the cockpit.  The Tarco flight from Khartoum to Doha turned back after about 30 minutes and made an emergency landing in Khartoum after the cat emerged in the cockpit of the Boeing 737 and attacked the pilot.  The crew attempted to capture the feline, but the flight turned around when they found themselves unable to wrangle the cat.  Officials said the plane had been parked for cleaning overnight before the flight and the cat, believed to be a feral stray, most likely found a concealed space in the cockpit to sleep before being jostled awake when the plane went into flight.
********The cat said, “I can’t go to Doha!! They know me there!!!!”
********This cat has been around!!! The world is his catbox!!!

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

VIDEO: STARSHIP MAKES A SUCCESSFUL LANDING THEN BLOWS UP!

VIDEO: ROCKS FALL FROM THE SKY AFTER VOLCANO ERUPTION.

VIDEO: WHAT IS EMINEM MADE A SHOPPING LIST.

 

A LIST FOR FRIDAY

 

15 Websites to Help You Sell Stuff Online, Plus Tips on How to Do It

The Penny Hoarder

 

1. Amazon

Amazon is a far cry from its book-peddling past. According to an NPR study, 44% of online shoppers now start their search on Amazon.

To cash in on that action and make money as an Amazon seller, you must register for an Individual Seller Plan or a Professional Seller Plan.

• Individual seller accounts are free. They have a selling limit of 40 items per month, and Amazon deducts a 99 cent fee per sale. That means no up-front costs to list your item.
• Professional sellers must pay a $39.99 monthly subscription fee. Professional accounts have no selling limit and are exempt from the 99 cent fee.

Both types of accounts are subject to additional selling fees, which range from 3% to 45% of the sale price depending on the category of the item.

If you don’t feel like packaging, shipping or storing the items, Amazon also offers Fulfillment by Amazon, which handles all of that for you, plus customer service and returns — for additional costs, of course. Fees range by weight: $2.41 for items 10 ounces and lighter up to $137.32 for oversized items.

Schuyler Richardson took his online selling to the next level by creating an Amazon private label business, which includes buying generic products for cheap, rebranding and packaging them, then selling them on Amazon for a profit.

With this technique, Richardson is able to bring in between $1,000 and $2,000 of passive income each month.

“It’s important to understand this isn’t a get-rich-quick strategy,” Richardson writes in our step-by-step guide to creating a private label business. “It takes diligence, patience and a willingness to see an idea through from start to finish.”

 

2. eBay

Since 1995, eBay has earned a reputation as a one-stop shop for curated goods, collectibles, unique flea-market finds and more.

“You can seriously sell anything on eBay if you know the market,” Michelle Henry told The Penny Hoarder.

Henry is an eBay shopkeeper who flips items she finds at her local thrift shop and makes a few hundred dollars a week on the site. And she isn’t the only one.

PRO TIP

A well-lit photo (or five) is one of the easiest ways to set yourself apart. Good photos make your listing appear much more legitimate and trustworthy, too.

Rob Stephenson, who calls himself the Flea Market Flipper, makes upwards of $80,000 a year selling his flea-market finds online, usually on eBay. And it only takes him around 15 to 20 hours a week.

To join their ranks, sign up for an eBay Stores account. These accounts are for more serious sellers who foresee making in excess of 50 sales a month.

There are several tiers available — starter, basic, premium, anchor and enterprise ― with subscription fees that range from as little as $4.95 a month all the way up to $2,999.95. Each tier comes with a slew of benefits and discounts, which are listed under eBay’s subscription and fees section.

If you would just like to pawn off items from your attic, you can create a free account and list up to 50 items a month.

You can seriously sell anything on eBay if you know the market.

What’s unique about eBay is the option to create an auction listing, where buyers bid on your item, or a fixed-price listing, where the seller specifies the exact price. Whenever the item sells, eBay charges the seller a final-value fee, which is a percentage of the selling price. This percentage varies between 2% and 12% depending on the category of the item.

Shipping is on you, though.

 

3. Etsy

Etsy has carved out a niche for handmade and artistic goods. While the site accepts listings from a wide range of product categories, the items should cater to its craft-loving and thrifty user base.

PRO TIP

Establish a strong brand and backstory. Connecting with customers makes them more likely to spend time on your shop.

For sellers, it’s not just about the listing, either. It takes a little love to cultivate an Etsy shop that will resonate with buyers.

“People pick up on that kind of thing,” Gosik-Wolfe told The Penny Hoarder. “They can tell if you don’t care about your shop.”

She said it’s all about your brand, backstory and making a connection with customers.

“If people are really interested in your story, they’ll be more likely to look at all your items.” Gosik-Wolfe said. “Even if they’re not a buyer right away, they’re going to look through things and say ‘I connect to this,’ and they might just [come back] later when they do need something.”

Creating an online Etsy shop may take five minutes, but you’ll want to spend much more time customizing your page. (Or, if you don’t want to do all the page designing yourself, Etsy offers a customization tool called Pattern. This tool is an additional $15 a month.)

Once your shop is set up, your sales are subject to several types of fees:

• Listing fee: For each listing on Etsy’s website or the mobile app, you’ll be charged 20 cents. For multiple quantities of the same item, a 20 cent fee will be charged per sale.
• Transaction fee: Etsy charges 5% of the listing price per sale, plus any additional costs for shipping or gift wrapping.
• Subscription fee: A basic Etsy shop membership is free. Shops in good standing can choose to upgrade to Etsy Plus, a subscription for sellers that includes bonus promotional features, for $10 a month.

Where to Sell Your Stuff Online Locally

If you’d rather not ship your item across the nation, you can opt to sell it locally. There are several sites where you can create a listing to advertise your product and then conduct the sale in person once you’ve found a buyer.

It’s important to stay safe when selling in person. Trust your gut, always meet in a well-lit public place and never give strangers your address.

Other than your neighborhood Starbucks, several police departments have designated trading spaces that are always available and have 24/7 surveillance. Find the closest one to you on SafeTrade.

 

4. Craigslist

Want to feel old? Of course not. But here it is anyway: Craigslist has been around for more than 20 years.

The aptly named advertising website was founded by Craig Newmark in 1996, and it started as his email list of interesting events in the San Francisco area. Over the years, it has grown to be synonymous with classified ads (sorry, newspapers) and boasts more than a billion monthly online visitors. So it’s still one of the best ways to sell items.

You can list anything from a used toaster to a high-end job to a 10-bedroom mansion.

For job, retail and service listings, there’s a fee. But if you have items you want to sell, it’s free. So list away.

While the site operates in more than 70 countries, it’s best used locally. In fact, to avoid scams, the site recommends people list locally and meet face to face. To encourage this, the website actually reads your IP address and automatically funnels you to the local version of the site.

PRO TIP

Trust your gut; always meet in a well-lit public place and never give strangers your address.

aSo let’s say you want to sell an antique armoire.

To create a listing, no registration is required. The site will prompt you to answer a few questions about what type of item you’re selling and will ask you to specify your county. After that, describe the armoire in detail (condition, price, dimensions, color, etc.), post a few photos and leave your contact information if you don’t want to correspond through anonymous emails.

Then the replies will start rolling in. Be prepared to haggle.

 

5. Facebook Marketplace

What doesn’t Facebook do these days?

In 2016, the social media giant launched an on-site feature called Marketplace. It works a lot like other local-listing websites, except there’s the added benefit of looking through the profile of the buyer or seller — a relief for online shoppers, surely.

Anyone can browse the marketplace anonymously, but to bid on or create a listing, you will need to sign in to your Facebook profile, which of course, is free. (You’re probably already logged in if you’re reading this.)

Sellers can create a free listing for homes, vehicles or items. The only stipulation is that all listings must comply with Facebook’s commerce policies and any local laws.

Facebook forbids creating listings about:

• Weapons or ammunition.
• Irrelevant content, i.e. posting news, memes or humor that “has no intention to buy or sell products or services.”

The marketplace also aggregates relevant buying and selling groups in your area. Posting in these groups is a good way to advertise your item to a specific audience.

PRO TIP

Big-town universities usually have very active marketplace groups, due to the constant flux of students.

Facebook has a direct-payment system built into Messenger, which is also free to use. But payment does not have to be completed using this feature.

 

6. Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a relatively new, private social media platform with an interesting twist. It’s not for individuals, but neighborhoods.

To join Nextdoor, you’ll need to verify your street address and use your real, full name. This is one exception to the “never give strangers your address” rule. Because they shouldn’t be strangers. They’re your neighbors.

After your account is verified (either by phone call or postcard), you can join your neighbors on a private board not indexed by search engines and not available to people who have an address outside your area.

During registration, you’ll be prompted to join groups based on popular trending topics in your area, such as local sports teams, schools and much more.

Once your profile is complete, you can post free listings in the “For Sale & Free” section and filter items by more than a dozen categories.

PRO TIP

While Nextdoor members may indeed be your neighbors, stay safe when selling in person: Always meet in a well-lit public place and never give stranger your address.

All items that are shown on the website are by other Nextdoor users in your designated “neighborhood.”

The reason neighborhood is in quotation marks is because the areas are not geographically accurate neighborhoods per se. They are formed by founding members — people who first signed up in your community. Founding members define the limits of your online neighborhood and must recruit at least 10 addresses within that area to sign up on Nextdoor to establish the neighborhood.

Nextdoor staff can, at any time, change the neighborhood parameters, say, if someone combined two full cities into one neighborhood or intentionally left out certain areas based on income or race.

And while these members may indeed be your neighbors, it’s still a good idea to adhere to the safety best practices mentioned above when selling things in person.

 

7. OfferUp

OfferUp is a mobile-based secondhand marketplace that launched in 2011. It’s focused on local sales, but there is a feature to search for items nationwide, too.

It’s one of the only online marketplaces that requires sellers to upload photos of the item via its mobile app. The app has built-in messaging and payment systems, though they aren’t mandatory for buyers. For sellers, the app is required because of the mandatory photo feature.

Creating an account is as fast as downloading the app or logging in with Facebook or Gmail if you don’t intend to sell.

OfferUp has an extensive list of prohibited items, including alcohol, guns, animals and vitamins. The site also has in-depth guides on the best practices for posting and marketing your item, which include using multiple photos, categorizing your item correctly and writing a good product description.

Creating listings and selling items in person are free.

However, there are a few paid features on OfferUp.

• National listings:Most items are automatically listed for sale in your local area. For a fee (9.9% of the selling price), you can have the item listed nationally and shipped to the buyer.
• Promoted listings:a feature that keeps your post within the top 50 search results for a specific category. Promotion fees run between $3.99 and $19.99 for three days to 14 days of promotion, respectively.
• Bumping: This feature refreshes your item as if it were a new post, listing it higher in search results. Bumps cost between $1.99 and $3.99 per item.
• Paying through OfferUp: Transactions are typically cash-based, but for national sales or situations where you don’t want to use cash, the website offers transactions through Stripe, which charges separate processing fees.

All paid features are optional. So to keep costs down, keep it local and use cash.

 

8. Letgo

Capitalizing on the minimalist movement, Letgo wants you to find a home for your gently used tchotchkes or space-takers that don’t spark joy. A quick listing could turn your old wooden-trunk-turned-coffee-table into someone else’s new wooden-trunk-turned-coffee-table.

Now your living room looks larger and you have $30 you can invest on a little self-care. Or your third round of Uber Eats this week. Whichever.

Letgo is free to buy and sell, and the only fees are for sellers who want to promote their listings. (Promotions start at $1.99, and a “Super Boost” subscription is available to Android users for $29.99 a month.)

The app-based marketplace caters to both one-time sellers and veteran peddlers alike. It takes less than a minute to create a listing, which is possible on both the Letgo website and the app. Your selling radius is automatically picked up by your phone’s location information or your IP address.

Upload a few photos, write a good description, list your price and post it for people in your area to see.

After you’ve made a few sales, like several other marketplace sites, your profile will accrue ratings from buyers. High ratings are a good way to set yourself apart if you plan to use the app frequently.

While listings are aggregated based on your ZIP code, it is possible to tap into other areas by entering a different ZIP code. However, there is no option to filter items nationally.

Letgo is a locals-only club.

 

Where to Sell Games and Electronics Online

While every website or app above accepts listings for electronics, it’s a good idea to list them on marketplaces that specialize in these types of products.

For example, someone on Facebook may indeed want a laptop, but your gaming laptop has 16GB of RAM, a terabyte of disk space and you just upgraded the graphics card. The Facebook buyer may only be looking for a computer that can run word processing programs. And a (lowball) offer is probably going to reflect that.

To get what it’s worth, you’ll want to list it on a marketplace where buyers will appreciate the specs of your gaming rig.

 

9. Decluttr

You know that collection of DVDs that you try to push to the furthest corners of your mind (and the farthest crannies of your closet) but inevitably rears its head every time you have to move? Yeah, that one.

Well, there’s a way to get paid for all those dusty discs, fast. And the best part is that you don’t have to find individual buyers. Decluttr will buy them from you and do the reselling for you.

Decluttr accepts much more than those DVDs that you’d rather forget about, too. It also buys:

• Video games, Blu-ray Discs and music.
• Cell phones, tablets and consoles.
• Smart watches and laptops.
• Even textbooks and Legos.

At this point, you’ve probably written more product descriptions than you’ve bargained for. Thankfully, no photos or listings are required to sell on Decluttr.

To get a cash quote for tech such as phones, devices and consoles, enter the model of the item you want to sell into the website or app search field and select what condition it’s in (good, poor or faulty). A cash quote will appear immediately.

For CDs, Blu-rays or other discs, scan the barcode with your smartphone for an instant quote.

In The Penny Hoarder guide to selling on Decluttr, Matt Wiley scored more than 50 bucks for some old movies and a few PS3 games. He got paid the day after his order was accepted via direct deposit, meaning no dealing with cash or checks or multiple buyers who want only two DVDs in the bundle.

Compared to other marketplaces, Decluttr’s shipping policy also stands out. The company handles shipping costs and sends you the shipping labels via email. All you have to do is pack the items in a box, tack on the label and mail it off. (For free boxes, Wiley recommends asking your local supermarket. Cost-saving and environmentally friendly!)

 

10. Gameflip

Selling video games and related content is one of the best ways to make money as a gamer.

At Gameflip, you can sell video games, gift cards, rare in-game items and movies all in one place.

Lifelong gamer and video game content creator Frederick Aldeco, aka DaddyGamer Fred, used Gameflip to sell almost all of his games (except the handheld Switch and PS Vita) to help fund his move from the U.S. to Switzerland.

But Gameflip is not just a marketplace for items and products. Gamers and designers can also sell services on the website, such as tutoring sessions; or graphic designs, such as logos and artwork.

To become a Gameflip seller, you must either register a credit or debit card (no prepaid cards allowed) or submit your ID for verification. You can choose to sign up using an email address, Facebook or Gmail account.

For each item sold, Gameflip charges a processing fee of 8% of the sale price, plus an additional 2% digital-item fee (if applicable). Frequent sellers can join the Gameflip Club to reduce or eliminate selling fees. Memberships cost between $1 a month and $15 a month.

All income from your sales is stored on your Gameflip profile and can be withdrawn through PayPal.

But perhaps the biggest payment of all is being able to say, “See, Mom, it does pay to play video games.”

 

11. Gazelle

Are you one to buy the latest model iPhone or Samsung as soon as it hits the market? Then get paid for your old model by selling it to Gazelle. No sifting through bids or haggling with buyers.

Gazelle will buy your used tech, primarily smartphones but also:

• MP3 players.
• Laptops and desktops.
• Various Apple products.

To see if your product is eligible, find the make and model on the website, then answer a couple of questions about the specs and condition to get a quote.

Make sure your exact model is listed, otherwise the company won’t purchase it.

After you accept a quote, Gazelle will send you packing and shipping labels for free (for orders over $30). Load up your tech and ship it back for confirmation. Gazelle will pay only after it has received your shipment and checked the item.

For example, if you listed an item in “flawless” condition and the company finds scratches or dings, it will adjust the offer. You’ll have five days to accept the new offer before Gazelle will return it to you.

You can choose one of several payment options. Gazelle pays via Amazon gift cards, Paypal transfers or checks.

If you need cash fast, you can also deposit your tech at the nearest EcoATM kiosk and get paid immediately. The website notes that kiosk payments are typically lower than quotes made on the website.

 

Where to Sell Your Clothes Online

Of all the things we have too much of, it’s probably clothes. And we probably don’t realize it. We’ll tuck a bag or two in the hallway closet, put our unused sweaters under the bed and line our doors with hanging shoe racks.

But if we were to gather that garb into one pile, it would be enormous. Seeing it all in one place puts things into perspective.

Donating is a great start to chipping away at that fabric mountain on your living room floor. But if you want a little cash for your clothes, you have plenty of sites to choose from.

 

12. Poshmark

Dubbing itself a “social marketplace for fashion,” Poshmark is a platform for stylish men, women and kids’ clothes that is a little more involved that most buy-and-sell websites.

It’s not a list-it-and-leave-it kind of place, but the extra work that goes into creating a pleasing profile really pays off.

When fashion blogger Alison Gary decided to rent out her house and travel the country in an RV with her husband, she realized her wardrobe was weighing her down.

So she took a bunch of high-quality photos of her outfits, made them into a collage and posted them on Poshmark. Within a few months, her excess clothes earned her more than $1,000.

Gary laid out her best practices in The Penny Hoarder’s guide to selling on Poshmark. To name a few:

• List multiple pictures.
• Haggle for the best price, but know when to say no.
• Give fashion advice along with your clothing. (Hello, upsell!)

To become a seller, you first must download the Poshmark app. Then you can create your own listing using Gary’s advice. For each sale, Poshmark takes a commission.

For sales $15 and under, there’s a flat $2.95 fee. For everything over $15, the commission jumps to 20% of the sale price.

The good news is Poshmark handles shipping for free. It will send you a pre-labeled package for you to load your clothes into and send to the buyer.

 

13. Swap.com

Admit it. There’s a bag of clothes in the back of your car that you’ve been meaning to take to one of the many used clothes stores, but you never got around to it. If that’s the case, Swap.com was meant for you.

It works similarly to clothing-exchange stores, where your clothes are appraised and you’re given an offer based on in-vogue fashion or seasonal trends. Except with Swap.com, it’s all done online and through the mail.

To start selling to Swap.com, it will take a little work. First, you will need to register an account and complete a “premier seller application.” You’ll provide:

• How much you want to charge for each item.
• What brands you plan to sell.
• How frequently you plan to sell to Swap.com this year.
• Your phone number.

If your application is accepted, you’ll be prompted to send in a test box, which must meet certain acceptance criteria for men, women and children’s clothing. After your box passes, then you’ll be invited to sell to Swap.com whenever you like.

For items with a list price of $8 and under, you will earn 15% in cash, plus 20% in Swap.com credit. All items over $8 will earn you 70% of the list price, plus 20% in Swap.com credit.

If some of your items are rejected, Swap.com charges $11.90 to ship the items back to you. Oversized boxes incur extra fees.

So make sure to follow the acceptance criteria to a T. Don’t include dirty, damaged or faded clothes because you might end up with more fees than earnings.

 

14. ThredUP

For the clothes that might have gone in the donation pile, ThredUP may be just as good a home, partly because the company will take those donations off your hands. For free.

This women-and-children-centric secondhand retailer makes closet cleaning easy. Select a “clean out kit;” there’s one for donations and or one for items you want to sell. If you select standard shipping, the kits are free. Expedited shipping costs $16.

If you’re donating, stuff your kit full, mail it out and call it a day.

If you want your items to sell, you may need to be a little more choosy. Be sure to include brands that sell well, such as Athleta, Kate Spade, Lululemon and Patagonia.

Accepted clothes will earn you between 5% and 80% of the listing price.

When loading up your kit, make sure you’re ready to part ways with whatever you send in. You will get a modest payout for the items that ThredUP accepts. The rejected clothes will be recycled.

 

15. Tradesy

Tradesy runs like most other marketplaces on this list, except it’s tailored toward high-end women’s fashion from designer brands like Balmain, Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Besides clothes, Tradesy also accepts accessories, purses, shoes and all things wedding-related (invitations, veils, decorations and more).

To create a listing, you know the drill: photos, description, price. If you need a little help setting it up, Tradesy will pitch in with automatic photo editing and pricing suggestions.

Where Tradesy distinguishes itself is in its shipping policy. Before you publish your listing on the site, you can choose from three shipping methods:

• Tradesy-supplied shipping. Choose from an assortment of bags and packages that best fit your item. Prepaid labels included.
• Printed, prepaid shipping label.A flat $10.50 shipping price, which the buyer pays at checkout.
• Ship it yourself. The best option to keep your listing price down, but more work for you.

All shipping costs are added to your listing price. Your selection will increase the price for the buyer (and ultimately for you too, because seller fees are based on the total item cost, including shipping.)

Earnings accrue on your Tradesy account. For each sale, Tradesy takes a commision based on the listed price of the item. For all sales under $50, the fee is a flat $7.50. Listings above $50 incur a 19.8% fee.

Your earnings will be stored on your account for 21 days. You can use those funds to shop on Tradesy or withdraw them into a checking account, a debit card or a PayPal account.

Each withdrawal incurs a 2.9% cash transfer fee.

 

The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo.  The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan.  The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations.  Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
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