How to Make Money Selling Your Used Cardboard Boxes
One of the more baffling things people have to figure out after moving is what to do with all the cardboard boxes. Depending on how much stuff you have, you could end up with three or four dozen boxes after unpacking. While recycling them is always a good option, you could recoup a little bit of your moving costs by selling the boxes instead. Here's how you can make money from your used cardboard boxes.
Sell the Boxes Online
Used cardboard boxes may seem as though they're the unlikeliest thing someone would buy online. The truth is that there is a thriving ecosystem of buyers and sellers, and you can make a few dollars unloading your used boxes on someone who needs them.
There are a couple of ways you can make money on the Internet selling used boxes. The first is to put an ad on an online classified advertisement site. The benefit of this option is you're much more likely to find someone local who wants the boxes and you won't have to worry about shipping them.
The other option is to list the boxes on a specialty website dedicated to matching sellers with buyers. These sites generally work in the same manner as other peer-to-peer commerce sites and typically involve the seller creating a listing, uploading a picture of the boxes, and setting a price.
The benefit of this option is the sites typically do the advertising for you to attract customers and usually have some type of fraud prevention method in place to ensure you get paid. However, these sites do take a cut of the sale price, so you won't receive the full amount you ask for. Still, it could be a good way to easily earn a few dollars on cardboard boxes that would otherwise take up space in your new home.
Sell Directly to the Community
Instead of or in addition to selling your boxes online, you can sell them directly to the community. The average person in the United States moves about 11.7 times in their lifetime. So chances are good someone in your community will need the boxes, particularly if you live in a college town where students seem to always be coming and going.
You can advertise the boxes for sale in areas where people are likely to see the ad. For instance, many colleges and grocery stores have bulletin boards where you can post messages for free. You can also put an ad in the local paper, but you should balance the cost to do so with the amount of money you're likely to make selling the boxes. Another good place to find buyers for your boxes is at local flea markets, farmer's markets, and craft shows. Vendors in these places always need bags, crates, and boxes to place customers' purchases in, so you'll probably end up selling your used cardboard to the first few business owners you talk to.
The biggest challenge you'll have with selling your used cardboard is determining how much to charge for the boxes. The amount will depend on the quality and size. Since the boxes are used, you can't charge as much as the box would cost brand new, but you can base your prices on the retail cost of a new box. For instance, if a new box of the same size usually sells for $2 then you may want to charge $1.50 for your box if it's fairly unblemished and maybe $0.50 to $1 for one that's a little more beat up.
For more ideas on what to do with your old cardboard boxes or to purchases boxes you may need for an upcoming move, contact a moving supplies retailer.