Being broke will lead anyone to wonder, at least once,
Should I maybe sell my stuff?
While this thought may linger for a moment, it is often shot down with a sneaking suspicion of,
No. No one wants my dumb crap. Even the Tramp from Disney's 'Lady and the Tramp' wouldn't want my garbage-quality belongings. I should distract myself from my utter broke-ness and watch 'Lady and the Tramp.' I hope it's on Netflix. Oh man, my friend's stepmom's girlfriend's shaman changed his password, and I don't have money for an account!
*Stares at a blank wall for two hours.*
First world worries aside, making money online selling everyday knickknacks is within anyone's reach, according to eBay millionaire Linda Lightman.
Since founding Linda's Stuff 15 years ago, the mother of two now reportedly turns a yearly profit of $25 million, and she insisted, in an interview with Daily Mail, success online is easily attainable.
The Philadelphia resident shared,
Most people don't know that the average household has over 52 items worth over $3,000 just lying around their house ready to sell... But you don't have to be limited by what is in your home. Branch out. You can make money selling other items on eBay.
Lightman began her endeavor slowly, selling items like clothing and shoes she no longer wore.
She recalled,
I was fascinated with every aspect of eBay's model -- how to take the right pictures, write the perfect listing and market each item to ensure that my friends and I would get the most money for them.
When friends began to enlist her to do the same for them, Linda's Stuff began to take shape as a real business.
Lightman said,
I kept going, until almost every room in my house was filled with boxes and clothes from friends and their friends. My home was 100 percent eBay…When the business outgrew my ability to solely list and take pictures, I quickly placed an ad to hire my first employee from a local art school… I also enlisted the help of my husband -- together we took a leap of faith with Linda's Stuff and never looked back.
Come 2006, the former New York attorney led a fleet of 20 employees in a 5,000-square-foot office.
Of her company's day-to-day operations, the saleswoman explained,
We list approximately 5,000 items a day with approximately 140,000 unique items listed on a site... Linda's Stuff has truly become a cult of sorts for some people who visit our site and check out the new things we are listing and selling daily.
Now, working out of a 93,000-square-foot office space, Lightman claimed her unexpected online triumph led her down a greater path than she could have ever imagined as a lawyer.
She insisted,
People say if you do what you love and love what you do you'll never work a day in your life – I never believed it until I started Linda's Stuff.
Hear that, kids? There IS someone out there who wants your "Ninja Turtles" action figures and old denim jackets. Get to sellin'!
Citations: Could you find a fortune in YOUR home? Woman who makes $25 MILLION a year on eBay reveals her top tips for making money online - and says most people have at least $3,000 worth of items 'just lying around' (Daily Mail)
