What could you do with $7,000? Pay off some debt? Family vacation? Save it for a rainy day?

While I can think of many things we could probably do with that amount of money, I’m not exactly sure what I’d do with $7,000. I do know that I’d be grateful to come across such an amount of cash! Who wouldn’t, right?

Well, apparently, you and I may have $7,000 worth of stuff just laying around the house. eBay recently sent me this interesting piece of information: “According to a 2011 study from research firm NPD, the average American family has about $7,000 worth of unused stuff.” Who knew?

Reading that statistic makes me want to dig around the house to see what sorts of items I have that could earn me some extra cash. I could take those spare things in the home, and sell them on eBay. I definitely don’t want to let a potential $7,000 slip by! Without even looking, I can think of a couple of things I have that we’re not using and I could sell on eBay:

• There’s that extra business suit my husband never wore and is sitting in his closet with the tags still on it.
• I believe I have a couple of blouses that are also brand-new with tags still on them that I haven’t worn – and apparently won’t any time soon.
• My kids have many toys they’ve outgrown that I’m sure other families will enjoy.
• I acquired some Disney items that I’m sure a Disney collector will enjoy adding to their collection.
• There’s an extra digital camera that is sitting on our office shelf and has never been used.

It’s amazing how many things we save thinking we’ll one day use them and they end up sitting around for months, maybe even years, never even opened. Why do we do this? Isn’t it better to make room for things we’ll actually use or even just make some extra space in our house, and in turn, our lives?

Take a look around your house and see how many unused, unopened, or brand-new items you have that you could list and sell on eBay. Maybe you don’t have $7,000 worth of stuff, but I’m sure you have a couple of hundred, at the very least. If you decide to sell your items on eBay, take a look over some of these past posts I’ve shared to help you get started:

• 7 Simple Ways to Get Your eBay Items Sold!
• Ideas for Finding Items to Sell on eBay, Straight from eBay Sellers!
• Tips for Selling on eBay from an eBay PowerSeller
• Finding Inspiration to Sell on eBay

If you find yourself with an extra $7,000 on-hand after selling on eBay, share the wealth, won’t you? {ahem} Seriously, though, feel free to share links to your listed items on eBay in the comments below!

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr

My adventure in learning about selling on eBay continues. This last month, I tried to sell a couple of items – a Disney-engraved Swarovski crystals business card holder and a book. Neither item sold, unfortunately, but I received great feedback from other eBay sellers on how I can fix my listings when I relist the items. In particular, Windy Mayes Sibbersen of windylou.com and a fellow eBay Parent Panel member, provided me with a lot of input and suggestions.

1. Study other listings. Look at listings for the same items and see how those sellers have described the item. Also look at their policies and consider using similar language on your listing.

2. Optimize your listing’s title - use keywords and use all allowed characters. Keywords help items show up when people search on eBay. Using terms people might use in their search, even if not a part of the item’s actual name, will help your listing get some eyes. For example, for my business card holder, Windy suggested I use terms like Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, and Disney World.

3. Add more photos! Though you only get one free photo with your listing, if you add more, it might help buyers see your item better. Consider adding photos showing different views of the item, close up shots of details, and any photos that will help people truly get a feel for the item. If you’re only using one photo, make sure it’s bright and clear. I made this mistake and used a photo I took of the business card holder with my phone, as I was listing the item using the eBay mobile app.

4. Provide a detailed description. Windy suggests telling a story when describing your item. Let potential buyers know who might like the item, if it makes for a good gift, and why that person would like it. I have thought about this and think that when I relist the business card holder, I’ll let folks know that it might make for a great gift for Disney fans and collectors or perhaps a recent college grad. A member of the eBay PR team at Airfoil PR also suggested that I provide specific details, such as how many crystals it has, the type of material it’s made with, etc. She also mentioned including information on how I came to own the item and why I’m selling it. For the book, she said to be sure the ISBN number is included.

5. List more than one item at a time. I didn’t think of this, but Windy shared that the more items you have listed, the more likely it is someone will find them. They might find one of your items through a search, then see others listed by you, and click over to see what else you have selling. With 50 free listings allowed by eBay each month, I’m severely not taking advantage of this strategy.

6. Try different categories. Airfoil PR suggested I try listing the business card holder in the collectibles section instead of desk accessories, where I had it listed. This makes sense now that I think about it, since so many people collect Disney items and might buy it for that purpose rather than to use it as an actual business card holder.

7. Promote listings via social media. The Airfoil PR team reminded me that it doesn’t hurt to share your eBay listings on Facebook and Twitter, as you never know who might be intrigued. On Twitter, be sure to use appropriate hashtags, such as #Disney, #collectible, and #rare for my business card holder.

I am definitely going to take these suggestions and put them into action when I relist these two items and list any new items in the future.

What do you usually look for when viewing an eBay item and considering it for purchase?

Disclosure: ModernMami.com is a member of the eBay Parent Panel, a compensated program.

Photo: Sold Sign, AKZOphoto/Flickr