Save a Bundle With Buybacks: 4 Tips to Get Cash or Store Credit
Get paid for those unused items just collecting dust at home.
If you’re like most of us, you’ve got unused items just collecting dust at home. Great news: Many of the companies who sold them to you will buy them back! Here’s how to get cash or store credit for your buybacks like outdoor gear, furniture, electronics, clothing, and more.
Outdoor gear
Done using your tent, sleeping bags, backpack, or other outdoor equipment for summer fun? If they’re still in good condition, many stores are offering to buy them back to resell. That’s because these outdoor retailers are committed to helping the environment, so they want to make it easy for you to recycle rather than discard items you no longer need.
For example, if you purchased your items from Patagonia, you can return them at a local Patagonia store, or by following the instructions here, and receive $10 to $100 per product in store credit. REI customers can take their products to a nearby REI store or mail them in by following the instructions here and get $9 to $100 per product in a store gift card. Prefer cash? The online reseller OutAndBackOutdoor accepts dozens of brands of outdoor goods (including JanSport and The North Face) and pays you for the value of your gear via Venmo or PayPal.
Tip! Have a car you don’t need? Dealerships are eager to buy low inventory — netting you a higher price when you sell it or trade it. To find out how much your car is worth, visit KBB.com.
Furniture
If you’ve got IKEA furniture you no longer need, you can bring it to 36 locations around the country to sell it back — no disassembly required! All you need to do is sign up to their free “Family” program. Then go here, answer a few quick questions, and bring in your fully assembled, clean bookshelves, desks, tables, or other IKEA merchandise to a participating store. A customer service rep will assess your buyback value. If you accept, you’ll get store credit.
Also great: Some smaller furniture companies will buy back products if they’re in good condition. Just ask local retailers if they offer this option.
Electronics
A shortage of electronic parts means that manufacturers are eager to buy your used tech to refurbish and resell. So if you’ve got a smartphone, tablet, or other gadget that you’re not using and it’s in good condition, you could turn it in for credit toward something new or get a cash payout. For example, you can get hundreds of dollars in an Apple gift card when you trade in Apple iPhones, watches and other devices here. Samsung customers can trade in their smartphones, tablets, and watches for credit toward a new Galaxy device here. If you’ve got a Dell computer, you can swap it for credit toward another Dell purchase here. And if you have a Lenovo device, you can turn it in for a Visa gift card here. Have a gadget by a different manufacturer? Check their website to see if they offer a trade-in program.
Clothing and accessories
Secondhand goods are so popular that sales rose by a whopping 58 percent last year and topped $35 billion. So it’s no wonder major apparel, handbag, and shoe retailers want to join the secondhand trend by offering to buy back their own goods to resell! For example, you can bring in your Lululemon items that are in good condition to one of their locations and receive a store e-gift card for their value. And for each Eileen Fisher garment you bring back to their stores in any condition, you’ll receive a $5 rewards voucher to use toward new Eileen Fisher purchases.
Bonus savings!
While not every store will buy back what you’ve bought, some retailers will give you store credit or a discount for any brand you bring in. That’s because they donate them to those in need or recycle them into other products. Some examples: Join Soma’s free loyalty program, and when you bring in gently used bras to any Soma location, you’ll receive up to $10 per month in rewards points. Also, dropping off jeans at a Madewell store earns you $20 off your next new pair of Madewell jeans.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
