Selling unwanted items online a way to make cash for holiday gifts

The holidays are right around the corner, which means spending a lot of money. But people can actually make some extra cash ahead of the holiday season.

We’re still weeks away from Black Friday and Christmas, but soon places like Edison Mall will be full of shoppers.

We spoke to people who were getting their lists ready for the holidays.

“Some people can be mad picky, you know,” Cierra Lafon said.

It takes planning ahead.

“How am I going to get all my family all the gifts that they want?” Lafon said.

To put presents under her Christmas tree, Lafon is selling her unwanted clutter online.

“I usually sell things for like $25-$30,” Lafon said. “So if I’m on the grind, I could do like $100 a week.”

Using popular websites such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Poshmark can be a convenient way to make money for the holidays.

”I mean, one of the nice things about it is you’re not locked into a nine to five, right?” said Lyn Hofer.

But Mark Camp, a retired police officer, said online purchasing can be risky business.

“I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about people showing up for transactions, and their stuff stolen at gun point,” Camp said.

Public places such as libraries and police stations are safe spots to meet people to complete online transactions. It’s also a good idea to post items on websites that require profiles, so people know who they are dealing with.

It’s also recommended to take high-quality images of things being made for sale, reposting listings often, so they stay near the top of a list and making sure item descriptions are detailed.