So, how can we do good and help out charitable causes when we haven’t got that much money to spare ourselves? 

Luckily, there are a few ways you can incorporate helping out charities into your daily life, without having to spend money you don’t have. Here are just a few of them…

• Give to charity when shopping: use Amazon Smile
• Donate via a cashback site
• Give to charity online: search engines that pay charities with each search
• Remembering to tick the Gift Aid box
• Give to charity by donating your stuff
• Play games online and give to charity

Give to charity when shopping: use Amazon Smile

Yes, it’s great to support small business – but sometimes, the sheer range and convenience of Amazon just can’t be beaten. 

There is a way that you can do good whilst shopping for all your essentials online, though. Amazon Smile works in exactly the same way as the regular Amazon site, but a percentage of what you spend (0.5%) goes to charity. You can choose which charity you want to support, too. Over a million organisations have signed up since the scheme was launched in 2013. Just log on to smile.amazon instead of the regular site to get going. Guilt-free shopping! 

Donate via a cashback site

You might already use a cashback site – but if you don’t, we’d recommend signing up to giveortake.com. Unlike other cashback sites, Give or Take allows you to make a charity donation using your cashback. This way, you’re not spending anything extra on top of what you’d normally spend. You could make money for yourself from cashback sites, but if you want to give to charity and are on a tight budget, this is a neat solution!

Give to charity online with Charity search engines

Search engines don’t always have to be massive, Silicon Valley based companies that funnel billions of dollars into their founders’ pockets. Over the past few years, more and more search engines with a social good at their heart have been popping up. Many of them are offering money to charity every time users click, which we think is a great way of giving to charity as part of your normal day to day life. 

Some of our favourites include: 

1. Benelab – this site, founded by a US teenager, funds itself through advertising in the same way that Google does. The difference is that its profits go to charity, with a different cause being chosen every month 
2. Ecosia – Berlin-based Ecosia is the “search engine that plants trees”, with 80% of its profits going directly to reforestation charities. Nearly 93 million trees have been planted so far 
3. GoodSearch – the original search engine that was founded with social good in mind, Good Search donates 50% of its profits to various charities, as chosen by its users. It’s been around for 15 years and has set up various other charitable causes since then, too

So, is it time to show Google the door? We think so! 

Remember to tick the Gift Aid box 

Never really been sure what Gift Aid is? No worries – we’re here to explain once and for all how this nifty government scheme can help charities, with literally no effort from you at all. 

Gift Aid is a long-running government scheme that gives charities a basic 20% tax relief on whatever you’re donating to them, as long as you’re a UK taxpayer. The scheme has been in place for 30 years, and has gifted charities billions of pounds in that time. All you have to do is tick the Gift Aid box whenever you’re making a donation, sponsoring your neighbour to run that 5k, etc, to ensure Gift Aid is included. Easy! 

Gift Aid doesn’t cost you anything extra – but means the charity gets the tax relief on your donation. This puts more money in their pocket!

Give to charity by donating your stuff

You don’t need to be giving money to charity to be helping them out. Instead of throwing out that old chair or pair of jeans you’re bored of, or those kid’s shoes that don’t fit anymore, why not drop them off at your local charity shop instead? 

Of course, you can support charities by shopping in their high street stores too – books, DVDs, clothes and lots more will be significantly cheaper than they would be in other retail stores, and you’ll be doing a good deed in the process. Remember to hand your donation bag to a member of staff and ask for the Gift Aid form to make sure they get the most from your donations, too.

play games online and give to charity 

Did you know you can raise money for charity just by playing games online? Turns out you can! 

Our favourite new find is the Free Rice website, from the World Food Programme. For every correct answer, the site’s sponsors will send the cash equivalent of 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme, who will funnel it into feeding those in need around the world. Spending time on your phone has never felt so worthy! 

We hope these tips have inspired you to give to charity, even if you’re not able to drop cash into the collection box or set up a monthly direct debit. Remember, every little helps! 

Share your charity donation ideas

Is there something you do to help charities that we haven’t mentioned here? Shout about it to our fellow Magpies on the Magpie Messageboard! We love to share tips and ideas for money-saving and money-making hacks, so get involved and you could win a £25 Amazon voucher for Post of the Week!

Now read:

• Make money selling charity shop items for a profit
• Clear your wardrobe for charity on Clear Your Clutter Day
• Clear out your closet for charity
• Charity credit cards – are they worth it?

The post How to Give to Charity Without Spending a Penny appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

When you think about selling your used underwear, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a far-out phenomenon that only exists on niche corners of the internet.

But in this article, we introduce you to a world where used underwear transactions occur daily, and young entrepreneurs start online underwear businesses that can bring in hundreds or thousands of pounds in monthly earnings.

• Your used laundry is in high demand
• What is Pantydeal?
• Start Selling Your Used Underwear: A Step-by-Step Guide
• You can sell more than used underwear online
• Pantydeal is about selling used underwear, and much more

Your used laundry is in high demand

Thousands of people around the world are interested in buying used underwear, bras, socks, shoes and other used and adult items that you can deliver and get paid for without leaving your house. And with the average pair of used underwear selling for upwards of £40 (and other products and services averaging even higher), this business can be lucrative.

But what’s the real trick to making the big bucks? Finding a supportive platform where you can set up your store, meet interested buyers, ship orders and receive payment while ensuring your safety, privacy, and control over your own finances.

What is Pantydeal?

With over one million members and 15,000 daily active users, Pantydeal is one of the largest, busiest, and oldest-running used underwear and clothing marketplaces in the world.

Pantydeal is more than a marketplace. It’s a members-only platform and community where people can explore their sexuality while making money selling worn clothing and adult services.

How much can you earn selling your used underwear and laundry?
Pantydeal’s most active sellers earn thousands of pounds per month. And as with any business, the more time and energy you invest, the more profits you take home.

An average used underwear item sells for £40, but most sellers make their earnings through selling underwear in combination with higher-priced services.

To access all of the site’s tools, you need to become a Premium seller, which costs $21 per month. However, the platform takes no commission on your sales, so when you make money, you keep every penny to yourself.

Sell used underwear online: Safety, support, and easy-to-use tools
Privacy is essential to Pantydeal.com. You can sign up and start selling without revealing your identity or personal details. The content you post is visible to members only, and their support team is on hand to help.

Their member verification systems ensure that members are who they say they are, and their review systems keep conversations and transactions respectful and scam-free.

This used underwear platform has themed monthly contests where sellers can win prizes and gain exposure on the site, regular newsletters, and an online magazine with weekly articles on sex,  relationships, kink, and how to succeed as a worn underwear seller.

Start Selling Your Used Underwear: A Step-by-Step Guide

Register
Your journey into making money online starts with signing up. You’ll need an email address, username, and password for this.
No personal details are made public or shared with third parties. It’s recommended to create an alternative business email address for this purpose and to take time to select a memorable username that reflects your specific business personality.

Get Certified
To become a certified seller with a ‘Fakecheck passed’ badge on your profile, you must pass a check to verify your identity, age, and details. This system ensures the community’s safety and lets buyers know you’re a real person.

Create your profile
Now it’s time to get creative.

You need a clear, high-quality, non-explicit and attractive profile photo. This is what potential buyers will see first. It’s also helpful to have other photos of yourself on your profile so buyers can feel connected to you before purchasing.

The next thing your profile needs is a bio. This is crucial for getting your personality across and clearly detailing what you’re selling in your store.

In your bio, you should introduce yourself in a friendly, honest, and descriptive way. List your interests, personality traits, products, services, prices and other practical information like shipping and payment methods in a way that is professional and easy to read.

Create ads and start selling
Once you’ve decided what you want to sell (and there are lots to choose from), it’s time to start selling.

This means taking pictures, writing descriptions and catchy titles, and publishing ads. If you’re selling used clothing items, it’s best to upload photos of you wearing them so buyers know they’ve been worn by the person selling them.

If you’re selling other products or online services, you should list your offers on your profile and create appealing visual ads.

Deliver your item and get paid
Once you’ve arranged a transaction with an interested buyer, it’s time to deliver your product online or through post and get paid.

Payment and shipping methods are arranged privately between buyer and seller but remember not to share personal details. Once the transaction is complete, leave an honest review and move on to your next sale.

You can sell more than used underwear online

While many online marketplaces focus on used underwear, many people don’t know you can sell and make big profits from other worn items, products and services.
So, what else can you sell to make money online?

Used underwear
This is Pantydeal’s classic wholesale item, and it is exactly as it seems: used underwear. You wear the underwear (thongs, briefs, tangas, etc), find a buyer, package it up and post it to its lucky buyer. Job done.

Used bras & lingerie
The rest of your underwear is definitely up for grabs. Alongside knickers, you can also advertise your finest or comfiest used bras, stockings, suspenders, nightgowns, corsets, and more.

Used shoes and socks
Foot fetish items are some of Pantydeal’s most popular. You can make the most of this by advertising your well-worn socks and shoes and posting them to a new beloved owner.

Used sportswear
Used sportswear is a popular used item because it powerfully carries scent and connection. Go workout in your best (or oldest) leggings, sports bras, and yoga shorts and sell them to the highest bidder.

Pantydeal is about selling used underwear, and much more

There are many weird and wonderful ways to make money online, but selling used clothing and one-of-a-kind content is something that can be done in a fun, simple and safe way.

If you dedicate time to creating an attractive profile, publish regular ads and don’t give up easily, you can live comfortably from your earnings as a used underwear and clothing seller.

It’s more than possible to make a comfortable financial living selling panties. Sound good? Build your lucrative, long-term business with time, effort and of course, confidence.

Happy selling!

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post How to Make Money Selling Your Used Underwear and Dirty Laundry appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Here at MoneyMagpie, we’ve previously shared with you our tips on how to make money selling your own VHS tapes. Now we want to share with you how to make money sell your old cassettes tapes.

Cassette tapes have been considered outdated for a number of years due to the emergence of streaming and the introduction of the CD. But in recent years there has been a resurgence in the number of cassettes sold. Research from the BPI showed that in 2020, 157,000 cassettes had been sold in the UK, in 2021 this number rose to 185,000 a growth of 19%. So, instead of throwing out that dusty pile of tapes, why not see if they’re worth anything?

• Where to sell
• Should I invest?
• Top of the charts – the most valuable cassettes for sale

What to do with old cassette tapes

Who buys old cassette tapes

Living in the digital age makes us often forget about the humble cassette tape. However, there are lots of online options when it comes to where to sell cassette tapes but remember sometimes selling in person can be just as effective.

eBay

eBay is the biggest online auction site so it’s a good place to start when selling your old cassette tapes. From Bjork to 2Pac to the Spice Girls, if you can name it, it’s probably on there. Take some time to peruse the site and price your tapes accordingly. You can sell them as singles or job lots but either way you’re going to cash in on your junk.

Amazon

Amazon lets you list what you want on your own store so it could be the perfect place to sell your collection, but it is worth taking into account the selling fees they charge for using their site.

Local record stores

If you do your research, you might find a local record store that’s willing to take your old cassettes off your hands. You might not get as much as if you sell online but you don’t have to worry about posting them out and you’ll get your money there and then.

Car boot sales and vintage fairs

We all love a good car boot sale, so why not find out where your local one is and get yourself a table. You might meet a local music lover who wants to buy your tapes or who could point you in the direction of a fanatic. It’s amazing what networking can do when it comes to selling.

Should I invest?

It’s clear to see that Cassettes are making a comeback with more people buying nostalgia due to the pandemic. As well as younger people buying limited releases from their favourite artists.  So, should you invest?

If you love the nostalgia and still have a tape player that works – why not? It’s another way of supporting your favourite artists and lets you have a physical copy of their music instead of constant streaming. If you choose to invest in limited release cassettes and sell them in the future, you might make your money back and then some.

But like all investments, there is an element of risk, and we can’t predict how long the cassette market will keep growing.

Top of the charts – the most valuable cassettes for sale

1. Xero – Xero.

This title might not be known to many, but it was the first self-released and self-titled album by the band that would go on to be known as Linkin Park. There’s are not many copies around justifying its whopping $4,500 price tag.

2. The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince) – The Versace Experience – Prelude 2 Gold

Created exclusively for the attendees of Paris Fashion Week in 1995, this cassette sold for $4,117. This very limited release also states its “4 promotional use only – not 4 sale” – but for that price why wouldn’t you sell?

3. Various – United Diaries 1979-87

This 32-tape collection – complete with suitcase comprises all of United Diaries works from 1979-87. It’s pretty experimental music so you might not have heard of Steven Stapleton, Nurse With Wound and similar artists that were involved in its creation. It is in the top 100 list multiple times with the most it has been sold for being $2,300.

4. Throbbing Gristle – 24 Hours

Originally limited to 50 copies this was a 26-tape collection with matching suitcase for storage. Released in 1980, each of the 50 sets was personalised to the buyer and dated, sent out with hand-made collages each one was completely unique. Initially retailing for £77 in the UK, it recently sold for £2,200 – so maybe check your attic for it.

5. Various – De La Viande Pour Le Disco

Selling for $1,818 this French cassette is not widely known on the UK market, so you probably don’t have this one lying around in the loft.

So maybe it’s time to dig around your attic and price up your old cassette collection – you might be sitting on a gold mine.

The post Sell Cassette Tapes appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

We take a look at all the other places that help you make money from recycling old bottles

Can you really make money from your old shampoo bottles? If you love a hair and beauty binge then you are not alone.

It is estimated that over  552 million shampoo bottles end up in our landfills yearly  and 83% of women wear makeup daily.

But shelling out for new products, particularly with the cost of living crisis, can frequently leave your bank account feeling a little empty.

That is why beauty recycling schemes are a great incentive to help the planet and your purse.

An impressive 88% of UK households consider recycling an established norm and 12m tonnes are recycled annually. But when it comes to beauty products and shampoo empties things can get more complicated.

Many products are made up of multiple plastics, which often have different recycling practices for their different components.

This means it’s not just a simple process of throwing everything into your normal recycling bin and hoping for the best, as unfortunately they won’t always be accepted at the other end.

But fear not, there is a better solution… that can even bring a little extra cash back to you.

Enter the beauty recycling scheme that many big brands and household names are signed up for.

You simply take your washed empties back to the company you brought them from and in return, they give you money, a voucher or discount to spend in-store.

What can you get?

By returning your empties to retailers across the UK you could receive cash incentives and discounts galore. If you already use the product regularly anyway it’s a win-win and you will be helping the environment, one bottle at a time.

Supermarket and chain store recycling

Boots

As mentioned above Boots are well behind National Recycling Week 2023 by offering customers the chance of extra points. Throughout October, customers will receive 600 Boots Advantage Card points (worth £6!) when they recycle five empties, from any brand, at any of the 700 drop off points in Boots stores across the UK* when they spend £10 or more.**

If you always shop at Boots then its recycling scheme will be great for getting extra Boots points on your card to spend in-store.

The Boots scheme  allows  you to bring your empty beauty, health, wellness and dental products, from any brand, into all Boots retailers.

When you bring five empty products into one of the in-store recycle bins, Boots will generously give you a total of 600 Boots Advantage Card points when you spend £10 or more – that’s worth £6.

John Lewis

Recycling just got easier with John Lewis’  Beauty Cycle. If you’re a My John Lewis member, you’ll instantly get £5 off when you spend £20 or more on Beauty when you bring in five or more clean, empty beauty product containers to any of John Lewis beauty counters.

Individual beauty stores recycling

Lush

Lush has a popular ‘Bring it Back’ scheme which gives 50p back per bottle, no matter what product you are recycling. You can even return your 10ml sample pots for an additional 5p off your shopping per item!

Mac

Mac lipsticks are always a good idea and are designed to be accessible to all. Mac was originally created for photoshoots and live shows, so the lipsticks are  typically more -pigmented than other lipsticks and also have a creamy texture that is created to last on the lips.

With their ‘Back to Mac’  scheme, you can now return six empties and get a lippie of your choice and colour.

Kiehl’s

Most Kiehl’s stores now have  recycling hubs where, once you bring in 10 empties, you can receive a free £9.75 voucher to spend on any product you like.

Even if you bring in just one empty, you can still receive points through the Family Loyalty Rewards Programme.

The Perfume Shop

The Perfume Shop has always set out to host luxury perfumes at affordable prices but now you can get a further discount when you recycle your old bottles.

Bring back any of your old perfume bottles to  The Perfume Shop and you can get a 10% discount off any product.

The future of recycling

Set to launch in 2025, the government is producing a Deposit Return Scheme to be rolled out across the country.

The scheme aims to give everyone the opportunity to recycle with an extended monetary incentive included.

The scheme would include unique machines, known as reverse vending machines, and designated sites where people can visit to return their bottles. The aim is they will receive cash back, similar to schemes in America which are already in place.

In most cases, it would be the retailers who sell drinks or products covered by the scheme who would host a return point.

What to do with your empties if you have product left: When it comes to leftover products that are past their use-by date, it may seem natural to wash them down the sink, but this should be avoided.

Most beauty and skincare products contain chemicals, microbeads or even microplastics which can pollute rivers and oceans.

If a product is still within its expiration period but you know you won’t use it,  Toiletries Amnesty  charity accepts used beauty and hair products to help others in need.

Don’t forget you can also recycle clothes, with most high street shops offering similar offers when you take unwanted clothes into the store they were from. Read more about that here.

The post Make money from your old shampoo bottles appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Here are 10 items you might not know that you can recycle for money:

• Clothes
• Ink cartridges
• Wine Corks
• Hair
• Cell phones
• Beauty product containers
• Broken crockery
• Loo roll
• Lego
• Underwear

Clothes

One of the reasons you may find yourself in said financial pickle is the fact you can’t resist a good old fashion sale. Once again – we’re not judging you!

But how many of the items in your wardrobe do you actually love to wear, if at all?

Instead of just hoarding a whole bunch of perfectly good clothes, you can recycle them and even make a quick little buck.

There are two main ways to do this:

Set up a second-hand online shop

There’s a huge market on eBay, Instagram and Etsy for second-hand clothes. Spend some time browsing through other online stores to see what other people ask for items then set up your own!

Read this article for a few tips on how to get started.

Cash in on in-store recycling plans

In an effort to up their sustainability ante, many large clothing retailers have launched recycling schemes.

H&M, Monki and Marks & Spencer allow customers to drop off bags old clothes – any brand is acceptable – in store. In return, they offer discount vouchers you can put toward your next purchase. Okay, so you’re not making money, but this is a great way to build up some credit for an occasion that absolutely calls for a new dress.

Ink Cartridges

Every year an estimated 57 million ink cartridges find their way into UK landfills, rubbish dumps and incinerators. Considering it can take just one cartridge up to 1,000 years to decompose, these figures are very alarming. It’s easy to recycle cartridges so don’t contribute to the problem – sell them to a recycling company and you’ll also make yourself some money.

There are a whole host of companies that will pay up to £4.50 per empty cartridge! Here are a few you can check out:

• Printer Cartridge Recycling
• Cash for Cartridges
• Ink2Cash
• The Recycling Factory
• Recycle Ink

Wine Corks

Unless you’re fond of arts and crafts, you’ve probably never given a second thought to throwing the cork away after polishing off a bottle of chardonnay.

Well, best stop doing that and recycle them for cash instead.

Believe it or not, wine corks are a super hot commodity among crafty folks. In fact, there is a whole section dedicated to used wine corks on eBay where bundles of between 50 and 100 go for up to £8.00.

Hair

We know this may sound slightly creepy, but recycling your hair is – in fact – a thing. But, it’s also mostly for a good cause.

Hair Harvest is one of the companies that buys human hair and then turns it into wigs for vulnerable patients who have lost their own hair for one reason or another.

The amount they pay depends on the length of hair you are able to part with. Here’s a rough guide:

14-15 inches – £25 – £60
16-18 inches – £50 – £150
19 inches and above- £60 – £200

You can visit the Hair Harvest website for the rules and regulations around the process of recycling your hair.

Read our article to find out more about selling your hair.

Mobile phones

Make anything from £5-£600 for your old, battered phone.

Did you know there are over 80 million mobiles in the UK just lying around doing nothing?

So if you’ve got a few languishing in a drawer or under your bed, now is the time to opt for recycling and get some cash in return!

Visit the Compare and Recycle website for comparisons on how much you can make selling your phone on different platforms.

While you can get around £600 for an iPhone XS with 64g memory, you will probably be more willing to sell an older model. According to the site, you can get up to £194 for an iPhone 6 and up to £350 for an iPhone 7 Plus.

Beauty product containers

Still have mascara from two years ago tucked away in the bottom of your make-up bag? Or that lipstick you thought you’d rock on nights out, but were never brave enough to wear? Perhaps it’s time you let go.

Fortunately, John Lewis & Partners recently launched a beauty recycling trial, called BeautyCycle, which offers members of its loyalty programme the chance to recycle empty makeup and skincare beauty products from any brand.

The programme offers members £5 off a beauty purchase when they bring empty beauty products and packaging from any brand into a shop. While it’s not cold, hard cash, it will definitely help you save!

Broken crockery

Like wine bottle corks, broken plates, saucers, cups, tiles and even mirrors are popular items amongst crafters. Especially those who like making mosaics.

If you have a pile of defunct crockery or building materials, make up ‘surprise’ hampers of between 20 and 150 pieces and sell them on eBay or Etsy.

Boxes of 20 pieces can go for about £8, while boxes of 150 can get you up to £15.

Loo roll

Oh, and another thing popular with crafters is old toilet rolls.

They often need more toilet rolls than they can produce, so are willing to pay for them on sites such as eBay and Gumtree.

Okay, you won’t make a fortune, but £7 for 50 rolls is better than just throwing them away!

Find out more about making money selling your loo roll here. 

Lego

If your child has outgrown their love of Lego, don’t even think about letting those colourful little blocks gather dust on some nursery room shelf. Instead, you can make a decent bit of pocket money by selling them on eBay!

Currently, 1kg bundles of average blocks can go for up to £20. Of course, if you have limited release figurines, you can make quite a bit more.

Read more about making money with Lego!

Underwear

Yes, there are people out there (well, mostly men) who are willing to pay for your used knickers!

It’s weird, you might find it a bit distasteful, but it can be quite lucrative.

There are whole sites set up to help you offer this service, such as:

Sites such as

• PantyDeal
• The Kinky Boutique
• Sofia Gray

You can sell your knickers from about £12 to a couple of hundred quid. One of our readers actually made over £4,500 doing this, so there is real money to be made.

Find out more about selling your knickers here. 

The post Things you didn’t know you could recycle for money appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Well, if you were a particularly conscientious teen and preserved those precious finds, you might just be able to make money from them today.

Here’s a quick guide to a few things you should know about buying and selling old film posters.

• Why are old film posters so sought-after?
• What are collectors after?
• How much can you make?
• A strange story about finding film posters under a carpet

Why are old film posters so popular?

Well, the reason is pretty simple – they were never created to be preserved. As with all advertising, these posters were simply used as a fleeting method of grabbing people’s attention.

So, it’s hardly surprising that the few saved and preserved by collectors or film buffs are now considered valuable rarities.

This is especially true for larger posters that were displayed on billboards. Unless they were salvaged, they would simply have been pasted over with the next big blockbuster. Some of these posters are so rare that less than 10 can be found anywhere in the world.

What are collectors after?

There are a number of factors that influence the value of old movie posters. As mentioned above, rarity is one important aspect.

However, there are a few more things to consider:

Title

Obviously, the posters of popular and cult films are more sought-after than their B-grade counterparts. For instance, the most expensive old film posters currently listed on eBay include The All New Dracula, Oliver Twist and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Striking artwork

There are, however, cases where posters of less popular films are highly sought-after due to the quality of the poster’s artwork.

According to Sothebys.com, a relatively unknown film called New York (1927) is a case in point. The poster features a particularly beautiful impression of the Big Apple skyline that collectors fall over their feet to find.

Condition

Because having actually been in use adds value to a poster, the condition doesn’t have to be perfect. Unlike other collectibles, such as toys, collectors consider folds, stamps and slight fading part and parcel of the deal.

Most would, however, not invest in something that is badly torn, completely faded or damaged in other unsightly ways.

Origin

In many cases, European versions of movie posters are more sought-after than their American and British counterparts. The reason for this is simply that designing movie posters was considered more of an art rather than pure advertisement.

How much can you make?

Well, this depends entirely on how many of the boxes mentioned above your posters tick.

If you head on over to eBay, you’ll see that posters go for anything between £0.99 and £5,000.

The seven most expensive posters on eBay right now are:

Original Bullitt1968, Italian 4-Foglio, Film/Movie Poster – £5,000

Dracula 1958 – Original UK quad film poster – £4,999.00

Oliver Twist original UK quad film poster – £5,000

Quatermass and the Pit original UK quad film poster – £2,000.00

School for Secrets original UK quad film poster – £1,800.00

Large framed Goldfinger poster (With cast signatures) – £1,800.00

Large original Beatles Help poster – £1,550.00

So, there you have it! If you have something you think fits this bill, you could be making big bucks on eBay!

A strange story about finding film posters under a carpet

If you’re still sceptical about just how lucrative a few good old film posters can be, gather round for this crazy story published by The Guardian last year.

In 1985, two builders uncovered a stash of beautiful cinema posters dating from the 1930s and 40s under the carpet of a home they were renovating in Penarth, Wales. That’s right! Under a carpet. It all checks out, as the home belonged to a Cardiff cinema owner’s relative and the posters probably seemed like a good and easy-to-access barrier to use at the time.

Strangely enough, this seemed to have been a good way of preserving the posters, as they were all still in really good condition.

The builders were allowed to keep the posters and wisely decided to hold onto them for a couple of years.

Well, in 2017, their collection was put up for auction and sold for a whopping £72,000!

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The post How to make money from old film posters appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Take a look at our guide for starting up a baking business below:

• Make money from cakes
• Where to sell your cakes
• Devising a business plan
• Equipment you need
• Getting inspiration 
• Creating hampers
• How much should you charge?
• Seasonal baking
• Have fun with it!
• Case study: Lazy Day Cakes
• Case study: Hummingbird Bakery

How to make money from cakes

Home cooking, especially baking cakes and cupcakes, is very fashionable right now. This is thanks to celebrity chefs and cooking programmes like the Great British Bake Off. People will pay good money for high quality baking. You can sell your food at parties, fairs, and even at local food markets.

The beautiful thing about earning by baking is that it’s straightforward, flexible and enjoyable. It isn’t something that you necessarily have to do on a regular basis if you don’t want to. But if you’re ever short on cash, the option is there. All you’ll really need is a few good recipes and a reasonable idea of what people want to buy.

Getting started: Where to sell?

There are many places that you can sell cakes and other sweet products.

• Car boot sale
• School fairs
• Online shop
• Selling to local stores
• Setting up your own shop

Remember location is important. Before you decide to make a real go of baking, first find out what sells and where.

Working out a business plan

Working out the basics of your business first will hopefully help you keep on track with your budget. Running your own business can be exciting and rewarding but also stressful and taxing. But if you follow our tips, you’ll find your baking life will be made much easier.

Start small and keep costs low

Don’t spend any more than you have to on your start-up. Lots of big businesses start small, for example Laura Ashley began at her kitchen table. M&S started with a market stall, and Tesco was just a couple of local grocer’s shops at the beginning. Consider using your kitchen as your workplace before moving somewhere bigger.

Don’t forget insurance, as your household insurance may no longer be valid if you’re working from home. This is something you’ll need to check with your current broker. You may need to upgrade your insurance.

Set up a separate bank account for your business. It doesn’t need to be an expensive ‘business’ account, it can be an ordinary current account. Either with your current bank or with a different provider.

Pay attention to cashflow

Starting up a new business can be hard, so any help financially can really make the difference. Don’t assume that people will pay on time every time.

• Cut down your waiting time for payments by getting clients to agree payment terms at the start.
• Don’t spend money now assuming that you’ll receive payment from your clients.
• Plan your business expenditure so that you are not creating debt. And therefore not dependent upon customers paying on time.
• Have more than one income stream – even if that means doing a part-time job while you get established.
• If you’re having consistent problems with unpaid bills then consider joining the Federation of Small Businesses (around £200 a year) so that you can use their legal assistance to chase your debtors.

Create a realistic business plan

As the saying goes: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Therefore, even if you’re just setting up as a part-timer you need to give yourself a clear idea of your monthly costs and how much profit (or other income) you must generate to keep going.

Work out what your monthly sales need to be, factoring in costs like baking equipment, ingredients, delivery etc. Make yourself a chart for the next 12 months showing the growth in sales you can realistically generate and be clear on how you’ll generate those new customers.

It’s a tough thing to guess but just the action of thinking it through will provide you with earnings goals and points to consider as you run your business.

Networking is vital

The more you’re out touting for work, the more work you’re likely get. With the internet it’s possible to meet people without leaving your home.

Join online networking groups and forums and start giving useful advice on areas directly relevant to your business. This raises your profile in a positive way. But don’t spend too much time on it, allocate a certain amount of time a week and stick to that.

A simple way to get some repeat business is to get some business cards printed. If you’re making cakes, you could then advertise the fact that you bake to order for parties and events. Pop into local cafes and coffee shops (not the chain outlets), hand them your card and make your services known. Maybe even provide them with a few samples. Make sure you take your business cards wherever you go. You can meet interesting and potentially useful people anywhere.

Give people what they want

Don’t make the mistake of being blinkered about what you want to produce and sell. You have to be very aware of what your potential and existing customers want to spend money on. Not just what you think they want because it’s easier for you.

Speak to potential customers, both before you start up the business and as an ongoing habit. Take them to lunch, pick their brains, ask them what they want and enjoy.

Keep a realistic perspective of what’s selling as your business develops. Is there a sideline product or service that’s very popular and takes less effort than the main offering? If so, focus more effort on it. Be honest with yourself about what works, what doesn’t. If you have to make enough to pay the rent, then you need to be brutally honest about the success or failure of products pretty quickly.

What do you need to start

Food safety and hygiene

The first thing you should do is research the food safety standards. Legislation says that all food businesses must register their kitchens with their local authority unless they operate on a “casual and limited” basis.

If you’re simply selling once in a blue moon at a car boot sale or market then you don’t need to worry. However, if you are planning on making an income in this way, contact your local council and ask them what the rules are in your area. Laws vary depending on where you live. For example, in some places you will need to become a registered trader, even if you only sell your food once every couple of months.

Be aware that if you’re regularly selling food produce, you may need to need to take a course in food hygiene. You can do this over the internet and it’ll cost you around £15. The course is mostly just common sense so it’s reasonably easy to complete.

Work out your costs

If you want to make money baking, you need to do some basic costings. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You’ll need to take into consideration:

• How much ingredients cost
• Cost of the sale location fee (car boot sale/farmers market fee) if there is one
• Average cost of travel to the location
• Cost of the food packaging (keep it simple to start with, clingfilm will do in most cases)
• Initial cost of food hygiene training (if you’re planning on regular sales)
• Cost of labels/general stationery/invoicing pads
• Extra cost of gas or electricity for your oven

Once you’ve worked out how much all of this is, you should be able to work out how much you’ll need to sell to make a profit.

While you do your research, you should be taking note of how much other stallholders sell their cakes and foods for. This gives you a rough idea of how much you can reasonably expect to charge.

You don’t have to be qualified to sell cakes, but there are hundreds of baking/cake decorating courses you can go on which are likely to benefit the quality of your products.

Here are a few we recommend:

• Annabelle Jane Cake School
• Blue Door Bakery (email bluedoorbakery@hotmail.com)

Finding the right location

Try out a stall at a car boot sale first, because it won’t cost much to set up. You can find your nearest car boot sale on Carbootjunction. Once you’re more established, you might consider going a little more upmarket. Although if you have cracked the car boot market, you could also simply increase the number of cakes you take with you. Letting your business grow that way.

To set up a stall at a farmers’ market, you need to find one local to you. You can do this by searching Facebook or the Local Foods website for your nearest market.

Keep on top of your finances

• Put money aside for your forthcoming tax bill.
• If you can, speak to an accountant about how much you should put aside for tax.
• However if you’re just starting up, you probably won’t have to pay VAT.
• Keep good records of your incoming and outgoing revenues, your receipts and other related information. Again if you speak to an accountant they will give you guidance on what files to keep, how to organise them and what to do to keep your accountancy bills down.
• Accountants too expensive? Though a good accountant is invaluable, you don’t necessarily need one when you’re first starting out. Plenty of people do their own accounts on paper or using an Excel spreadsheet.

How to come up with ideas

It’s a crowded market so how do you make sure people want your cakes?

The cake business has been around for longer than anyone can remember and in recent years the market has become very crowded. It’s important that you create and sell things people will want to buy. Chances are somebody will already have the best butter cream filling or the tastiest frosted cupcakes. How are you going to make sure you stand out from your competitors?  Think outside the box. Take a trip to your local car boot sale or farmers’ market and look for which food stalls are the busiest. If it seems like jam is the ‘in-thing’ and there aren’t that many stalls that sell it, you’ve found your product: jam filled cakes.

If you’re at a car boot and there aren’t any stalls selling food then it’s a good idea to take a look at the people that are there. Are they the sort who would prefer to buy upmarket, fancy, homemade produce or a couple of 20p fairy buns to nibble on? Make the kind of cakes and sweets you think you could sell easily.

You can also ask your family and friends what they’d like. Try to ask a wide range of people and see if you come out with any unanimous decisions. Also, speak to any cake sellers you see at fairs and markets and ask them which cakes sell best.

Experiment

Once you’ve got a good idea of the kind of people you’re going to be selling to, it’s time to get your product sorted. You’ll need to come up with a range of different products to make this work. If you’re selling cake, try out different methods, ingredients, flavours and fillings. With sweets, test out different recipes. You could try focusing on one area, like chocolate, fudge or maybe even health food.

Get your friends and family to try all your samples out and find out which are the most popular choices. They’ll likely be more than willing to help. It’s worth knowing that at farmers’ markets, you’re not likely to sell much unless you use local, organic ingredients. People who go to these events look for traditional homemade foods and one of the pros of shopping for food at a farmers’ market is that you’re able to ask the stallholder precisely where the food is from and how it was made.

Stallholders at farmers’ markets should be prepared to give honest, credible answers to customers. So factor these more expensive ingredients into your budget. Remember that people are usually willing to pay for high quality.

Presentation

Presentation is important, particularly if you sell at an upmarket venue. Consider your customers: are they going to want something ‘cheap and cheerful’, or posh-looking homemade produce? Funnily enough, some of the more expensive jams and cakes have ‘the rustic look’: you could find yourself charging a lot for produce which looks especially homely.

Packaging can affect your sales in a big way. Ribbon is cheap if you buy in bulk from a haberdashery store, and can neaten up any edges around your cakes. If you’re selling jams it’s worth getting some fancy labels printed, or spending some time decorating your own. You could experiment with themed packaging around holidays like Easter and Christmas, and for days like Valentine’s Day and Halloween

Whatever you use to package your products, it’s important to remember that you’re dealing with food. This means that you are limited to certain types of packaging depending on what food you’re selling.

Creating hampers

Everyone loves hampers – particularly at special seasons or occasions like birthdays. Big stores like Harrods and M&S do a roaring trade in them – have a look at their hampers to give yourself ideas of what to put in yours. Actually making the hamper can cost very little and the goodies inside can be made at home to bring down costs. However, the selling price can be as high as you like, so this is an amazing potential earner if you get it right.

Seasonal hampers

Seasonal hampers can be best sellers if you do them right. Easter and Christmas will be the best time to make seasonal hampers. Everyone likes a Santa-shaped cake or Easter bunny cookie.

Hamper presentation

It’s important to remember that these hampers or baskets are meant as gifts. So they should look as gorgeous as possible. If a customer is not wowed by the first hamper you supply, they are far less likely to buy from you again.

The key to decorating baskets effectively and cheaply is to keep it simple. Place some shredded paper in the bottom of the hamper to protect your goods. Then arrange your items so they’re all facing the same way, looking up at the buyer.

If you want to add a little more luxury you could tie a ribbon around the hamper. Or you could drop a few foiled chocolates to cover empty space. Simplicity is the key for decoration of hampers.

To add touches of Easter arrange a few decoration chicks in the hamper or a few false flowers. You could also paint eggs and use them to add colour to your basket. At Christmas add some tinsel and a few red or green bow.

How much should you charge?

To work out how to price your hamper, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.

The first and most obvious is how much it costs to make. This includes the items inside the hamper, the basket itself, the decorations. And finally the costs for the delivery, if relevant.

The second cost is your time: how long does it take to make a hamper? Consider how much you would like to pay yourself an hour and incorporate this into the costs.

Once you have a good idea of how much each hamper costs to make and distribute in total, you can decide how much you are going to mark the price up. Other factors to consider are the quality of your hamper, and what you think the market will bear. Remember that if the price is too high then customers will use one of your rivals, so be competitive without selling yourself short.

For more ideas about how to present and sell hampers see our article here.

Seasonal baking

Seasonal cakes and cupcakes are also very popular. The safest thing is to go for very simple, cheap cake and biscuit recipes that you can decorate to look really special. Think about sponge cakes, madeiras, shortbread biscuits, gingerbread etc. None of these cost too much to make. With a little extra spent on the icing and decoration, though, you could charge three or four times the cost of making them.

Easter cakes

At Easter you can offer baskets with cakes such as simnel cake, hot cross buns, nest cakes or Easter biscuits. There are many recipes on the internet and in cook books available at your local book store. The BBC Food website has easy-to-follow hot cross bun, Easter biscuit and simnel cake recipes.

To find out how to make chocolate nest cakes visit cakebaker.co.uk. Another particularly good collection of Easter cake recipes can be found here.

Christmas baking ideas

Christmas cakes can come in all different shapes and sizes. A Snowman topped with a delicious layer of snowy buttercream icing. A Christmas tree with green icing and hundred and thousands for decorations. Or something more traditional like a rounded fruit cake. Fruit cakes are very seasonal but they cost a lot to make. Will you be able to make enough of a profit on them?  Whichever way you choose to go, make sure you’re original.

Biscuits are also great for Christmas. Buy a cutter set and make biscuits in the shape of trees and snowflakes, then add some colourful icing and a few silver balls. You could put your biscuits in a simple see through bags with a nice ribbon so they can hang from the tree. This way they can act as a decoration as well as a tasty Christmas treat.

Birthday cakes

Birthday cakes are great because people have birthdays all year round so there is sure to be a demand for your services if your price is right. With birthday cakes people will usually ask for a specific cake, maybe a Spider-Man cake or in the shape of a number.

This is a great time to experiment with food colouring, icing options and build up your portfolio. If someone asks for something you don’t think you can handle, though, don’t take it on just because they are offering you their money. Make sure you have the skills to create what your customer is asking for.

Special occasions

There are so many special occasions that could be used as an opportunity to offer your baking services, including baby showers, retirement parties, graduations, weddings and many more.

Finally, remember to have fun…

Running a business should be creative, satisfying and enjoyable. It’s a chance to express yourself, meet interesting and creative people, and potentially make a lot of money. So enjoy the process of being in business. And make the most of the good times.

When you get a big contract or when you complete a difficult task remember to celebrate!

To inspire you to get started with your baking business we have two real life case studies of how you can turn your hobby into a fully functioning money-making business. Both case studies were self-taught bakers! See below:

Case study: Whitney Hurst – Lazy Day Cakes

Whitney Hurst started selling cakes from her kitchen in 2012. Before she knew it she had a load of orders and decided to set up her own shop, Lazy Day Cakes. Recently she decided to sell up to pursue her dream of becoming a midwife. Below Whitney tells us about her success and experience of selling cakes.

When and why did you start selling cakes?

“In 2012 I fractured my spine in a gym accident. After months being bedbound and unable to work I was finally able to shuffle round my kitchen and that’s when I started baking. I had made my kids birthday cakes in the past but I got started on cupcakes. I was making 30+ a day and that’s when I decided to make a website to see what happened. Amazingly within a few days I had orders.”

What was your first professional baking job?

“I started by going to craft fairs and ladies’ nights. It didn’t take long to realise that ladies love cakes but also are very conscious of them being a treat so I came up with a new recipe that reduced the fat content if the cakes by 50% that’s when things started to go mental.”

How did you go about promoting yourself in the wider community?

“My only form of advertising was Facebook. I just put up lots and lots of pictures and that’s when the word started to spread. I was very lucky because people not only liked the look of the cakes but the taste was a win too. Quite often with cupcakes they look great but the taste isn’t always up to scratch.”

How long did it take to get you established?

“It took probably six months of events such as craft fairs before we started getting recognised.”

Did you initially work from home and then go on to get a shop?

“I did the cakes from home for 12 months doing the craft fairs, farmers’ markets and ladies’ nights. In June 2013, I opened the first shop where I had just four tables and a serving counter.  I was still baking everything at home and transporting the cakes to the shop daily. In October 2013, I moved into a shop three times the size where I had a full bakery and a much larger cafe area.”

Did you have any professional training?

“No. I am totally self-taught.”

How did you set yourself apart from similar businesses around your area?

“There were two other local business that were similar. What made us different was that having four kids we were so child-friendly that people with kids wanted to come just so that they didn’t have to worry about messy children. Our workshops and parties were priced reasonably because the rent overheads were relatively low. The other business that offered just workshops was really expensive because of its city centre location, and the other just did parties whereas we did both and had a tearoom.”

Why did you end up selling?

“I wanted to pursue my passion of becoming a midwife and now that I have the support from my fiancé Ian, to go back to university I decided to enroll. I decided juggling the business and my studies wasn’t a possibility and closing the shop wasn’t really an option – considering how successful it was – so I decided to sell.”

Whitney’s advice to those wanting to make baking a full time career…

“My advice to anyone wanting to set up a cake business is trust your abilities. It’s very difficult to compete with supermarket prices but they’re full of chemicals and made in machines. Don’t sell yourself short, work out how much the ingredients cost, how long it’ll take you to make the cake and add your time and at least minimum wage.”

Case study: Tarek Malouf –  The Hummingbird Bakery

Tarek Malouf was working at ABC News in London before he decided to start a bakery business in 2002. Following two years of researching and testing recipes, his first bakery opened its doors for business in early 2004. Below Tarek tells us about his journey to success and future plans for expansion.

When and why did you start selling cakes? 

“The idea of setting up a bakery came to me in early 2002. I was visiting a relative in North Carolina who took me to several traditional American bakeries that served pies and homemade cakes. The smell of fresh baking in these places was amazing. During that time, my sister was living in New York, and we used to go and eat lots of cupcakes and traditional American goodies every time I’d visit her. Taste buds awoken, it was then that I realised I wanted to open my own bakery in London so that people here could enjoy the authentic taste of American baking.”

How did you go about promoting yourself in the wider community?

“Our launch was not promoted in any way. I tried to choose a location for my first branch that had plenty of American expats living close by, as well as a lot of passing foot-traffic. I thought that if we could attract the Americans wanting a taste of home, then we’d start off with a decent customer base. This worked – a very large proportion of our initial customers were American. And after we opened the doors and let the smells of fresh baking waft out onto the street we soon started selling cupcakes to everyone who walked by.”

What was your first professional baking job?

“Prior to first opening The Hummingbird Bakery, I spent two years testing and refining countless recipes in my kitchen at home. Other than this, however, I had no real baking experience. I’d grown up with a great appreciation for the delights of American baking so I did at least have a very clear idea of how I wanted The Hummingbird Bakery’s products to taste. So really, my first professional baking job was in my Notting Hill branch.”

How long did it take to get you established?

“Prior to opening my first bakery, I did do a couple of private cake commissions for friends but this was in no way how I launched. Having fitted out, equipped and opened the doors to my first branch, the business got itself established very quickly. Within a few weeks of launching, word quickly got around that we were baking delicious cakes and business began to grow rapidly.”

Did you have any professional training?

“I have no professional training in baking other than that which I’ve gained from working in my own bakery.”

How did you set yourself apart from similar businesses around your area?

“Initially, we were in the fortunate position of being able to get the business off the ground with no real competitors – there certainly wasn’t anywhere else in London that specialised in quality American baking. Of course, as soon as cupcakes caught on, other cupcake bakeries did quickly pop-up. We have always differentiated ourselves on the quality and authenticity of our products. Another thing we do is bake on site at each of our branches throughout the day to ensure the complete freshness of our products. We also only source quality ingredients – real butter, jams and preserves from Tiptree, free range British eggs, cream cheese from Philadelphia and so on.”

What does the future hold?

“I plan to grow the business here in UK by opening further branches within and around London. I’m also looking at opportunities to open branches in other UK cities. We have franchise partners in the Middle East who have already launched three Hummingbird Bakery branches in Dubai.”

The post Everything you need to know to make money baking appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

If you came of age in the 1980s and 90s, you’ll have a particular brand of nostalgia for the toys, games and music you grew up loving. Maybe the 2000s were when you started to become obsessive about a particular line of plastic figures. 

Whenever and wherever you’re from, RetroElectro, established in 2019 and based in North Wales, trades in large and small collections of retro and vintage items from all around the UK. To date they’ve bought and sold over 20,000 items with outstanding customer feedback. 

RetroElectro will consider ANY items of value but they’re really keen to stock up on: 

Vinyl records – Rock/Pop/Dance/70s onward

Vinyl is huge business these days after finding favour again among music aficionados, so check if you have a stack of wax in the cupboard you thought long-consigned to history. Collectors are looking for classic vinyl, whether it’s a single title they’re finding elusive, or a great collection of records that you just can’t get in shops. 

Lego – any size collection: Loose, boxed, or just minifigures 

Lego went from a childhood toy to a prized collectible, and whether you’ve got classic Lego, Space Lego or a box of random figures and bricks, there’ll be a collector somewhere looking for some or all of your collection. 

Vintage and retro toys and games – Star Wars/Transformers/He-Man/Power Rangers/Doctor Who 

Star Wars is bigger than ever, with multiple shows and upcoming movies on the cards, so have a read of this MoneyMagpie article about the most valuable Star Wars items. Maybe you have some of them! 

And with a new series of Doctor Who beginning this winter, collectors are searching for all kinds of things from Daleks to annuals from every era of the Timelord’s adventures. You might have something rare. 

Retro and modern video games and consoles/computers – Nintendo/Sega/Atari/Commodore/Spectrum 

I have my own nostalgia for the stick-figure antics of Atari baseball, which I used to play round my neighbour’s house. Who knew decades later that the classy vinyl-wood console would become a collector’s item. Maybe you have one of these, or an old ZX Spectrum and games in a box: trust us, someone somewhere is on the hunt for just that, so go ahead and make their day. 

RetroElectro is also on the hunt for other collections such as Dinky, Corgi and Hornby. Now, some or all of this may already have struck a chord with you. You may have a collection you’re keen to get out of the boxes in the attic or off your cluttered shelves and into the bank for a rainy day, so have a think about where they are and how easy they’d be to gather together, dust off and package. 

RetroElectro also takes the hassle out of the delivery of your stuff, by arranging a free courier to come and collect your items. Once they’ve received and checked them, RetroElectro will send payment within 24 hours. 

A better selling option 

You may have considered selling your items at a car boot for pennies, or selling online with fees/customer returns, and sitting around waiting for your goods to sell as you hit refresh on an app… but RetroElectro will take all your items at once and eliminate the general faff of online selling: they do all the work for you. 

Evaluating your collection 

Just want your collection evaluated? No problem, as RetroElectro’s services are also available if you just want advice on valuing or identifying your items. 

Check out RetroElectro now for more examples and advice on selling your retro stuff. You may even see something on the site you want for yourself, or it may give you some examples of things to sell you hadn’t even considered. It’s great for a spring clean and it’s perfect for making some money. 

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post RetroElectro wants your old toys, games and everything in between!  appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

In today’s digital world, it’s never been easier to make money from home. With new online opportunities emerging at every turn, it’s about finding your niche and capitalising on your unique skills and abilities. But, what if that skill involved selling used panties online?

That’s right. Plenty of people (mostly women, but a fair share of men too) are making hundreds of dollars selling their used undergarments to eager, paying customers. But when it comes to the delicate business of selling your delicates, there’s a right and a wrong way to go about it. 

Your first order of business is to find the best platform for this intriguing and arousing side hustle. And what better place than the world’s largest used panty marketplace? We’re talking about Sofia Gray, of course! 

In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at how Sofia Gray works and determine whether or not you can really make money selling your undergarments and accessories on this well-known platform. 

About Sofia Gray
How does Sofia Gray work?
How do you get started on Sofia Gray?
Making money on Sofia Gray
The pros and cons of Sofia Gray
Real Sofia Gray reviews
Make money selling your used undergarments

About Sofia Gray

Sofia Gray was created in 2015 by two aspiring entrepreneurs – Alex Matthews and Simon Raynsford – after hearing a young college girl on the street claim a man offered her $150 for the panties she was wearing. As strange as Matthews and Raynsford thought this was, they soon learned that there’s a huge market for buying and selling used underwear (among other things). And that’s when the idea for Sofia Gray was born.

Fast forward nearly eight years and the platform now attracts over one million visitors every month, with 250,000 regular users – and counting! Sofia Gray has established itself as the leading used panty marketplace on the internet and is currently available in over 10 countries. The website’s professional and attractive design and easy-to-use navigation menus make it a fan favourite for both buyers and sellers. 

How does Sofia Gray work?

The concept behind Sofia Gray is pretty straightforward. Sellers create a personalized panty shop where they can choose to sell everything from used panties, bras, and lingerie to services like messaging and video chats. Every item or service has a price, which is decided on by the seller. Buyers can pay to send messages to their favourite members, place custom orders, and even send them tips as appreciation for a job well done. 

Once the deal is made, the seller carefully packages up their used items (preserving the scent) and ships them off to the buyer. Funds are released once the customer receives the item. Satisfied customers can also leave reviews, helping sellers gain a positive reputation on the site and, in turn, gain more fans and sales. Your success as a seller on Sofia Gray is primarily determined by the time and effort you put into it. 

How do you get started on Sofia Gray?

If you think you have what it takes to sell used panties online, here’s how the registration process on Sofia Gray works.

Start by visiting the homepage at sofiagray then, click on “Sell Now”. 

The website will automatically direct you to the registration page where you’ll be prompted to create an account. Enter your email address, create a password, and confirm that you’re of age and have read the website’s terms and conditions before clicking “Continue”. 

Now, comes the fun part! It’s time to build your personalised panty shop. You get to choose the name and the types of items and services you offer. You can also set your rates and add some more personal information that gives buyers a better idea of who you are and what you’re all about. Share as much or as little as you want just remember, the more connected the customer feels to you, the more likely they are to make a purchase and pay the asking price.

When choosing your physical attributes, be honest. Chances are, many of your photos will include your entire body or at least parts of it. If your physical description doesn’t match your pictures, buyers may get suspicious and you’ll see both your reputation and sales decline.

After saving this information, you’ll move on to the third and final step in the registration process. Sofia Gray charges sellers a monthly fee to use the website and list items for sale. This money is used for marketing, maintaining the website, and offering secure payment methods. You can choose from two payment plans – three months of selling on the site for $24.99 or six months of selling for $44.99. The six-month package is a better deal and also gives you a realistic amount of time to build your panty shop and your following, but the three-month package is also quite popular. 

Sofia Gray accepts most major credit cards. Once you select your package, you can enter your payment information and officially register your account. 

Making money on Sofia Gray

Outside of the subscription fee for using Sofia Gray’s platform, sellers keep 100% of their earnings. Sofia Gray doesn’t collect a commission or any portion of your sales. That means you can set your rates, budget, and control all aspects of your earnings. Sellers on Sofia Gray, on average, make $30 per sale. This is at the higher end of the payscale and due mostly to the platform’s popularity and ability to attract buyers from around the world. 

Sofia Gray does something else that’s unique to other adult marketplaces. You’ll notice certain sections of the homepage are dedicated to new and top-performing sellers, as well as satisfied buyers. This helps put a face to the name and lets new or potential users hear directly from current members. The platform rotates the sellers showcased near the top of the page under the heading “Sofia Gray Sellers”. 

Below these, you’ll see reviews of the sellers from real clients and paying customers. Check out what satisfied customers have to say about their experiences. This can offer you a lot of awesome insight into what buyers are looking for, what they like and dislike, and how to attract more clients. 

But Sofia Gray doesn’t discriminate and likes to acknowledge its buyers as well. The “Featured Buyers” section gives you a sneak peak at some of the most active customers on the site. This can help sellers target their unique niche and find eager buyers most interested in what they have to offer. 

Toward the bottom of the page, you can view “Featured Sellers”. These are selected on a random basis and rotate regularly. Showing up in this section is pure luck but can really give your profile an edge over the competition. 

Another unique feature of Sofia Gray is the use of SG coins. Buyers can purchase this virtual currency and use it on the site to unlock video chats and messages, photo collections, and send tips to their favourite sellers. Sellers can then convert the SG coins they collect into real currency. Not all buyers offer SG coins and not all sellers accept them so it’s important to make sure you both are on the same page before entering into an agreement or making a deal. As a seller, it’s your job to list the price of your items in both US dollars and SG coins so buyers have all the information upfront. Sofia Gray also has a convenient currency converter to help you calculate these figures.

The average seller on Sofia Gray sells eight items per month and has buyers pay to unlock 15 messages, 10 private collections, and five videos. While these are just averages, a lot of factors determine how well you perform as a seller on Sofia Gray and how much money you earn. Some of these include how active you are, how well you engage with buyers, the number of items you sell, the types of items and services you sell, your reviews and reputation, the prices of your items and services, and your popularity. While some of these elements involve a little luck, most of them result from hard work, dedication, and some inside knowledge of how the site operates and how to make it work for you.

Once you’ve earned $50 or more, you can request a withdrawal. Sofia Gray’s support team will review and approve your request and most transactions are complete within three to five business days and deposited into the bank account of your choosing. 

The pros and cons of Sofia Gray

As with any business, Sofia Gray has its pros and cons. Based on user reviews, here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of this used panty marketplace.

Pros

• A dedicated used panty marketplace with a targeted audience
• The ability to sell a variety of items and services 
• One of the most well-known and established adult marketplaces in the world
• Access to thousands of buyers from around the world
• The ability to set your own rates and keep 100% of the sales
• Safe, secure payment methods
• A professional and beautifully designed website that’s easy to use
• An informative blog with relevant articles, useful tips, and advice on making money online
• Featured seller accounts on the homepage to increase exposure 
• Reviews from real buyers that help boost a seller’s reputation 
• The ability to remain anonymous 
• Personalised panty shops that reflect your personality, preferences, and niche
• SG coins provide more earning potential and increase your customer base 

Cons

• A $50 minimum for all withdrawals which can take up to five days to receive
• Being featured as a seller on the homepage is pure luck
• A monthly listing fee for sellers
• International shipping may be expensive

Real Sofia Gray reviews

One of the best ways to determine how well a website performs is to hear from real users on both sides of the deal. That means, seeing what sellers have to say about how much money they’ve made and if buyers were pleased with the quality of the service or items they received. 

Seller Reviews

‘I made my first sale within a few days of setting up my panty shop. The buyers are all so generous and nice. They really make you feel good about yourself and want to sell more.’ – Jasmine

‘I had no idea I could make this much money just wearing my knickers to the gym! I can’t get enough and neither can my loyal fans.’ – Miss Minx

‘It’s easy to make money and get paid on Sofia Gray. I’ve never had an issue and use it as my primary side hustle.’ – Meg

‘Some of the messages I received were clearly bots and scammers but I just ignored them. Sales can be slow sometimes but adding new items to my shop helped.’ – Rita

Buyer Reviews

‘If you haven’t purchased from Sofia Gray, you are truly missing out. The sellers are kind, personable, and aim to please. I am truly amazed and will definitely be back for more.’ – Spartan

‘Bought a few items. Site had no problem taking my money but it is a long wait and hassle for age verification and they keep declining it. Certain sellers wouldn’t ship to me without age verifying on the site even though my card was already charged.’ – Anonymous

‘The best experience I’ve ever had! The seller spent extra time to make sure everything was perfect.’ – Jadiefemme 

‘Had issues with a payment but then the support team fixed it. Took about a week.’ – RJ

‘Purchased from a seller but never received the item and then the seller stopped communication after I sent the money.’ – John Doe

Make money selling your used undergarments

Who knew that a pair of worn underwear could be worth more than a brand new pair out of the package? Depending on the customer’s preferences and unique kinks and fetishes, Sofia Gray makes it possible for sellers to make money off their used undergarments. List everything for sale from lingerie and stockings to messaging services and videos. At Sofia Gray, the naughty money making opportunities are truly endless. Just be mindful of pricing your items competitively yet reasonably and factoring in the website’s subscription fees. Outside of that, simply tap into your inner vixen (or dog fox) and have fun! 

Start selling here.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post Sofia Gray Review: Do People Actually Make Money? appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Boot sale season is in full swing, offering opportunities to sell your old stuff and make money. If you are new to the concept, here is our guide to help you make the most of the boot sale season this summer.

Here are some lessons I have learned about how to sell your old stuff and make money at a car boot sale.

Plan ahead

The key to making money at a boot sale is to be prepared and plan ahead. Find out where the busiest boot sales are and keep an eye on the weather forecast. A sunny day will bring out the hoards. Bank holidays are usually particularly busy.

Take a friend and arrive early

Go with a family member or friend. This will enable you to use the loo without leaving your stall unattended, and perhaps have a look around yourself. It makes setting up easier too, as you tend to have dealers descend on you as you are trying to unpack. Some people will take advantage and steal from you if you don’t have enough eyes on them, unfortunately.

Arrive as early as you can, so that you can get organised before the crowds arrive, and secure a good spot. I am always amazed at the number of people who turn up to sell hours later than many of their potential customers, some of whom may be on their way home already! If possible, pack your vehicle the night before for a quick departure.

Go equipped

A folding trestle table or two will be essential to display your wares, as well as a couple of deckchairs to sit on. It can be a long morning and you will be grateful for somewhere to rest your legs. If you have clothing to sell, a sturdy clothes rail is also a good idea. People are much more likely to buy items that are displayed properly, rather than screwed up on the floor. They are likely to pay more for them too.

A tarpaulin can be useful for laying out larger items or footwear.

If you don’t own any of these, someone you know will have them so beg or borrow.

Take a float

A float is a must, so start collecting coins in advance. You will find that people turn up with twenty-pound notes right at the beginning of the sale. This is irritating, but you don’t want to turn customers away because you are unable to offer them change.

Don’t forget to have separate cash for your stall fee as well, so that you don’t have to pay from your float.

Once you start raking in some profits, a money belt is the safest way to keep them safe.

Take supplies and sensible clothing

Take a good supply of food and drink, like a flask, sandwiches, chocolate and water. You can purchase things like cups of tea and burgers on-site, but there are often queues at the refreshment vans. 

It can be chilly early in the mornings, even in summer, so dress for a cold start. However, wear layers and take a sunhat and sunscreen so you don’t burn when the sun arrives. 

Offer reasonable prices

People expect to find bargains at car boot sales, so don’t price unreasonably high to begin with. For example, you should charge somewhat less than a charity shop or eBay. 

I often hear sellers say things like “These are selling for £xx on eBay” to justify a too-high price. The answer to that is that they should get them on eBay then, with all the fees and work involved in listing, photographing and packaging! If you have more valuable things to sell, then a car boot sale may not be the place to get the best price.

However, don’t undercharge either; you want your efforts to be profitable. I usually aim reasonably high at the beginning of a sale, but drop prices if things don’t shift fairly quickly. It is also worth negotiating with the hagglers or offering a bulk price – £2 each or £5 for three on clothing, for example.

I occasionally find that labelling more expensive items is helpful, but putting prices on everything is time-consuming and not that useful. People will happily ask for a price and this allows you to get a feel for what they are willing to pay and be flexible on the day.

Other things to consider

Take a supply of bin bags to clear up your unsold stuff at the end. You may want to deliver it straight to a charity bin. You are obliged to clear up your rubbish too.

Occasionally, charities come around to collect up any unsold wares, so it is worth asking the organisers if this is an option.

If you have some spare carrier bags, they can be useful to take. If customers can carry more they may well buy extra!

Once you have these basics in place you can sell your old stuff and maximise your profits. After that, just enjoy the process. It’s fun chatting to customers and to the neighbouring stallholders, so you can have a bit of entertainment whilst making some extra cash.

Further reading

• Fix and sell your broken electricals 
• Tips on selling retro toys and games 
• How to make money from Star Wars collectibles

The post A guide to making money at car boot sales appeared first on MoneyMagpie.