Sold Takes Second-Hand Marketplace To The Next Level

‘Sold’ is a recently launched application that helps users to sell, price and ship second-hand items. The app enables anyone to become a successful seller on the online second-hand marketplace without the hassle that usually comes with it — ‘Sold’ does all the dirty work. The only thing you have to do is upload a picture and provide necessary information. ‘Sold’ prices the articles, sells it and organizes packaging and shipping (!).

Selling stuff on marketplaces like eBay is fun — it helps you to get rid of unused stuff and it can be a good way to earn some cash. But it also takes a lot of time as you have to take decent photos, write descriptions, set a price, negotiate with potential buyers, check if the money has been transfered to your account, and finally pack and ship the items. That’s just too much for most people, and could be a reason they live their life in a house full of clutter.

For now the app is only available in the United States. This video describes how the app works (take a few pictures, describe your item, and within a day the pricing engine will generate the perfect price. There are no extra fees and no shipping costs. Once you accept your price, ‘Sold’ starts to find a buyer. As soon as a buyer has been found you will receive a free ‘Sold’ box that comes pre-paid, pre-labeled, pre-insured, tracked, and filled with bubble wrap. Just pack it up, open the app, and schedule a pickup or find a convenient drop off location. Simply enter your bank account information, and when your item sells the money will be there within a few days.

‘Sold’ focuses on the expensive consumer goods such as laptops, shoes and phones. Items that are not valuable or too big to get shipped in a ‘Sold’ box will be rejected. Through smart pricing analytics, a refined user experience and genuine customer service, the service sells your product and makes the process easy for you while you get the benefits. This way ‘Sold’ adds service and trust to online selling, which sets it apart from websites such as eBay, that only facilitate the online marketplace.

‘Sold’ is part of a new wave of Internet enterprises. Businesses such as Uber, Airbnb and ‘Sold’ are not only web platforms that only connect sellers and buyers — they offer a good service, take online-based businesses to a next level, and further boost the importance of the smartphone in the urban economy.