We’ve all heard the news, seen the signs and no doubt are beginning to feel the effects of the recession. Now is the time for positive action. There are a number of ways to do this – setting yourself a realistic budget and sticking to it, cutting back on all the unnecessary spending, analysing where the money is going and taking corrective action or simply taking matters into your own hands and generating yourself an extra income.

Online auctions are ideal ways of bringing in extra money. For a small outlay you can turn your unwanted items into cash while working from home.

From fridge magnets to tupperware, cake tins to clocks, go through your kitchen and put everything you don’t want into boxes. If you haven’t used the item for six months chances are you won’t use it in the next six months.

When you have gone through everything - including the cutlery drawer – start going through the boxes. Pick six items. Log onto eBay and see if similar items are currently being auctioned or have just sold. This will give you a rough idea of the value of your items.

Compare your pieces to the descriptions online. Are your pieces in better / worse condition, are you comparing like with like? Look at the photographs closely. Do your items have the same pattern, decoration or other distinctive features?

If you think your items are valuable do some more research. Search the web for antique auctions or auction houses specialising in the same type of pieces. If you really feel that your item is one of a kind arrange a valuation with an expert. Look in the phonebook, online, or even in trade magazines available from newsagents for contact names and addresses.

The next step is to weigh your items so that you can calculate postage. Decide how you are going to pack each piece. Fragile items need plenty of packing and odd shaped items may require boxes or large padded envelopes.

Calculate your postage and include your packaging costs. Don’t over-inflate these as eBay has a strict policy on post and packing.

The next thing you need to do is write your descriptions. Take your time with these. You want your items to appeal to as many people as possible. It is important to note any defects or flaws so that your potential bidder knows what he is bidding on. Now is also the time to take photographs. Experiment with different backgrounds to see which shows off each piece the best. White sheets can be used to help light the object correctly.

At last you are ready to list your items. Decide how long you want the auction to run, your starting price, a reserve price if the piece is special, whether you want to pay for extras which may or may not help to attract bidders.

Now don’t sit back and relax! You still have boxes of stuff to go through. Pick the next six items and off you go!

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