iSold It
311 Lexington Ave., nr. 38th St.; 212-880-6800
271 Flatbush Ave., at St. Marks Ave., Park Slope; 718-622-6000
Recently, a woman in the middle of a divorce brought a box of relationship remnants to iSold It’s Manhattan store. “I finally got rid of the man, now I’ve just got to get rid of this stuff,” she told a staffer. Whatever their motivation, people looking to make a little cash on their unwanted goods rely on the two local branches of the national iSold It chain, which sells other people’s wares on eBay for a hefty, but hassle-saving, commission (a little under 40 percent for the first $500; 25 percent after that). The third-party auction bidder does all the legwork, taking photographs, writing descriptions, corresponding with bidders, collecting payments, and packaging and shipping to the buyer. They send you a check about ten business days after the item has shipped. The stores reported an 83 percent sell rate last year. The fastest movers: designer accessories, electronics, and collectors’ memorabilia.