If you have something to sell, the World Wide Web can provide you with just the marketplace you need. Whether you want to start a business selling your own creations and inventions, or you simply need to get rid of a few things around your house, you can find a place online to sell the stuff you have to someone who will be willing to buy it.

EBay

EBay is an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of all kinds. Some eBay sellers have used items to sell, such as clothing or collectibles. Others sell new items they have made themselves, or items they have purchased for resale. You can sell almost anything on eBay, as long as it is legal (for example, you cannot sell drugs or children). The site charges an insertion fee to list your item (less than 50 cents) and a final value fee where they take a percentage of the price for which you sold the item. You can sell your items on eBay one time or many; you can open your sale as an auction format or allow buyers to "Buy it Now;" you can also open an eBay store and keep regular items listed there. This costs an additional fee.

Craigslist

List an item on Craigslist if you only want to sell occasionally, or if you want to sell items that you have used in your home and are no longer using. For example, you might use Craigslist to sell that old treadmill you never used very often or to sell the bicycle your child out-grew. Craigslist allows you to list your items for free, but the downside is that you will only be able to sell in a local format, and you have to arrange for the buyer to come to your home to pick up the item. Craigslist is not an ideal place to set up an online store, but if you only have a few things to sell, it can be an ideal choice, since you do not have to pay a listing fee.

Etsy

If you make your own items or have vintage finds to sell, Etsy.com could be the site for you. Etsy charges its sellers a 20-cent listing fee for every item in their shops, and then Etsy takes a 3 percent fee of any sold item. Etsy is a thriving marketplace for crafters and artisans and also includes vintage items and crafting supplies. If you have any of these things to sell, Etsy is a place for you to market your trade. The downside with Etsy is that if you sell a common product (such as jewelry), your shop will be one of several. You will have to do a little extra work to market your shop in online forums or in your local community in order to stand out and have selling success. Etsy does have a variety of online resources to help you learn how to do this and forums to discuss these topics with other sellers.

Artfire

Artfire is another online site for selling handmade items, though it is less popular and less populated than Etsy. On Artfire, you can list up to 12 handmade items for free at one time. You never have to pay a listing fee or a commission to the site. If you want to sell more than 12 items at one time, you can purchase a full-featured verified account for $12 per month. This will enable you to list as many items as you like and also allow you access to additional promotional tools and features. As with Etsy, you will have to market your own Artfire shop if you want buyers to find you.