Lifestyle/ Tech-Apps: De-Clutter your Wardrobe with Carousell - Snap, List & Sell!

Hey guys, Happy New Year! (yes, I know this is way overdue but just please accept my greeting).

Today, I'm going to introduce you to a cool app that will not only help you clean up your room, but make some extra cash as well! Sounds too good to be true?

I bet most of you have heard of Carousell. It is a free app designed by a few innovative and quirky young people in Singapore who thought, why should buying and selling your pre-loved items be so hard? If you've ever tried selling your preloved items on eBay or even preloved blogshops, you will know how tedious it is especially if you have to snap a photo with a camera, sync it on your computer and then upload it onto the webpage. Basically, Carousell was developed to solve that problem by allowing you to snap a photo, upload it just like Instagram, add a few description and price details and you're ready to list it for sale! JUST THAT SIMPLE. Here is a video to demonstrate just how easy it is!

I'm sure many of us have unused but functional items lying around our bedrooms - don't deny, I'm pretty sure there is. Especially girls! :p So, since it is the New Year and CNY is approaching, don't you think it's a good idea to start getting rid of those items and make room for new ones? On top of that, you can earn some cash to do your CNY shopping too! As the saying goes, one man's junk is another man's treasure.

The very first thing you have to do is, of course, DOWNLOAD THE APP! It is available on the iPhone and Android. Search "Carousell" or you can use this link: carousell.co/app. The logo is red & white, resembling a camera. (ooh random discovery, it's called CarouSELL because you SELL things there! Haha.)

Once you've downloaded it, you'll be prompted to create a new account or you can sign up with Facebook.
This is the homepage.

As you can see, there are various categories for you to search for items you want to buy or list the items you're selling in. There are literally THOUSANDS of listings available and trust me, you can find almost everything you can think of here. Please note that some items such as cigarette, drugs, alcohol and such as not allowed to be sold here.

Then, you can either choose to click into a category and start shopping OR you can do click on "Sell" (in the middle bottom tab) and start selling! 

The camera will be launched, and you just snap a nice photo of your item (Tip: Always make sure your photos are as true as possible to the real thing and find a plain background. More tips here.)

Think of how and what you'll want to see and know from a buyer's point of view. Of course, the clearer and true the photos, the better! So try not to upload photos taken off the net.. 

And look, they even have editing features like Instagram (or better since they not only have filters, but focus and brightness adjustment as well). Make your photos look as desirable as possible!

Once you're done taking photos of your model/ item, key in some basic description of your items such as it's condition and function. Some people do note that they do swaps or provide free shipping so read the descriptions- they are more useful than you think. You can also choose to add more photos of your items. The maximum is 4 photos, so photograph your items from a few angles for a clearer view. Currently, you might need to use an external app like Squaready or Whitagram to upload full length photos from your album, as Carousell only supports square photos. You can also specify a place to meet the buyer so that you know he/ she is real and save on shipping fee heh.

 Categorise your item in the correct category to make searching for it easier. State the price and you can choose to share it to Facebook or Twitter to gain more exposure.

And when you're ready to submit your listing, just click LIST IT!

TADAA. Your item will appear in the category that you listed it in, for all the other users to see. Now just wait for an offer and *KACHINGGGG*. 

Once you have many offers and likes or comments, your Activity Page will be booming with notifications! When you're ready to buy or sell an item, PosLaju is popular among users and will become your good friend hehe.

Check out the top bar. They do post messages to users or sometimes feature some users' profiles too! Apparently, those who are featured usually get more sales. They are usually users who have nice and unique items in the listings. Gosh, I wish I can be featured too!

There are other cool features in the app too, such as a a "Chat to Buy" button so that you may private chat the seller and negotiate your price. There is also a "Mark as Sold" option so when you sold your items, the other users can see it. A really cool function I like is that you can rate the users by leaving feedback or comments on their profile (see the + O and - button above your profile description). So remember to be polite and friendly when you are dealing with other users!

Btw, this is my profile. You can check out what I put up for sale here.

(Maybe you could grant my wish and help fund my Topshop jeans :p)

If you're new, check out the handpicked recommended users and follow them. Click on the "Following" tab at the bottom, and hit the little man icon at the top left. You'll be led to a page that says "Find & Invite". From there, you will be able to see the Recommended Users tab. Who knows, you might find something you like from them? These users take beautiful photos of their items and have earned their place there. Don't worry, you can take nice shots of your items too and you may be featured!

OR you can choose to search friends by connecting to Facebook or search by username. Don't forget to share the app and invite your friends to join Carousell on your various social networks too!

Carousell aims to be a lively and trendy lifestyle marketplace, and they have thus organised a few events and Carousellers meetup in Singapore. Even the people working behind the app are friendly and fun people who try to add a personal touch in their work/ messages. They'll be coming to Malaysia for some events soon, so watch out for it! Remember to like their Facebook page and check the app regularly so you don't miss out on any updates! 

Start populating your listings with beautiful items now! You'll fall in love with this app, trust me :)

For more information, please check out the links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carousellmy

Blog: http://blog.thecarousell.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecarousell

Instagram: http://instagram.com/carousell_my

Love,

Carinn

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