A Harris Interactive survey conducted on behalf of EBay has found that one in 10 U.S. adults (11 percent) is currently selling personal or household items to generate extra cash, with the majority (59 percent) doing so via online sales or auction sites like EBay. Additionally, 30 percent of all adults say they are likely to sell their personal or household items over the next three months to earn extra cash.
The Harris survey also found that Americans are cutting back on spending in general, most notably in these categories: apparel (52 percent); consumer electronics and appliances (46 percent); automobiles and automotive care (45 percent); and furniture and home decor (38 percent).
Another survey sponsored by EBay and conducted by Nielsen discovered that the average U.S. household has 52 unused items around the house originally worth $3,100.