When I was much younger, I never sold off stuff I no longer used, even though it was in good condition. I stored it in a cupboard or a store room, accumulating junk until the karang-guni man came or gave it away for free. Hence, I do not use the newspapers’ classified ads to sell anything but my car. That was many years ago.
[“Karung guni” means “gunny sack” in Malay. In the past, these sacks were used to haul things on the backs of rag-and-bone men as they visited homes door-to-door while sounding their horns. Karang guni men traditionally collected old newspapers used clothing, discarded electrical appliances and other unwanted items that can be resold.]
With the internet and plenty of free time, I have found the thrill of selling off my unwanted stuff via Carousell. And I buy things from Carousell as well. Communicating with potential buyers and sellers in almost real-time is fun and thrilling, unlike in the old days when I had to call the Classified Ads department of the Straits Times to place my ad. That was quite cumbersome. Technology has made selling and buying online almost hassle-free. I bought a sling bag on Carousell yesterday, communicating with the seller at 3 pm, negotiating and finalising everything by 3:30 pm, and then picking up the item at 4:30 pm, all done on the same day.
Selling on Carousell is also an entirely new learning experience for me. Good-looking photos are essential when selling on Carousell. To take lovely, relevant images of things I want to put up for sale and write simple yet informative content about the item, giving what the buyers need to know. This is also a way to eliminate things I no longer use, making space for new ones. It is also a creative way to get back some cash, especially now that I am retired and have no income.
In the past, I am not a big fan of second-hand stuff. I had an impression that they would never meet my expectations. But now, I find that I am wrong. Some of the used stuff sold on Carousell was as good as new, but the price was much cheaper.
Selling off things I no longer use was not part of my vocabulary in my younger days. I either gave them away or sold them to the karang-guni man together, which my mum wanted to discard in a lump sum deal. That was old-time practice. Now I do not need to deal with the karang-guni man anymore. Time has changed.
It is now one of my favourite pastimes to scout for good deals on Carousell. I had bought items from Carousell and sold them back on Carousell with almost no loss. This platform has given me new insight into selling and buying used goods. At the same time, it is rather entertaining and fun, too. I can talk with sellers and buyers about various behaviours.
It has been a good learning journey for me. I hope you all find it fun, too.
William Kho
William Kho was a senior management staff member of a water treatment company. He is now fully retired and pursuing a happy and meaningful retirement life.
