HowTo DeckThe Halls And Not Spend A Dime (NAPSA)—During the holidays, the average person spends more than $500 on gifts, buys them with a credit card, and does- n’t pay off the debt until March. This season, savvy consumers are “spring cleaning” their closets to stay in the black for the New Year. Rather than taking the traditional route of a garage sale or flea market, they’re turning to online auctions with their unwanted belongings. “The bottom-lineis: you make more moneyselling it online,” said Patrick Byrne, president of Overstock.com, which auc- and a digital camera. The hard part is picking which auction site to use. With a myriad of options available, sellers should look for a tioned the historic 700th home run ball of San Francisco Giants’ leftfielder Barry Bonds. “You can find a buyer whois willing to pay top dollar for virtually anything. The old saying is true: one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” “After going into debt every holiday, year after year, I started hat- site with: minimal fees for listing and closing an auction (remember, the goal is to make money); a simple, intuitive interface for selling (don’t waste time figuring out the technology); and a trusted reputa- “This year, I made a new resolution: for every gift I buy, I am auctioning off whatever I haven’t used in a year. So far, I’ve made $250 and still have two roomsto go. The best part—I’m debt-free, clutterfree and truly getting into the spirit of the season!” Online auctions offer a cheap and easy solution for people who want to sell items that no longer hold value for them. Getting started is easy; all they need is a cause it delivers the best value. I can make more money in what I auction and save more in what I buy,” said Carlyle. “Auctions train people to be smart consumers,” said Byrne. “They teach people to look at spending as investing. Instead of asking how much somethingcosts, they ask how muchis it worth?” This holiday, millions of people will get their money’s worth in auctions and use their profits to celebrate with family andfriends. ing Christmas,” said Kelly Carlyle. computer, an Internet connection tion in the auction community (ask your friends and family to recommendone). “T chose Overstock.com, be-
