Anyone getting good income from selling items?

1

Hi everyone,

New to the forum here :wave: I’m curious if anyone is getting good results from selling additional items or add-ons in their airbnb? I found on here BnSellit and TheHostCo and am thinking about giving it a go, but wanted to see other’s experiences.I saw some people say that they wouldn’t do it, and they think it’s tacky, but wondering if there are people who have actually tried it.

Mainly asking:

  • How did you do it? Through BnSellit/TheHostCo or just by yourself?
  • Is it worth it? Did you get some decent income or was it not worth the hassle?
  • What kind of things did you sell? Late checkouts, tours, items, consumables?

Thank you and look forward to hearing your advice.

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I have never sold anything at my Airbnb. Nearby there are lots of stores so if folks need anything, it’s a quick drive. If you’re in a remote area, then it might pay off.

3

I used to host a creative journaling experience on Airbnb but my guests never bought it. I had business from guests staying elsewhere. I also have had some intriguing guests who did this in the extreme. A couple from Italy visited our antique fair nearby, rented a shipping container, and filled it with antiques. On their return they displayed them in their Milan Airbnb unit and their home where they hosted a supper club. They sold them and the proceeds paid for their trip. There used to be a service for timeshare owners that would deliver a convenience package of enough for a couple simple meals, condiments, etc. This might be of interest in a whole unit rental but I have a homeshare. I have seen artwork for sale in units. I think a lot depends on how isolated you are from shopping.

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4

I’ve tried to sell my matted photos (on the wall and in a book) but no one ever ordered one.

This summer I tried to sell my hand-made pottery and again no one ever even looks at them. (I had a camera on them.)

5

I had my hand made pine needle baskets in my rentals. The first place in AZ I ended up selling quite a few. Second place in VA was a bust.

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6

I had a shelf with locally-made items and an honor jar/account url for payment. Sold very little, not worth it.
Repurposed the stuff for gift bags for guests who were celebrating a life event or who soldiered gracefully through a water main shut off or power outage.

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7

I think that offering a service, rather than “stuff” for sale is a better bet as far as augmenting income.

For instance offering airport pickup, a tour of something interesting, if you live somewhere that offers those possibilities, offering massages or yoga classes, or like one woman I know did, who lived near a beautiful park within walking distance, offering a picnic lunch, packed in a nice picnic basket, with all sorts of yummy deli items, a bottle of wine if the guests wanted that, and locally-made goodies.

Offering things like food items for sale can come across as nickel and diming guests, and things like art being for sale requires that the guests actually love the art, whereas an extra optional service might be more popular.

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8

I have sold quite a few stickers with the name of the town we are in. I sell it for what it would cost at a store, $3.00, and some stores charge more.

The main store I buy them from gives me cents off the cost so it’s not really a money-maker, just something guests find convenient. I am in a tourist town, but there’s not one place that has a large collection of stickers so guests would have to do a bit of hunting to find the same selection.

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I’m an potter, print artist and soap maker, have these things in the Airbnb (soap samples, my art on the wall, my pottery in there to use) and had a sign that these things are for sale. Only ONE time in 7 years did someone buy something, a single bar of soap.

I took down the sign, people really and truly don’t care at all.

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