Most of us probably don't read the want ads unless we're looking for something in particular. A girl named, Josie, found a newspaper on her kitchen table. Here's what happened to her when she checked out the want ads. . .

"With her heart thumping, Josie dropped her schoolbag and began to turn the pages until she reached the classified ads. She scanned the columns quickly, hardly daring to look too closely, until her eyes came to rest on a short, boxed advertisement.

Good Home Wanted For Elderly Mare
Bay Welsh cob, 14 hands 2", perfect temperament,
22 years old, but sound, requires loving home.
Ideal for beginners and good with other horses.
Price negotiable.
Call Grace’s Riding Stables, Northgate 763529

Josie let out another long sigh and read the advertisement once more before closing the paper. So there it was, in black and white. She still found it hard to believe that they really had to part with Faith, who had been around ever since Josie could remember. She first rode when she was three years old, and Faith was the first horse she'd ever ridden."

Want to find out if Josie really did end up selling her favorite horse? Read more about her in The Horseshoe Trilogies #1: Keeping Faith.

MEANWHILE, how can you use the want ads (also called the classifieds) to sell something you really WANT to sell? And what about the Internet?

Want ads are great for selling things you no longer want. BUT, make sure you really don't want something before you sell it. You don't want to sell stuff that you'll kick yourself for getting rid of. Don't sell your old bike until you're sure you're getting a new one. You CAN sell the old one to raise money for a new one, but remember you're going to be bikeless until you drum up enough cash for that new bike. Maybe you never wear your purple sweater, but what happens if you get some wild pants that just happen to have purple in them? BE SURE before you sell.

Change your look by how you pair and wear what you already have! Click here.

So how do want ads work? You pay money, that's right, money, to place an ad in the paper. Some papers are more expensive than others. Your local paper will be one price and most towns also have fliers that are usually cheaper and only contain want ads. The fliers often require that you get your info to them pretty far ahead of time. Your local paper only needs a few days notice, sometimes less.

Is it worth taking out a want ad? We're talkin' basic math here. Simply subtract the cost of the ad from how much you're selling your bike (or whatever) for and determine if you'll end up with enough cash at the end. If the ad costs $15.00 to run for two days (weekends are the best) and you only get $25.00 for your bike - yikes! That's only $10 in your pocket. But, if you're selling your bike for $75.00, that's a different story.

So how much should you charge for stuff? When something is USED, it's value goes way down. A good rule is to charge half of the original price if the item is still in really good shape. But, you have to charge a price that does BOTH of these things at the same time:

1. People - at least one person - have to be willing to pay the advertised price for the item.

2. You want to feel that the money you receive in exchange for the item is fair to you.

Number one is easier. You can ask friends and family who don't need the item what they would pay for it if they did need and want it. Number two can be tough. If you paid $250 for a bike, it's hard to get only $100 or $125 for it (and that's before you pay for the ad). AND, you want the cash for your new bike. That $100 isn't gong to take you very far. Doesn't matter. You still have to charge what people will pay. Go a little high if you want and hold out for someone who really wants a bike just like yours, but remember, he or she may not show up and you STILL have to pay for the want ad.

You can also use want ads to advertise garage and yard sales. This is a great way to make some extra cash. Get together with your friends and put an ad in your local paper for Friday and Saturday (for morning papers - Friday only for afternoon papers). Have your sale at one of your houses. Everyone brings all the stuff they have to sell. You each tag and sell your own stuff and all divide the price of the ad equally. Make sure you also put up signs on utility poles in your neighborhood a few days ahead of time. Be sure they are still there the morning of the sale. Many newspapers give you a yard sale kit with your ad that includes posters to put up. Saturday morning is the traditional time for yard sales, but beware, people come early - even earlier than you ad says.

However you're using a want ad, be sure you describe your item well and include the price and your phone number; add your address and the time of the sale if it's a yard sale. Check out the categories listed and decided where your ad should go before you call. If you don't know, ask the person at the newspaper for advice. Most of all get a parent's permission and don't put your name in the ad.

You can also put ads up on bulletin boards in city halls, libraries, grocery and convenience stores, and around town. This can be cheaper than an ad, but you might not get as many calls. You can take your bike to a resale shop too. But, THEY can only get half of what the bike was originally worth. That means you get half of their half. That's only a quarter of what you paid for the bike. Some places pay you outright, for your bike (or clothes or whatever) and some take it on consignment. That means that you don't get your money until they sell the item.

The Internet offers lots of places to sell things. E-bay is probably the most well know. Make sure you have a parent help you. Why? Because even if you know more about the Internet and about computers than your parents, you want to be sure that you are not giving strangers personal information. Simply go to E-bay or do a search with your favorite engine (mamma.com or google.com for example) for selling or auctioning. When you auction, you get to set a price that has to be reached before you will sell the item. When you action you get to set a price that you have to reach to sell the item. You may get way more than you wanted if you have something that someone REALLY wants. Check out the sites first, then get permission from your parents.

Selling things you no longer want and using that cash to buy what you do want is a great way to recycle. But, remember, your mouth can still be the best way to sell. Before you pay for an ad or go Online, ask everyone you know if they want to buy what you've got for sell. Good luck!