CLICKING AWAY THE CLUTTER.

Byline: Vicki Smith Paluch Correspondent

David Hirsch used to hold garage sales, tedious daylong affairs that netted him a few bucks and the occasional sunburn.

No longer.

Now, the principal of Tarzana's Wilbur Avenue Elementary School holds ``virtual garage sales,'' selling much of his stuff online, where it fetches higher prices without the haggling.

``I used to have garage sales, but who has the time to prepare for it when you have work and you want to spend time with your family or maybe work in the garden?

``I now give the inexpensive things to the Salvation Army. For the more expensive items - collectibles such as antique signs, coins and figurines - I turned to the eBay iSold It store to put it up for auction for me.''

Hirsch is among a growing number of Americans who are turning to the Internet to sell prized possessions that once were relegated to the bargain bin at garage sales. And he's not the only one.

According to eBay's first-quarter financial results reported, as of March 31, the online auction site had 45.1 million ``active users,'' or bidders and listers.

One reason for selling items online is the higher prices they tend to bring, say fans of the practice.

``People who frequent yard and estate sales are looking for a steal,'' said Linda Baim, owner of Legacy Estate Sales, who uses online auction sites to sell clients' artwork, antiques and collectibles. ``In a yard sale, they haggle the price down; on eBay the bids go up.''

Peter Walsh, host of The Learning Channel's ``Clean Sweep'' reality program, agrees. The Sherman Oaks resident said he's become a believer in virtual garage sales after taping a recent show in Chicago.

The episode features two families who compete to raise the most money selling similar items, with one group using the Internet and the other hosting a garage sale.

While one family made about $400 from the garage sale, the other earned $2,000 selling its belongings on eBay with the help of a trading assistant who priced and placed auction items online, among other tasks.

Selling belongings over the Internet can be easy, but you should keep a few rules in mind, Walsh advises.

Choose items that can fetch at least $30 to $50. This includes electronics, cell phones, computers, motor vehicle parts, antiques, collectibles and theater tickets.

Designer clothing in good condition can fetch good prices, too.

``Many women have a lot of clothes in their closets that have never been worn. Designer clothing in mint condition with a label is going to get good money on eBay,'' Walsh said.

Once you decide to sell some of your belongings, divide items by value.

Items of lesser value will be used for the traditional garage sale, or be used as a tax-deductible donation to a charity. Those of greater value may be sold online or at a consignment store.

If you're tech savvy, you can hold your own virtual garage sale by listing your items on eBay yourself, as did Claude Chung of Culver City. He recently sold some electronic equipment and DVD collections of classic Westerns and horror films he won on a television game show.

``I knew I was never going to watch them. So, I put them up on eBay. I find it pretty easy. Uploading the photos can be a bit tricky, but they make it easy to put on the site,'' said Chung. ``I've been able to guess what I should get for something. You can only put up something that has value because it would not be worth the price in packing and shipping, plus the eBay fees.''

For those who either aren't tech savvy or don't have the time to put up and manage an online auction, try UPS' AuctionDrop (www.auctiondrop.com) or the iSold It stores (www.i-soldit.com) that have cropped up nationwide.

iSold It stores are virtual consignment shops where bidders from around the world compete to buy specific items, be it Hummel or Lladro figurines, David Winter Cottages, designer clothes, old television and radio tubes, fine china, etc.

Glenn Ash, a 73-year-old retired entertainer, first tried to sell his 1965 Super 400 Gibson electric guitar through guitar shops and friends before approaching the iSold It store in Chatsworth.

``I knew it was worth close to $5,000, so I took it to Richard (Chemel, the owner of the iSold It store in Chatsworth), and we started it on eBay at $3,000, and I got $4,800 for it,'' recalled Ash. ``I also put up a 20-year-old golf bag I won at a golf tournament but never used. I put it on eBay at $24 and sold it for $24.''

The iSold It stores - including those in Chatsworth, Agoura Hills and Tarzana - accept items with an expected value of $30 or more, weigh less than 150 pounds and measure less than 130 inches in length and girth combined (the service defines ``girth'' as the sum of the two shortest sides of the item multiplied by two). Items must be legal for sale on eBay, meaning no counterfeits, hazardous materials, guns, etc.

As an eBay trading assistant, store owner Chemel does more than store and list the item for auction online. He and his wife, Helene, will research the item to determine its value, write the description, photograph the item, put it up for bid, answer questions from prospective bidders, collect payment, pack and ship the item, and send the seller a check. For his effort, he receives a commission of 30 percent of the first $500, and deducts eBay's associated fees.

``If the item doesn't sell, they pay nothing. We pay the eBay fees,'' said Chemel.

Mindy Duff, who has used the Internet to sell her designer clothes, collectibles and children's toys and games, was very happy with the results of a recent online auction of her son's ``Star Wars'' Lego pieces. Her son had hoped to get $50, but sold the set for $285 - to a collector in Pennsylvania.

``It's a dream garage sale,'' said Duff, ``and the whole world is invited.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Online garage sales

Photo illustration by Shane Michael Kidder

(2) Helene and Richard Chemel, who run an iSold It online auction store in Chatsworth, display some of the more interesting stuff for sale by their customers. The Chemels will list an item on eBay and take a commission if it sells.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer