Tech review: Apps to buy/sell used items

Not only do mobile apps make it easier to purchase a cup of coffee on the fly and manage all of those loyalty accounts in one place, they can also help us buy and sell all of those used belongings that are cluttering up our closets. Access more great deals and unload things you don't need right from the palm of your hand!

Here are some of the best apps for resale transactions:

Zaarly

(iPhone, iPod Touch, Android Free)

Who needs a flea market? With Zaarly you can buy and sell with your local community right over your smartphone. The app lets you sell something quickly, or find something available nearby that you'd rather not pay shipping costs for. Similar to Craigslist, Zaarly is also a good place to post services. Privacy is a focal point for Zaarly, concealing your personal information and replacing it with an anonymous phone number. Unlike Craigslist, Zaarly offers a more robust community of users, extending it beyond the basics of classifieds.

Yardsellr

(iPhone, iPod Touch, Android; free)

If you're more interested in buying or selling offbeat items, like the kind you might find at a garage sale, you will find a lot of value in Yardsellr. This free app is not as feature-rich as Craigslist, but it allows you to quickly list knickknacks you'd like to have someone take off your hands. The search function is also very photo-friendly, so you'll know exactly what you're buying before you take out your credit card. There are multiple Yardsellr apps or "blocks" available for particular interests, ranging from quilting to jewelry to, you guessed it, Betty Boop collectibles.

Craigslist

(iPhone, iPod Touch $0.99)

While there are official Craigslist Mobile apps available for iOS and Android devices, for our money the independently developed Craigslist app for iPhone and iPod Touch triumphs over the official version. Users who want to have virtually all of the features available at Craigslist.org should tap into this one. Posting with this app is simple, and all posts can be edited from within the app.

ShopSavvy (Barcode Scanner and QR Code Reader)(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android; free)

Although bar code scanner app ShopSavvy has been around for a few years now, it received a major upgrade earlier this year. The SavvyListings service allows users to scan an item's bar code and then list that item for sale to other ShopSavvy users. The combination of bar code scanning and user-to-user transactions is particularly, well, savvy. Once a user scans the bar code, the app will automatically populate with information about the item. This is incredibly convenient, since anybody trying to sell an item through SavvyListings won't have to bother with cumbersome descriptions or even provide his or her own photos.-- Appolicious.com

Tribune Media Services

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Kindle e-book refunds

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Game changer

The number of Americans playing video games has dropped 5 percent from 2011, according to a new survey. Port Washington-based market research firm NPD Group says fewer people are playing games on consoles and personal computers. Playing games on phones and tablets, which the industry sees as the future of gaming, showed an increase. There are still 211.5 million gamers in the United States, NPD says.-- Peter King

Apps are big business

Those free and low-priced apps add up to pay big dividends for the U.S. and local economies. New research from communications industry group CTIA found that the app economy created about 519,000 jobs and generated revenue of $10 billion in 2011. By state, New York ranks third with app-generated revenue of $2.3 billion, behind only California and Washington.-- Peter King