Used cots in Des Moines typically sell for $54 to $270. Cots sell well because they are bulky to buy new and used only briefly, but buyers check one thing first: whether every fixing and instruction is present so they can rebuild it safely.
Selling a cot in Des Moines
Des Moines is the state capital and the insurance and financial centre of the region, with a gold-domed capitol above the city and a national reputation for its state fair. It sits in the middle of intensive farming country.
Insurance and financial employment moves households on relocation cycles, and the agricultural region around the city keeps equipment circulating. Winters are severe enough to give warm clothing a real season.
The city is flat and easy to drive in, and the skywalk system connects much of downtown, which is genuinely useful in winter. Parking is straightforward.
Des Moines, in Iowa, has around 215,000 people, which means a smaller local market, so price sensibly and expect the right buyer to be willing to travel a little. New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are close enough that a buyer there may well make the trip for the right thing.
Handing it over in Des Moines
Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.
Sell your Cot in Des Moines
Listing is free and there is no commission and no buyer fee, so the price you agree is the price you keep. Most listings take about a minute to put up.
What cots are worth
What lifts the price
- Current safety standard labels intact
- Solid wood construction with no splits
What pulls it down
- Missing fittings, which make reassembly impossible
- Older cots not meeting current spacing standards
Working out what yours is worth
- Bag every bolt and fitting with the cot when dismantling
- Check the bar spacing and safety label
Getting it ready
- Check the mattress base and the slats for cracks, and confirm the drop-side or height adjustment still locks properly.
- Measure the mattress size it takes, since buyers need to know whether their existing mattress fits.
Photograph
- The cot assembled, from the side
- The fixings, allen key and instructions laid out together
Put in the description
- Cot or cot bed, and the mattress size in centimetres
- Whether a mattress is included, and its age and condition
Steady all year. Cot beds sell faster than plain cots because they last longer, and solid wood outsells board.
Listing is free and there is no selling fee, so the whole amount the buyer pays stays with you. You and the buyer agree the handover between yourselves.
Elsewhere in United States
Common questions
Where can I sell a cot in Des Moines?
Put it on WishThrift free and deal with the buyer direct. The city is flat and easy to drive in, and the skywalk system connects much of downtown, which is genuinely useful in winter. Parking is straightforward.
Are there teeth marks on the rails?
Photograph them. They are almost universal on used cots, buyers expect them, and showing them makes the rest of your listing more believable.
How much is a cot worth in Des Moines?
Most used cots change hands for $54 to $270. Condition and completeness move that figure more than anything else.
More: selling a cot across the United States, what cots are worth, everything second hand in Des Moines, or Baby & Kids in Des Moines.
Guide range converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not a quote — sellers set their own price.