Buying and Selling on Craigslist

I have had several people ask me about tips for buying and selling on Craigslist. By no means am I an expert on this subject either. I used to think Craigslist was just down right shady. Until I experienced the harmless fun and easy spending money you can have buying and selling things. The first thing we sold on Craigslist was a sectional couch that we bought brand new. The couch was fine looking, just extremely uncomfortable. We ended up selling it on Craigslist for the exact amount we paid for it. In turn, we used that money to buy another, more comfortable couch.  From there I was hooked. I have bought and sold a lot of nice, barely used toys for the kids, building materials, furniture, and more.

Like I said before, I am not a pro at this. We don’t do this as a business. We only sell what we want to get rid of and buy specific things we are looking for. There are people who buy merchandise off of Craigslist or Ebay then flip it for a profit. Those are experts, I am simply a novice.

To answer the questions I received, I came up with a list of things I learned throughout the last 5 years I have used Craigslist.

Tips, lessons, and strategies…

Buying:

Get the Craigslist app. This app has thumbnail pictures of the items so you can scroll through quickly without having to click on each link. It saves so much time and frustration.

Figure out what you want. Once you know what you are looking for, do some research. Find out what are good brands and good prices by doing a quick Google search. It will help you know a good deal when you see one.

Be specific. Type in the exact item in the search bar. If you have a brand you like, type that in too to help narrow the search.

Know the neighborhoods. I learned very quickly NOT to go into certain areas to buy something, no matter how cute it was. If it is a scary area, pass. Narrow your search to the areas you do know.

Be safe. Only pick up items during the day. Tell someone where you are going if you are going alone. Ask the seller to meet you somewhere public.

Be cool. When responding to an add, keep it short and to the point. Ask them if the specific item is still available and tell them you would like to check it out. That is it! Don’t sound too excited because then you lose your ability to negotiate. Don’t worry, once I find something I love, in my head I have already bought it, painted it and moved it in before the seller even responds. But you can’t let them see that. Be cool!

Negotiate. This is my weakest skill. I get nervous and feel like I am offending them when I ask for a lower price. I have gotten a little better over the last few years. If you have done a little research, you at least know what is an acceptable asking price. It doesn’t hurt to ask as long as you are respectful about it.

Selling:

Research a good price. Check Craigslist and/or Ebay for items like yours. That will help you get a nice fair price to start.

Take good clear pictures. If your pictures are dark or unclear, people will just move on. At least I do.  I don’t want to spend the time trying to figure out if the item is nice or not.

Be honest. Disclose any problems with your item. Scratches, dents, missing parts, etc. Believe it or not, there are people who buy things that need a little love.

Ask for a phone number. I learned this lesson when selling our bedroom furniture set. There are scammers and spammers out there who reply with a generic response. When you reply back to them, they now have your email to send you spam. So, in the description of your item state that you will only respond to inquiries with a phone number listed.  This way you know it is a real person and not a computer.

Market it. List ideas of ways to use your item. Try to compare the look of your item to a popular store, like Pottery Barn, Anthropology or Crate and Barrel. For example if you are selling a bookshelf you can say “This “Pottery Barn” style bookshelf, will work great for toy storage in a kid’s room.”

Be patient. Each add on Craigslist expires after 7 days. You may have to repost your add a few times for the right person to find it. Don't get discouraged, just keep reposting.

Be Safe. Like when buying, meet someone during the day in a public place. Or take it to work and have them meet you there. If the item is too big to transport and they have to come to your home, bring it outside or in the garage so they don’t have to come in to check it out.

I hope this helps you all earn some extra cash or finds some great treasures!

Happy hunting,

Carrie