Craigslist

craigslist

The Free household loves Craigslist.

Loves it.

We use it a lot.

It is such a great tool and marketplace to both sell and purchase.

And we have had a lot of success with it.

Here are some items we have sold:

2 vehicles

Wii

Laptop

Air conditioner units

Furniture

Home decor

Area rug

Clothes

Video Games

Packing materials

Things we have bought:

Our Scion Xb

iPod

Roomba

Xbox

XBox Live membership

Xbox hard drive

Landscaping materials

Wheels for our Xb

Video games

Motorcycle accessories

*Knock on wood* we have had zero issues and have gotten great deals.

Some people complain that their stuff just doesn't sell, so Mr. Free told me his strategy for selling on Craigslist.

Mr. Free's tips for selling on Craigslist:

* Be ready to part with the item. You have to price it to sell. Sentimental attachment will cause you to want to price the item higher, and in turn wont sell.

* Research the item you are selling and if it is being sold by others on Craigslist, to get a price point. If no one is selling that item on Craigslist, check Amazon or Ebay for a starting point.

* Be prepared for haggling. Use your judgement in lowering the price, but many people buy from Craigslist to haggle. We usually price things to give some haggling wiggle room. If we have a lot of interest in the item, we usually will stand firm in our price though.

* If you do not want to haggle at all, be sure to write FIRM after the price in the post.

* If your item hasn't had any interest in a week, lower the price.

* Always post pictures. Take good quality pictures as well. The item needs to fill the frame. People want to see what they are buying. Also make sure item is squeeky clean before taking pictures. You want it to look brand new.

* If there is several features about an item, list it out vertically. It is easier for the buyer to see and looks more impressive.

* Recommend great ideas for the item you are selling. Mr. Free likes to point out that the item would be a great gift for certain holidays.

* Always highlight that the item is from a non-smoking home.

* Always do CASH only and LOCAL only. You will get scammers e-mailing you asking if they can send a check or wire money. This is ALWAYS a scam.

* The last thing he always puts in a post is his contact e-mail and his cell phone/text. Buyers like a variety of ways to contact you. If you are uncomfortable with that, by all means just do e-mail.

* Lastly, if at all possible bring a friend and meet at a public place. This ensures your safety. Having a weapon on you also isn't a bad idea. Again, we have never had any issues at all, but it doesn't hurt to take extra precautions.

Does anybody else have any other tips for buying/selling on craigslist?

Any questions about Craigslist for Mr. Free?