I have written about buying and selling on Craigslist (CL) on more than one occasion, but never have I tried to get all my thoughts about the subject into one comprehensive post.  I have been buying and selling on CL heavily for the last few months, so I wanted to share some new insight.  I will start with the sellers since we all have some junk…err…treasures that we all want to pass on this spring…

Top Tips For Selling on Craigslist

1) Quality photos seal the deal.
Craigslist allows you to upload 20+ photos per item.  You don’t need that many but one or two great pics will help sell your item quickly.  Use photos to clearly document condition of the item.  Think about where your item is located.  For example, if you’re selling an old mirror would it look better out in the garage with some junk laying in front of it (or) leaned up against a wall in your house, dusted and clean.  Your items will fetch a premium or sell faster if you put some effort into the photo.

2) Special email and phone number for CL.
If you plan to do very much selling and/or buying on CL I think a dedicated email and phone number are a must.  Gmail (Google mail) is my free email of choice.  And once you have set that up, I have already written a post about using Google Voice as a free second phone number on your smartphone.  That takes care of the phone calls and texts.  Using a dedicated email and phone number will protect your personal contacts in the rare case of scam or deal gone bad.

3) Be vigilant!
Craigslist items won’t sell themselves, you need to stay on top of correspondence.  I run the Gmail and Google Voice apps on my smartphone so I can respond to emails, texts, or phone calls on the fly.  Quick response times = more sells.  Additionally, using the renew function for your posts will keep your listing fresh and in the first few pages of results.  If an item doesn’t sell after a week or two, delete the ad and then repost it.  Add dated “updates” in the text of your post if you’re selling multiple quantities of an item.  Don’t give up on an item.  Just this past weekend I sold an item for our church we have been trying to sell for 2 years!

4) Don’t get scammed.
If a message involves money orders or offers of extra funds for your trouble, delete it.  I have received most of my fraudulent messages via text message for items listed at $500+.

5) Be honest, realistic, and accurate.
The text of your ad should typically just be a few sentences.  Accurately describe the item for sale and give a realistic price.  I see a lot of used items on CL with prices that are close to retail.  If you want to get your item sold, price it somewhere in the ballpark of 50-60% of retail.  This of course varies from item to item.  Try your best to avoid concealing any kind of damage on an item.

6) Be polite.
You will deal with all sorts of people on CL.  Some are very polite and others are extremely rude.  As a seller on CL you need to adopt the mantra of “the customer is always right.”  I have known a few people who have made enemies on CL that search out their ads and flag them after a spat about an item.  It is for this reason I also advise against using the new “See my other posts” option that CL offers to sellers.

7) Know the market.
When selling an item, try your best to get it listed in the correct category with a realistic price point.  There are some items that are hard to classify.  For instance, would a wall mirror be better listed in furniture or household items?  You can list the item in both categories but I would suggest waiting about 48 hours before placing an additional ad for the same item in a different category.  You don’t want to violate the CL terms of service agreement.  It is also important to know that certain items sell very poorly on CL.  Office chairs, desks, tube TVs, mattresses and several other items sell very poorly on CL.  Many times you will wind up having to give these items away.

8) First to show with cash policy.
People will ask you to meet them miles from your home or hold an item for several weeks.  I suggest you adopt a ‘first to show with cash’ policy.  If you’ve priced your item realistically it is not your job to drive miles out of the way, burning up your time, to meet someone who lives far away.  It is also not your duty to hold an item until someone gets paid or has time.  People will make all kinds of strange requests of you.  You can politely tell them that you sell to the first person that shows up with cash.

Tips for Buying on Craigslist

1) Don’t be an idiot, lowballer, or flake.
Ok, this might be a bit tacky but I deal with a lot of these. Don’t be any of these three buyers…

• An idiot is someone who can’t read your clearly written 3 sentence post.  Example – I’m currently selling a high chair for “decorative use only.”  I just had a gentleman ask if it would work for his 1 year old.
• A lowballer offers you an insulting number for a fairly priced item.  Last week I had a gentleman message me about a shabby-chic desk I had listed for $80.  He said his budget was $25, would I take $30.  His budget isn’t my problem and he needs to aim at a desk in his price range.
• A flake is someone that says they will come meet you at a certain time or place and then they just don’t show.  You message or call them and they never respond.  There is nothing more frustrating than getting stood up for a sale especially when you have taken special effort to make it happen.

2) Phone numbers win.
Certain items on CL go very quickly.  A response with a phone number will quite often win the item over one with just an email address.  If the seller is motivated, talking to someone on the phone who will close the deal quickly will make the sale every time.

3) Know what you’re buying.
I have been selling a bunch of 4×8 chalkboards for our church.  I can’t tell you how many people have shown up and said, “Oh my!  That is really big.  That isn’t going to fit in my Corolla.”  I’m not sure what part of 4 feet by 8 feet they didn’t understand.  Know what you’re buying, have the right type of transportation for the item, and quickly remove it from the sellers property once the deal is done.

4) Short, polite correspondence.
Please and thank you go a long way on CL.  As a seller I don’t want to hear your life story when you’re buying a $10 item.  Keep your correspondence on topic, concise, and polite.

5) Have exact change.
As a buyer, show up with the exact amount of cash to fulfill the agreed upon purchase price.  Your seller shouldn’t have to make change for you.

6) Plan your meeting carefully.
As a buyer, be aware of where you are going and the dangers that location might present.  If it doesn’t feel right, ask for a different location or cancel the deal.  Make sure to show up on time and if you will be late notify the seller ahead of time.

Craigslist is a great way to pick up items at a greatly reduced price, or to purge items from your house and put a bit of cash in your wallet.  If you follow my suggestions, you will find the experience to be fun, profitable, and interesting.  Do you have other tips and suggestions for CL buyers and sellers?

10K Challenge Update

At the beginning of the year I laid out the 10K challenge I have set for myself in 2014.  It involved earning/saving an additional $10K in 2014 and also running a 10K again this year after many years off from running.  I’m happy to say that I have met my goal in January for the cash portion of the challenge thanks to my side hustle and my wife’s shopping savings.  We have been able to set back about 1/12 of the $10K goal for the year.  The physical portion of my 10K challenge will be a challenge.  I’m still eating well and walking on the treadmill desk, but working out at the gym and running has been few and far between.  I could easily walk a 10K but that isn’t the point.  Overall I am pleased with my progress on the 10K challenge.