This post is an updated version of one I originally published in June of 2015.
As part of my summer blogging schedule, I’ll be sharing a handful of my favorite posts from past years in attempts to give myself a bit of a break, and re-share some goodies from my archives!
I know many people (including myself) are in a purging mood now that summer vacation has arrived. Maybe it’s all the stuff kids take home from school, or maybe it’s because my kids are outside more so I have time to get a few things accomplished inside. Whatever the case, it sure feels great to get rid of some of the things we no longer need, use, want or love!
Dave and I recently cleaned out a few things from our garage and our extra garage, and I cleaned out a few kitchen items. We also purchased a new-to-us car for Dave — which meant we had to sell his other car.
So a few weeks ago, I took a bunch of pictures and measurements and listed everything on Craigslist on a Friday evening.
Within 2 hours, we sold an extra kitchen table ($150)
About 30 minutes after that, we helped a guy load up a HUGE pile of extra wood we had leftover from a recent project ($50)
Within 4 hours, our car was sold ($3300 — which was actually higher than the Kelly Blue Book price based on super low mileage and only 1 owner)
The next day, we sold our old front door ($150)
And the next day, we sold a small dump trailer that we didn’t need anymore ($60)
I sold a few unopened kitchen items I had gotten as gifts, and also a few things for my dad — all within 24 hours!
After the weekend was over, we promptly brought our $3700+ cash to the bank and deposited it into our savings account!! Not too bad for 24 hours!
Now obviously, the car sale was a biggie for us, and we were thrilled to have it sell so quickly. But in general, whenever I try to sell anything, my goal is to sell it in less than 48 hours — usually less than 24 hours. If I don’t sell it in that time period, I immediately reduce the price and start over again.
If it’s not sold in a week, I’ll either reduce the price one more time, or donate it. I guess I just figure that if I don’t use the item anyway, I’d rather get some cash for it and have it gone ASAP then let it clutter up my home for weeks and months.
If you’ve been struggling to sell your unneeded items, my guess is that it’s because of one of the 3 reasons below…
1. Your prices are too high.
This is BY FAR the biggest problem when it comes to people trying to sell their stuff — no matter where they are trying to sell it.
I’m not trying to sound rude… but no one is going to buy your “excellent condition” stuff or “like new” stuff or “still in the box” stuff unless they feel they are getting a REALLY good deal. And they are definitely not going to buy your “well used” stuff or anything with any sort of issue or stain or problem unless it’s almost free.
Yes, you might find an exception to the rule every now and then, but for the most part, there are too many other people out there (like me) who just want to get rid of their things ASAP so they set their prices really low in order to sell quickly. Unless you set your prices very close to what others are selling similar items for, you probably aren’t going to sell your items very quickly (if at all).
You will most likely get the most money for your items on Ebay. Craigslist and Facebook garage sales will usually get you the second highest price. And traditional garage sales or yard sales will require rock bottom prices to sell.
Just the other day, the kids and I stopped by 4 garage sales on one street. One lady had ALL her kids clothing for $0.25 a piece while the other 3 homes were selling it for $1.00 or more per item. I realize $0.25 is ridiculously cheap, but I’m sure you don’t have to guess which sale the majority people were crowded around. She was selling bags of clothing while the other women just sat by their sales with no buyers.
If your items aren’t selling, lower your prices significantly. After all, if the point of your sale is to clear out your house, wouldn’t you rather have a clutter-free house and a little extra spending money versus sitting and waiting while all your stuff sits piled up in your home?
2. Your stuff isn’t nicely organized, displayed, or described.
I can’t tell you how many garage sales I’ve been to with no rhyme or reason to how anything is displayed. Some sales don’t even have the clothing separated by size or gender so it’s nearly impossible to find what you’re looking for.
Similarly, I’ve seen HUNDREDS of horrible Craigslist ads with dark, blurry pictures and almost no description. No measurements of furniture, no brand names, no “this is where we purchased it from” information, or “here’s the Amazon.com link”. In those situations, even if it is something I’m remotely interested in, I usually don’t even bother sending an email because I figure if they can’t take 5 extra minutes to get a good quality photo and share a few more details, then it’s not worth my time to email you asking for all the information.
While I do try to set my Craigslist prices quite reasonably, I know for a fact that one of the main reasons my stuff sells so quickly (usually within 24 hours or less) is because I ALWAYS provide a very detailed description and multiple pictures of every item I sell.
Over and over again, I get emails from people saying “we’re buying from you because your ad was so informative”. I’ve honestly even had people email me saying “we’re not interested in your items, but just wanted to let you know that it was one of the most descriptive ads we’ve ever seen”
So yes, how your things are presented makes a HUGE difference in how quickly your items will sell. And to be perfectly honest, if you’re willing to take a few extra minutes to get high-quality photos and provide an excellent description, you will most likely be able to ask a higher price for your items.
3. Your stuff doesn’t have enough buyer demand.
Sometimes, even if you have a competitive price point and display/describe your items nicely, they just don’t sell. In these situations, it’s almost always because there isn’t enough buyer demand.
Maybe it’s a very rare antique that only the “right” collector would be interested in. Or maybe you live in a more remote location so garage sales and Craigslist pick-ups are tricky since no one wants to drive out to your house.
In these situations, Ebay is often the best option for selling and shipping these types of items — however I personally don’t have much experience with Ebay so I’m definitely not the person to ask if you have more detailed questions!
Over and over and over again, I get emails from discouraged individuals who have been purging and hoping to make a few extra bucks by selling their castoffs with little luck. After a couple emails back and forth, I can usually pinpoint their selling troubles to one of the 3 things listed above. And when I make a suggestion as to what they might change, they usually excitedly email me back within the next day or so, letting me know their items sold!
Yay for less clutter and more cash!
If your sole purpose for selling your unneeded items is because you simply don’t want them taking up space in your home (which is usually the case in my experience), then why not lower the price and add a few extra pictures (or a nice garage sale presentation) to increase the chances they sell ASAP??
And for the record, I do apply this theory to EVERYTHING I try to sell — we even sold our first house for a full-price offer in 3 days!
Jay says
Cool! Facebook is an excellent platform for online sales of goods. I also installed a tool called cucomm. It automatically sends messages to users and speeds up the lead generation process. I advise you to try and make life easier.
AC says
You didn’t provide a way to sell your stuff if you’re living rural, I guess just be rich and move somewhere with more people?
Terri says
Any tips for my Facebook Business page, Terri’s Top Treasures? I’d really appreciate constructive feedback to help me sell my items.
Thank You!
Heather says
We have been hurting for money this winter so we are selling certain things for cash. Things we wouldn’t normally want to sell. My husband has a very rare 1920’s gun…we posted for $400, that is fair and less than we paid. It never sold. He had a brand new crossbow. Paid $399, asked $200, never sold. My son grew out of tons of clothing, He had a major growth spurt in 6 months so we had hoodies, tees, jeans…all NIKE, Under Armour, and Buckle. Half still had tags on them. For example on a NWT hoodie i asked $12, when i paid $48. So i have reasonable prices, and nice items but nothing EVER sells!
Andrea says
interesting — it’s probably just your area.
My area is CRAZY good for online sales — I just sold $300 worth of stuff in about 10 hours this weekend.
I’d say you could try Ebay, but I’m not super familiar with the shipping process of that — you might need to eat the shipping fees, which would potentially make it worthless for you.
Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Matt Price, Auctioneer says
I think the problem you might be having is what is reasonable. Being an auctioneer, I can tell you that people bring me reciepts for what they paid for particular items and I tell them “That’s nice – but that’s not what it is going to sell for,”
The fact is – people will pay what they think is reasonable, not the price the seller sets. The Supreme Court even said that “Fair Market value is determined by the Buyer in what they will pay for it, not the seller.”
So for the weapon, the best thing for you to do is to find a gun shop and ask for an appraisal. Second, all of the clothing is worth what you bought it for, reducing 10% every day until you get to zero. American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, Hostettler are all out as fashion, and now it’s Under Armor (even used it’s a buck a piece) and Champion at Walmart as most of the specialized stores are going bankrupt.
Large Furniture – we sold a $4,000 leather couch only 3 years old for $250. Name Brand. People don’t want things that come out of peoples homes – but they will purchase it at a Thrift store – go figure. Heck – Even thrift stores won’t accept furniture any more because they have no room for it. Anything pressboard goes to the dump immediately – we don’t even discuss it.
Yesterdays post market is dead – we have gone to a throw away society in which people look at things as more labor intensive than throwing it away and buying another.
Sorry for the news!
Miguelito says
Personally my biggest gripe with Facebook is related to your #3. I am a home haunter, so I check in to Craigslist regularly for Halloween items. I see the same items (clothing and knickknacks especially) listed for YEARS. I mean like 2-3 years. I imagine there is some way these people automate their listings? Most of these items can’t be sold on Craigslist. Most would never sell at any price even on Ebay, with its much larger market. Items like this should just be donated to charity (or thrown away).
That’s what I see as the reason why selling stuff on Craigslist is harder than it used to be. There’s just too much junk listed! It’s such a waste of my time to plow through it. I’m really irked at these people and wish there was some way to report them. There posts are always the “Newest” too, as they are constantly reposting them.
Andrea says
yeah, people definitely need to just donate (or trash) their items if they don’t sell within a month
Mandy says
#1….perfectly stated! I went to a multi family garage sale last year when I was in need of maternity clothes. One seller had priced a pair of maternity jeans at FORTY DOLLARS. If I were to pay forty dollars for used pants they better do laundry, clean my kitchen, and go through labor for me!
Andrea says
oh my word — that’s insane. I would never pay that new for “normal” jeans, let alone maternity jeans you’ll only wear for a few months… and USED! no way!
denise says
Andrea, what are your thoughts on accepting PayPal in addition to cash payments?
Andrea says
I’m not totally opposed to PayPal, but I still much prefer cash (especially for more expensive items).
KR says
So much YES about taking good pictures! It’s so easy – hang it on a hanger on a hook or lay it out on a table or bed. Clear away the clutter and turn on the lights. On the neighborhood Facebook buy/sell page I see so many grainy bad pictures and even more awful descriptions! No sizing info, barely any description, item is dirty or surrounded by clutter, basic typos in the ad. I saw someone advertising a nice headboard/bed frame and they couldn’t even be bothered to make their bed (it wasn’t just unmade it was really messy). Totally detracted from the item they were selling and I bet it’s still up for sale now. Another thing that frustrates me is when they don’t take the ad down after it’s sold or mark it somehow – they just ignore your email. At least email back and say it’s been sold already! Don’t get my hopes up you might want to sell this really great find!
denise says
I feel EXACTLY the same way..such a turnoff!
Andrea says
yes! I always make a point to take the ad down immediately after the item is sold — that really bothers me too!
Jesse says
I have been selling things on CL since 2006. I used to sell things very quickly, but for the last few years it has been so much harder that I now sell most on eBay which I hate because of their fees.
The economy is the biggest reason I can think of. Or are there just much less people buying on CL these days?
KR says
A lot of it happens on Facebook I’ve noticed.
Stephanie says
I have had past success selling name brand clothing on a local Facebook site. Lately though, I have listed things, people say they want them, and then they never pick them up. I list only things that are in great shape and I price them low. I gave up selling smaller items. Now I just donate the small items and sell bigger items. It is frustrating. Others have experienced the same problem.
Nicole says
As a previous, professional yard saler, I can say that after my first sale, I was inclined to increase my prices a bit to include bargaining room. Everyone wants to negotiate, no problem. But in some area’s people can get rude and ugly. Plus consider asking for a deal if you’re purchasing multiple items. I’ve been to only a few sales where prices were set in stone. If they appear high, ask if they are open to negotiation.
Katie says
This is all so true! When we moved to our new home, we bought a kitchen table. We wanted to buy it used, but the prices were so high on our local Craigslist, so we ended up buying a new one. It seemed like less of a hassle.
Laura says
Andrea, would you be willing to post an example (a screenshot or something) of a Craigslist ad you’ve posted? You can obviously block out all private information, etc. – I’m just curious to see what this actually LOOKS like.
These are fantastic tips! One thing is to know your audience, though. My husband tried to sell his boat last year on Craigslist. It was posted at a good price with plenty of great pictures, but the ad was *extremely* detailed, to the point where I think potential buyers’ eyes might have just glazed over. We reposted it about a week later – same price, same pictures, etc. – but included much less information, just the main points. He had two calls that first day and sold it the second day. Not sure what happened there, but lesson learned with selling boats, I guess!
Andrea says
This post shares my post template that I use (https://andreadekker.com/craigslist-101-how-to-sell-successfully/) — hope it helps 🙂
And yes, too much detail is not good either. I include main points and then a link to the item on Amazon.com (or any website if applicable) for more information if they are interested.
Brooke says
I’ve never had success on Craigslist, but a few things I’ve found to be successful on Facebook Garage Sales sites:
1. Time of day that you post an item matters. On the site I use, I want it to hit the main feed around lunchtime. That seems to be whent he most about of people are on looking at the site on their phones. Even if I post it at a time that’s more convenient for me, I’ll go comment on it during lunch to get it to pop back up to the top of the feed.
2. Selling things in lots is sometimes helpful. Selling kids clothes is a great example. I’ve done much better selling a few outfits together as a lot than individually, and it’s a lot less work since you’re only dealing with one buyer and not multiple buyers.
Andrea says
Yes — great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
One of my biggest rule of thumb for garage sale, most people won’t pay more than 70-90% off orginal price. I save stuff over the year (I have room to store) and then do a large sake with friends. Beginning of the may we did a 4 family sale and clear $1100 with everyones stuff. Mine was the most and I got about $560 of that. There are many other things I can note – but you are right on the main 3. I was a retail manager before kids so when I run a garage sale – I run it like a store. 😉
Heart and Haven says
I’m surprised you got rid of that little utility trailer. I have one similar size, and use it so many times throughout the year – to get mulch, compost, gardening supplies for our yard and garden or to buy larger items/deals I find on craigslist 😉
I’ve bought and sold many, many items via craigslist. Howe, there are times (despite every effort of writing a good ad with desc. & pics) that items still just don’t get any attention from craigslist buyers. If I’ve decided to sell or get rid of an item, I’ll post an ad for 1-2 weeks, and if it doesn’t sell within that timeframe I’ll donate to Goodwill, Habitat Re-Store, etc to get the clutter OUT. 🙂
Melissa Norrbom says
I cannot stand when the description includes something like, “has a stain” or “needs a wash”. How about you wash it and then post it for sale?
A local FB sale page had someone selling a Windows 95 Frogger game for $5. Ridiculous.
Georgia says
Could not agree more!! Price your items to sell, not dwell! Take care and enjoy your day! 🙂
Magda says
I loved this post and your comments about pricing. You are so right! I just had my first-ever garage sale and by taking advice from your awesome posts I made over $500…and that’s that I usually take a ton of stuff to Goodwill every few months. I hadn’t been stockpiling stuff to sell but had kept baby stuff.
Would you consider doing a post on selling your car on Craigslist? My husband and I need to do that soon and I’m so intimidated by the process. I looked online for suggestions and couldn’t find anything really helpful. Did your ad state that you’d only take cash?
Thanks so much for all of the terrific information/advice that you provide.
Andrea says
yay for $500 at a garage sale! glad some of my tips helped you out 🙂
I’m honestly not sure that selling our car on Craigslist would warrant a full post — because there really isn’t that much to tell. I just cleaned up the car, took a few nice pictures, posted some general information, the VIN, the mileage, etc. and hit publish. The whole photo/posting process took about 30 minutes — although I did spend a lot longer than that cleaning up the car 🙂
It’s pretty self-explanatory once you log into Craigslist for a vehicle sale. They literally walk you through every step.
Sara says
Ug. I hate overpriced garage sales. Even if your stuff is brand new, never out of box, I do not want to pay anywhere close to a store price for it. As for the used stuff, it should be cheaper than what I can buy it at my local thrift shop. I will pay more at a thrift shop for the convenience of a large selection. Traveling to numerous garage sales is not convenient. I am looking for deals.
I do both Craigslist and ebay. I always check to see what my item is selling for on ebay first. If the going rate is too low, it isn’t worth my while there. I will usually then put it on Craigslist. Craigslist is also good for heavy items that would cost a lot for shipping on ebay. I know I hate to pay for shipping, and I am sure my buyers do too.
Descriptions and good pictures are a must. If you are looking to make some money, put some effort into it!
Andrea says
yeah, I haven’t been to many garage sales lately just because they all seem over priced and I can find better deals online, on Craigslist, or in thrift stores — which are all MUCH more convenient!
Jennifer says
YES! To all of this!
I’ve recently been looking for a lot of baby stuff and furniture on Craigslist (after a while of not buying anything there) and as a buyer these are exactly the reasons I don’t buy things that I might otherwise be interested in.
I personally feel that, for furniture in very new condition, and which is actually very new (i.e. still available in the store or purchased less than a year ago), I’m not willing to pay more than 50% of the original price at most – and even that, I feel, is kind of high. (But we live in an expensive area.) What sellers need to remember also is that if you buy something new from a store, most likely you can arrange delivery for a large item, return it if it’s faulty or breaks, etc. – whereas buying secondhand you forfeit all these benefits and might have to spend some money for transportation (gas, rental of a van, plus time and possibly muscle). So there are some ‘costs’ to buying secondhand that have to be well compensated for by the cheapness of the item!
The lack of information about an item also puts me off – sometimes there are no measurements, no indication of what it’s made of (very important with furniture), how old it is, or where it came from! I certainly won’t buy anything important without that information, and as you say, sometimes I just don’t want to spend the time emailing to ask.
It’s probably a good idea to check out local thrift stores for their pricing, because the same people on Craigslist are probably at the thrift stores too! As you say about baby clothes – I can get them for 50 cents apiece at Salvation Army on their weekly sale day, so why would I pay several dollars for them at a garage sale when they are probably equally used? I wonder if some of the overpricing is just a lack of awareness of what the ‘going rate’ in the area is for secondhand goods of a certain type.
Vila says
Clothing at Goodwill and some other thrift stores is more iffy than at garage sales. Check out the information about how clothing is stored at some Goodwill locations prior to being offered for sale in their stores. Some is exposed to moisture, mold, mildew, rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs, etc. It is not washed. Garage sale clothing may be contaminated, too, but at least buyers get to see where it is from and have a clue about cleanliness. It is not as likely items in a neat and spotless garage at a well-groomed house would be contaminated.
Recently, I nearly bought a basket at a Goodwill, until I turned it over and saw the bottom was loaded with black mold.
Andrea says
yes… but if you wash the clothing, shouldn’t it be just fine?
I usually wash all my 2nd hand clothing in super hot water with a little bleach added in (just in case).
Tina says
Even the nicest houses can have bed bugs too. Bed bugs definitely don’t discriminate between dirty and clean. Just have to really really look things over and wash well.