Earlier this week, I posted a bunch of tips to help you BUY successfully on Craigslist… so if you’re looking to find a great deal, head on over there!
However today, I’ll be talking about how to SELL successfully on Craigslist.
Over the past 3 years, I have made thousands of dollars by selling unused items on Craigslist. It’s a good way to clear the clutter from our house, it’s a fun hobby for me, and it’s a great way to make a few extra bucks in the process.
If you’ve never sold anything on Craigslist, or tried and failed to make any money, here are a few of my favorite tips.
NOTE: I’ll be going into more detail over the next several weeks, so if you have specific questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll try to address them in upcoming posts.
1. Post Good Photos:
This is listed first for a reason — because honestly, if you aren’t willing to take at least ONE GOOD photo, then don’t waste your time trying to sell something. Most people will not even contact you if you don’t post a photo. Or they will contact you asking for a photo!
It’s OK to post pictures from retail websites, but buyers want to see the actual item too…so you should post at least one picture of the actual item in your home. The photos don’t need to be top quality, just make sure they aren’t blurry, fuzzy, or too dark; this makes it look like you are trying to hide something.
2. Set a Reasonable Price:
Even though you may have paid top dollar for your items, it doesn’t mean you will be able to get your money back. Remember your items are USED…not new, so set your prices accordingly. Consider what you might pay for a similar item at a garage sale and use that price as your starting point. You might also search to see what other similar items are selling for.
I always follow my price with, “or best offer”. This shows buyers that I’m ready to negotiate!
Finally, please do NOT set your price at $1 just so you show up in more search categories. It is SO annoying to click on an ad that is $1 and then find out they are really asking $25 or $100. This totally turns buyers away.
3. Create a Detailed Descriptions:
Disclose as much information as you can about the items you are trying to sell. Include all measurements, materials, pieces, and other items that are (or are not) included. {This is where multiple pictures come in handy.}
The more honest you are, the easier it will be to find the right buyer…which will ultimately save you a bunch of time later on.
I’ll be talking A LOT more about how to write a good post…but for now, just be as detailed as you can be.
4. List Your Location:
If you live in a small town, it is probably OK to just list the town. However, if you live in a large city, it’s helpful to include SW, NE, or a specific land mark. For example, I used to live near a large mall so I would say, “Grandville, near Rivertown Mall”. Now, I live very close to a highway exit so I say, “Hudonville, off 196 exit”.
I personally have no issues with people coming to my house to buy an item, but I do NOT include our home address in my posts — except when I sold our home {but that post is coming in a few weeks!}
If you are nervous about meeting at your home, you should still list your city/town. But then when people contact you, simply request to meet at a neutral location like a restaurant, gas station, bank, etc.
5. Provide Appropriate Contact Info:
There are lots of stories about Craigslist scams, but I promise, they are not as common as you may think. Be smart, but don’t be afraid to include your contact information on each post.
Personally, I don’t include my phone number, but if you are not someone who regularly checks your e-mail, it might be necessary to include the best number to contact you at.
Also, if you don’t want them to email you {like for a garage sale posting} then click the button to “hide” your email address.
6. Link Between your Posts:
I often post 20 or 30 items at a time and have found that it is extremely helpful to provide a link between all my posts so potential buyers can see everything I’m selling.
I’ll talk more about this later, but to create a “link” between my posts, I simply say, “Search ‘adekker’ to see all my posts”. Now, every single one of my posts has the word “adekker” so if someone searches for “adekker” {like they would search for “lamp” or “minivan”, all my items will show up in a nice, organized list!
It’s VERY simple and it has increased my sales tremendously.
7. Create a Post Template:
If you are going to post multiple items all in one day {which is what I do}, then you’ll save a TON of time by creating a post template in Word or another similar program.
This is what my basic post template looks like:
We have a _______ for sale from a smoke-free, pet-free, very clean home in Hudsonville — near the 196 exit.
Then I list specifics about the product including dimensions.
Height:
Depth:
Width:
Size: {for clothing}
Materials:
Where/When we purchased the item:
We are asking _____ or best offer, and will only accept cash. Please contact us with any questions or to come look at the product. We will not hold an item, but we WILL remove this post once it is sold.
We have a bunch of items for sale. Search “adekker” to see them all.
Thanks for looking!
Short, concise, with only the information a buyer would need to make their decision. Plus, by saving this “template” as a Word document on my desktop, I can simply copy and paste… and then fill in the blanks. I save LOTS of time 🙂
8. Be Available:
This might sound obvious, but if you plan to post several items on Craigslist, you’ll want to be available for the next 24-48 hours to answer e-mails and schedule pick up times.
I’ve already sold items in less than 15 minutes – so be ready!
9. Don’t “Hold” an Item:
If your item is in high demand, you will often get several emails in the first hour or two. Many of them might ask you to “hold” the item until they can get to your house. I’ve agreed to this a few times and unfortunately, I was burned nearly every time.
Now I simply sell my items on a first-come-first-serve basis. Whoever shows up with money first, wins! This works well and I don’t get screwed over by no-shows or other irresponsible buyers.
10. Save Your Emails:
Even if I have an interested buyer who seems promising, I always save the e-mails of others who want to buy the same item. Then, if the first buyer no-shows (which happens a lot), I have several other e-mails to fall back on.
I also have a “Craigslist” label, in gmail where I dump all my Craigslist emails so they don’t clutter up my Inbox but I can still reference them if I need to.
11. Follow the Rules::
You’re technically not supposed to re-post an item for 30 days, but in my opinion, if your item doesn’t sell, go ahead and re-post it but then DELETE your previous post.
And if you just delete the email that says you posted the item, that does NOT delete it from your Craigslist account. You actually have to log into your Craigslist dashboard, click “manage” for that specific item, and then click “delete”. {see image below}
If you post something twice with no response, lower your price…or just donate it. It is very annoying to buyers to see the exact same post and price over and over again.
OK, so these are my best tips and tricks for successfully selling on Cragislist. I’ve been “perfecting” my sales techniques over the past 3 years and have a pretty good system {if you ask me – LOL!}
Did I miss anything?
What are your no-fail tips to using Craigslist?
What do you want me to talk more about, or go into more detail?
What are your biggest problems with Craigslist?
Previous Posts in the Craigslist 101 Series:
Ary says
I’ve listed several items on craigslist and followed several of your tips, however I’m having trouble linking my posts using a keyword. I followed your instructions, but I could not get it to work. Do you know what I may be doing wrong or have any suggestions how I can get this method to work for me? Thanks, Ary
Lisa Collin says
When listing clothing, do you find it best to list each item individually or list a few similar items together? For instance, should I make 3 different listings for the same size shirts or lump 3 shirts together in one listing and sell together?
Angie says
Hi Lisa, check out useitsellit.com startup, might help with your multiple items and still link it to your profile.
Mel says
I’m a little ignorant about computers. How do I post a picture on an ad in craigslist?
Sidney says
I have posted several things on Craigslist for the first time. I appreciate the “link” suggestion. I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries simply asking “is this still available?” What’s up with that? Are they just satisfying curiosity?
Andrea says
that’s totally normal — they are asking if the item is still available… and if it is, they most likely want to set up a time to come look at it. I almost always as this question when I’m inquiring about Craigslist items because so many people forget to take their ads down after the items are sold.
Joe says
After you anonymize your email, do you reply with responses from your regular email or set up another one?
Katie says
Hello,
I have tried to link my postings together like you said but when I search for them they never come up. What am I doing wrong? Is there something i’m missing? Thanks! 🙂
Warren says
I can’t make it work either. Only one items appears. So I would appreciate an answer to Katie’s question too. Thanks!
Matt says
Great info, thanks.
#9 Do you make appointments with people? What happens if you sell an item, that several people inquired about or planed to meet with you?
Chels says
I’ve only used Craigslist a couple of times and it’s pretty easy to figure out each step. You create a login to sell items. Then Craigslist gives step by step instructions as you list each item.
Try their website and go to their help page/FAQ’s
http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/faq
I also anonymize my email and I personally choose not to reply to emails from people offering way less than the low price I offer. (I’m willing to barter, but don’t send a ridiculously low offer!) Be sure the subject line has enough info to make people want to click on your ad (better than just “toys”). And I do agree to meet people in a public place, unless it’s simply not an item you can transport (like furniture). I don’t give out my street address unless I have their name & phone number and we’ve talked on the phone and they’re interested in seeing/buying the item.
maryellen k. says
Hi first timer.. is there a web site to start from BEGINING for a person never doing this before.
q.-do i need a digital camera…..q-if i down load onto my mac do i need a separate file for the photos.///// q.-does craigs list have a starers page for dummies step by step or go as you learn??….
your help in the info field would be appreciated greatly.
thanks mk
as you can tell im a first timer on this stuff
Cherie says
Thank you so much for the information. I recently lost my job and I need to make some money to pay for my COBRA so I was going to sell on EBay like I did years ago. I was shocked to see all the fees now so I thought of Craigslist. Your information is giving me the courage to give it a try. So much of the information in your post are things I never would have thought of. Thanks again.
Toni says
AGREE! Ebay is charging LOT now. Check out UseitSellit.com also, bit more secure than craigslist but not yet popular.
Richard J Park says
do i have to create an account to buy or sell and can i buy and sell via shipping? also how do you add photos?
Lori says
Desperately trying to figure out why I’m having problems listing my second item on Craigslist. Since you seem to be very familiar with how it works, I’m hoping you can help me.
So here it goes…..as I said, this is only me second listing. The items I’m trying to list are autographed college football jerseys signed by different players. I had no major problems with my first listing except uploading pictures. But after a little research, I found out about photobucket and was able to use their site. Anyway, after listing my second jersey, this is the message that popped up……
This posting is being blocked
The posting you’re trying to submit is very similar to one that was recently submitted:
http://huntsville.craigslist.org/clt/3027980348.html
You may only post your listing in one category and on one site at a time.
Craigslist readers strongly prefer not to see the same posting listed multiple times.
Please help us out by not overposting your listing.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW I CAN REMEDY THIS ??? My second listing included a different players name and a totally different price. The write up was similar to the first but there were some differences. This was in no way the same posting and I do not understand why I would receive this message. I tried to get help from craigslist but the reply I received was just a bunch of links that were of no use to me. Do you have any suggestions??? ANY help would be greatly appreciated.
Andrea says
Hey Lori,
unfortunately, Craigslist “thinks” that you are posting the same thing multiple times — and it doesn’t allow that. There are a few ways to get around this glitch:
1. Wait a few days to a week in between posting the different items.
2. Write COMPLETELY different post so Craigslist doesn’t catch the similarities
3. List al the similar items together under one post (with pictures of each item if possible)
I realize that none of those solutions are completely ideas… but that’s probably the only way you’ll be able to list them without that error message.
Good luck!
deborah says
I have beautiful hat suits old records carnival glass red orange greeen purple yellow ,an old piano and shoes of all sizes up to 14 in women shoes
doug johnson says
How do you safely get payment for large items, like farm equipment? Cash, personal checks, hold the item til the bank confirms?
Andrea says
I get cash for anything up to $1000, but I get a cashier’s check for anything more than that. I personally wouldn’t take a personal check.
Toni says
Thats the issue with Craigslist, you can’t verify payment or trust of other user. UseitSellit is adding paypal verified sticker to all sellers that are paypal verified so transactions can be more secure.
Andre Lamas says
Hi this is my first time on Craigslist
eyelid says
Question – how long should you wait before deciding that you need to drop the price/repost? two days? A week?
Andrea says
It depends, if it’s clothes or something with TONS available — I’d repost it every couple of days and then lower the price after a week. However, if it’s furniture or other large items that might not have as big of a market, I would still repost it every few days but wait 2 weeks or so before lowing the prices {unless you just want it gone… the lower the price right away!}
eyelid says
thanks!
Lauren K. says
Andrea, I used your template today and have 4 pieces of furniture sold or close to sold! I haven’t used Craigslist since I left a major city, so I was thrilled it was that effective. Thanks for the tips 🙂
Andrea says
wow — congrats!! That’s a successful day 🙂
janet Rothstein says
Hi Andrea
first let me say, thank you for doing this site.
i havent gotten onto craigs list yet and i am hoping the sign up process is easy .
Q. Have you ever had someone buy something and decide it isnt to their satisfaction, or
damaged it and want their money back? how can you protect yourself?
again i have yet to read the fine print from craigs list when i sign up.
Andrea says
No I’ve never had that problem… Most people usually decide if they want the item after looking at it in person (you don’t generally ship items with Craigslist)
I’m not sure if CL has an official policy on this, but if someone was really unhappy with a purchase, I would probably give their money back.
Carla Hayden says
Hi Andrea,
Just wanted to say thank you for all the tips! I’ve found them to be very helpful AND…I’ve sold some stuff already. Yea!
An interesting tidbit – I now live in Santa Fe, NM but grew up by the mall in Grandville and spent 25 years in Hudsonville so it was fun to start reading your post’s only to learn you are from my old ‘hood’. I miss the mitten but you can’t beat the mountains…
Melissa Medendorp says
Great. I will have to try this. I have never sold anything on Craigslist before and would like to get rid of some “Mickey Mouse” stuff such as a Mickey Mouse TV, and other items. I think they would do better here than at a garage sale, so I will definitely have to try this. Thanks again.
Lanetrice says
Dear Andrea,
I don’t have a site just yet. I am researching the best way to sell my product. I make oils, lotions and bath products. I also have other items as well. I am trying to see if this site only promotes used items or is there a market for new and hand made items as well?
Andrea says
Lanetrice, if you are trying to sell new and/or homemade items, I would definitely recommend Etsy.com. You will get a much higher price for your items than you would if you sold them on Craigslist.
Iris Rodriguez says
Im so glad for all your information,about selling in craigslist,wow from no shows to give me your account number,you name it its out there but thanks for i was ready with all that information,and yes some show up and dont buy oh well,thanx girl
JIMMY K says
QUESTION. WHEN I AM SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING ON CL, HOW COME I CAN SEE THE SAME POST FOR MANY DAYS IN A ROW, BUT WHEN i TRY TO POST SOMETHING CONCECUTIVE DAYS , I CANT. ALSO, HOW COME I CANT POST THE SAME ITEM IN DIFFERENT CITIES?
THANKS
SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS, THE CAP BUTTON ON MY LAPTOP IS BROKEN 🙂
Andrea says
Honestly, I’m not exactly sure how/why some people are able to post the same thing over and over again — it’s not allowed… and super annoying!
However, if you do want to post something in multiple categories, just change the title, change the order of the images, and alter the content a bit… and then it should let you {at least that usually works for me!}
JIMMY K says
Thank you Andrea, The one thing I would like to do is post on another craigslist next .state over and it wont let me. I live on the mass- new hampshire border and would like to sell my autograph collection and post on both sites but it wont let me. Thank you again
Nick says
Thanks for the tips. They will surely help me sell stuff online!
Jan says
Thanks for your VERY descriptive and complete Step-by-Step instructions. You took the fear out of the unknown. I’ll do it!
…and now to release and let go…
Sandy says
Great suggestions. I have bought and sold tons of stuff on Craigslist. I wish they would improve the site for better search features. My pet-pev is the postings of stuff that looks like dirty junk that needs to just go to the dump. I will need to try to post more pictures in the future. Thanks!
Andrea says
Thanks Sandy — and I totally agree. I can’t stand “wasting” my time to look at people’s junk that they should just toss! However, since I installed the Google chrome extension, I can now see the pictures before I click on the ad — so that helps a little.
And yes, I always post a minimum of 2 pictures — sometimes 3 or 4 b/c that’s what people want to see.
Alice @ Farewell, Office. says
I used your Craigslist selling tips today for the first time and they were a success! My buyer even paid me $5 more than I was asking because she really liked my item and thought I was asking too little. (It was only a $15 item but she paid me $20!)
Andrea says
Wow — congrats Alice!
I had it one time where the person paid me more — it was a very fun surprise! Sounds like you are doing everything right 🙂
Sonja von Franck says
I just sold my first Craigs List item last month and it was easy! I made $500 off of my grandmother’s old bedroom furniture to put towards buying bedroom furniture for my Dad. Now I’m hooked! I do have a dresser that was mine growing up and it’s a great vintage piece that I hate to just donate. You really think people get annoyed when you repost postings at the same price? I had in my mind that different buyers are looking all the time and I just wanted to be near the top of the list. I also had a woman that lived 2 hours away that wanted to come and look at it but I got nervous that she would drive all that way and try to negotiate me down using the amount of miles she’d driven to look at it as leverage to make me feel more inclined to come off my price. I told her we’d decided to keep it afterall (since I did but have since changed my mind) but now I’m reluctant to follow up with her. Great and timely post!
Janet says
I have a question about Craigslist. Do you tell a person interested in an item that others are also interested? I have sold several items and never know how to handle this situation. I have something on now and two people that are interested and want to come “after work” to look at it. Do I just let them both come and the first one with money takes it? Or do I tell the 2nd person that sent an email I will let her know if the 1st email doesn’t take it?
Andrea says
I always give the first person to contact me the first chance to purchase the item. However, if they can’t come within a few hours, I’ll let them know that I will contact the next person on the list. I sell it to whoever can come first — but I only let one come at a time so they don’t waste their time/gas.
jennifer says
I have done quite a bit of buying and selling on craigslist. One of the most annoying things about it is the people that will make an appointment to come see your item and then not show or even answer another phone call or e-mail if you try to reach them. Ugh! Still, it is probably the best way to get rid of big items. I think that it generally helps to be able to include a phone number in my listings, but I don’t like using my home phone (someone could do a reverse lookup and tell immediately where I live) or my cell phone number. So, I usually list my google voice number. It is a free service, and I can have that number forwarded to either my home phone or cell, whichever I prefer at the time. Most of the time I am comfortable with having people come to my home. Occasionally, I have had people meet me at a store parking lot just down the street, especially if it is a smaller, technology type item. I also make sure either someone else is home with me or someone else accompanies me. All that being said, I have met some great people, and the no-shows are really my only negative experiences.
Megan Camp says
When I was moving to a new area (that I’d never been to before) I looked for a rental on Craigslist. I was so surprised that MOST of the ads I looked at for a place to rent had no pictures and no way to post pictures. There’s no way I’m going to rent a place that I’m unable to look at or view pictures of. Photos are so key!!
Oh, and I loved your links (from your previous post) to show the pictures on Craigslist when you search. I’ve never seen that before and I LOVE that I can now easily see the pics without clicking on every little link.
Frances says
Great advice! A few more tips that may also help: Including your phone number will get a faster turnover rate. To avoid bots list your number in a way that only a person looking at your post would be able to recognize, like two-too-2, seven ate 53. Also, keep the email craigslist sends you about your post. It provides links to edit your ad or delete it when the item is sold. Delete the ad immediately after a sale or your phone and email will continue to be tied up.
Andrea says
Thanks Frances,
Yes, I always keep the email Criagslist send {and put it in my “Craigslist” folder} so I can refer back to it later. I usually never list my phone number and have never had a problem selling items via email – but I like your suggestion about listing it in a way only a “real person” could understand!
Heart and Haven says
This was pretty thorough, thanks! I buy/sell lots of items on craigslist with success. I can’t stress enough how setting the right price from the get-go is so important! (and it’s a good thing you listed it under #2 above!). With a bit of research seeing what that item sells for used – you can be more confident in your negotiations to not just accept “low ball” offers too! I have found that by setting a reasonable price, I get less haggling as people appreciate that it’s a good deal already!
Andrea says
I could not agree more! I’m ONLY looking for a great deal when I buy, so that’s how I sell as well!
Ashley @ Money Talks says
It just seems like such a pain to deal with people when selling on Craigslist. I don’t want to negotiate or deal with people not showing up, or showing up and then not buying it. Blah… Is email only an acceptable way to deal? I might try it if I don’t have to deal with people on the phone.
Andrea says
Well Ashley, no one is “forcing” you to sell on Craigslist…if you’d rather not deal with people, then my best advice would just be to donate your stuff right away. Then you don’t have the hassle of taking pictures and posting the items, and they are out of your house… for good!
You can make good money on Craigslist, but it takes time, and you most definitely will have to deal with people not showing up, and/or showing up and not purchasing your items — I can guarantee that 🙂
Also, I never list my phone number on any of my Craigslist posts and I sell things all the time. I do usually give the person my phone number once they’ve set up a time to come look at the item, so they can call if they get lost or something. But otherwise, I only use email — and I check my email frequently to make sure I don’t miss anything.
Hope this helps!
Ashley @ Money Talks says
Oh I know no one is forcing me. haha. But it does seem like such a shame not to sell the bigger stuff. The reason I’m so concerned with this right now is that I just cleaned out my kids rooms and I have two big items that I could probably get about $100 for if I sold them. I hate to just give that money away.
I think I’m going to try it. If I hate it I don’t have to do it again.
Julie says
The thing that bewilders me the most with Craigslist is when people take a picture but make no attempt to make the item look attractive! I have seen bedroom furniture covered with junk and an unmade bed, bookshelves piled with mess, and hutches and entertainment centers that look like the family’s catch-all for whatever crap finds its way into their home. Honestly, if you can’t be bothered tidying up a bit, how do you expect us to believe your item is in “excellent condition”?
Andrea says
I know, it’s crazy how “unprofessional” some Craigslist sellers can be. However, I know people who’ve tried to sell their house when it looks like a bomb just went off — so some people must just think it’s normal to live that way! {not me – LOL!}
Catie says
This is a great post. I wish more people would follow your advice and ALWAYS post a picture. You are right, no one’s (or hardly anyone) going to even look at the post if there’s no picture. 🙂 I copyed your post template, btw! What a GREAT idea! Thanks!
Amy K says
The CL FAQ page says you shouldn’t repost an item within 48 hours, not 30 days (at least in Ann Arbor…)