Craigslist is a very interesting place. I, by no means, am a super seller or buyer on Craigslist but I have bought and sold a few things over the past few years. I thought it would be fun to share some advice on How to Buy/Sell on Craigslist.
Buying:
Assume. Assume the
item is available. I’ve found that people
prefer to cut the small talk and get down to business. So get right to it and assume you will
purchase the item when you contact the seller say - “When could I pick up this
item?” or “When could I come look at this item?”. A email/text with a lot of questions will
most likely not get a response; they will just wait for someone else to
respond.
Read. Read the description and how to contact the seller. If they ask for a text message they won’t be
sitting by their email waiting for a message.
Be SMART and SAFE!
Never ever ever go meet a seller alone.
We live in a crazy world and you just don’t know. Yes, they might be selling a really cute
coffee table from IKEA but that doesn’t mean they aren’t crazy and off their meds.
Always take someone with you. If taking
someone with you is not an option, meet in a public place…like a parking lot of
a busy store. Make sure someone else
knows where you are and what you are doing.
Negotiations. I’m not
a good negotiator, and Jacob would agree with me, if I plan to buy something I plan
to pay the price listed. But if they
state OBO, then give those bargaining talents a whirl. Or, if you notice that something isn’t as
nice as it was said to be, ask for a lower price. Don’t be afraid to walk away. We all know the same item will probably be listed
again.
Selling:
Description. Take time
and type a nice description. I like when
sellers reference why they are selling too.
Cash only, no trade.
Sounds silly, but before we moved to Kansas we listed TV, it seriously
weighty 90 lbs and we refused to move it.
We had someone call and want to trade us the TV for a nice leather coat…..we
passed on that offer.
Pictures. It boggles
my mind when I see postings without pictures, especially with all the smart
phones. Craig’s List lets you post things right from their iPhone app making pictures
even easier to post.
Contact. I think
having someone call or text to inquire is the easiest way seal the deal. But it you’re weirded out giving out your
phone number stick to email.
Gut check. Trust your
gut and be SMART and SAFE. During your correspondence
with the buyer listen to your gut. I
think you can get a good feeling about someone as far as if they are serious
buyer or something seems ‘off’. If the
buyer is coming to your home, make sure someone is home with you. Or, like I said when buying, meet in a public
place.
Address. Don’t
provide your address too soon. If the
meeting isn’t going to happen for a few days down the road, I like to confirm
they are still interested on the day of, and once I know, then text the
address. This will just give you another
chance to check your gut before giving your information.
Delete. Once the item
has been picked up and you have your cash money, delete the listing!
Renew. If your item
doesn’t sell there is an option within your Craig’s List account to ‘renew’ the
posting. This will move it back to the
top of the list. Sadly, I’ve had to do
that a few times. Womp womp.
No more scary talk - all of my Craigslist experiences have
been positive! I haven’t made any new
life-long friends, but I’ve had some fun conversations.
- Old TV – Went to a guy for his garage. Now he can watch spots while he’s working on his ol’ rig.
- Another old TV that was in our house when we bought it – Went to a nice young couple, hubby in the service. They had just moved to town and trying to save money.
- Decorative Trays (wedding present that we didn’t use) – Went to a sweet lady who had just discovered Craig’s List and it was the first item she purchased. She was actually the one that prompted me to want to share some tips. She had previously had a tray like the one I sold but had given it to her daughter. She was delighted to find another!
- Dress Pants – Buyer and I texted back and forth and then figured out that we both worked for the same company…down the hall from eachother! Kansas City is a pretty big town and that just shows how small of a world it really is. Weird.
- Pier One Dishes – Buyer ended up being one of my husband’s patients. She was like, “Hey, you’re my chiropractor!” Again, small world.
So to end this wordy post, Craig’s List can be a ton of
fun! Give it a try and see what awaits
you. Selling your old junk is fun! And, after you sell something you just want
to dig around and find something else.