10 Tips for Buying and Selling on Craigslist

Over the past two years or so I have been using Craigslist to buy and sell many items, mostly electronics, but I have bought appliances, almost two thousand books and sold my Saturn Vue on Craigslist. Here I have compiled a list of the Top 5 Tips for Buying things on Craigslist, the Top 5 Tips for Selling on Craigslist PLUS 5 Bonus Tips!

5 Tips for Buying on Craigslist

1. Just because it's on Craigslist doesn't make it a good deal. Shop around, many times there are comparable deals on eBay, Amazon, or even your local stores. In addition, sometimes Craigslist deals are overpriced. You still need to do comparative shopping to know if your getting a good deal or not.
2. Many times you will get amuch better deal from someone if you place a Wanted To Buy (or WTB for short) add. If you place an add this way you are more likely to find someone who is just willing to get rid of something than if you purchase from someone that is specifically there placing an add to make money.
3. Just because an add says a price doesn't mean that it has to be the price you pay. When I buy something I almost always start off by seeing if they are willing to negotiate or if they are firm on their price. Sometimes an add that starts out higher can end up being a better deal because someone is willing to negotiate.
4. Don't rely solely on your city to give you the best deal. Sometimes it's worth the effort to travel 30 min. or so to save $50-$150 on an item (depending on what your buying).
5. In sales, your taught to ask someone to buy three times before you accept no for an answer. Always ask for a discount, even if it's uncomfortable. You may ask in the first email, then when you about ready to meet and arranging pick up, and again when you see them. If they say no make sure your prepared to give them the agreed upon price and pick it up all in one trip. This is the best way to insure you get the best deal possible. Sellers don't want to tell you no, and they don't want to give up the cash they see in your hand.

5 Tips for Selling on Craigslist

1. Be specific, give as much information as you can about your item and whether or not you will accept a best offer or if your price is firm. This should reduce the amount of emails you get. While you may limit your potential buyers by being specific, you will actually receive much more interested buyers. This makes it much more likely that each person who contacts you will actually purchase your item.
2. Make sure you include pictures of your actual item. Many times sellers will include a stock photo of an item they are selling but this causes doubt. What are they trying to hide? What is the condition of the phone? Do they actually have one? Seeing the actual photo of the item listed will also eliminate a lot of questions. They can see what color, the condition, whats included, and so on.
3. Only sell what makes sense to sell on Craigslist. Some items may do very well here, furniture, vehicles, or anything really that you want to see in person or that is to large to ship. Other sites (i.e. eBay, Amazon, etc.) will do better for smaller items that you want to get the most bang for your buck, but anything thing to large to ship should be sold via Craigslist.
4. If you are going to do this a lot, treat it as a business. Give someone a good deal, through in something they weren't expecting and give them a business card or tell them to remember you. The next time they have something to sell, guess who they are going to think of? You!
5. ONLY deal in cash or verified funds. You have no idea if the check is good or not. Even if the check is good someone can put a stop on it after the item is acquired. Don't try to pay with a check, it creates a feeling of uncertainty when you are talking with your seller.

5 Bonus Tips for using Craigslist.

1. When you meet your buyer/seller, always meet in a very public/visible location. For safeties sake you don't want to meet out in the middle of nowhere with lots of cash on hand and no witnesses. If possible take someone with you to meet your buyer/seller.
2. Be careful using shipping. Craigslist was designed for dealing with people locally and that's what it's best for. If you are interested in buying an item with shipping eBay is probably a better method. That is not to say it won't work, I have made several successful transaction buying from people in another city, however I have also been ripped off twice. My suggestion is to use Paypal if you are going to do it. Make sure they give you a tracking number. Craigslist can be a great tool, but if you are dealing with someone in another city who you have never met, there is not accountability system, and they don't respond to your emails or won't pick up the phone – YOU'RE STUCK!
3. There are many tools out there available for using Craigslist. You can use searching tools such as CraigsPal, SearchTempest, or Allofcraigs, which allows you to search all of Craigslist.  There is also a site called mycraigslistadvisor.com that includes all kinds of advice on how to sell your items, make sure to check that out as well!
4. RSS Feeds are available at the bottom of every Craigslist page. You can even create a feed that is in a particular category with a specific search criteria. For instance, if you are in the cars section you can create a feed for a Ford Mustang with a specific year and even a price range. This limits the amount of auctions you will see, but it also makes sure you only see the auctions you are interested in.
5. Have Fun! Buying and selling on Craigslist can be a ton of fun. Make sure you enjoy the process, it will make your entire experience that much more rewarding!

In conclusion, Craigslist can be a great tool for buying or selling merchandise. However, if you are going to buy on Craigslist make sure you shop around, negotiate, check other cities, or place a wanted to buy listing. If your going to sell on Craigslist make sure you are specific, include pictures, sell things that make sense on Craigslist, and only accept certified funds. Leave your comments for any tips you may have that I left out!

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Tagged as: Buying on Craigslist, Craigslist, Making money on Craigslist, Selling on Craigslist, Tips for buying and selling on Craigslist