Brothers In Blog

Recently I’ve been working with my kids at cleaning out their playroom. This clean out has resulted in a pile of toys no longer wanted but too good to just “throw out.” We’ve got everything from Barbie dolls to toddler sized kitchen toys. Normally I would have said, “Hey! Let’s sell this stuff on eBay.” Unfortunately, most of these are very large and not worth a lot of money. Based on my experience, these items aren’t ideal for eBay, and they aren’t worth taking out a regular newspaper ad. So what options do I have? Easy. The alternative to eBay and traditional newspaper: Craig’s List.

How Selling Works on Craig’s List

Selling an item on Craig’s list couldn’t be easier. If you’ve ever listed an item on eBay, you’ll find Craig’s List a magnitude easier. You DO NOT need a special account and you don’t pay any fees. NO FEES AT ALL! Only exception is if you are a commercial seller or listing a job. To list an item you simply select your location, click on sell an item, enter a title, price, location and description. You can include up to 4 optional photos, which I highly recommend.

Listing Tip: If you’re taking digital photos for your listing, take them outside. Photos in natural light look much better than those taken indoor with a flash.

Once you completed the listing, you have an option to double check your listing. If you’ve made a mistake, you can edit your listing and repeat the last part of the process. Once everything looks the way you want, accept the final Terms of Service agreement and submit your entry. You’ll get a confirmation email in a few minutes. Click on the included web address to publish your listing for Craig’s List readers to see.

Listing Tip: Make sure to save the confirmation email. You’ll need the included web address in the event you need to delete your entry and update it.

Your listing remains on Craig’s List for 7 days after which you’ll need to recreate it if your item hasn’t sold in that time.

Craig’s List is fantastic because you can throw anything out there with no financial risk. It’s ideal for large items that are too difficult to sell on eBay, and aren’t worth paying for an ad in a traditional newspaper. Matter of fact, I believe Craig’s List is taking a big bite out of the local newspaper want-ad revenue. How can anyone compete with FREE listings?

Barry’s 2-Cents:

During my recent visit to your home I got to see Craig’s List in action and it was obviously working well for you. As an active Ebay Buyer and Seller, I have often found myself with many items that I could easily sell but either the profit I would make was too small for the time I had to put into constructing the ad or the shipping cost due to the size and/or weight of the item would scare away most buyers.

My only concern with Craig’s List, as with a personal newspaper ad, is that potential buyers know where you live. While most people that answer a For Sale ad are truly legitimate bargain hunters, there is that minority of individuals who have criminal aspirations. Therefore, my suggestion would be never to show your sale items to a stranger when you are home alone.

Listing Tip: Always have someone else with you when a perspective buyer comes to view the item. Or, if possible, arrange to meet a perspective buyer at a nearby public place.