After a bunch of you requested a post about this, we’re finally writing a loooong rundown about how we use Craiglist to score affordable secondhand finds as well as to sell things we no longer need.
Sherry scratched the surface with a few tips on buying back in this post, but we wanted to share more info that was specific to interacting with sellers/buyers and writing up your listings, so here it goes. Craigslist can definitely be intimidating for first-timers. It doesn’t boast the glossy interface that makes using sites like Facebook feel so welcoming.
Plus, some few-and-far-between but no-less scary crime stories are enough to make anyone wary of it. Even Sherry and I had a slightly unnerving experience in our early days of Craigslisting in New York City. The man who showed up at Sherry’s apartment to buy a TV from her before we moved to Virginia pulled out the money to pay us from his pocket… and the hunting knife that he was also carrying came out along with it accidentally. It was a harmless encounter, but just the presence of that weapon was enough to make us realize that we needed to be smarter about using the site.
Buying On Craigslist
Obviously there’s tons of stuff for sale (or even for free!) on Craigslist everyday. It’s always one of our go-to spots when we’re looking for a piece of furniture because you’re bound to find things that are reasonably priced and decently cared for among the crowd. Here’s just a snapshot of some of the items that we’ve scored thanks to Mr. Craig and his list (you can read more about each purchase here, here, here and here).
So when you’re on the hunt for something, here are our tips:
- Be patient. Just because the item you’re looking for doesn’t show up today, that doesn’t mean someone won’t be posting it tomorrow. So don’t give up if you come up empty on your first try. We usually like to camp out and check frequently over a few days or weeks (and it might take 20-30 clicks over time to find what we’re looking for, so we just try to keep calm and search on).
- Search smarter. Sherry is a die-hard fan of the original Craigslist site, but I’ve started using the Craigslist iPhone and iPad app too. There are also apps out there by others (like cPRO) that make it easier to browse and search (especially by putting pictures more front and center). Even when Sherry uses the basic site, she clicks the button to show thumbnail images next to each listing so she doesn’t have to click into each one to see the pics… so that’s a tip for you old school folks.
- Remember that prices are negotiable. We never put a maximum limit on price when searching because we know things that are listed above our budget can be negotiated into an acceptable range. While simply asking a buyer to accept a lower price is perfectly fine (“would you take $45 instead of $60?”) you can also make a stronger case by referencing similar Craigslist listings for lower prices or even compare it to how much the item retails for originally (“I could buy it new for just $20 more than your listing, so could you come down a little?”). Never hurts to ask.
- Be synonym happy when you search. If you’re hunting for a buffet for your dining room, be sure to search a whole slew of similar terms because you never know how sellers might describe the item you want. So hunt for buffet, sideboard, console, entry table, and even broader terms like dining set, dining table, or simply “wood furniture.”
- Be willing to travel. Depending on where you live, you may need to cast a wide search net to have the best shot at finding the right piece. We check the Richmond listings first, but sometimes we expand to Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, DC, and the Norfolk area (all 1 – 2 hours away) since some craigslist values can make the drive worth it.
Once you’ve located the item that you want, here’s how we’d suggest going about making it yours.
- Start slow. Don’t inundate the buyer with a million questions in your first email. Just a simple “is it still available, if so I’d like to come by tonight with cash” can be enough to get the ball rolling and not scare the seller into thinking you’re too high maintenance for them by asking a bunch of questions.
- Ask for the info you need. Once you’ve confirmed that the item is still available, don’t hesitate to contact the seller for more information. Just remember to ask specific questions (“could you please provide dimensions?” or “is the color in the photos accurate?”) because you may not get the answers you want by simply asking for “more information.”
- Sound ready and willing. Most sellers just want this to be easy, so appeal to that sense by telling them that you’re flexible about pick up times, you have the money ready, and you’re eager to get it home. Saying “I can pick it up in two weeks” is a quick way for them to look for another buyer.
- Be prepared to get it home. Some sellers will offer delivery, but in most cases you need to think about how you’ll transport the item home – even if it means borrowing or renting a vehicle big enough. Ask questions about the size and weight of the item before you arrive and be sure to bring enough manpower to maneuver the piece yourself (don’t assume the seller will be able to lend a hand).
- Stay safe. We like to buy from people who we’ve talked to on the phone. It means there’s a record that we called them on our house phone/cell phone (which makes someone less likely to do anything creepy), and that way we’ve at least heard their voice, which usually sets us at ease. We also email a relative with their phone number and address to tell them we’re going there (so there’s someone else on the planet who knows where we’re going and when we’re going there) and we also prefer to pick up things outside (just because being outside to do the transaction can feel more “public”).
- Bring cash. Cash is the one-and-only currency of Craigslist transactions (at least in our world) so hit up the ATM before you head out.
- Be ready to take a risk. No matter how much info you’re able to get on a piece beforehand, at some point you’ll just have to go for it and make the drive to see it in person. There’s only so much you can learn about a purchase by email, so you may have to decide if it’s really what you want when you see it in person.
- Feel free to say no thank you. If you arrive and the piece isn’t quite what you expected (or what the seller described) you have ever right to say “nevermind” and leave empty handed (well, except for the cash you saved). The seller may be disappointed or frustrated, so just be prepared to explain why and stand your ground. You can also offer to still take it, but at a lower price.
Selling On Craigslist
Now, as much fun as we have discovering great stuff on Craigslist, the thrill of selling something we no longer need is almost more exciting for me personally. Something about de-cluttering and getting cash in return presses all the right buttons. And it never ceases to amaze me the stuff that people will search for on Craigslist. From bushes and gravel to granite counters, we’ve gotten rid of tons of stuff on the ol’ CL.
So if you want to get a piece of that action, let’s start with our tips for making a successful listing.
- Don’t be brief. We personally love listings that are robust. We’re not talking novels, but nothing turns me off more than a clipped, non-descriptive five word listing. Not only do detailed descriptions help buyers understand your item better, writing in complete sentences can help paint the picture that you’re a smart, respectable seller.
- Play salesman. Remember you’re selling something, so don’t hesitate to remind people that it’s “a gorgeous color” or “in great condition” or whatever other selling point you might have up your sleeve. And be sure to include some of this in your listing title too.
- But be honest. Don’t oversell your item so much that the buyer is mislead. If your item is worn or damaged somewhere, be upfront about that. We have found that people love and appreciate this honesty (and probably don’t expect mint items on craigslist anyway). If you worry this is undercutting your sale potential, just remember it’s much less trouble to lose a sale at the listing than once you’ve coordinated a pick up time and the buyer has come to pick it up (you might have a disgruntled person on your hands!).
- Explain yourself. We always like to head off the assumption that we’re selling it because it’s broken / ugly / haunted by explaining our reason for no longer wanting it ourselves. Sometimes it’s a simple “we moved and it doesn’t fit our living room anymore” can help set someone at ease who worries it’s infested with bedbugs or something crazy. Oh and speaking of bedbugs, my apartment in NY had them years ago (worst time ever) but thankfully I now know what to look for while buying something – so there’s more on that here.
- Price things reasonably. If you’re having trouble determining a sales price, try to find similar items on Craigslist and go a tad lower in order to compete (many times others will overprice something, so cutting your price below that may not be underpricing it, it could just be a fair price that someone will actually take you up on). If the item is available at retail stores, link to that so people can see how much they’re saving by buying it used (you also benefit from the photos and details they feature if you link up). And know that people may negotiate for a lower price, but you don’t have to agree to anything that you don’t want to (sometimes we’re firm, and other times we’re happy to be flexible).
- Pictures. Pictures. Pictures! We usually don’t even bother looking at listings without pictures, so we wouldn’t dare post one without a picture… or two… or four. These are your best sales asset, so put time into making them good and helpful. Show the whole piece. Show it in situation. Show details. Even show close-ups of where it’s worn or damaged so people won’t have an excuse to cancel the sale when they arrive.
- Feel free to point out some of your parameters. If you want to, feel free to include conditions like “weekend pick-ups only,” “bring cash,” or “call, don’t email” within your listing. Sherry and I sometimes save these for once we’ve started an email exchange or a phone chat with an interested party though, just so we don’t scare them off with too many rules upfront.
You can click the image below to see some actual listings that we’ve posted as some point. None of them have images since Craiglist removes those shortly after a listing has become inactive, so ignore the fact that they appear to violate that suggestion above.
Once you’ve got your listing up and made it live to the world, here’s our usual plan of action from there:
- Commit to a fair system. As much as a “Highest Bidder” system might get the best price, we just like to work on a “First Come, First Served” basis. This means whoever is able to schedule the first full-price pick-up has claim to it. We’re not shy about telling people if they ask because it we think it helps conduct the fairest transaction possible (ex: no one thinks we’re dallying in order to hold out for a higher bidder).
- Choose a safe pick-up location. You guys know we’re protective our address, but it’s not realistic for us to transport every item that we sell to another location for pick up (although sometimes we do that). So when we sell directly from our house, we like to do it in the safest way possible. I don’t provide our address until I’ve scheduled a pick-up time, which means it only goes to the most serious buyers. And whenever possible, we move the item into our carport or outside so the buyer doesn’t enter our home to make the transaction (and it’s out in “public” so no one tries anything funny). This also means they don’t see our alarm system, which helps us feel more secure since no one has “cased” our house while buying something.
- Don’t go it alone. We only schedule pick-ups when both of us can be present. And we make it clear to buyers that there will be more than one of us here. It’s not like Sherry says “my husband is home, so don’t try anything” but a nice subtle “both my husband and I will be home to help you lift it” mention helps. Hint successfully dropped. This tip goes for when you’re a buyer too – always try to bring someone with you, even if just for safety reasons.
- Be ready to stand your ground. Sometimes we find buyers trying to take advantage of the fact that they’re with us in person with cash and others are not, so if someone says “how ’bout just $40 instead of $50” it’s really your call. If you’ve got other buyers waiting the wings, feel free to respond with “we agreed to $50, so we’d like to stick to that please” or even “I have others interested for the full price, so we’re afraid we’re firm on it.”
- Expect cash. If you haven’t made it clear upfront that cash is expected and the person shows up with a check, don’t be shy about telling the person that you’re happy to wait while they go to the bank. Because if you take a check and it bounces, you may be out the money and the item you listed.
Obviously all of these tips are just what works for us, so feel free to tailor them to whatever’s comfortable for you. And we’re always happy to learn new things, so if anyone else has Craigslist tips to share, we’d love to hear them!
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
We love Craigslist! It’s such a great tool when used properly!
When you have away your bushes on Craigslist, it inspired us to do the same! We had them dug up for free. :)
We also sold a whole patio’s worth of flagstone and had it taken up and loaded… And were paid for it!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing!
xo
s
Tom Masiero says
Epic post John!..
We have also used Craigslist and FreeCycle to obtain some great pieces as well.
Here’s a tip.. shh.. don’t tell anyone. We use a Craigslist Email Alert service called http://www.clalerts.org to do the searching for us. That way we are the first ones to respond to something that we are looking for :)
p.s. I think there are number of apps that have this functionality.
Diane says
Bedbugs! Yikes! Did you transport them to work?
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully I didn’t, but my roomate and I were getting bitten in the night. It was terrible. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
-John
Katie says
Had bed bugs in my apartment in Michigan. Awful experience and now I am so much more aware of issues with pre-owned household items!
Kathy says
@John. LOL… i have some bad enemies so maybe I would wish it on them!!
Chelsea @ Riding Escalators says
These are all great tips! We’ve found Craiglist to be a love/hate thing in the DC area. There is just SOOOOO much stuff on there ALL of the time, that as soon as you post something, it’s usually on the second page within 20 minutes! I like to include some keywords at the end of the post so that if people are looking for a buffet, for example, our post will also show up if they search for “sideboard” or “solid wood.”
We’ve also found that people around here seem to REALLY know their antiques. Either that or they’re all greedy, because as soon as I find what I’m looking for, I discover it’s $500 over my budget (and you can’t offer $500 less usually – or the seller will be offended!). I actually blogged about my buffet search, where I ended up having to beg my parents to purchase one for me in Northern Michigan! haha!
http://ridingescalators.blogspot.com/2012/05/project-buffet-breakthrough.html
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that’s smart to try out another market if you can. It seems that some cities are definitely pricier than others!
xo
s
Chelsea @ Riding Escalators says
You do whatcha gotta do – am I right? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Darn skippy!
xo
s
Stacey Green says
I recently moved to Northern Michigan and find the craiglist here to be awful…full of crappy furniture at way too high of prices. I guess that shows you that you can find a great craiglist find if you are patient no matter where you are!!
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
These are great tips guys! I’ve never used CL (I know…perish the thought!) but I know people who do so I’m gonna pass this on to them!
Amy says
Have you guys ever used CraigsEasy (http://craigseasy.com/) I highly recommend it. While the craigslist site has photos, they don’t usually show up very big, so this is pretty helpful to view images at a decent size!
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah I’ve used it and it’s awesome… but sometimes I’m just so lazy that for some reason craigslist.org is what I type before I think about it and I say “we’ll I’m already here I’ll just use this” – LAZY, huh?! Haha!
xo
s
emma says
I too always end up at the regular craigslist but I usually click the “photos only” button and then zoom into the webpage so the pictures are bigger. Then I just zoom out when I’m done with the site.
I also like the app b/c the pics are slightly bigger!
Nikki Kelly says
I love CraigsEasy! Don’t worry about forgetting, you’re supposed to go to regular CL first, do your search, then use the bookmarklet to get the results with larger pictures. I even have the bookmarklet saved on my iPad.
Nikki Kelly @ the ambitious procrastinator
Emma says
Great tip RE cash versus check. It is also important to take cash only (at least for small-ish transactions) because if you take a check and CASH the check, the person has your banking information. A big scam on CL is to try to get you to cash a check – you often don’t get the money AND compromise your banking information. If you are selling a car – take a cashiers check only. When we bought a car off of CL, the buyer went to the bank with us to SEE the teller cut us the cashiers check. That way he knew the check wasn’t fake. Cash is king!
Emma says
Woops! The*seller* of the car came to the bank with us.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, I knew what you meant.
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
Oooh, scary! Great tip!
xo
s
Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says
I too love Craigslist. So much so that I even wrote a “Love Letter” to him once:
http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/2008/11/a-love-letter-to-craigslist/
I sell a ton of stuff on Craigslist all the time and have never had a negative experience. However, it’s good to employ any and all street smarts throughout all transactions. Better safe than sorry.
Katy
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, love the love letter.
xo
s
Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says
By the way, great post!
Katy
SingleMama says
Great guidelines!
I sold my couches on craigslist. Since it was a big item, the buyer had to come to my house. I made sure to stand in the doorway while they were inside (so I could run) with my cell phone in hand (and yes, I had 911 entered in so I just had to press send). Luckily, the 3 20-year-old boys were quite nice :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s pretty smart to have it predialed. So glad they were all sweet. Generally we have met nothing but sweet people just like us on craigslist thank goodness.
xo
s
Mekenzie @ Interiors By Kenz says
We just sold our wood burning stove on the classifieds, and had a HORRRRRRRRRRRRRILBE experience.
The guy showed up, BY HIMSELF- without a dolly to move it. It was a joked trying to get it out of the basement. It chewed up the carpet and messed up my walls. To say the least, next time I ever list a wood burning stove on the classifieds I am going to be VERY specific about what THEY need to bring to move it.
http://interiorsbykenz.com/how-not-to-move-a-stove/
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes! That sounds terrible.
xo
s
Jill says
If you have a smart phone and are selling a lot, you can get a Square device which is a credit card reader. There is a small per transaction fee, but the money is linked up to a bank account and automatically gets deposited within a day or two. Just in case you want to give buyers more options :)
https://squareup.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Who knew?
xo
s
heather says
I never would have thought of using Square for something like this! I have tried both inuit and square for my handmade soap business, but I never thought about using one of them for something like this. I like it!
Contempo Space says
Ridgewood should be quite an adventure, a lot of surrounding areas still don’t have power back yet :(
Fuel up before you get to NJ, there are really long lines at the few gas stations that have fuel to sell.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! All of my family lives in NJ/NY so they’ve all been giving me the same tip! Can’t wait to see them all. It was hard being here when I couldn’t get through to them in the storm.
xo
s
Emma (Broke Ass Home) says
Great Hints! We also get a lot of stuff of Craigslist. When we moved to the house all of our IKEA storage systems no longer fit so we had to sell them. My other suggestion is to mention that you have other pieces for sale and if they’re interested in coordinating pieces or something else that they may want to bring additional money for shopping. We’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff simply by saying, “I know you like this brown black color from IKEA from the Bookshelves, I also have a coffee table for sale in the same color- would you like to see it?”
Never hurts to ask!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo
s
Jess says
My boyfriend and I use CL all the time! We are also a cash only, pick-up in the garage/driveway, no address until you’re pretty much on you’re way here household :)
We’ve been selling some things for my parents, too!
Sometimes, people ask for the address ahead of time so they know how far they are going to have to travel. In that case, we give them the address of a mall that is 5 minutes from us and tell them it’s about 5 minutes out. We haven’t had any problems with that method! (Though if somebody DID have a problem with it, we’d probably call the deal off!)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny, it’s exactly what John does too! He’ll say we’re five minutes away from _______ and they can put that into their google map search and then if they’re still game and on the way over we’ll finally divulge the address. It’s funny how many people will act interested and then just drop off, so we hate giving it out to anyone who won’t actually come.
xo
s
Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says
I also only give my address when someone is actually coming to see the item.
Katy
Allyn says
One time my then boyfriend (now husband) found a woman to come clean his house on Craigslist. She came over with no supplies, looked around, and went to the store to get supplies. Only she never came back. I was convinced that she had cased the joint and was going to come back and rob him. Never happened, but dang was I tense!
We’ve always had great luck on buying stuff though.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so weird! It would keep me up every night wondering what happened? Did she get hurt? Get amnesia? Just feel like blowing it off? We’ll never know!
xo
s
Christa @ a*typicaljourney says
This post truly couldn’t have come at a better time! My fiancee & I just bought a house and decided to upgrade the appliances, even though the ones that came with the house were probably perfectly fine. We listed our stove, washer & dryer on CL and had responses almost immediately (I’m sure the $50 each washer & dryer didn’t hurt).
I guess I never really thought about the safety aspect of selling things online. Maybe it’s because we live in a smaller midwest town and crime rates aren’t all that high to begin with…but now I’ll definitely make sure I have someone else at the new house with me when the buyers come to pick up the appliances!!
Thanks for keeping me safe :)
Megan says
Great tips! My husband quit his job to go back to school and he used CL to earn extra money. He would go out to garage sales and pick things up for cheap and sell them for up to three times as much on CL! I think the only rule above that he didn’t follow was having someone with him for each sale. But, most of the stuff he sold was small so he meet people in a grocery store parking lot where there would be lots of witnesses around.
Leah says
Yup, I’ve done parking lots alone plenty of times (though only during daylight hours in a busy parking lot). I bought a lot of stuff for our wedding on Craigslist, like votive candles that had only been used an hour or two. We were putting them inside stuff, so who cares if they’ve been burned a little before?
Selling on CL these days is probably easier than ebay. After college, I was at home for 8 months before a new job started. I sold a LOT of my parents’ clutter on ebay then. But fees were lower, and there were less reselling businesses on there then. I’m not sure if I’d be so successful now.
I also sold stuff on Craigslist then, so my mom got all new window treatments with the money I made from selling the old ones. Fast tip here with people in suburbs: if your suburb has specific set house designs (ours had four or five different house styles), put the house style name in your ad. That helped us sell our custom window treatments for top dollar to someone who had the same model house.
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
Great suggestions! I am so obsessed with Craigslist. It is like thrift store shopping at home but you can’t make a hasty purchase you will regret later since it takes so much time to actually coordinate a purchase.
Sarah | The Accidental Okie says
I made my first Craigslist purchase a few months ago – a 52 inch antique table with two 20 inch leaves. It’s going to uber cool when I paint/stain it black.
My biggest fear was negotiating. It’s always intimidated me. So I harnessed everything I’ve learned from Pawn Stars and American Pickers. It worked! (No joke).
I also left not-so-subtle hints: My husband and his dad will be helping me pick up the table. We shouldn’t need any help since my husband was a linebacker.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, love the not so subtle hints!
xo
s
Erin {Home Everyday} says
These tips are amazing! My husband and I have always come up with a game plan every time we buy or sell something on craigslist. Now, we have an actual resource for tips :) Thanks for sharing guys!
YoungHouseLove says
You’re welcome Erin. Happy to help.
-John
april says
great tips! I love selling on CL and sometimes buying. I LOVE putting free stuff (curb alerts!) on CL. I will say that sometimes I use the 5 word description to sell something that’s not worth much (we are in Massachusetss with lots of colleges and sold a cruddy couch to college students for 25 bux). I just don’t feel like using a lot of words is worth it for a small amount of money. I also like to lump stuff together, kind of like selling a “lot” on ebay…like kids’ toys. We are trying to clear out the playroom for the big guys’ delivery that’s coming up soon, so we are posting a set of 5 Little People toys and things similar to that. It helps to sell by age group or theme (musical instruments, etc.). I would like to know if you’ve ever bought anything (or got it for free) and after you put it in your house it STUNK? We’ve picked up a few wood pieces here and there, mostly for free, and they don’t smell on the side of the road, but once they are inside they have this incredibly horrible wood smell. I sound crazy, I know. hahaha
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, sometimes things are musty so I sit them outside in the sunlight (sun = natural releaser of smells) and wipe them down with white vinegar with all drawers and doors open to air things out. The vinegar doesn’t have a scent when it dries and if you let it bake out in the sun a bit more it shouldn’t be musty at all when it comes in. If it still has a bit of smell, reapply the vinegar (I just use a rag to wipe it down again) and it should definitely be all good!
xo
s
april says
I should learn how to spell Massachusetts correctly…
Kirsten says
Any advice on how to sell items as a single female who is relatively new to the area and therefore doesn’t really know people here who could go along? If I’m only selling a small item that can be transported to a public place in the daylight, is that generally safe? After a girl from my college was murdered while answering a nanny ad (she thought she was going to meet a young couple and their baby… and it wasn’t), I’m a little wary of using Craigslist and have thought about asking my parents to list stuff for me instead.
Kirsten says
Oops, and I also meant to ask if there are safety considerations in giving out your email address vs. phone number.
YoungHouseLove says
We just like to hear a person’s voice (are the acting friendly and normal and not weird and asking strange questions). I know people can fake you out with a nice voice on the phone and be serial killers, but at least when you hear people ask questions on the phone you can get a vibe from them instead of trying to get a vibe from email (sometimes email exchanges can be hard to “read” since there’s no tone of voice, etc). Plus a phone record of someone is more trace-able than an email (you can make a fake email address at a library, but most cell and home lines are in someone’s name and we usually call someone a few hours later not right away (so they can’t wait at a payphone, etc). Hope that makes sense!
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I would meet at a super busy location (outside of a bustling restaurant) during the day. And that’s so terrible about the girl from your college. What a shocking and terrible incident.
xo
s
Liz says
I posted some tips in a comment but I just had to sell everything, by myself, before moving cross country. most of the items I also couldn’t remove from the house by myself so I did the following:
I would always pretend someone was going to be there.
Make sure they had a legit email address and google/Facebook them.
Forward the email to my boyfriend (who was across the country so couldn’t be there).
Ask them for ID before they came into my house and text a picture to a friend – I’d wait for them on curb with door locked.
Call a friend/family member on the phone when they showed up secretly and leave the call running but in my hand.
Ideally you’d meet them in a public place but the mentioned measures made me feel A LOT safer when I didn’t have a choice.
Wendy says
There are also ways to “strip” an e-mail address so you know from where exactly the e-mail is being sent along with other information.
I have no idea how to do this, but my husband does and it saved us a HUGE CL scam.
He did it the other day with a random e-mail.. Bank of America spam/scam. It turns out it was being sent from Australia.
I’d say if you are uncertain and it’s an option, forward the e-mail to a tech savvy friend if you have one handy.
Emma (Broke Ass Home) says
Hi Kristen,
We use a burn e-mail with generic names before when we do stuff. That way someone doesn’t have your personal e-mail/full name. We’re big fans of first name only. Also, if you live in an apartment complex and you see a neighbor often (if you’re not friends with them) it doesn’t hurt to say, “Hey, I’m selling something on craigslist and I don’t really want to be alone. Would you mind hanging out on the porch and having a glass of tea with me while I wait?” Almost everyone understands the CL Paranoia. I’ve gone so far as to call the maintenance man once and he was more than happy to hang out for 10 minutes while the whole thing went down.
Amanda says
I wish I had seen these tips before my first attempt at buying off of Craigslist. I found a BEAUTIFUL red console for my entryway that fit everything I was looking for (had 3 deep drawers, shelf underneath, sturdy wood). I contacted the seller about buying it, but told her I wouldn’t be able to come until Friday because of work.
Well, it turns out this seller was trying to sell all of her furniture b/c she was moving (which she did not tell me) and had been burned by no-shows at least two times before. She assumed that I would do the same, and sold the console to a couple that was buying one of her bedroom sets without any kind of warning to me. I was extremely upset because it was an excellent deal and I loved the console, but I realized that if I had been more direct/proactive about the purchase (I only contacted her via email/tex… should have called), she probably wouldn’t have done that.
Sucks but I’ll do better next time.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, so sorry Amanda! I know you’ll end up with something you love!
xo
s
Mary says
Craigslist is an awesome tool and I’ve sold (and purchased) many items throughout the years. Recently, I’ve noticed that scammers are at a high! So when selling I include “I will not respond to emails or text messages – phone calls only!” Yes, scammers had gone so far to text me. It’s such a great way to get rid of items and find great pieces of furniture but you really do have to beware.
YoungHouseLove says
Good tip Mary!
xo
s
Anne says
Great tips! Many apply for apartment hunting on Craigslist too, which is also kinda scary (I seem to get LOTS of spam when apartment hunting, people asking that I do a credit check first when I click the link in their email, for example).
My favorite Craiglist deal was when I found a rocking chair next to our dumpster covered in dust. I cleaned it up and it was gorgeous! And then I sold it on CL for $40. I was sad to see it go but didn’t have room for it! :(
http://annebronkema.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/in-which-i-trade-a-chair-i-found-in-a-dumpster-for-40/
YoungHouseLove says
I love that story.
xo
s
annabelvita says
We don’t have a great craigslist here in the UK, but gumtree is similar and very popular, particularly in London.
I wrote some similar posts about getting the most out of Freecycle (loooove freecycle) http://www.annabelvita.com/2011/09/16/how-to-get-what-you-want-from-freecycle-tips-and-etiquette/, in case any of your readers are interested in that as well.
I like the tip about dropping in details that you won’t be alone!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, we love freecycle too! Great tips!
xo
s
Mary says
Great tips! I’ve sold many items on Craigslist but have purchased only a couple of things.
I too always give a time frame when two of us are home in the original listing and phone numbers are exchanged after the email contact. I only click into however many emails to get the item sold and delete the rest. No responses to anyone else and of course delete the posting when the item has been sold. I’ve also seen spam links in many emails so the fewer emails that I open the better.
I’ve had some trouble with the listing kicking out occasionally when the pictures are uploaded even though I’ve compressed them. Then I had to rewrite the listing so now I usually write the listing in Word and then paste it over; it’s also easier for editing and getting a bit of formatting.
I’m inspired; I think I’ll get some pictures taken and get some items posted today!
Brenda says
I ignored a post for a chair I was interested in because I wasn’t moving to my new place for a month and couldn’t take it until then. I later regretted it and kept looking for something similar. I found an even better chair (exactly what I wanted), and even though I was still two weeks away from moving, I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask if they were willing to hold it. Not only did the guy hold it for me for 2 weeks, but after I got there with my mom and her van, he knocked $10 off the price! It was in his garage, and it was obviously just vacuumed. That’s my best CL story so far.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoooo!
xo
s
Melissa says
Awesome tips! In Canada everyone uses http://www.Kijiji.ca for the most part over Craigslist… Surprised it hasn’t made its way to the U.S yet because its a little friendlier looking/ user friendly than craigslist :).
If you dont mind me asking how much did you sell your granite coutnertops for? Im looking to do the same (just a very small counter) but its hard determining a price because its used and already cut.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually got $350 for all of it! We were so surprised! It fit the measurements of someone’s kitchen (with some excess and they had the tools to cut it down themselves) so I guess it was a good deal for them and an awesome deal for us to get to unload it!
xo
s
Angella says
We LOVED using Kijiji when it was in the US (Atlanta), but it was taken over by ebay classifieds and ugh, it stinks trying to sell now.
Em says
Thanks so much for writing this post. Katherine, one of the victims in the list you linked to, was a great friend of mine. I still love and use Craiglist, but it’s vitally important to be safe and smart about it. Making sure to have more than one person present is by far the best step you can take – thanks for getting the message out to the masses! Your tips are spot-on.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m so sorry for your loss Em.
xo
s
Chrissy says
Those are great tips! I always meet people in parking lots for smaller items. Especially if my husband is at work. I once met and older lady and she brought her two (large) sons. It made me laugh, I’m glad I’m not the only paranoid one!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome.
xo
s
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
Ohhhhh how I love the Craiglist!!! I will say though safety is a HUGE issue, we had a Cragislist Killer in our area a few years ago (weird sidenote, I was at the same line dancing club as him the night he left the poor girl for dead YIKES) Luckily she lived and he is now in jail….but still scary!
YoungHouseLove says
That is terrifying. So glad she lived and he’s in jail.
xo
s
Heather says
Love this. I’m always wary about buying things on Craigslist, but these are great tips!
Jenn says
Thanks for the tip on the thumbnail image, I didn’t know that was an option! Will save me time, fo’ sure.
My husband and I also join forces on selling on CL – I do the e-mailing and then he talks to the buyer/takes their money on our front porch. A good tip if you’re selling something outside is to make sure you have an outlet if you’re selling something that needs power to check if it works. The only time a CL buyer had to come into our house was for something like that. AWK :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, so smart. We have a handy one in our carport (which was helpful during our yard sale too).
xo
s
Stefanie says
I love craigslist! The only thing that I would add to your “Be synonym happy when you search” paragraph is to also be antonym happy. For example, if you are looking for chairs and you know that you don’t want the chair to be a gaming chair or a bean bag chair, you can search like this
“chair -bag -bean -game -gaming”
I recently purchased these:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/394526_583496666650_1893202794_n.jpg
and my search looked like this:
“chairs -microsuede -bag -bean -plastic -soccer -fold -deck -table -patio -balcony -dinning -beach -outdoor -poolside -lazy -futon -dinner -adirondack -scooter -microfiber -Director -Ikea -Plaid -kid -kids -Papasan -oak -butterfly -game -gaming -slip -bar -Recliner -rocker -IRON -Poang -massage -wicker -cherry -ladder -wooden -rocking -glass -wood -dining -lazyboy -child -computer -desk -office -leather”
This can help really narrow down your search on craigslist so that you are only looking at the items that are particular to what you really want. The only down side to this type of searching is if the poster writes very little in their post. A bean bag chair could just be “chair.”
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- so smart!
xo
s
Richelle says
That’s very helpful!
Rachel says
Those chairs are my dream. Great find! :)
Gloria says
My new favorite way to hunt for something on craigslist is by using RSS feeds– either directly from the site (in the bottom right corner of each search)and adding it to Google Reader or by using Feed My Inbox for emailed alerts. Great post!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart.
xo
s
SMarie says
I’ve been trying to sell our mid century dining set for almost 2 months i’ve dropped the price a number of times. How do you deal with all the scam emails that act like they’re interested in the item?
YoungHouseLove says
We just say “call us if you’re interested” with our number after the first email. If they do and they’re a real person it’s all good. And if it’s a scam, they won’t call.
xo
s
Ruby says
YOU JUST ROCKED MY WORLD!
I had NO idea about the thumbnail trick. My Craigslist shopping will never be the same!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s THE BEST!!
xo
s
Allison @ Gold Stars Double Rainbows says
My husband and I sold (what felt like) most of our possessions on Craigslist before moving to Paraguay to be Peace Corps Volunteers (where we are now). It was a great outlet!
The hardest thing for me was securing an offer and pick up time. They’d say, “How about $50” and I’d respond with “Yes, when can you pick it up?” and in the meantime someone else would email with another offer. Didn’t want to lead anyone on, but wanted to sell everything as quickly as possible!
Now that I think about it, phone calls would have been easier for instant arrangements when I was often encouraging emails.
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
Great tips! I always write why we’re getting rid of something for the exact reason that you do.
Emily R. says
One other suggestion for searching out Craigslist items: a service called ifttt (if this then that). It has a slick interface that allows you to link up certain accounts (email, Twitter, Facebook – whatever you want) and get notifications when things happen (severe weather, Zombie outbreaks, or an awesome buffet showing up on Craigslist). You choose the trigger and the notification style, then ifttt does the work for you! (Note: I do not work for ifttt, nor are they aware of my endorsement, but I’ve used this service in the past and enjoyed it. If you are at least a mid-level Craigslister, you’ll be able to set this up without a problem and get automated updates when you can’t sit down at your computer to bargain hunt.)
YoungHouseLove says
Cool! Never heard of that site but we’ll have to check it out.
-John
Julia says
Oh, I think this might be the application I’ve been describing to people in vain for a few years, assuming it must exist! Not for CL usage, but still… Off to check it out!
Donna says
I find for smaller items, many people prefer to meet in a public place rather than at home. Usually, this is fine. However, please check out the place they want to meet.
I once did not show up for an arranged meeting because it was pitch black and the parking lot lights were off. I would rather err on the side of caution than end up in a dangerous situation.
Diane says
Are you guys on WP’s Home Front today?
YoungHouseLove says
We are! Sherry’s over there live chatting with folks right now as I work the comments over here. Tag teaming at its finest! :)
http://live.washingtonpost.com/home-front-1101.htm
-John
Tamrah Ryan says
Great tips!! I love Craigslist apps, I have one on my smartphone called “Craigslist Notifications.” It saves me a lot of search time because I can set up a search and the app will notify me when an item comes up with that search term in its title or description. I also FULLY agree with the “Be Synonym Happy” point. Case in point: a while back I was searching for a bookcase. I came up with a big ol’ list of different ways people listed (and came up with different search results with each): bookcase, book case, bookshelf, book shelf, bookshelves, book shelves. Plus a few more combos I can’t think of right now.
Fantastic post!!
Ashley Edge says
Hey this was GREAT! I’m obsessed with CL :) Since you guys are so busy you should have google alerts do your searches for you! All you do is set your query for example:
“Cowhide” site: maine.craigslist.com
This is an exact query that I’m having google search for me in Maine. Then google will send you an email when something is posted on CL with your description “cowhide”! You have to try it! have fun :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oooh, good suggestion!
-John
Meg says
Great tips! And just in time for us since we just got a new couch and need to get rid of the old ones. Is there a special thing on Craigslist for curb drops? I remember you mentioning it. Also – have you ever thought of using the square? or the paypal credit card thing? I know it takes a small fee, but I wonder if that would be just as clean as cash.
YoungHouseLove says
We just list our curb drops in the “free” section of craigslist. And the Square idea is a good one, though since I don’t have much use to have one around on a regular basis I probably wouldn’t invest in one just for the few craigslist transactions we do each year. But it’s a good thought!
-John
rachel swartley says
John – the Square card reader is free! The only fee is a small per-transaction fee, so there’s no “investment.”
YoungHouseLove says
Interesting. Thanks for the info guys.
-John
Tessa says
I am so so excited! I just got my Amazon shipping notification for your book, it’s going to be here tomorrow! I really wanted to come to a book signing but I am in Michigan and the closest one to me was in Chicago. Maybe you will get to come here at some point and I can get it signed :)
YoungHouseLove says
So glad the book is on its way!
-John
MamaGigi says
A couple of my rules:
When buying:
Always tell them upfront what you want to pay (I hate it when people come, there is nothing wrong with the item or different than online and they want to negotiate). I wasted my day for you to come offer $200 less than I was asking.
Look for “moving” in the post. If people are moving they are usually REALLY willing to drop the price if you come get it ASAP. We’ve gotten a lot of great stuff for 1/2 of asking price since they needed it gone before they moved.
99% of our house is furnished from craigslist and we’re really cheap!
Amy says
Yes! Completely agree, great tips.
ashlie says
My big trick for Kijiji shopping (here in Canada) is to check out the seller’s house on Google Street View before heading over. I have a pretty general rule of thumb that if their house/car is nicer than mine, I’m probably pretty safe and am probably getting a good item. You know, because I’m judgmental like that.
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! I think it’s a fair instance to be judgmental. :)
-John
Julia says
I find the wealthier people/those in “nicer” homes are less understanding of my safety concerns (like not following them into their house for a small item), tend to overestimate the value of their items (their sense of self is more tied up in their “stuff” as evidence by the nice car/house), and are less pleasant to deal with both as seller and buyer.
My rule of thumb is that the further into the suburbs/subdivisions I venture, the less safe I am and the lower quality the item will be for its price.
jen says
loved this! glad you guys are safe. Everything here is pretty much what I’ve learned too, the number one rule of buying for me is don’t annoy the seller, don’t just ask “is it available?” because that seems to annoy them.. I just say “I’d like your X, I can come by Y with cash.” I have become quite zen about just trolling for what I want.. if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I’ve “lost” quite a few things I thought I wanted but I have 3 treasures in my house that I laugh because they couldn’t have been better. I often prefer to get something on CL because it is unique and full of character. It is truly amazing what people will take for free, too. Helps with decluttering and saves me time. I am a big fan of the curb alert on trash day. I guess some people might consider it dangerous? No different than putting signs up I guess.
Colleen says
My partner and I LOVE Craigslist! We buy and sell stuff there all the time. Occasionally I also give away stuff for free that I would have thrown out otherwise; the few minutes’ work helps keep stuff out of the dumpster.
You definitely need to take a Zen approach–the right item will come along eventually. The right buyer will usually come along eventually if your price is reasonable.
One thing that seems to help is being centrally located. We live in the heart of the city while my parents live in the suburbs, and we have a much easier time selling or giving stuff away than they do, just because our location is more accessible to more people.
If you can offer more than one location to meet (say, your home or your workplace) or can offer delivery that seems to help. We have a truck, so offering to deliver often gets us a premium price or faster purchase. There are a lot of folks out there who don’t have transportation or have physical limitations, so if you can help them out they’re willing to pay for it.
Be honest and don’t make any promises you can’t keep. In addition to household items, my husband likes to buy, fix, and re-sell cars on Craigslist. He’s always completely upfront with buyers about what they’re getting, if there is any work needed, etc. but on occasion a buyer has still gotten mad and tried to get a refund. One even threatened small-claims court (he had zero case, though, and never actually followed through). For stuff like that it’s good to know the laws in your area about used cars, etc. so you’re always on the right side. Get documentation like a little purchase agreement that both parties sign saying that you’re making the purchase as-is, etc.
And definitely think about safety! We meet away from our home (and the seller’s home) if we can, but otherwise we try to be together and make it clear that we’ll both be there. We usually bring the item outside or into our front porch. Sometimes if the emailer uses their real name I will look them up on Facebook just to feel a little more comfortable with who I’m meeting (not that it’s any guarantee). My husband uses a fake email address and a Google Voice phone number for Craigslisting.
My favorite Craigslist story: I bought a cheap exercise machine from a guy in a nearby apartment building. I didn’t end up liking it much and eventually sold it about a year later. The buyer lived near me and requested delivery. When I pulled up in front of her address… it was the same apartment building! And I even sold it for $10 more than I paid for it. :)