If you are looking for some extra cash to add to your savings accounts or if you're in need of money for an unexpected bill, believe it or not, there's a pretty easy way to come up with the cash. Really, the only things you need are an internet connection, a computer and a digital camera. If you have these things, you can list a few items on Craigslist and make some quick cash. This is a good way to make money without having to take on an a second job and you don't have to pay taxes on it!!
Stop for a second and take a look around your home. I'm absolutely SURE there is something that you don't use anymore and it's sitting in the corner gathering dust. Like the old saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Image Courtesy: Orin Zebest
I recently sold a laptop and a TV stand on Craigslist. The laptop was just sitting around not being used since I bought a new MacBook. The TV stand was out in the garage taking up the precious bit of space I have left. In fact, if I wasn't paying attention when I got out of the car, I would sometimes bump into it with the door of the car or my knees. If you want to sell your item quickly and for top dollar, remember these tips:
Description. Give a good, clear and accurate description of the item; including the item condition. For electronics, make sure you list the model number and specs of the item. For example, if you are selling a digital camera, make sure you tell how many megapixels it has and what the zoom is. If you are selling an item of furniture, make sure you include measurements. You don't want a potential buyer to get to your home and not buy the item because it was not the size they were expecting. Make sure your item title is specific and eye-catching. Make sure your buyers know how to contact you. If you are going to list your email address, you should probably create a secondary email so you aren't giving your primary email address out to total strangers (think spam).
Pictures. Take good, clear photos of your item. I personally would not buy anything if there was no picture of the item. Putting up a stock photo is better than nothing but a photo of the actual item is preferable.
Condition. Take a few moments to cleanup the item you are selling. My TV stand was all dusty and dirty and it didn't look good at all in that condition. I took a little time to clean and dust it and it looked good as new. I would much rather buy an item that is clean and in good condition instead of one that may be in good condition but needs cleaning.
Price. This is very important if you want your item to move quickly. I'm not saying you should give the item away but it does need to be priced accordingly. If a new item is selling for $50, you don't want to list your used item for $55. If you aren't sure how to price your item, do an internet search and see what other similar used items are selling for.
Using the tips above, I was able to get rid of 2 items I was no longer using and bring in about $500 in additional cash. I need to take some time to go through my closets and find more stuff to put up for sale. Not only can I declutter my home; I can make extra cash doing it.
Have you recently used Craigslist to make a little extra cash?
I always put the price slightly higher than I'd like and I put 'price is negotiable'... because almost every buyer WILL want to negotiate and I'll probably get closer to what I want and they'll get a deal.
Also...
sometimes if you have access to a truck or larger vehicle you can say 'will deliver for 20 dollars if needed'. THAT will sell things much easier because many people will not buy larger things if they don't have means to haul em!
So many people just don't bother to spend time to correctly list an article.... And then they wonder why it doesn't sell!!
Thanks.
Forest.
http://frugalzeitgeist.com
I love craigslist. The past few times I have tried to sell bigger items on Ebay, a scammer bought it (twice for the same item). Using craigslist, the scammers are easier to find (deal locally- simple). I also love negotiating via email as it saves me tons of time on the phone.
Craigslist is an awesome site. We've done quite a few transactions in the past and the buyers are always so nice.
Speaking of which, I received a flyer for a neighborhood donation drive. I was about to sell some of my electronic items but decided not to and just donate it to the needy. This would probably just yield me $30 or so dollars.
But good point if you want to make extra money on the side. This is the way to go.
http://moneyhoneysf.blogspot.com/
Yeah, pictures are KEY and reposting once a week.
Best are the CL scams tho!
Nice looking Alexa chart btw. Looks like a ski jump since you joined The Yakezie!
Hope to see you around more often.
Best, Sam
Craigslist is an awesome site. We've done quite a few transactions in the past and the buyers are always so nice.
I like your openness. CL is indeed a very good marketplace. Scammers are getting there too especially with the service industry. For example when you want to post anything about computer or web services, there are so many warnings of scammers that I wonder whether anyone would really want to hire/contract a lister from CL. I was going to offer to help small businesses and startups with their websites for basics and 2 years of hosting for $500 dollars, but I was discouraged. It is a breeze for me to do this so maybe I can help some readers here. If they contact the website owner, he will know how to get me or visit my blog and go to the tech section.
Thanks for this post.
Your idea is very interesting. Goods sold are not just useful. Besides we can get money the easy way, our house is so neat. There are no items that are not used and less manicured.
Also as far as posting photos for item(s)...PLEASE make sure the photo is light enough to see the item. There's been many times I have clicked out of a listing because the photo was too dark!
For furniture include ALL the dimensions. If I am looking at sofas I need to know length, width, and depth. If I am looking at beds, I want to know how high is that headboard AND foot board. Same for TV stands, tables, entertainment centers, etc. etc. etc. (This is my pet peeve -- no dimensions!)