Whose Used Craigs List and How?

Updated on January 21, 2011
C.M. asks from Keller, TX
23 answers

Hey moms just curious if any one has used craigs list and has had any success in putting items on their site.

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G.H.

answers from Chicago on

I love BOOKOO.com much much better. Recommended by moms on this site & it's way better than craigslist.

1 mom found this helpful

L.S.

answers from Dallas on

We buy and sell on it all the time. Love that it's free to use! We've sold tons using it! good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

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R.M.

answers from Portland on

I have had great success over the years. I've sold items and have given away items.

A couple words of warning:

1) If possible meet the other party away from your home, like at your local supermarket parking lot
2) If your home is necessary, have another adult with you at the exchange
3) Only accept cash

I have never had a problem over the years.

Good Luck

R. Magby

3 moms found this helpful
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C.A.

answers from San Francisco on

I rented my house on craigslist. Our renters are wonderful people who have taken very great care of our property and we are into our third year with them.

I have also sold our train table.

Remember to only deal with people locally. If you are talking items you are selling, deal with cash. In the case of our rental property, I had a background check done once they filled out the application. Use common sense. Take lots of pictures of the items you are selling. I don't even open the listings when I am browsing if they don't have pictures.

Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Dallas on

I've sold and bought lots and lots of items on Craigslist! I love it! You'll get some spam emails, but if you ignore those, then you can make some money selling your used items. You may have some no-shows, and that can be irritating, but if you have items to sell that you could make some money off of, it's worth it.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.K.

answers from St. Louis on

In general, Craigslist is great! I've gotten so much in the way of baby essentials, found our daycare provider, bought and sold my old car (couple years apart), even got our dog from CL!!

Someone else mentioned no-shows, and that can be really annoying/frustrating, but all in all, Craigslist has proven to be a great resource for buying and selling just about everything. If you're OK with computers, it's pretty straightforward to list stuff (that is, I'm definitely NOT tech savvy, but I do fine with it. My dad, on the other hand, has had to have me add the pictures for him and edit his posts...).

Oh, also, depending on what you're selling, some people are flag-happy (I haven't had much trouble here, but the man we got our puppy from last year kept having his ad flagged... we all thought maybe it was someone who was trying to make money by selling their own puppies, since our little fellah was free... guess we'll never know???).

Last thing: pictures are extremely helpful in selling stuff, if you can (although I did sell my car without any pictures because I was living in the middle of nowhere with dial-up internet at the time and just couldn't make that happen!).

Sorry for any extraneous info... just not sure exactly what all you're looking for here! Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

K.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

I put my son's 'Firetruck' toddler bed on Craigslist and sold it in a day! That was pretty neat.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Savannah on

Yes! Super super easy (and I'm nearly computer illiterate, so really---super easy). I've bought a portable crib, a toddler bed, high chair, double stroller, train table, hard to find toy sets, a little clubhouse, a toybox, an infant bouncer, some bedroom decor (plane shelf, train bookends, car rug, etc), a full size entertainment center, a dresser, a night stand for the guest room, a little tykes kitchen, a bumbo seat, a space saver feeding chair for travel, 4 dining chairs, etc. My friends joked that I was the craigslist queen. I donate most things when they are outgrown, but I have successfully sold everything I ever listed for sale: a bumbo seat and tray, a highchair, a pack and play, 3 toyboxes, a train table, etc.
My advice, in no order:
1) Kids stuff goes pretty easy and fast, if you're selling a much-needed item like those things. Do seasonal items in the correct season. Maybe look around on Craigslist for what you're listing to see what it seems to be going for.
2) I went to peoples' homes for things (although I was relieved when the items were at the door on in the garage so I didn't have to walk in past the foyer; pretty much always, that was the case). I only let one person come to my house (for a train table I couldn't transport), but I had it in the front room ready for her. Otherwise, I always met people at a McDonalds close to my house (so the kids could play in the playland while I waited, so it wasn't so awkward if they were late). We did that because my husband didn't like the idea of strangers coming to the house when he was at work.
3) DO take pictures. I won't even look at a listing if it doesn't have a picture listed.
4) Do be honest, as you would want someone to be with you. If it's wobbly or scratched, don't let someone get there before they find out!!!
5) I don't really negotiate prices with people either way: I only contact someone if I think the item is a good deal, and I list the items for a price I feel is fair. (I do give here and there, but we're talking like $5 or something, and I've had people do the same to me, but not in a bartering kind of way.....more like "thanks for buying all 3 things, here if you'd like this 4th thing that matches, you can have it").
6) I've heard complaints about junk emails and no shows, but out of almost 5 years of doing this, I've not had junk emails and only had one guy call me while I was at McDonalds to tell me he couldn't get away from work like he hoped (lens crafters), and asked if I could bring it to him (he was 2 miles away so I said yeah). I parked in the parking lot, and he came out and gave me $10 (unsolicited) more than I asked for the "delivery".
7) Always take cash only. Even though you hope someone has the right change, it'd be good to have a 10 and some 1s in case they just ran by the ATM and only have 20s (I've done that--oops, I never carry cash so I was at the mercy of whatever the ATM gives).
8) Please watch your tone. Again, I'm sure some people have been aggrivated by spam and no shows. But seriously, I will not contact someone no matter how much I would like what they're selling, if they have a snarky tone. I've read advertisements that were like I've already kicked their dog, flirted with their husband, and am plotting to kidnap their children after stealing all that they own. I have not stood you up on prom night. Do not ask me to buy something from you when you are taking "TOO" firm a tone with me. A jerk will be a jerk no matter what you type on you advertisement. A good person will steer clear exactly because of what you type.
9) People generally don't want to buy electronic goods too much. It will be harder for you to sell a tv, vacuum cleaner, things like that, because it's harder for people to know for sure it works the way it needs to work. Some people do buy dryers and things like that. I don't. That kind of thing is hit and miss. You may get lucky, but you may not be able to sell it as fast as you'd like. (I stick with the baby/kid stuff and some furniture and sell things anywhere from 1 hour later to 1 week later).
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

J.B.

answers from Houston on

Well I haven't put anything up to sell, oh well actually we did try to sell our truck on Craigslist but it ultimately sold from a Greensheet add, we did get some calls from our CL add though. We did actually buy our minivan off CL and I am currently looking for a guitar from there. Whenever I have a major purchase, I always check to see if someone is selling what I want for a good deal. So as a buyer from there, I say try it out, it's free and I have made some major purchases off of it. Good luck!!

M.P.

answers from Provo on

Ditto to Mamma L. Lots of pictures especially if there is any damage to the product like scuffing or little dents.
Accept cash only.

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H.C.

answers from Dallas on

Yes Craigslist honestly has been a HUGE blessing in my life! We have bought and sold soooo many things. When we have to advertise our rental home for rent, it goes on craigslist and have found good tenants every time. My husband is un-employed right now and has applied to many, many craigslist jobs. If you sell anything though theres two rules, always meet in person (never ship anything ever, 99% its a scam and unfortunately I've been a victim of that, so I know first hand) and CASH only!

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K.M.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I used it quite a bit when I got married and we had to combine two fully-furnished houses into one. We kept track of how much money we made selling stuff on CL; I forget the exact number now but it was well over $2,000. I've sold furniture, appliances, siding, a canoe, and smaller items such as plastic storage bins, a fondue set, and a set of kitchen canisters. Some things went very quickly; others took longer.

Definitely post pictures of your stuff. Like other people have said here, I too pass by the ads with no pics. Also, when I'm getting ready to post an ad for something, I first look to see what other people in the area are asking for similar items, so I can price competitively.

We've gotten some good deals on CL, too. We bought a very unique entertainment center for $100. We got a great deal on a desk, still in bubble wrap, that sells new for over $1100 and we got it for $500.

I've also used the "free" section of CL to get rid of stuff. The easiest way is to post what you're getting rid of, say it's out on the curb and you can't hold it for anyone, give the address and say "first come, first serve." I've gotten firewood from the free section, as well as finding a company with an ad for selling rics (sp?) of firewood at an excellent price.

The only thing I've had trouble with is a timeshare I'm trying to sell; I've gotten very few hits on it from real people but several from companies who buy and sell them. I guess you could call that spam.

I really like Craigslist!

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I've used it a lot of times to sell all sorts of items. 9 out of 10 times, I've sold everything I listed. Be sure to put up pictures to get a better response and only take cash!

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I have bought and sold a lot, but a lot of people waste your time. I always say cash only and price it a bit higher for negotiation, try and meet somewhere public if you can.

Take great photos and have great descriptions with sizes.

A.G.

answers from Houston on

I LOVE c/l, we had a bunch of stuff piled up in our garage that i just took quick pics of and posted them, within days i sold half of it. Then i reposted them 2 weeks later, sold more. I have like 2 things left. Sometimes you have to lower the price, and sometimes you have to repost it because the postings come flooding in by friday. Use creative words to make your item sound attractive, attach a price that is a little below what youd expect for the item and see it fly away. I love buying stuff on there too. You should see my new parsons dining chairs(4), marble table, and wrought iron wall art that i got for a mere 150 dollars!, lol

i posted up a pic of random baby girl stuff in a box and said '15 dollars", it was gone within the day. if i have an item that i just want to see gone ill post it under the 'free" section.

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

YES and YES! i love craigslist~ I use it all the time and sell my kids or mommy items on there all the time.

M

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

I've used it to buy a rocker for my son's room.

I would suggest that you post good pictures for whatever it is you're selling.
Honestly, if I don't see photos for something, no matter how compelling the description, I pass the ad by. I don't have the time to go back and forth trying to get some or to arrange a viewing to see if I want something.

Good luck!

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M.M.

answers from Dallas on

Sold 2 cars, bought 1 car. Given away a gas grill and 36" SD TV. Bought P90X. The only thing I have had trouble with is selling my Oreck - no takers on that.

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

We have used it to buy, sell and barter just about everything under the sun - furniture, baby items, sold my car, appliances, toys. We love it. Things to remember...only deal with people locally. Sometimes you get emails from people out of state and it's 99.999% of the time it's a scam. Don't change your schedule for people you are selling to. People on Cl are notoriously flaky. They change their mind or find what they were looking for elsewhere and then turn into a no show (and most don't call), it's the most annoying part of it in my opinion. So I have learned to make people work around my schedule and not be too accommodating. Accept cash only. Meet in a public place if it's possible. Some bigger ticket items you have to sell from your home. I always put whatever it is in the garage and only have them come over when my hubby is home. If he isn't around, I have a neighbor who will come over for a little bit, so I am not alone. I have NEVER even felt a little weird, but I think it's better to be safe than sorry. When I go to someone's house, I don't go alone. For us it has been a fantastic tool. We have saved tons of money and made tons of money off of CL.

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C.S.

answers from Las Vegas on

I have used it a couple of time and have had no problems as of yet. Remember seasonal things sell during the right season.

P.M.

answers from Tampa on

I've sold some children's outside toys, I've bought many things from craigslist and not only got some great Nanny jobs from it, but have had many ppl emailing me about job offers from a post I put up.

R.G.

answers from Dallas on

In the last month I've sold a breast pump and a couch & love seat set. I've sold several things before that. It's super easy to post stuff, just be sure you attach a picture...I don't even look at the listings that don't include a pic. Also, be totally honest in your description, if there's any tiny little thing wrong with it, list it and take a pic of it. Otherwise, you'll have a lot of people wasting their time and yours. Oh and my rule...never let ANYONE come to your house if you're home alone. Good luck!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Yes! We've sold lots of stuff on Craigslist. Furniture, bedding, video monitor, etc. We've even sold a vehicle through Craigslist.

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