Selling Your Stuff Part II -> Where & How To Get The Most Out Of Your Sale
Congrats! You made it through Part I of my selling series, you’ve selected some items you want to sell and you’re motivated get going. So, now what?
Yet again I must make the disclaimer that I am not an expert and I’m definitely not going to cover every sales avenue out there. But I’ll do my best to lead you true with a few tips, starting with the 2 avenues we’ve used most over the past 15-20 years (Craigslist & eBay) and listing a few more that we have peripheral experience with, but that haven’t been our primary targets.
As I mentioned in the last post make sure you research your local market (e.g. check local listings, scan Craigslist etc.) to see what avenue is the most active in your area before start selling. Also target the kind of item you’re going to sell with the best avenue for that item before you list it (I’ll go through examples below). Then just prep & get going! Here we go:
Craigslist Sales
I’ve used Craigslist (CL) for years and I’ve always had a great experience. It’s local, it’s free, it’s fast and if it’s active in your community your stuff will move. I get sales on 9 out of 10 items that I list within 1-2 days of listing, which I consider a pretty darn good hit rate IMHO! I use it primarily for larger items (e.g. furniture) that need local pick-up, although I’ll use it for medium-sized household stuff (luggage, grills, bikes, kitchen equipment etc.) too. The key to a good sale here is great pics, good descriptions and correct pricing. If I get one of these wrong, my stuff doesn’t move.
- Pros: You can post absolutely anything, anytime for free. Your stuff lists by community/city so it’s hyper-localized and great for bigger items (e.g. furniture) that need to be physically picked-up. In big cities it’s SUPER active so you’ll usually get a “bite” within max. 1-2 days of posting anything, as long as you price it right.
- Cons: It’s a bargain-hunters paradise and my experience is that prices need to be pretty aggressive to generate interest. It’s also fast-moving so if your stuff is on CL for more than a few days and doesn’t sell I would consider it a “dead” listing & you need to re-evaluate the price pronto. Lastly, once you have a “bite” on your item you need to arrange for that person to come see and pick-up their stuff. This can be frustrating if folks don’t show up or are flaky** on their commitments.
- Key Tips: The key to a good Craigslist sale is to take good pictures (essential), and do an engaging write-up of your stuff. Tell people what your stuff cost new and what you’re selling it for now. People like to know they’re getting a bargain, and often just telling them is enough to get that bite. If your stuff has a brand-name, make sure to include that. If your stuff has damage, be honest about it. Also include why you’re selling (e.g. we’re moving, we’re downsizing) and perhaps a little story about the item since that personalizes the listing and promotes an atmosphere of authenticity & trust. Do your research, price your stuff in-line with the marketplace and if your stuff doesn’t get any interest in 2 days, take it off and re-list it at a lower price.
**Extra Note/ Flaky buyers (folks who don’t turn up) are probably one of the most frustrating things with CL, but if you price stuff right you should get multiple responses which means you can also be picky about who you sell to. I prioritize folks who reply back with their phone numbers (always a key indicator of real interest) as well as folks who add info on why they’re buying (e.g. we just moved to the area, we’re a young family etc.). In my experience these folks are more motivated than folks who just send a 1-liner with no other contact method and will be much more apt to show up & commit. Once I have a phone number I’ll text them directly and set-up a firm meet (time/date/place) that matches my schedule. Lastly I never remove my listing (or tell folks it’s sold) until the item is physically gone from my possession.
More tips on Craigslist selling in these external articles How to Sell Stuff on Craigslist Successfully and A Craigslist Pro Shares His Buying and Selling Secrets.
EBay Sales
I’ve bought and sold quite a bit of stuff on eBay over the years, but I’m very selective in what I use it for. When downsizing I only use it for smaller stuff (remember, you have to ship whatever is bought) that has some decent $$ value to it. I find it’s great for higher-end electronics (e.g. iPhones, Pads), smaller specialty items and smaller collectors items (lots of collectors hang out on eBay), but it’s simply not worth it for basic clothes, cheaper household stuff or furniture.
- Pros: It’s a professional website that provides both buyer & seller guarantees. You can set your stuff to be visible (on bid) for days or weeks, and you can specify sales details (e.g. minimum price, how you’ll ship) almost any way you want. Lots of collectors hang out here, so it’s a great place to sell unique items that might not have a large audience in your local market.
- Cons: Once your reserve (min price, if you specify one) is met and a winning bid is in you are committed to shipping your stuff even if you’re disappointed in the final price. Also fees can add up here. Most stuff is free to list (you get 50 free listings/month except for certain items like cars, boats, real estate etc.), but once you sell you will get charged a final value fee, plus you do have to ship the stuff too**.
- Key Tips: Research, research, research. Before I sell anything on EBay I watch auctions on similar stuff to see starting price, how many bids they get and winning price. This not only gives me a solid idea on price, but also tells me which types of items are moving (and in turn, whether it’s even worth posting my stuff on eBay at all!). Then once I’ve got a solid idea on price & interest, I will take GREAT pictures (essential) and list as much detail as I can on the piece. I’ll point out everything unique as well as any and all defects (very important, since folks can return or reject stuff that isn’t properly described). If there are brand markings or model ID numbers I will include a pic of them as well as any and all specs (size, tech specs etc.). Just like CL, including a personal story on the item often helps too. Lastly I always let my stuff “sit” on eBay for multiple days (up to a week) and try to end my auctions between ~6:30-9:00pm. The evening time, when folks have come home from work and (possibly) had a glass of wine or two is known as the most active time for eBay bidding.
**If you’re interested in detailed costs and profit, check out the Google spreadsheet linked by reader Sean Janson in my previous blog post (comments section)
Read more about successful eBay selling in Being A Successful Seller on eBay and Top 10 Tips To Successfully Sell on eBay.
Garage/Yard Sales
We’ve actually never done a garage/yard sale ourselves, but we’ve had lots of friends who have and we’ve helped quite a few of them along the way. Garage sales are a great way to move tons of stuff in a single day. You can sell all your big stuff and you can also move smaller items such as old clothes, knick-knack, rummage stuff etc. that would simply not be worth posting ($$/time-wise) on CL or eBay. But, prep work is key here. There’s no point having a Garage Sale if no-one knows about it, so getting the word out and being ready on the day will make all the difference to your eventual success.
- Pros: The nice thing about a garage sale is that you can present everything you have in one go and you can usually move a good amount of stuff. People come to you (you don’t have to go anywhere with your stuff), you have the opportunity to do a little “sales pitch” face to face and you can typically sell smaller items (like old clothes and such) which would be really, really hard to sell by any other means.
- Cons: Some places do not allow it (local HOA rules or land rules) and you do need to do quite a bit of up-front work to make it successful. This is not a “last-minute” kind of thing IMHO.
- Key Tips: The keys to success in garage sales are to advertise your garage sale well ahead of time anywhere that might get the word out (in your local paper, on bulletin boards, in community centers, at your local grocery store etc.). Also sort your stuff into “bargain bins” and more expensive items and write prices clearly on everything (I really feel this is key & saves you a ton of headache on the day). Have a firm agreement with your partner (if you’re doing this together) on what you’re willing to move on (price-wise) and what you’re not. Lastly remember to pick up tons of change from your bank and be up bright and early the day you’re ready to go (garage sales addicts are early birds).
Many, many more excellent tips on this web-page: Having A Successful Garage Sale
Estate Sales (With An Agent)
We’ve never done an estate sale since we’ve always preferred to sell stuff ourselves, but if you have a lot of stuff and simply don’t want to deal with the hassle of selling yourself this can be a fabulous, painless, & professional way to get it taken care of. You do have to pay for the service, but the huge bonus is that the Estate Sale Agent does pretty much everything for you! I know many RVers who’ve taken this step for selling off their stuff, and been very happy with it.
- Pros: You can move most of your stuff in one go, and you’ll never need to worry about advertising, listing individual items online or meeting-up with strangers to sell them. The Estate Sale Agent takes care of everything!! This can be an enormous relief for folks who just don’t want to deal with the details themselves.
- Cons: You only make a percentage on your stuff (you need to pay the agent), you may not be able to sell everything (usually there is a selection process) and you may have limited control over what price your stuff sells for. If these conditions don’t appeal to you this not a great avenue for your stuff.
- Key Tips: Chose your agent well. Research reputation, interview more than one agent and, if you can, go to a local sale to see how they handle everything on-site. Make sure you understand ALL costs in detail before engaging & signing a contract to finalize the agreement.
Read more on Estate Sales in this article: Tips on Choosing an Estate Sale Company
Consignment Sales
Personally we’ve never done any consignment sales, but I did consider it once (for a rather special piece of furniture) and I do think it can have a place in your sales strategy, depending on what you’re selling.
The basic principle of consignment sales is that you deliver your stuff to a shop who displays it (either online or in-store) and sells it for you. Once it’s sold the shop gets a cut, while you get the rest.
There are two main types of consignment stores -> “thrift store” type consignment stores, most of which are traditional stix & brix, that deal in low-value stuff (e.g. old clothes, used baby/maternity items etc.) and high-end consignment stores, many of which are online, that deal in specialty items (e.g. antiques, collectible art, luxury/designer items).
Personally I consider consignment sales to make the most sense for higher-end items, and the more specialized/high-end the item is, the better IMHO. For example I would definitely consider consignment for a gently used Channel bag (if I had one LOL), but I would never consider it on any of my used hiking gear (of which I have LOTS, HA!)
- Pros: You only deal with the shop and not with sellers. You stuff gets displayed (either in-store or online) and if the shop has a good reputation it will typically fetch a better price than through CL, estate or garage sales. Many consignment shops will also buy stuff from you (at a very discounted price, mind you), so you can often decide to sell directly if you don’t want to wait on consignment.
- Cons: Consignment takes time = you’ve got to wait for the sale to complete before you get your $$. Plus fees can be rather high. The shop gets a cut and are in the business to make a decent profit, so expect fees anywhere from 25-40%. Certain shops also charge a monthly consignment fee and/or will only consign items for a limited period after which they need to be returned or picked up (depends on the shop and the item).
- Key Tips: Obviously picking the right shop here is key. You want a shop with a good reputation and a very good flow of customers for the particular type of article you’re trying to sell (e.g. a specialty art store, for art pieces). Also, understand your consignment contract & costs in detail before you sign anything!
Facebook Groups & Phone/Pad Apps
I’ll mention these avenues since they are growing avenues in the sales marketplace, but I admit I don’t have much experience on them.
Facebook Groups: Bigger cities often have large Facebook groups (e.g. San Diego has a “San Diego Online Yard Sale” and a “San Diego Everything 4 Sale” each with ~ 10,000 members ) that seem to be very active, are free and are super easy to use (everyone has Facebook right?!). Despite trying however, I’ve never been successful moving stuff on there. In fact I cross-posted many items these past 2 weeks on both CL & Facebook -> I sold every item I posted on CL (within 1-2 days), but I didn’t get a single bite on Facebook despite using the exact same descriptions & pics. I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong or it’s just an indication of the local market here in SD, but I just had zero luck here.
That said, several blog readers mentioned they’ve had success using Facebook groups in my last post so I definitely think this avenue is worth a serious look for anyone looking to sell stuff locally, and it’s so easy to use that I can’t see any reason not to try it. The nice thing about Facebook (as opposed to CL, say) is that you can see the profile of who you’re buying from, so there’s an added level of assurance when meeting-up with strangers. Just like CL however, posts tend to get quickly lost in the roll if they linger too long so if your stuff hasn’t sold in a few days it may be time to re-assess your price/approach.
Phone/Pad Sales Apps: Everytime I turn on the TV these days I seem to see a new ad for the latest/greatest local selling app where all you have to do is list your stuff on your phone and it gets sold. LetGo, Wallapop, Trove, Phynder, and OfferUp are some of the more popular ones I’ve seen, and that’s just a few of the seemingly hundreds out there! I’m sure some of these work, but I’m thinking there might need to be some consolidation in the industry before they become a viable way to sell (there are just too many IMHO). Either way I have zero experience with them. CL has simply been too easy to use, and I’ve never had to seriously check them out.
That wraps up the sales methods that I’m most familiar with. I haven’t talked about Pawn Shops (not an avenue I would ever pursue) or Auction Houses (we’ve never owned anything high-end enough to consider an auction), but perhaps you’ve got tips on these or other avenues that I’ve missed? Which ways have you had the most success with? What additional ideas do you have? Feel free to comment & share below!
Very timely post since I just now finished posting more stuff on Craigslist and FB 🙂
I’d be curious in how Facebook works out for you, especially since I didn’t (personally) have much luck w/ it. If you are able to report back, I’d love to know.
Nina
I’ve found our local FB sales group to be very helpful while Craigslist seems less active.
Another option is an estate auction which we are doing next month.
Pros: Everything is sold in one day at your home.
You can potentially get more than market value if there is a good turnout & you have competition. We have many antiques, collectibles, primitives, and large tools. We also have a commercial embroidery business, including 15 needle machine, supplies, stock to sell.
The company we chose has a good reputation & has been in business for over 30 yrs. They do all the advertising and have a large following.
Cons: it can be risky if you have poor attendance. The commission is 25%.
For us, it is worth it to have everything gone in one day!
I’ll let you know if it is successful.
Excellent idea!
I’ve got no experience at all in Estate Auctions and I’m not entirely sure how they work. Would I be correct in assuming it’s kind of a mix between an Estate Sale & an Auction House -> people come to your house (like an Estate Sale), but instead of buying stuff at a list price they bid on items (like an Auction)? For folks that have a lot of antiques and special items, I can totally see how this would make sense.
Nina
Yes, Nina. The advantage is no set price so there’s potential to get more than market value do to competition. With the estate sale, items are priced typically lower than market value and are lowered each day.
Here’s a link to the company we are using, http://www.602blue.com
Our auction was over yesterday…it was surreal having so many people going through your things. In the end the house was empty. When we returned the next day, I felt a lump in my throat, a gnawing pain in my gut, and an ache in my heart. After shedding a few tears, I reminded myself that it was just one more step towards our plan of travel! I bid the house adieu & didn’t look back. Is it normal to have these mixed emotions when staring the journey?
Oh yes Debbie I KNOW that feeling, and don’t worry I think it’s totally normal. I always have a period of deep doubt when I do something radically new. Usually not in the beginning (I’m always keen to do new stuff), but typically when I’m in the very “middle” of the big change. Then it suddenly hits me that we’re actually doing this and it’s actually happening!! That period will always bring up tons of mixed emotions, doubt, sadness, fear….but once I get going those things all pass. Hopefully it’ll be the same for you.
Nina
Thanks Nina…already starting to feel better! I just have a few more months to work before we hit the road. I want to have a substantial amount in savings for emergencies & maintenance, also saving for a solar install. Hope to meet you on the road someday to personally thank you for your helpful blog!
We used a “local on-line yard sale” group on Facebook with great success when we were downsizing to begin full-time RVing. The group was not too large (2,000-3,000). It was administered by a couple of individuals who laid out the “rules” for selling. I just posted items with photos and price. Sometimes I would state “or best offer.” There was a common meeting place used by most (a section in a large shopping center parking lot). When someone was interested, they would send a private message on FB, and we would arrange a meet. If others were interested in an item, they would just post that they were next on the list if the sale did not work out with the first person who expressed interest. When I started selling furniture on the site, I would indicate whether a pick up at my house was required. This ended up working out very well because when someone came to purchase one item, they inevitably returned for more. Or they told their friends or family members about our stuff and eventually I didn’t have to even post the rest of the furniture. I sold three bedroom sets, 2 living rooms sets (sofa, love seat, chair), desks, tables, chairs, artwork, 5 TVs, and a load of other stuff this way. We had three garage sales where we quickly sold equipment for yardwork (large riding and small mowers, electric, clippers, leaf blower, wheelbarrows, spreaders, etc.), tools, extra generator, exercise equipment, clothing, boots/shoes, drapes, table linens, DVDs and CDs, Christmas decorations. I sold a lot of my corporate wear (name brand suits, silk blouses, Coach purses, ec.) to “high-end” clothing reseller boutiques (where they purchased them outright). Family items with sentimental value went to our kids or other family members. When we purchased our motorcoach we traded in a Harley Davidson Night Train, 1982 Corvette, and our Toyota Tacoma 4-wheel drive truck, so we didn’t have to sell these separately. They were also interested in our boat (a 36′ Trojan Sport Fishing Yacht), but it was too big for them transport and sell from their lot, so we sold it separately at the marina. In the end, the rest went to charitable organizations. Based on the advice we had read about full-timing, we did not retain our storage unit. It was initially overwhelming to get rid of so much stuff that we had accummulated over the years (where did it all come from?), but it was very liberating! Go for it, and good luck.
Great info! It’s great to know the online Facebook group was so successful for you.
Also your experience of selling more than one item to a person brings up another tip that I forgot to add in the last 2 posts. Whenever we have folks meet us for furniture sales (through Craiglist, in our case) we typically ask them if they are looking for any other furniture items. We’ve made several multi-furniture sales this way, without any additional listings.
Nina
I was wondering about that as I have several vehicles I am looking to downsize but thought I wouldn’t get good value for them if I traded more than one to the same dealer, especially if it was an RV dealer. Did you feel you got a good value/trade in on your vehicles?
We used an estate sale company. They had a customer list of previous buyers to help advertise the sale. Plus they talked it up everywhere they went–one agent’s dentist bought my NuStep exercise machine for his mother. And they sold everything–including my box of rags to a painter! (It was fun to hear those stories after the sale.) But we didn’t make anywhere near as much as we expected so wish we had researched their pricing policies in advance.
Excellent. Sounds like you made a great choice of agent.
Nina
I have had good luck selling items on Craigs list, but do have one caution. I don’t know if this is common, but I have several times had someone respond that they had the money, wanted the item, and wanted to come over right away and buy. Only, when the responder finds out that I want to meet them somewhere other than my house, I never hear from them again. Obviously, not a legitimate buyer! So, even if it is much more trouble, we will load up the “for sale” items and meet in a public place. I would rather take the chance of hauling some shelves or whatever, and then having to bring it home again, than have some shady individual know where I live. Many advice sites caution against having someone come to your house when you are there alone, but I won’t give out my address at all anymore.
That’s a good tip, MaryAnn. When we’ve sold on Craigslist we’ve often done the same -> arranged meet-ups somewhere other than our home. In this last round of storage downsizing it was easy since we met everyone at the storage unit, but if you’re selling stuff from your home this could be a consideration.
Nina
A lot of cities use their police departments as Craigslist safe zones. Bad stuff happens every now and then on CL, so please be careful. With that being said, I find it the best way to sell stuff fast. I always insist on CASH ONLY.
This is yet another reason I like to prioritize buyers who give me their phone numbers. I think it adds a factor of safety since most crooks would never share that kind of personal detail. I’ve never (personally) had any scares on CL and I’ve used it practically for as long as it’s been in existence, but I know many folks worry about safety. Setting up meets during the day (never at night), and having a partner or friend there with you (if you feel worried) are both good, additional tips. We deal uniquely in cash too….never anything else.
Nina
Just my experience, but I recently sold two iPads and a Macbook Pro, and I found that I could get the same price for it on Craig’s List without having to pay shipping or Ebay fees. I really think these items are so well known and desired that there is no need for Ebay for these. I think locals know they will pay just as much on Ebay, and they can actually see and touch the thing before they buy, and not worry about shipping issues either. At least this is my experience in Portland OR. A friend of mine who does a lot of CL sales told me to add “local sale only, cash only, no trades”. I recently had three “bites” that wanted to trade marijuana! I guess that’s fine here since it’s legal now ….
Interesting data point. I can definitely see why this works. Cheers for sharing your experience Mark!
Nina
Really enjoyed this blog. It was a refresher for me as we did this in San Diego 11 years ago and moved into our RV and two storage rooms, then one storage room, then no storage room. It was difficult getting rid of those final things, but storage was going to cost more than they were worth. I admit that Goodwill got a lot of goodies also and, from there, my three 50-year-old beautiful Japanese-Kimono-clad-ladies paint-by-number paintings ended up on the wall in Molly’s bedroom on the first couple seasons of the sitcom Mike and Molly. Now, we again have a house and our RV and are thinking of doing it all over again. Especially considering an estate sale this time as we are in an outlying area where CL does not work as well. Some of what we furnished this current house with came second hand via an estate sale for a couple moving into a fifth wheel. It’s a small world.
Wow! What a fascinating story! You guys have some good experience in this downsizing game so sounds like you’ll do well. It’ll be interesting to see how the Estate Sale goes for you. I know so many folks who just rave about them, so hopefully it’ll be a success for you too.
Nina
How do you know, that was your art work on the show…..My mother-n-law also had that same art work done in quilted silk with beautiful silk stitches outlining the Japanese-Kimono-clad-ladies with small flat ceramic stones at the feet of the ladies. Set of three and looked just like the same art on Mike and Molly show also but I don’t believe it would have ended on the TV Show, they were beautiful. Just saying, I’m sure there are many floating around. And every time I see that show I think the same thing, could it be the same.
I have had some great sales on eBay and some duds, selling for a $1. Oh well, I probably would have just thrown it out anyway. On one of the $1 ones, they gave me a bottle of wine! If I have an item that is too heavy or big to post, I put down local pickup only. Our country is so small (people wise) that by putting them on eBay I can reach many more people and have sold things to nearly every state. My camera lens went 2300 miles away, right across the country. The commission is a high, but I figure most of the time I get more than I would have otherwise asked for, so justify that way.
Interesting! I’ve never used the “local pickup” option on eBay so it’s very interesting to see that it’s worked well for you. Cheers for chiming in.
Nina
Another good one Nina. I have used our Sweet Grass County Montana online Facebook garage sale site very successfully–as you can imagine, it doesn’t have thousands of members but we’ve sold a bunch a stuff there. Now, the local Wickenburg Facebook site–a dud–haven’t been able to sell a thing.
So interesting, especially since both areas are outside of big cities. I guess like everything it just depends what is active in your particular area. It’s really great to see FB groups are working for folks out here!
Nina
Hi Nina – really enjoy your posts! The hubby and I are on the final countdown to early retirement and living fulltime on the road. I have been in cleanout mode for over a year now (selling my stuff, his stuff and my deceased parents’ stuff). Where we live (near Birmingham, Alabama) there are several very active FB groups using Varagesale (virtual Garage Sale). I have been very successful, mainly because of good pictures, detailed descriptions and good pricing. I also generally meet in a public place, and have a good sense for something that seems shady. I have a lot of repeat buyers who follow my Varagesale pages. The good thing about Varagesale as opposed to just a FB group is that users can search for items in categories, so they don’t have to scroll through posts. Also there is a “feed” that is constantly scrolling and I have had quick hits from people that troll the site. Evenings and weekends are my best times. It does not seem to work well for big items, and we use Craig’s List for those, with caution…the guy that wanted to meet us at a rest area at 9pm halfway to Atlanta…uh, no thanks dude!
Great feedback! Sounds like the Facebook group in your area has been the ideal selling grounds for you. I can totally see that once you create a good reputation for yourself on the group, you’ll get folks who know you and possibly become repeat buyers. That’s a real advantage of FB and something you just can’t do on Craigslist.
Nina
Hi Nina,
an excellent blog entry (as usual). I have 2 more EBay anecdotes worth mentioning:
1/ A friend of mine told me that she’s listing the way, that her auction ends on Friday evening the day paychecks arrive in the bank (I don’t know which one it is, though).
2/ I was trying to snatch a lens for a week. There were 5 available, all ending on Sunday. First (9:00am) went for $300.-, second for 325.-, etc… Last (in the evening) went for $400.-. Looks like it is good to be the last one selling.
Great data points! I’m always do a ton of eBay “watching” before I sell anything there and your observations match mine. I get the best “buying” deals in the early AM (not many folks bidding) and the best “selling” deals in the evening. Targeting a Friday bid-end when you’re the seller is a nice extra little tip.
Nina
My ex and I had an Estate Auction when we left Kansas in 1985. The commission was only 10% and we cleared $8000 on run of the mill stuff. Two Lazy Boy rocker, swivel, recliners were the most expensive stuff we had. I listed a beautiful antique metal bed that sold for only $135. I still miss that bed and didn’t know we could have set a price it had to sell for, the auctioneer didn’t tell us we could set reserves.
I love reading the selling tips and wish we could one day hit the road full time. Then I look around at all my husband’s computers (10 in this room 6 in another) hundreds of books, files, and projects filling 2 bedrooms and realize he isn’t getting rid of any of that or his garage full of tools. Guess I will have to be happy with a few months in AZ in the winter.
Sounds like you had a superb Auction result back in the day (well, apart from that antique bed which is understandably disappointing). $8000 is an extremely good haul.
Oh, and I don’t know if this helps but I know a few folks that haul a trailer behind their RV as a full-service tool/garage room
Plus nothing at all wrong with part-time travel. For many folks it’s the perfect compromise and winters in AZ are pretty sweet….
Cheers for sharing your experience.
Nina
I have bought and sold stuff on both ebay and Craig’s list. Craig’s list has become my favorite. I have had great success selling camera stuff and electronics as well as the bigger items you mention. When home I always pick a neutral location (Starbucks) for the transaction. I have never had a problem.
It’s really nice to see folks are having positive results selling camera gear and electronics on CL. It’s not an avenue I would usually consider for those kinds of sales, but you’re now the 2nd commenter who’s mentioned success with it. I’m definitely going to try CL next time I have some of these kinds of things to sell. Cheers!
Nina
I had some bronze sculptures that I failed to sell on Craigslist or eBay. I went to a charity storefront, (St. Vincent de Paul) where they had an Authorized eBay Seller in an upstairs corner of the store. I spoke to the guy in charge, he told me the fees and arrangement terms, explained that he and a staff of several people do nothing but accept items to be placed for auction on eBay, all day long, every day. They are professional eBay sellers, for a commission. They sold all my bronzes for considerabley more than I’d advertised them for. This is another way to utilize the reach of eBay if you don’t have the time or know-how to deal with eBay. And, they handled shipping too. I dropped it off, they sold it, shipped it, collected payment, and I got paid. And part of the commission went to the charity. Win win all around.
Also in my area, Puget Sound area of WA state, the military is a massive part of the local population, and therefore the buying public. There is an online site that caters to this segment of the populous, called Bookoo.com. The military sends people wherever they want, whenever they want, often with minimal notice, and little to no time frame as to how long they’ll be stationed at the new post. So they often move with few to no possetions, and therefore need everything to set up a new home. Nothing here sells for a high price, as you’re dealing with mostly younger military folks not looking at long term living arrangements, and generally on the lower income scale. But I sold a ton of stuff thru Bookoo, and they were all thrilled to have the items. Some items had numerous hits thru Bookoo alone. It’s like a Craigslist for military folks. If anyone is selling items in an area or city with a military base, I’d highly recommend it, based on my success. Prices will be as low as Craigslist, maybe slightly lower, but they’ll buy anything in good condition that is needed to furnish a home. Anything, if priced right.
Everything else I’ve sold has been thru Craigslist. From equipment & tools, vehicles, trailers, quad, snowmobile, furniture…. You get the picture. 🙂
Happy downsizing and selling to all!
Fabulous tips!! Thanks so much for sharing them, Rowanova!
Nina
You’re welcome, it’s my pleasure. I hope the tips are useful to others selling their wares, no matter the reasons or circumstances.
Hi Nina, These are very cool ideas. I am definitely going to explore some of them. I am excited about this.
I’m gonna suggest Yook. They help to sell services online if you have some free time.