How to Be a Great Seller on Craigslist

Everything from the kitchen sink to luxury cars are for sale on Craigslist at any given moment. EBay is still the Internet's primary marketplace, but more people are using Craigslist for its ease and local appeal. You can sell you car, computer or knick-knacks at your own pace and meet buyers and potential buyers in person by using your city or state's version of Craigslist. Read on to learn how to be a great seller on Craigslist.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Tell the truth. Although it may be tempting to leave out descriptions of cracks, smudges or dents, or turn back your used car's odometer, fudging the details usually comes back to haunt a seller who tells little white lies.

2. Post a recent and accurate photo of the item up for sale. Buyers are wary of ads without photos. Have a friend take the pictures if you're not handy with a camera.

3. Deal with local buyers when possible. They can pay in cash and you don't have to worry about bounced checks or people suddenly dropping out of cyberspace. You can discuss specific problems or concerns with the item in question in front of both buyer and seller.

4. Communicate clearly with potential buyers. Call or email interested parties quickly, but don't commit to the first buyer who contacts you without at least fielding offers from a few other potential buyers.

5. Follow through once you've made a decision. Backing off on a sale or changing your mind once you've promised the item to a buyer can give you a bad reputation and might cause future Craigslist ads to be flagged by the spurned party.

Tips & Warnings

• Do be careful when closing a sale with an out of town buyer. Use Paypal for payment if possible.

[newjay1000]

on 7/3/2009 All good tips. Left one out though! If possible, make a great looking ad! Ads that include good info in a pleasant looking format get big results. There are a few sites out there that you can use for free that can help you. I prefer www.slipdex.com. Upload up to 5 pics, tons of templates, even track your ad performance. And it's all FREE. No idea how it makes money, but it's a top notch site!