How to Sell Successfully On Craigslist

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By thecookiejunkie
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Selling successfully on craigslist is very easy. In this article, you will learn how to sell your items quickly. Learn the tricks and tips on how to make extra money from home by selling on craigslist.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Access to craigslist website
Email account
Camera

Step 1

First things first - you must sign up with craigslist and create an account with them. This is free, a great thing to take advantage of! Go to their website: craigslist.com and choose your city (or state if you don't see your city listed).

Next, click on "post to classifieds" and choose which category your item best fits.
In this tutorial, I will be "selling" a child's toy car, so I will choose "for sale" and then choose the subcategory "baby & kid stuff".
Step 2

Under posting title, type in a title that will catch the reader's eye. Mentioning the brand name is good. I will type in, "Step 2 Cuttle Bug Car". If you're not sure of your item's brand name, google images for it. When you find a picture that closely resembles your item, click on it and copy/paste the brand name into the posting title on your craigslist page. Don't use all caps - that drives people away from your ad. Also, try to keep your title as short and detailed as possible: "Baby Essentials" is better than "Everything You Could Possibly Need for Your Brand New Baby".
Step 3

Next, you have to set a price. A good way to figure out how much to sell your item for, is to browse craigslist for similar items/prices. You should also search for your item on ebay and amazon.com to get an idea of what the average asking price is for your item. Some people will email you and ask if you are willing to negotiate. This is a personal decision, and there's nothing wrong with setting your price lower for those who ask. However, if you prefer to not haggle over a set price, be sure to include that in your ad: "Price is non-negotiable." Or, "Price is firm." Another point to consider is whether or not you will be willing to barter other items for your listed items. If you would rather not, be sure to include that as well: "Cash only."
Step 4

Now for the "description" portion. Be as precise as you can when describing your item, especially if you do not have a picture uploaded. Be honest with the condition of the item: "Gently used Cuttle Bug Car in good condition. Great for young kids. Used indoors only - never outdoors. Comes from a pet-free, non-smoking home." Don't post an ad that is not true. If you do have pets, you don't have to mention it, but if asked, please admit it. You want to build a good, positive image, so that if you decide to sell more items, people will be more likely to become repeat buyers.
Step 5

Take pictures!

A picture is worth a thousand words. This is a huge plus if you want to sell an item quickly. Buyers want to see exactly what they are purchasing. It would be a really good idea to resize your pictures so that potential buyers get a nice look at your item. I prefer to use Flicker.com to resize my pictures. Here are a few quick steps to posting awesome pictures in your ad:
Step 6

How to resize pictures using Flicker.com

1. Open a free account with Flicker by going to their website and signing up.
2. Once you join, upload pictures of your item and then go to "Your photostream"
3. Click on the picture that you wish to use in your craigslist posting.
4. Click on "all sizes" above your picture. You can now choose from available sizes.
5. I usually like to use "medium 500x375". Once you choose a size, scroll down and copy the HTML code. Paste that code directly into the "description" area on your craigslist posting.
Step 7

Now you're ready to post your ad. Follow the remaining steps and be sure to confirm the posting, via your email.

Happy selling!