?'S for Those That Sell on Craiglist

I have sold a fair bit on Craigslist - it has mostly been kids stuff (toys/cribs etc), so usually it is parents/grandparents contacting you. Talking over the phone usually gives a fairly decent idea about the person. I have had people come to my house - many times I will have the stuff in my garage and when they come to pick it up, I just go outside and they don't have to come in (the only exception was the crib). Sometimes, I have met people in a parking lot (like Jewel).
To determine prices, I go on Craigslist or ebay and do a search for similar items or the exact item I am selling. Then depending on the condition of my item in comparison to the others and how old it is, I will decide on a price.

Good luck.

If its a small item I meet them at the gas station. Big item, at the house, but only when my husband is home.
Pricing, do research online, see how much similar items are selling for.
Also, I only sell on craigslist what I cant sell on ebay, I usually sell most of my stuff on ebay- safer, faster, easier to sell! Yes, you have to pay a fee when you sell, just make the price a little higher to cover the fees. You get a LOT more potential buyers on there!

I have bought and sold a TON of stuff on craigslist. I determine price by 'searching' for the same item on craigslist and going off of that.
As far as meeting, I always do that at a public place, unless it's something large and in that case, I make sure I'm not the only one home when the person comes.
Tip: If you put your phone number on there spell out one of the numbers. Like instead of 4, four. It prevents spam/scam emails.
Good luck.

Hi,

I would recommend that you look at what others are asking for similar items on craigslist to determine a reasonable price.

I haven't had anyone come to my home when I've sold things. I've either gone to others' homes to buy things or met at neutral locations like outside Target, a playground, Starbuck's, a hospital lobby, etc.

Make sure you include pictures of your items, not just a link to the manufacturer's images. And be sure to re-post often. If your stuff isn't selling after a while, you might want to consider lowering the prices. And listing each item separately, and also posting them all together, may lead to more hits.

Good luck,
R.

I have only sold furniture and a car. They have come to my house - but only to the driveway or the garage. I pick a price and then have an idea in my mind of the bottom price I want to get - believe me, they will ask you on the phone ( I only use cell) of the bottom line you want to get.
I always set up a time when the husband or 24 year old son is home. I only take cash.

Google EVERY e-mail you receive. I've posted on CL a few times and about 50% of the inquiries were scammers like sweet ol' 'Mary Brown'. Recently, I was trying to sell a two year old sectional which was in great condition and a women wrote, "I love it! I have to have this. I will make arrangements with my shipping company to come out and pick this up. Please send me you name, number, address, etc, and someone will contact you...." Googled 'her' and sure enough she was a scammer. Usually, other people find out the hard way and they will put reviews and warnings out there for others to see. I often search their names on FB, as well. If the items are easy to transport then definitely do the transaction in public and bring someone along. Good luck!

i have them meet at my house when someone else is home outside or at my work
oh and price to sell not make a profit, its moreso for getting paid to get rid of junk in your home or things outgrown not making a living off of, some people try and sell used stuff for a tad cheaper than new

I usually just calculate what I think is fair based on what I paid for it, how long ago and what condition its in. You can also search for similar items on Ebay and Craigslist to see what others are pricing theirs at.
I usually try to coordinate a meeting place between mine or my husbands job and thats work out pretty well so far. Ive bought things from people that Ive had to go to their house and my husband and I always go together.

I always price something at what I feel I would pay for the item. I've met up with people at a public place when selling things on Craigslist. I have also made friends through the website by purchasing/selling items. I always go during the day time and it is always in a crowded area and I usually have my cell phone plugged with 911 and my finger on it so if needed I can use it. Horrible things happen all the time even before or without the use of Craigslist, just make sure you're prepared.

With the exception of one time (because I found out I knew the person) I always meet in public.

Two days ago I found my husband's phone (he dropped his phone and broke, and I found the exact same one) on Craigslist for $200. I met the guy at McDonald's during the daylight.

I always guesstimate the price depending on comparable items on Craigslist.

I have bought many things on craigs list...and I always meet in public place...my favorite starbucks. I would not go to someone's house or invite them to mine...please do not have anyone come to your house.

As for prices...see what other similar items are selling for and then also be willing to negotiate.

Good luck.

Anonymize your email address so the email comes through craigslist.
I only have people come to my house if my husband is going to be here....otherwise, a public spot is safer.
Set the price by determining what the same or similar item(s) are selling/listing for on craigslist or ebay, the condition of the item(s) etc.

I was moving, so I had no problems having people come to my house (I did all transactions at the door and did not invite them in). However, I have also sold things and met people at a public place near my house. (library parking lot)

As for price, I usually checked Amazon for the retail price and put a link to Amazon in my ad. Then I usually asked for just under half the new price, unless it was a "just get this out of my house" thing, and those I happily sold for $5. (my experience was that if you say "free" people don't feel inclined to show up at your meeting place) You can also check Craigslist in your area and see what your item is going for. For example, I sold a $100 high chair for $60 (no negotiations on that one) because I saw the same one on craigslist for $70. Mine was in excellent condition and at slightly cheaper than the other, I had three people interested.

One responder put they bought a cell phone on Craigslist....I would be VERY careful about doing that....people are stealing smart phones and selling them online...you don't want to be involved in purchasing stolen goods.

We have sold and bought a couple items on Craigslist and just met people in parking lots near busy stores...it's been ok but people have been a bit creepy. We decided to stop doing it. I've had far greater success on Ebay and have made good money selling new/gently used kids clothes, boots, collectible items, toys on Ebay. Much easier and you have the protection of Ebay to back you up.

I would never never let a stranger come to my house for ANYTHING - even in the driveway. Too many freaks out there, people who could be casing the property - to see what you have, how easy it looks to get in, if you're alone, have a dog, etc. It is far too easy to lie and be totally dishonest via Craigslist - it is so unmoderated, unverified.

I ONLY let people come if my husband is home. And i've always dealt with women because I've always sold baby stuff.
As far as pricing, think about what you paid for the item, how long you've had it and the condition it's in.
We had purchased a bassinnette off of CL for $45. Neither of our babies used very much. It was spotless and nice as when we bought it. i sold it for $40. It was probably $80-90 new. Also see if there are comparable items to yours on C.L. and go from there.

I have sold a number of different things on craigslist and have never had a problem. As far as pricing, I look for the same or similiar items already on craigslist and then price it slightly lower. I have also compared it to ebay prices as well.
I never let people in my house, I always do the transactions in the driveway and make sure my husband is home as well. Usually, once someone had emailed with interest I give them my celll phone number. If they are really interested they will call (and then you have their number as well.) Not everyone on craigslist is bad- there are a lot of moms, grandparents, etc....

I would only sell (or purchase) big items on Craiglist - things that would be too difficult to ship. The rest I would do on ebay.

As for meetings - I have gone to people's homes and met at public venues. All have been fine for me - but I always make someone else come with me because I get spooked by the possibility of all the creeps out there.

In all reality craigslist is a bad idea all around. They can have someone following you when you leave. They can do anything at all. A local woman was kidnapped and killed by someone wanting to buy her car.

I cannot imagine doing anything that does not involve mailing the item now. I would only use paypal of something like that and have it mailed.

M.:

What are you selling?

Look on craigslist to see how many are already on there and what they are listed for. Then go to ebay and check to see if they are selling there and for how much - you can do an "advanced" search for completed listings to see if they sold - you cannot do that with craigslist.

If someone wants to purchase the item - you meet in a public place - like a Target or Wal-Mart parking lot (they have video cameras). If it is a piece of jewelry? Meet at a jewelry if they want it verified that it is a real stone - THEY have to pay for that - NOT YOU.

I've had people come to my home. No one has ever come alone. My husband or a friend is here when they do come. But I've met in a shopping mall parking lot, the Target and Wal-Mart parking lots.

If you give me more specifics, I can better help you - feel free to PM me.

I have sold 1 item on craigslist so far. We determined our own fair market value (similar to how you would go about it for ebay) and crafted the posting. I would suggest a cash only transaction. We had the person come to our house, but I agree, it does seem awkward. We have also gone to other people's homes to pick up stuff too. I guess it isn't much different from a garage sale if you think of it that way. I plan to post more in the near future. But it worked out very well with no issues.