Setting up an Ebay/Craig's List Account

Craigslist is more for things to sell locally, EBay for things you'd be willing to ship/mail. On EBay you might want to have ongoing listings rather than auction listings since with an auction it might not sell and EBay will still charge you for the listing - for small value items it's not worth listing on EBay. Craigslist is free. Ebay does have free classified ad listings that are separate from the regular EBay item listings.

If you use Craigslist, just know people are going to haggle with you so have your minimum price in mind already. Craigslist is good for big items that can't be shipped. Craigslist is FREE! If you get a fishy sounding email, it is probably a scam. I have received scam emails from about 20% of the itmes I have posted. They usually involve someone claiming to be hearing impaired, living in another country, or wanting to send you a check for MORE than the amount you are asking for. Like you just woke up yesterday!
I don't like to use eBay because you have to pay to use the service and then pay to ship. But if you're OK with that, eBay is more secure payment wise with Pay Pal.

I agree with Sarah. CL is better for bigger stuff you don't want to ship. I sell periodically on Ebay. The set up will take you longer than you think, at least the first few times. I also sell ceramics so I end up taking more time finding boxes and wrapping the heck out of things (you don't want them damaged during shipping). The Ebay communities are a great help for question/answers from folks who have actually been in similar situations. One thing I do know, though, is sometimes it's better to donate an item and take the writeoff (if you itemize) b/c the margin you'll make on some items isn't worth it. Also check ebay to see what similar items might be selling for. If you look at "completed sales" you'll see and you might be surprised at what is selling, and what isn't (making it not worth your time to post the item). And consider selling internationally -- with the exchange rate, you'll make more money on certain items. Good luck!

sometimes, it is easier to sell in lots on both sites. if you sell 10 things for $2 a piece, you end up paying so much in ebay and paypal fees it isn't worth it. but, selling lots you can make more and also have less in transaction fee costs.

just be sure to take lots of great photos and you can get free photo editing software like picasa or picnik to help edit photos

Kristen,
I had better luck posting the big things on Craigs List and the little things on Ebay.

When I post things on Craigs List, I research to see if any other items like mine on there. If so, I make a note of the prices. Then, if I really want to get rid of the item, I underprice my item by $5. The first person that makes an appointment to come see the item has first rights to it. Anyone that calls after that, I tell them that someone already has an appointment to see it but if they don't purchase the item I am happy to contact them. Oh! And if I am going to be home alone when the person comes, I put the sale item in the garage and show it to the person there. That way no one is in my home. I have had very good success with this.

Regarding baby items, if they are in very good shape consider children's consignment shops. Some of them will pay you 40% of what they sell them for - others will give you a store credit. Same with any of your clothing. Consignment shops are for children, women's clothing even furniture.

Good Luck!

I only have experience with Craigslist. The advantage is, it is free and you can post however many ads you want. You can also upload photos. Craigslist is only local. So depending on how vibrant the community is, there may be many or only few potential buyers. You will also need to set up a time and place to meet with the buyers. I would accept only cash, and state that in your ad. As others said, meet in public places or have someone with you at home.
People expect to have items about half the "new" price, just to let you know. They may not sell if they are not a good deal for the buyers.
If you have a lot of baby items, you may also consider consigning (see if there is a consignment sale near where you live) or having a garage sale. These should get you more $$.
Good luck!

I sell on Ebay - almost always have something listed - and I have sold one thing on Craigslist. They both have their strengths and weaknesses for selling. In my opinion, Craigslist is best for large things that you wouldn't want to have to pack and ship, and Ebay is best for smaller, easily shipped things that you wouldn't want to have to arrange meeting someone for selling.

With Craigslist, you are meeting the buyer in person, so try to meet in public somewhere, if you can carry the item. If it is furniture or some other large thing, have someone with you, and be cautious. Maybe have the item in your yard or in the garage, so you don't have to bring a stranger into your house to look at it. If you want to sell small things on Craigslist - clothes, CD's, etc. - group them together in large lots.

With Ebay, the best advice is to take great photos and describe well. Be honest about any defects, damage, etc. Buyers leave feedback for sellers and Ebay has been trying to crack down on "bad" sellers. So you want your buyers to know exactly what they are getting, so they will be happy when they receive it. Give measurements, take lots of photos, including close-ups. Ebay charges extra for each photo after your first one, so I use Photobucket to host my photos. It's free, and pretty easy to use. I use Picasa to crop and lighten my photos, to get the best photos possible. It's a free downloadable program.

With Craigslist, you can accept whatever type of payment you want. With Ebay, you will need to set up an account with Paypal.

Good luck!

I have always had good luck with Craigslist, it's free and easy. I live in Orlando where there are lots of people. Ebay seems more complicated, there can be fees and you have to ship. But a lot of people like Ebay, you can reach out to a larger population .Tips for CL: When you post ads, try to post during peak times you think people are on the internet, try to time it. Some categories get lots of postings all day long, like electronics. For electronics I would post weekend mornings. Also think about the person that would be interested in the item, are they a SAHM and on the internet during the day? Most categories don't fill up as fast, so it doesn't really matter when you post. But if lots people are posting in the same category at the same time, your ad gets pushed to the next page, and the next... they don't like you reposting duplicate ads, but we all do it. You'll have to change the subject line or the system recognizes it and rejects it. I have had people come to the house (garage or outside) with someone home w/ me. And I have met people out in public places, you can always get a good feel about the person you're talking to and establish a safety level. If you have doubts when talking to them, just don't pursue it. This has never happened to me, everyone I have met were very nice and cordial, and had cash! Always take cash. Ask for a little more than what you need for he item, people like to barter. It makes them feel they are getting a good deal. If you have items that people need or want, you will sell them. Good luck!

Personally, I would NOT use Craig's List. Why? Because you have to meet the person and that is just not safe. I have sold many things on Ebay and it is safer in that you receive payment through PayPal and if you should encounter any problems, you don't have to figure out how to fix it on your own. Ebay will step in and that in itself is safer and easier. First, you will have to create an Ebay account. Choose a password that is SAFE, meaning it's not something easy like a birthdate. Include letters and numbers and special characters if possible. Your user name will be seen by buyers, so choose it carefully...nothing personal. It's very easy to create an account with Ebay, the instructions are very clear. A digital camera is a must! You will need to include a photo of the item you are selling and use a solid color sheet (fabric or wall) as a backdrop for your item. Ebay allows you to post one free picture and if you need to include more than one, there is a fee. In fact, there are fees for lots of "extras" that you really don't need. You don't need fancy lettering, bold letters, etc. Utilize what Ebay offers for free to your best advantage. You pay a listing fee and whatever your item sells for, there will be a fee for that as well. Be as descriptive as possible in your description of your item. Be truthful and very honest. If something has a flaw, no matter how minute, make that known in your description. Honesty is the best policy. Buyers are going to give you feedback after the transaction and this feedback is going to allow future buyers (or repeat buyers) to decide if you are worthy of doing business with. It's been a while since I've sold on Ebay but last time I sold, they were in the process of eliminating sellers from accepting checks for payment. Do yourself and buyers a favor: ONLY use Paypal. It's safe! You will need to create an account with PayPal as well. It's also free to sign up and you don't need the fancy accounts they offer. Just the basic one for buying and selling on Ebay. Again, the instructions are easy. You will need to provide your checking account number I believe, or perhaps a credit card number. You provide this info because this is how they prove who you are and in the event you don't have funds in your Paypal account from a previous sale to pay for the fees (Yes, even Paypal has a fee, but it's minimal), they can take the fee from you checking account. You can leave your funds in Paypal for as long as you want. I usually transfer the funds to my checking account once I get to a specific dollar amount but the moment you get paid, you can go to Paypal and do a transfer. The transfer for Paypal to your checking account is easy and usually takes places in 24-48 hours. There is NO fee to transfer from Paypal to your checking account. I do believe you can ask Paypal to issue a check to you, but if I remember correctly, there is a fee for that.
Once you list your item on Ebay, it will stay listed for 7 days. You can check your item daily and see how many people have looked at your item, you can see how many are watching it, and you can see who and how many have bid on it. It's so easy, you will be amazed! It's been at least 8 months since I've sold on Ebay so I know there have been many changes but I think you would prefer Ebay much better than Craigslist. Also, make your shipping charges fair. Ebay allows you to add a handling fee to your shipping charge (I usually add $1.50- $2.00). I've seen crazy shipping charges. Offer shipping choices for your buyers, too. I don't offer UPS or FEDEX but only through the post office, and you will want to make this known in your description. I offer Priority and Parcel Post, and media mail if possible. I would strongly suggest that you include insurance and delivery confirmation on all of your items (find out how much those cost and add them to your shipping price that you will charge your buyer). The last time I sold on Ebay, my buyer emailed me 2 months after the fact to tell me that he had not received his item. I contacted Ebay and they told me that the buyer should have contacted me within 7 days of the shipment notice I sent to him. Basically, there was nothing any of us could do but at least with insurance and delivery confirmation, I could have shown when the item was delivered. There was no recourse for any of us and the buyer, luckily for me, was not disgruntled about it. Ebay told me that I was not under any obligation to refund anything because the buyer failed to follow proper procedure. So you can see why Ebay is better. They will respond and help you resolve an issue, should one arise. You can contact me again, for additional information if you'd like. There are crooks on Ebay, unfortunately. I've had an incident with a foreigner who was offering me way more money that my auction was for. Again, I contacted Ebay and they concluded that the person was a fraud. ONLY communicate with buyers through the Ebay notification system. At no time should you ever give your personal email address to any buyer. IF anyone asks, you should report them to Ebay immediately. I've sold tons of baby items on Ebay. You will do very well with those items without a doubt. Also, if you have consignment shops in your area, that is also a really good way to sell items fast and easily. Consignment shops usually pay you 1/2 of what the item sold for. Most shops have a consignment period (2 or 3 months) and at the end of the period, you can collect your unsold items or donate them to a local charity. Some shops allow you to collect your money before the end of the consignment period, others make you wait until the very end. I've done very, very well with consignment shops as well.

Another thing with Ebay, in your description, let your buyers know when you intend to ship. For example, I inform my buyers that I ship within 24 hours of a posted payment to Paypal. The only exception would be a weekend or holiday but I make that known. The day I ship the package, I let the buyer know through the Ebay email system and if you have elected to charge them for delivery confirmation and insurance, I include those numbers to the buyer...that way they can track it too...and it proves to them you sent it when you said you would.