How to Sell Stuff on Craigslist Fast!
Last night I decided to sell my old cell phone on Craigslist and I didn’t want to wait a couple of weeks to get rid of it. So I implemented the following steps and I was able to sell it within 2 hours of listing it. Here is how to sell your items on Craigslist quickly and at a decent price:
Make Sure There is Demand for Your Item
I usually go to Ebay and check the ‘completed listings’ because this will show you what has actually sold and for how much. This will give you an idea of what the demand is for your particular item. If there is no demand then your item will not sell fast.
Price it Right
On top of checking Ebay, I will see what prices the item is listed for on Craigslist within the past couple days. This is what other people will be looking at who want to buy what you have. Then I would price it competitively to be slightly less than one in a similar condition. For instance, there was a phone on there for $240 so I listed mine at $220. Remember, just because something is listed at a certain price, doesn’t mean somebody will get that price for it.
Be Willing to Negotiate
Plan to sell your item for 10-20% less than the list price. I listed my old phone with the idea that I would sell it for $200. One of the first things the buyer asked was what my lowest price was. I told him that I just listed it and the lowest I could go was $200. He bought it and did not even try to negotiate any lower.
Describe the Item in Detail
Have this question in mind when you list the product, “What would I want to know if I were buying this item?” Here is my answer to this question:
- Condition: Does it have any flaws, damage, and is it fully functional?
- Specs: What are the specific characteristics? In my case last night, I listed the screen size, storage capacity, processor speed, how many mega-pixels the camera was, etc.
- Accessories: What comes with the item? Listing the accessories is important because it could be a reason someone buys yours over a competitors.
- List a Reason: What is the reason you are selling it? This does not have to be long. One sentence should do. This way people know the “why” behind the listing and they will be more comfortable to give you a call.
- Telephone Number: You must list your phone number to sell it quickly. I actually don’t even contact people with just an email address. Often times those are scams or marketing ploys to get your contact info. Also, use the digits like this: 602-555-5555. Don’t do this: Six 0 Two 555- 555Five. This is annoying because often I like to call from my cell phone. if done right, I can just touch the number when I see the ad and it instantly places a call. If you list it the latter way, this is not possible.
- Special Features: Is there anything about this item that is different from others listed? If there is, make sure to put that as well. This could be the difference between someone buying yours or another item they find.
- Pictures: I am very leary of an ad that does not have any pictures. I am also not fond of ads that post pictures found on the internet, instead of posting pictures of the actual item for sale. You might sell your item with somebody else’s pic, but probably not quickly. So take good pictures that are clear and that show all the accessories that go with it.
Have you sold anything on Craigslist fast? If so, did you do anything different than I described above?
Like this:
A Second Job in 8 Days
At about 2:30pm on Sunday I was offered a job as a pizza delivery driver. The previous Saturaday my wife and I decided that a second job would be just what we needed to acheive our financial goals. That day I drove to about 10 different pizza places and called about 15 within a 10 mile radius. On the same day I had one interview who said he might have a postion available in a week. 6 days since the beginning of my search, I was offered that very job. 8 days from the beginning of my pursuit I was put on the schedule to begin working.
I have learned over the past few years that I need to be proactive, not reactive. This means that if I want something, I am responsible to make it happen and nobody else. Is there something that you want in life and have yet to get it? If so, start with whatever that goal is and work backwards. This is how I did it:
Goal: Get a second job that pays well, for a short period time.
Decision: Get a pizza delivery job for 1-3 days a week.
Game plan: Contact as many pizza delivery places within a 10 mile radius
Result: Out of about 15 pizza joints, 2 were hiring. I received offers to work at both and chose 1. This happened within 8 days of setting my goal.
You too can apply this same formula to your goals and you have a good chance of this working for you as well. Please keep in mind that this is not a career move and that I am doing this to increase our income so that we can pay off debt faster. I realize that if you are looking for a career position that it may not be this easy, however, if you apply these principles you may get the job sooner than expected.
By the way, if you have been unemployed for some time, I highly recommend finding a pizza gig as soon as possible. The beauty of this job is that you generally work nights and this will allow you the flexibility to look for career positions and interview during the day. Happy hunting!
How to Earn Extra Cash Legitimately
I am sure you see a ton of ads that say something like this, “Earn $1000 a week from home” or ” Be your own boss and make $3-5K per month.” Well, have no fear, this is not anything like that. What I am going to do is list 3 ways that you can earn some extra cash so that you can save up $1000 for an Emergency Savings Fund and to start Paying down Debt with a Vengeance!
Sell Stuff on Online
When Kim and I decided to get out of debt, this was the primary way we earned some extra cash. Go though your closets, DVD rack, music collection, etc. and see if there are items that you just don’t need anymore. Lets say you had 20 books that sold or an average of $5, that would come out to $100. If you had some nice designer clothes and decided to sell 10 pieces that averaged $15 each. Now you are up to $250. Soon enough you will have enough money to fund your Emergency Savings Fund and you will be on your way to true financial peace.
Here is a list of sites that I have used and that I recommend for doing this:
Craigslist -Sell virtually anything; I have sold everything from a Motorcycle to an Nintendo Wii
Ebay -This is great for selling items in an online auction format. I have had success selling items like clothes, electronics, etc.
Half.com & Amazon.com – Both of these sites are great for selling media, i.e. books, CD’s, movies, and video games
Deliver Pizzas
I did this when I was in college and it is a great way to earn some money quickly and on a flexible, part-time basis.
Here is a link to some places that are hiring locally: Looking for Pizza Delivery Drivers
Utilize Your Skills
Throughout your life you have acquired multiple skills that you might not even realize that you can capitalize on. Here is a list of skills that you can almost instantly use to make you some extra cash:
Computer repair – Remove viruses, fix computer issues, replace hardware, etc.
Landscaping – Mow lawns, cut bushes, pull weeds, etc.
Basic house repairs – Fix a leak, replace a door knob, fix a fence, etc.
The best way that I have found to market these skills is by word of mouth. Just tell your friends and family about your plan to get out of debt and the services you are now offering. You may be surprised the amount of people who will be interested in taking you up on your offer.
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