The Money Skinny™ wants to be that voice of encouragement for Craigslist selling.  Let’s reduce that stuff pile!  Craigslist is a free match-making service for buyers and sellers.  Like an online garage sale with a wide audience.  Meet ups take place in a safe location.  Perhaps a police station lobby or a business with security cameras.  I like transacting at the public library.  Cash is exchanged for the item.  That’s it.  The transaction is a one-and-done.  Items are sold as-is.  First-come-first-serve.  Examples of Craigslist items are musical instruments, sports equipment and collectibles.  Let’s get started Craigslist selling in 5 easy steps.

Craigslist Selling in 5 Easy Steps

1. The Money Skinny™ best practice is to create a separate email address for resale.  Separating resale from personal business lets you tune in and out as needed.  Don’t compromise a main email address in the unlikely event a transaction goes sideways.
2. Use the resale email id to create a free Craigslist id on craigslist.org.  Select your geographical location.
3. Create an item listing.  Review prices of similar items on other online selling websites.  Some people like to haggle.  Price higher than rock-bottom acceptable to enhance your negotiating position.
4. Monitor responses to the Craigslist ad.
5. Sold!  Meet buyers in a safe location.  With security cameras.  Accept cash only.  Ensure the item is working properly before money is exchanged.  All transactions occur in as-is condition.

The Money Skinny™ Craigslist Selling Tips

• ·Always include pictures.  Uploading pictures is easy.  Consider posting later in the week like Thursdays because transactions often occur on the weekends.  Default sorting on Craigslist is by list date.
• ·Experience helps spotting scams.  Offered higher than the list price?  Asked to refund the difference?  In summary, scam.
• Responses with five meaty paragraphs about why the item should be sold cheap?  Easy to ignore.  Let those time wasters flow through a separate email.
• ·Red flags are incorrect grammar and spelling.

How Craigslist Makes Money

The short answer is not from me!  Craigslist makes money from listings like job postings.  Advertising your clutter for sale on Craigslist does not generate any fees.  No fees for buyer or seller.  Hard to beat free transactions!

Craigslist Selling Cash Conversion

The Craigslist seller wants a win-win situation for both buyer and seller.  Minimize the time investment to close the deal.  Start small to build confidence.  Experience improves future transactions.  My biggest Craigslist victories by dollar amount and weight are a piano and a foosball table.  I was thrilled to say good-bye.  The buyers were equally pleased.