Want to sell an item your way? Craigslist is as good a place to sell your items as it is to buy them. And, you have a greater measure of control as to how you want to sell and deliver your item, than on most of the other major selling sites.

Selling on Craigslist is more complicated than buying, but, once you get started, it is still easy to do.

First, you need to set up an account, and the Craigslist site will help you do this. I’m not sure if you can post ads without an account, but having an account will allow you to keep track of posts and open the door to more options. And, best of all, the account is free!

To set up an account, go to the account sign-up page. If there isn’t a link to this page immediately visible on the site, then click on “help, faq, abuse, legal” in the left hand column. This will take you to the help and frequently asked questions page.

Next, click on “user accounts” under “classified postings”. (I’ve used all lower case as Craigslist tends to use all lower case letters on its site and pages.)

Now, just click on “account sign-up page” and follow the instructions. Know that you will need to create a password so it’s best to have one ready before creating your account.

Once you’ve created your account, you can now list your item for sale.

Tip: It is always best to take a picture, or several, of the item. Images tell a prospective buyer what they would be getting, and also gives them an idea of the item’s condition. When I shop on Craigslist for an item, I always search only ads that have an image! I’m sure most others do, too!

First, you want to photograph the item you’re selling. Try to position your item so that no other items are visible. What I do is, I close my bedroom door, which creates an alcove like space outside my bedroom, with the door and two blank walls. I then lay white paper towels on the floor and place the item on it. This does two things, making the item the central and only point of focus, and provides a measure of safety, as the picture gives no indication of where I live, or other valuables I may have, or any other information a thief could use. Whatever methods you use, these two points should be paramount when you photograph your items for sale.

If you haven’t familiarized yourself with digital photography or how to manage and store pictures on your computer, do so. It will help you greatly. My biggest advice regarding using and managing your pictures on your computer, is to use the photo management system that came with your computer, such as Photo Gallery on Windows-based computers.

From what I’ve seen, when you select “Browse” to search for a picture on your computer to upload to a website or attach to an e-mail, websites and email systems will always look to your computer’s folders as arranged by your computer’s original photo management system, not the software that you may have installed with your camera.

What I do is, I use Photo Gallery, and have also learned to create and manage my picture and document folders. I have a folder I named, “Ebay and Craigslist Pics”, so that when I need to find a picture for Craigslist, I know exactly where to find it. It was a little difficult to learn at first, but believe me, it was well worth it as it has made things so much easier for me now!

Bear in mind that one picture may not be enough. Craigslist allows up to 8 images to be uploaded for a posting. So, depending on the item you’re selling, it may be prudent to take pictures from different angles or of peripheral items and accessories you are including, such as a remote for a TV you are selling, or a carrying case for the laptop you are selling. Anything you are including with the item should also be photographed, as it will add to the selling price and will further entice people into buying your item!

Once you have your pictures, you can now set up your posting. Please note, that Craigslist, in trying to improve their site, often makes changes to their processes, so what I tell you here as of this writing, may change by the time you start posting your item for sale.

First, you log into your account. Then you’ll be taken to a page where you can see your postings. There are tabs on the top. Click on the one that says, “new posting”.

You’ll then select your region. Usually it will be the one you live in and this will be filled by default. You can post to another region, but you are not allowed to post the same ad in more than one region or category at the same time.

Click on “Go”. You can then select the type of ad you are posting. So, if you are offering a service, job, gig offered, looking for an item (“item wanted”) or just to post an announcement, you can do this here, too, and the process up to this point is completely the same as of this writing. To sell a personal item, select “for sale by owner”.

Next, you’ll find a list of types and categories, one of which should match your item. There is even a “general for sale” category as a catch-all for those items that may not fit any of the other categories. Select the one for your item.

Choose your location. The location is where you are at. This doesn’t mean that prospective buyers from other locations cannot see your ad. As a matter of fact, as a buyer or casual browser, you can select any city or town, even overseas, that Craigslist reaches, and browse the ads for that city, and buy things, if the owner will ship to you or you are willing to travel to pick up the item. So, if you live in Chicago and are posting in the Chicago Craigslist site, people in Chicago looking for your item can see your ad, but so can buyers anywhere outside Chicago who are desperate enough to look in other Craigslist cities for the item you’re selling!

Now, having said this, those who contact you about the item your selling are by far most likely to be from your city or area, but, you’ll have to decide if you’re willing to ship the item should someone with clear intent to buy contacts you from someplace far away.

Now you have your screen where you will create your posting. In the title screen, you can list the items name.

Tip: Best to use all caps in the title to make your posting stand out!

Then fill in your price. This should be the price your shooting for, and, if you item gets no responses in say 3 weeks, be prepared to lower it. One thing to do before posting, is to look for the item you’re selling on Craigslist to see what others are selling it for and their condition compared to that of your item. This will help you to price your item more effectively.

Then, fill in your location. (City, section of county, or county in general.)

Then, in the large box, you type in your text that describes the item and restate the price. Best to tell all about the item, but not so much information that it scares away prospective buyers. Do list all of the features in general.  Also, be honest. If you’re selling a TV with a remote, but the volume control doesn’t work, say so.

As for condition, tell about this, too, and address anything unusual in this area, especially if it is something that the picture shows, such as a crack in a mirror.

As for pricing, restate the price and, if you’re willing to accept a best offer, follow the price with “OBO” (Or Best Offer). If you are absolutely set on your price, then say, “firm” after your price.

And, just as if you were selling at a flea market, know that your item will most likely NOT sell for the price that you paid for it when you bought it new. (Read my post, “Help! How do I Price the Items I Want to Sell at My Garage Sale?“)

Also, if you’re willing to accept trades, say so, and for what items.

After you type in your description, you can select how you want to receive replies and inquiries to your post. Selecting “use craigslist mail relay” which is recommended by Craigslist, allows a prospective buyer to click on the “reply” button. This allows then to send you an email. However, Craigslist automatically encodes your e-mail address so that, someone just looking at the ad or replying to it doesn’t see your true e-mail address when making the initial inquiry.

You can also select “no replies to this email please”. However, if you do this, be sure to include a phone number or other contact information in the body of your post or buyers won’t be able to contact you.

You also have the option of placing your location on a map that would be shown on your post, but I would only use this if I were posting a job wanted ad, or I were a business advertising a sale, where people would need to come to my location as a matter of course. If you’re selling a personal item as an owner, it’s best not to use this option for safety reasons.

When you’re done here, click on the “continue” button. Now you are on the images page. Here, you would click on the “Browse” button and look for your pictures of your item. When you find them, you click on “Open” and they should start uploading. (Usually you will have to go through a few layers of folders to get to your picture(s), but if you followed my advice above regarding photo management, this should be fairly easy.)

Once they are uploaded, which does take a little time, then you can click the “Done with Images” button. Now you will see a preview of your post. You can go back and edit it or, if you are satisfied with the post, click on the “Publish” button, and you’re done!

You will receive an e-mail confirming the posting and it will probably be visible on Craigslist within 15 minutes.

Now, you can normally post the same ad only once every 48 hours, but, if you modify it enough, you can post it more often than that. Usually this involves changing the wording. However, be sure not to overpost, as it could get flagged, resulting in its removal. Also, be sure your posts meet the Craigslist guidelines regarding language and product type. And again, you can only post to one region or in one category at a time. If you want to sell at once nationwide or worldwide, Ebay and Amazon are better choices.

Now, you have a buyer. If you read my previous post, “Craigslist – How to Shop and Buy on Craigslist”, you read my safety tips. The same applies whether you’re buying or selling. Arrange to meet at a neutral location where there are lots of people. If you’re selling an electronic item that the buyer want’s to check out to see that it works, meet at a coffee place or somewhere where they have an internet bar or WiFi where people can plug in their laptops, as these will usually have power outlets and will be filled with people. Also, heed the warnings that you see on Craigslist!

One last thing. When your item sells, please either delete your post, or edit it to say that the item has sold. Your posts do expire over time, but this is a good courtesy move, so buyers who have missed out on your deal can move quickly on instead of trying to inquire about something that’s already been sold.

So, these are the basics of selling on Craigslist. Good luck selling and stay safe! 🙂

If you want to know how to buy items on Craigslist, please see my post, “Craigslist – How to Shop and Buy on Craigslist”.

If you know someone who wants to know more about Craigslist, send them to this site!

Thanks for reading!  🙂

Craigslist is one of the best online marketplaces there is and, when it comes to buying and selling, there may not be a site that comes close to being as easy as well as cheap to use for this purpose. Nevertheless, there are some tips to doing both, and the home page may look overwhelming to the first time visitor. Please, don’t let the home page scare you off! Craigslist is very useful once you become more familiar with it. Here, we’ll take a look at some things to know about shopping and buying things on Craigslist.

Shopping and buying items on Craigslist is easy. You just need to browse the relevant category and, when you find something you want to buy, you can just reply to the ad. And best of all, you don’t need to have any kind of account to browse or purchase anything.

Craigslist has a “for sale” section right on the home page, and this is divided into sub categories, so you don’t have to browse through appliances, cars, electronics, and clothes, while looking for a used dresser.

And, when you go into the for sale section or one of its subcategories, you have a keyword search field, a category field with a drop down menu, a selection for searching by title or entire post for keywords, a check box for images, and a price range field.

So, looking for a Kodak Z915 camera? Under the “for sale” section, you can click on the sub category “photo+video“.

Then, in the keyword field, type in Kodak Z915. You can leave the category field alone, as you are already in the category you need to be in. However, if you search here and find no results, you can always click the drop down menu in the category field and select another category the camera might be in, such as “electronics”. Next, you can put a check in the image box so that only ads with an image will come up. And, if you want to pay no more than $100 and no less than $50 to ensure that you’ll eliminate poor quality products, put your figures in the price range field. Then click on the “Search” button, and mostly relevant ads will come up.

In terms of relevance, some ads will still come up that may not be as relevant to your search, or not be relevant at all, depending on how they are titled. In the example above, you may still come up with an ad that says “Kodak Camera, Sony Walkman, and other electronics! ($1)” . When you click on this ad, you may see several items showcased and the prices may be different, with the Kodak Z915 camera priced at $150, which is out of your range. In some cases, the Kodak camera won’t even be the model you’re looking for!

Tip: When shopping for items, real estate, or an apartment, always put a check in the image box! This lets you see what the condition of the item, apartment, or property is, and even if it is the correct item you’re looking for. I’ve seen ads for cars where the wrong make and model is pictured!

Once you find the item you want, you can reply to the ad. Some ads will only have a phone number, or only allow you to click on the “reply” button. Replying to an ad does not mean you have bought the item. You can reply to ask questions if you wish.

Unlike E-bay or Amazon, Craigslist does not act as a middleman, helping to insure that the transaction goes smoothly and safely. Craigslist only allows buyers and sellers a common online place to conduct business. Once you’ve decided to take a personal look at an item, you and the seller have to make your own arrangements. Here’s some tips for a successful, and safer, transaction.

• If you’re dealing with a business, you’re probably safe just going to the business itself, but, if dealing with a private party, arrange to meet in a public place, such as a coffee shop or inside a mall, where there are people about. Meeting at your place could result in your being robbed, or burglarized later on. Meeting at their place could also lead to your being robbed or worse. Exception: If you know that they are having a garage sale, then you can go there, but make sure when you drive up that they are really having a garage sale. If not, then keep going!

• If dealing with a private party, don’t pay with a personal check! This gives them your checking account number. If a check is required, use a cashiers check or money order.

• If buying electronics, try to meet at a place with plug-ins, so you can test the item. Many coffee shops and fast food places now feature WiFi and will often have places to plug-in laptop computers and other electronics.

• Don’t jump at the first ad showing the item you’re looking for. Shop more because you may find offers that are cheaper or offer more for the same price. Some people over price their items while others under price them and there can be large variations in pricing and quality for many items. Generally, going back several days will show you all that there is. Many ads are repeated day after day until a product sells and sometimes, the price even comes down!

• Never, never send money to a private party or business that you don’t know for a product that they claim they’ll send to you! Not Ever!! Anyone who requests this should be regarded as a scam artist! This is one reason you will see warnings on Craigslist to “Deal Locally!”.

So, these are the basics of buying things on Craigslist. Good luck shopping and stay safe! 🙂

If you want to know how to sell on Craigslist, see my post, “Craigslist – How to sell on Craigslist”. And if you know anyone who wants to know more about Craigslist, send them to this site!

Thanks for reading!  🙂

Need a job? Looking for a place to rent? Looking to buy a car or other item? Want to advertize your service? Perhaps the best place to start is Craigslist.

For those who don’t know, Craigslist can be found online at http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites

Once you click on the link, you can then select the city or area you live in or the one closest to your home town. This will bring up the Craigslist page for your town or city. Bookmark this site and you’ll have easy access to it!

Craigslist is one of the best and most versatile online marketplaces and information sites on the internet. You can find all kinds of things for sale from cars and real estate to household items or just about anything else that can be sold. There are also job listings and services listings as well, and others, too. The site also features garage sales and community events and discussion forums. If you’ve just moved to a new locale, it can be an excellent resource for finding a place to live, getting it furnished, and getting a new job, too!

In addition, you can also check out whats available in other cities, states, and even other countries!

In addition to this, you can also post listings of your own, such as your resume, items you want to sell, items that you are looking for, jobs you want, jobs you are offering, and even discussion questions and answers in the forums.

Best of all, with the exception of posting job listings in some locations, and possibly a very few other exceptions, posting ads and answering ads are free!

Now, the description I gave is very general and you really have to go see and explore Craigslist on your own to see what I really mean.

Now, I do have a few tidbits of information about Craigslist here:

• Each general category is broken down into sub-categories so you can narrow your searches. Also, when you are in a general category, there is a field where you can type in keywords to further narrow your search, and also boxes that you can check, one of which is to include only those ads with images. This can be very helpful when looking for a specific type of job or item.

Tip: When looking for an item or real estate to buy, or an apartment to rent, always put a check in the box for images! 

• There is generally no charge to sell an item on Craigslist, though you do need to set up an account, which is also free. There is also no charge to reply to an ad, buy something, or simply browse on Craigslist.

Note: Unlike Ebay or Amazon, Craigslist does not play middleman for any transactions. It only functions as a way for buyers and sellers, or employers and employees to connect. The only thing it will do is, when posting an ad, it allows you the choice of making your e-mail anonymous for those who reply to your ad.

Safety Precaution: When you make contact with a potential buyer or seller through Craigslist, be sure to meet at a public place for your safety! Craigslist has a section on personal safety tips, and avoiding fraud and scams, and other issues – it’s a good idea to read this section before placing or answering ads!

• Craigslist is getting easier to use and more versatile all the time! Over time it’s become more user-friendly for differing e-mail systems and also for downloading images to use in your ads.

• You can see more at a faster pace than if you go driving around. This is especially true if you are looking for garage sales or a job.

• Ads are listed by date and time and they show the time of their posting. For people looking to buy cars or real estate, or for those looking for apartments, this means looking at ads for items for sale or rent now instead of possibly being two weeks to a month out of date as they often are in used car, real estate, and apartment magazines!

So, this is just a general overview of Craigslist. I will be posting more articles on Craigslist in the future, as I’ve used it to get jobs, buy and sell items, and even to post a question in the forums. It’s been a great help to me.

In the meantime, go ahead and click on the link for Craigslist in this post, and see what it’s all about!

If you want to know how to shop and buy items on Craigslist, or how to sell items on Craigslist, please see my posts, “Craigslist – How to Shop and Buy on Craigslist” and “Craigslist – How to Sell on Craigslist”.

If you know anyone who wants to know more about Craigslist or anything else my other posts cover, send them to this site!

Thanks for reading! 🙂