My Experience As A Seller on craigslist

My youngest (and last) baby is now three years old, so I thought I'd clear out the baby things and other clutter while I was at it.  I combed through closets and our storage and filled our dining room and living room with items we could do without.  Then I set about determining prices, photographing the items and listing them all on craigslist.  If you were wondering why I've been so quiet over the last few weeks - this is why.

I decided to try craigslist first since most of the items were heavy or bulky and shipping would be prohibitive, which meant eBay wasn't a practical alternative.  I will try eBay next.

Overall, my experience has been fantastic and I can't imagine selling this much stuff so easily any other way.  On average, I sold my items at about 50% of retail, which is terrific!   Here are some of my "best practices":

• I didn't encounter too many strange people but  I did take precautions to ensure my safety, such as having my husband home during pickups.  
• Most of my items were high quality and in excellent condition, so I held the sales in my dining room rather than my garage.  I think people felt more comfortable paying higher prices when the items were displayed in a nicer setting.
• I held a few Saturday morning "events" to speed the process.  
• I occasionally arranged to meet buyers at public places to ease their minds.  While it felt strange to stand outside of Best Buy or Lowe's and swap goods for cash, it did facilitate some transactions and I don't blame people at all for feeling nervous about going to peoples' homes.  So if you're a buyer and are nervous - ask the seller if he or she might meet you at a convenient public place.  Chances are, they'll be receptive to it if you reassure them that you're serious.
• I researched my items thoroughly and checked prices for similar items on craigslist and on eBay to make sure my prices were realistic.  
• My postings had lots of good photos and all of the pertinent information.
• I only accepted cash.  
• I quickly learned not to put items "on hold" for people as they often did not show up and I risked losing "bird in the hand" sales in the meantime.

If you are considering selling things on craigslist, it might help to read a few of my experiences so you can prepare yourself.  Some of the highlights include:

• being stood up by numerous people who were "seriously" interested
• the painter and the electrician who left business cards for future shoppers
• the man who told his wife (quite seriously) right in front of me that he planned to serve his son's goldfish to his visiting parents because the fish had become too much work - craigslisting is a study in human behavior and relationships
• the woman who bought a bunch of toddler toys and then tried to sneak an additional one into her car (I caught her and made her fork over more money)
• the lady with the 10 month old who opened a box of babyproofing equipment, let her 10-month old gnaw on it, then put the soggy thing back in the box and walked away (as I stood there with my jaw hanging open). Thankfully, she eventually bought it.
• being offered ridiculously small amounts for items that were already quoted at 50% of retail and were in excellent condition
• the one lady who entered, then said she needed to go to her car to call her daughter about the crib I was selling, then peeled out like she was afraid for her life
• the hugely pregnant woman who yelled at her husband in front of me for not bringing more cash
• the woman who brought her toddler and then spent the entire time (sometimes unsuccessfully) trying to keep him from running through our house and playing with my kids' toys
• the customers who wanted to buy my living room chairs that the baby items were merchandised on
• the customers who argued with me via email about the pricing - giving price quotes from retailers on items that were not identical to the items I was selling
• and finally: my husband's response to my complaining: "As long as they're paying me money, I don't care if they p*** you off."

Give craigslist a try sometime.  You will be amazed at how easy it is to sell the things you are not using!