How to Sell Your Stuff: Tips, Tricks and Strategies

Craigslist can be addictive.

When I’m in search of something I lurk the ads daily. Usually whatever I am looking for is an in demand item and anything listed in good condition at a great price will be snapped up quickly.

And I want to be the one snapping it up.

I think I’m a good buyer but I’m a mediocre seller.

Why?

I’m not that patient. When I want things out of my house I want them gone as soon as possible. So I sell a bit below market value and things leave my home quickly. With the volume of things we need to sell before our move I’m accepting that we will loose at least a few hundred dollars that we could’ve made with more time, patience and better haggling skills.

Here are a few of my tips:

Know where the buyers are: Craigslist is King in Vancouver. I am told Kijjiji is the place to buy used stuff in Calgary. Know where people buy and sell locally. It’s easy to tell just by the volume of adds if a message board or ad service is well used. If you’re selling specialty items like collectibles or cloth diapers, search for niche message boards and websites with buy and sell forums. I have some lovely and expensive wool diaper covers that I might get $20 for locally on Craigslist but on diaperswappers.com they would get snapped up at $40.

If all else fails you can try eBay. Just be aware of how much you will lose in Paypal fees, eBay listing and sale fees and what shipping will actually cost you. Undervalue any of these and your profit will quickly be eaten up.

Know what the value of your item is: this is not what you paid for it, what it is currently on sale for or what you think it is worth. The value is set by the marketplace. Look through the for sale ads, see what the average list price is for the item and go from there.

I’ve been trying to buy a travel bag for our stroller on Craigslist. It’s not an in demand item but there aren’t many listed. I contacted a woman with a month old ad and she wanted $80 for her stroller bag and wouldn’t budge on the price. I can purchase the bag new for close to that price. I’ll keep looking for a better deal on Craigslist until the clock runs out. It’s not worth it to me to drive out and buy her item

Know what you’re willing to take: I listed Henry’s furniture at 60% of pre-tax retail price. I included current links to the items, excellent photos and honest descriptions of their condition. My email Inbox was flooded within 12 hours of posting my ad on Craigslist and 48 hours later all of the furniture had been picked up.

I priced my items for a quick sale and knew I would not take less than I had listed them for. But, as is customary for buying/selling used items, there was a bit of haggling. The lovely couple that bought the crib/mattress/crib set asked that I throw in a pile of clothes they had picked out from my sale pile. It was probably $50 worth of items but they are hard to sell items. I was fine with adding it to the purchase. Another buyer, a veteran Craigslister, wanted $120 worth of stuff for $80. It was the end of the day and I was tired. I asked her for $85, mostly just so I felt good about it, and she was fine with it.

Know how much work you want to put in: if you have the time, and the stamina, you can list for 10-20% above market value and wait it out. Re-list your items every week, put up with having a lot of buyer no-shows and answer a lot of emails and eventually you’ll find your buyer and get your price. It’s just a matter of how long it will take.

With all the bits and pieces involved in an overseas move I have a lot on my plate right now. I’ll be listing things competitively, making a bit less money and giving myself breathing room for our big move.

What else? What are your tips? What’s the buy/sell etiquette where you live and what strategy do you take when you list items?

More tips on downsizing in my book: Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized and Happy Life

  • My moving sale has created a problem for me. A lady came and bought 6 items, paid for all of them and left. As our moving date nears, I don’t know what to do with the sold items? I have phoned the lady and left a message with no response. Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks.

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  • As a buyer (and one half of the couple that bought the crib set 😉 ), my buying criteria are:

    a) The item must be in excellent to brand new condition, and it must be clean and hygienic.

    b) For anything that is used, I look to buy at 50% or less of present retail cost (though I am flexible on this for items that are in exceptionally good condition, hard to find, or hold their value particularly well). For items that are brand new, I look for pricing around 75-85% of retail, since I don’t get the benefit of having the original receipt and warranty.

    c) Time is money. I generally won’t travel more than 15-20 minutes to purchase an item, unless it is a smoking deal.

    d) What the seller actually paid for the item is completely irrelevant to me. I am concerned with my savings over the *present* retail cost, and with the condition of the item. For example, one couple was trying to sell a very expensive $1000 crib for $800, claiming that their kid “never slept in it.” He may not have slept in it, but he was certainly in it long enough to leave tooth marks all over the rails. If I’d really wanted that particular crib, I’d have rather forked out the extra $200 to buy it brand new, with a warranty, and minus the tooth marks.

    e) When I find an item that I like and that is fairly priced, I pay the seller’s asking price. I usually ask for concessions on purchases of multiple items from the same seller, which I feel is a good trade-off for their savings of time and aggravation (not having to deal with multiple buyers, not having to re-list items, etc.).

    As a seller, I follow my buyer criteria above. I price my items based on what I would be willing to pay for them if I were the buyer; not based on trying to recoup my costs. Anything that is in sub-par condition, or that I feel is valued under $20, I usually list for free. Free items go *very* quickly, and I often find it’s less work (and more gratifying) to give something away to a real person than to load it in the car and drive to Value Village. Lastly, I find that it pays to be a little bit patient. Craigslist relies on the right buyer being online at the right time. Sometimes it takes two or three listings to find a buyer, but I never sell to low-ballers (I’d actually rather give an item away for free to someone who needs it).

    I think the key with using Craigslist is not to try to “get the best deal” or “get the most money for your item,” but to make every transaction a win-win proposition for both parties.

    • I think the key with using Craigslist is not to try to “get the best deal” or “get the most money for your item,” but to make every transaction a win-win proposition for both parties.

      Yes! This is it for me too. I want people to feel good about what I sold them and I want to feel good about the purchase too.

  • Thanks for the post!! I am currently on maternity leave with my second child. I am in the process of minimizing, de-cluttering and trying to come up with ideas of how I can remain a stay at home mom. I appreciate the ideas you share on your blog. Love it!!!!

    • Thanks, Nicole. Good luck and keep me posted on your success. I love hearing how people get creative on these things: going part-time, running a small in-home daycare, moving to a smaller home, getting rid of a second car. The small things add up. Our cable bill was $90/month, car insurance $145. Good luck!

  • @Jenny: to avoid the dilemma of waiting for people who don’t show up only to let go of a potential buyer, I’m clear about my first-come-first-served policy in my add and all emails. I tell prospective buyers that the item will go to the person who manages to come first to my house to pick it up and suggest they call me before driving over. I’ve also had one buyer pay me over Paypal when she couldn’t pick up the item for five days. This helps for items that are known (like an ergo baby carrier), are in excellent condition (people won’t feel ripped off for paying for something in advance if it looks brand new).

    As fora lurking on Craiglist, I recently was looking for an Aeron chair, which are snapped up within minutes of posting. I set a Google alert to search only Vancouver’s craigslist site and received emails whenever the item was posted. I missed out on a few but was able to pick one up within a week – and avoided constant searching in the meantime.

    Great site Rachel! And nice meeting you the other day.

    • Yikes. Just re-read my comment. Talk about typos. The perils of writing before my morning coffee.

    • Hi Christine,

      Great to meet you too the other week. Thanks for your Craigslist tips – Vancouverites are so savvy in this area.

      Smart move on the Google alert for Craigslist ads. We sold my husband’s Aeron chair a few weeks back. There was a call within 5 minutes of posting and it was gone within a few hours. Smart buyers – it was just a few months old.

  • Hi Rachel,

    Craig’s List is both additive, and restrictive! It’s frustrating sometimes to list items and then know that you have to be available for buyers to come pick them up.

    Each time we’ve listed in-demand items, we’ve had sellers that respond within the hour, and usually have a one hour trip to come pick up the item. It’s hard to wait on someone to show up while turning away or postponing other buyers when you don’t know for sure IF the buyers you’re waiting on will really show!

    That aside, Craig’s List has been the quickest way for us to unload unwanted items. eBay has worked best for us for more specialized items. And you’re right, if you underestimate the shipping on an eBay sale, you’ll end up losing a lot — if not everything — you made on the item. We try to only list lightweight items on eBay for that very reason.

    It sounds like you’re making fantastic progress!

    • We’re doing quite well. Desk and chair sold last night. It’s been slow on our bigger items but I’m going to wait a few more days before lowering prices.

      I hear you on the having to be patient on the sale. So many people no-show. I ask people to call to set-up a time to come and see items. I feel like hearing my voice makes them commit more than sending an email.

      • I do the same thing Rachel! I give them my number and tell them to call me if they’re interested. It helps me gauge their interest level too.

  • It’s kijiji here in Halifax too. From Canada, you are going to make less money selling items on ebay. Smaller or lighter things are easier and cheaper to sell on e bay. I usually list stuff on kijiji and if they don’t sell then think about using e bay.

    • Shipping in Canada is so expensive. I usually overprice shipping on Ebay and offer to refund the difference between my listed shipping and the actual.

  • You’re right, craigslist is super addictive, especially in Vancouver where the selection is so large.

    I started selling on craigslist a couple of years ago, and everything went super fast and for great prices. I’ve noticed that it’s gotten harder to sell things on craigslist in the last year, I think people are asking so much for used things now that people are just buying new. Not me though – even though I’m not buying much of anything anymore, I’m still more likely to check craigslist when I need something rather than heading straight to the store. Sometimes a few moments spent on craigslist looking for something I “think” I need, are enough to deter me from the purchase altogether!

    As far as selling goes, I now prefer to donate my kids outgrown things rather than haggle over something that won’t sell for more than a dollar or two.

    • Agreed – people are asking so much for used items that savvy shoppers can often get new for close to the same price if they have a coupon/shop sales, etc. Unless it has the tags on, if the item is in excellent condition I list for 50-60% of retail.
      Tried many many times to sell lots of my son’s clothing. Ended up selling a bit at a Swap Meet and then people that bought our nursery furniture took a bunch of it.

  • I agree that the time and effort is too much of a burden, and although I know I could have made some cash, I donated all of my baby stuff to a young family (including a very expensive crib set – but that was a gift anyway). I also recently donated a bunch of stuff to a church sale as I am totally unmotivated to use craigslist or kijji.
    Although I do feel good that things went to good homes, and money raised went to a good cause.

    • Those are great ways to give your items a second life. I’m donating a few boxes of baby items that I am too tired to list to a women’s shelter.

    • Very true Andrea! I did make a mistake once, and ended up having to sell a coffee table away for half the price I intended to.

      Also, there was a time when I ended up buying back a pair of my jeans from a charity chop. 🙂

      • Very true Andrea! I did make a mistake once, and ended up having to sell a coffee table for half the price I intended to.

        Also, there was a time when I ended up buying back a pair of my jeans from a charity shop.

      • hahaha! You bought your own jeans back? I hope they gave you a good deal =)

  • I love to get rid of stuff immediately as well. If the item is in demand, I usually tell the buyer “first come first served” as I do not like to wait for those buyers who leisurely come. If they are adamant, I will hold it that day for them. I just detest buyers who stand me up.

    We also have toy traders here in Langley for the kids. They take their toys, get traders bucks and can buy new toys. They can also make their money go further is they rummage through the used toys. The used toys can hold so many treasures. That is where we found a Buzz lightyear with a motocycle, side care, 2 part space ship, and an alien. This was only $5.00. A deal.

    I like that the kids choose what to take too.

    • That toy trader idea is genius. Do they have a website?

      When I was a kid it was all about trading in books at the used bookstores.

  • I sold my stuff for cheap for the same reasons. I need the stuff out of here. I also posted some things on craigslist for free like some fencing materials that were under my deck. I wanted those gone and didn’t want to transport them anywhere. The lady was so appreciative that, even though I had listed them for free, she paid me money for them! Wasn’t that so sweet! She said that she felt bad taking all those materials for free. Craigslist is also very propular in Austin, TX.

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