A dresser my parents had tried to sell before to no avail sold much faster by just adding a detail picture of the dovetail joints. If there is a quality detail, show it off.

I despise "make me an offer". Just where would one start without risking overpaying or insult?

Also - no pictures with people in them posing.

Any history re: the item is always appreciated.

"Must be sold today" is rather limiting, especially if you don't have a car (like me).

If there are any flaws - scratches, heat rings, whatever - a pic of the area is very helpful for the potential buyer to see if it is something they can fix...some peeps are really handy, some are not.

http://www.donkeehouse.com

I think rule #1 above is among the most important.

I like to see a statement about how to contact the seller, even if it is only a brief note to send an email to the email address provided by Craigslist. If the seller prefers phone contact, specify that as well. If there are constraints about when to contact the sellers or when to expect a reply (e.g. 'don't call after 8 p.m.' or 'I can only check my email between 12 noon and 3 p.m.') then they should also be stated.

Although the site rules indicate that sellers should remove a listing when the item is sold, I like to see a line from the seller that affirms that they understand and follow this rule (e.g. 'If you can read this ad, then the item is still for sale' or 'I will remove this ad when the item has sold').

A final thing that I like is accuracy in the location of the item - this makes a difference to me. I recently responded to an add that listed my town as the location, but the item was actually in another town (20 miles away from where I lived). I prefer more specific details as to what part of town an item is located because I am not willing to drive for 30 minutes one-way to get many items.

dimensions!!!

If at all possible, use the email function. I prefer to start the conversation via email than call, especially when I need more information, such as measurements. I don't like giving my phone number over craigslist until I am sure that I am interested in the piece. Also, it is a pain if someone lists a number that is not their primary number and is answered by other people. There have been a few times that my messages have not gotten through. If multiple people are going to answer inquiries, please give them all the information so that they can accurately answer questions.

I never bother responding to an ad for furniture without clear dimensions.

Don't add a string of unrelated words so the posting comes up in lots of searches.

Don't list your whole apartment in one listing, or add a huge list of other items you have to sell without pictures.

This is so nitpicky, but I hate it when listings don't use full sentences or proper grammar. I just find clear, well-worded ads make me so much more inclined to take a closer look.

If I read "camera broken" I just translate it into meaning the item is crappy and a picture would make you not want it.

i post photos of my items on my flickr account and use html to insert the images into the post - when you upload them directly to craigslist they really shrink the images.

i tend to post an ideal price since everyone likes to haggle a bit.

Thank you so much for this post! The timing could not be any better since I have a dining room set to sell. I will take all this helpful info into account.

One thing I have noticed is that cameras and/or monitors don't always accurately show colors. It may look fantastic to you and your monitor but a brief color description should be included.

My monitor is calibrated so as to show colors as accurate as possible but I do notice that what may look tan is actually an olive green. Some reds look orange, etc...but I only know that because someone included that in the description of course.

I happen to get a laugh at Craig's List listings sometimes so it can be a source of knee-slapping humor at times. I've seen "coasters" and "canisters" when the seller meant "casters". One of my favorites was: Light wooded armwa in great shape.

I would like to second #7! We bought a couch for $50 and, if we hadn't found another Craigslister offering to haul stuff for a small fee, we would have ended up paying more than the couch cost to rent a U-haul, pay for gas, and pay someone to help us carry it up four flights of stairs!

I hate it when people ask to be phoned first; like Domestic Intellectual, it just really puts me off because I like to find out more info via email first.

Can I add a #8, which goes along with #4. I do not care how much you paid for the item and it has nothing to do with how much the item is worth today. I have been scouting out couches for the last few weeks and I refuse to pay $500 for a couch that is 4 or 5 years old. It really doesn't matter to me that you paid $2500 for it.

And when you price your 5 year old couch for $500 and then say, "No bargaining" it is just beyond ridiculous.

Dimensions are very important and I hate having to go out of my way to ask the seller to specify them.

#1 is key. It's surprising how often you'll get pictures of stuff covered with more stuff, to the point that you're not even sure what they're trying to sell.

Finally, I don't understand the "must sell today" people. Why wouldn't you list ahead of time, especially with large pieces of furniture? Most people don't own vehicles large enough to transport large items and have to enlist help to carry them.

LizinCO -- I second the spelling thing. I've seen so many "dinning" tables for sale on Kijiji and CL that I've taken to misspelling search terms, just to see what comes up.

Problem is, the really creative ones (like armwa) are hard to think up off the top of one's head.

Having to call a phone number definitely puts me off. When someone's chosen to look for things on the internet, that generally means that's their preferred means of communication in that instance.

I almost never click through if there isn't a picture.

I really can't stand furniture and antique dealers advertising everything they have in their store as either Eames, or mid-century modern style when it's clearly made cheaply in the 80's.

How about:
8. Don't post a item on Thursday and then go out of town Friday - Sunday for the weekend and not return phone calls or e-mails.

This has happened to me twice -- once with an apartment and once with furniture.Beyond frustrating.

I'd also recommend always posting a photo through Craigslist, even if you use a link to more photos -- there are times when I'm not interested enough to click on the description unless the orange "pic" or "img" isn't there.

Also, spelling counts! I can't tell you how many "refridgerators," "chester drawers" and "matres sets" I've seen...

I love to know if the item came from a house with smoke or pets. I hate showing up to check out a piece of furniture only to find that it smells like cigarettes or is covered in cat hair.

uptownjuliebrown --

It certainly does matter whether the item was originally $500, $2500 or $5000 - it speaks to the original value and quality of the item.

Just because you can't afford more than $500 for a used sofa doesn't mean that a Baker or Kreiss sofa that retailed for @$5000 5 years ago and is still in good condition isn't worth a fair bit more than $500...

...but that leads me to another thought: I frequently see "Never used" or "Used Once" when I see ads for sofas and chairs, and I immediately think "Liar". I mean who has ever bought a sofa and never sat in it, even on the day that it's delivered?

I completely agree with writing in complete sentences. Whenever I see a poorly written ad, I always assume the person is a scammer.

I have to back up uptownjuliebrown

Maybe it's just the craigslist in Houston, but I often see sofas priced at $500 and above. The sofas were ugly, poorly-constructed, and overpriced when they were new, and now, 5 years later, are even uglier, dirtier, and shabbier.

Just because it was originally priced at $2500 or $5000, doesn't mean it was worth it.

bepsf- maybe where you are the craigslist sofas are more reasonably priced for the quality, but the story is a bit different in other parts of the country. I invite you to poke around the craigslists of smaller cities and catch a glimpse of what I am talking about.

I definitely sit up and take more notice if the seller says the item comes from a smoke-free home.

lol, found this baby doing a quick search:

http://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/1392711740.html

Quelle coincidence! Just found this posted on the SF-Bay Area Craigslist:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/for/1396548238.html

Personal peeve: Misuse/abuse of the term "antique." I've seen ads for antique iPods, antique laptops, antique beanbag chairs, you name it. Feh.

Spelling and grammar errors do not bode well for the quality of the item.

And, "chester drawer"? "Rod iron"? C'mon.

Come up with a good, accurate title for the posting. If you're selling a table, specify whether it's a dining table, a coffee table, an end table, etc.

Don't call things "antique", "mid-century", "mission", etc. unless you're reasonably sure the label is accurate. If you really don't have a clue what the style is, just let the photo speak for itself. And by the way, can we retire the "shabby chic" term? I still haven't been able to pin down what that means, since I've seen it used to describe just about anything and everything that's more than 10 years old and/or didn't come from a "modern" source (Ikea, West Elm, etc.)

Thanks for the inspiration everyone! I had some cool rattan chairs and some modern nesting cubes / shelving that I'd been meaning to sell on craigslist for about two months.

This post inspired me to get them listed on Wednesday night and less than 48 hours later I've sold both and gotten back some much needed space in my bedroom suite and some unexpected spare cash.

We need some craigslist Customer Rules too ... like:

1. Don't email me asking for my address to come see the item if you will then fall off the face of the planet and never respond to another email.

2. Don't arrange to come see the item and then never show up.

3. Basically, just don't contact me if you're not actually interested in buying the item!

I personally do not like Craigslist Houston. In my opinion it's mostly junk. But I dream on and keep reading.

I think one really important thing to remember too is how you style the item in the photo.

Place the item for sale in a corner of your house that has a nice plant in it or next to some stylish drapes. A lot of people out there are not visual, so seeing an item's potential in a room really seems to help.

Clear out any other clutter, and then test the photo with a couple of different lighting schemes to see what looks best.

90% of my house is either Craigslist or Freecycle. Being a big craigslister I can tell you I rather e-mail than call some one. If possible, always have e-mail contact available.

Also, it's a pet peeve of mine to see photos with a pet sitting on the item being sold. If you're selling a sofa, do NOT include a picture with Fiddo sprawled on the couch. If you're concerned about other people's allergies, just state in the ad that it's from a home with pets.

Re spellings and grammar, they are occasionally hilarious: I forwarded to several friends a posting for "One Night Stand for sale"

Oops: make that "One Night Stand for Sale." Pride goeth before a fall.