Selling something for more than you bought it for on craigslist? I call that bad karma!

I call it savvy

I call it business.

another tip is to post on fridays.

sounds ridiculous, but a lot of people are paid on fridays...and they are already starting to appropriate their money on fridays while at work.

so if you post it on friday, the post will be new and fresh...and give them a chance to set up a pick-up time for the weekend.

learned this a few years back and i get instant sales this way =)

I just posted an ad for mattress on Craiglist. I wish I saw this earlier :)

I LOVE the chairs! Would pay even more for them.

Thanks for sharing great tips and pictures with us.

http://thereisalwaysroom.wordpress.com/

@Aprilheartsaaron, I may have been duped by your tactic on just last week! Oh well, I'm enjoying my hundred-dollar-dyson...

Im so fed up with craigs list, where i live everyone is trying to make so much money off crap its driving me crazy. I dont have alot of money but i'd like to be able to buy a coffee table under $200 used. I get that certain pieces are rare and going to sell for more, but everyone thinking they can make a buck really hoops those of us in need of secondhand furniture at an affordable price!

Don't ruin Craigslist. If you're going to overprice sh*t, sell it on etsy, or ebay.

Leave Craigslist alone.

For security purposes I only use my Google Voice number on Craigslist. I still get texts to my cell phone and I get to keep my personal number private.

Amen Arcaydia & JoVCU!

I recently sold a desk on Craigslist for more than I paid when I bought it on Craigslist. The first seller was in a hurry; I wasn't.

@aprilheartsaaron Agree! I usually sell on Thursdays or Fridays. The beginning of the week is never a good time to sell anything.

@El Frank That's such a good idea!

I've found always putting a phone number helps, even if it's a google voice number. I know a lot of people are hesitant to give out that information on CL, but I've found that people *always* call instead of email whenever I list both ways to reach me. And I sell the item quicker!

I never buy an item on craigslist that I can tell someone is obviously trying to make a profit on. Like they scored that mid century chair at a garage sale or the thrift for 20 bucks and are now trying to sell it for 200 sort of thing. It pisses me off, even though I've definitely done it, so I'm a hypocrite I suppose. But I'm not going to buy their 200 dollar chair. I'm going to go to the thrift stores and flea markets and find my own for 20 bucks. Some people are too lazy to be thrifty, but some people are too poor not to be.

If I got nothing else from economics class I will always keep in mind that things are worth what someone is willing to pay for them. So go ahead, put your item on craigslist and put whatever price you want on it. If its overpriced, it won't sell. If its not, it will. It's their stuff, they can sell it for what they want to sell it.

Mmead should get his/her own post. Who cares what that someone won't pay a mark up on Craig's list? I guess they don't shop at grocery stores, tech counters, buy new undies, etc, either? If you can make a profit here and there on top of your usual employment, maybe you wouldn't be in such dire straights. You want to know how to make a profit? Buy low, sell high.

This post's author bought low & sold high. That's making a profit- good job. He did not buy illegally or unconscionable low and sell at ridiculously high prices to a captive or disadvantaged buyer.

The people who @cassielynn describes are a pain in the neck, but just filter your search by what you are willing to pay and move on.

An item is worth to YOU what YOU are willing to pay for it.

Oh, thanks Meg for the tips! I'm going to use them to try to sell some of my *very good* stuff this weekend. ;-)

I agree that it's annoying when people repost things for outrageous prices, but making money on used resells isn't obnoxious. And the seller here spent time and energy staging her objects.

Just a head's up for new sellers on CL: If you get contacted by someone internationally who wants to buy your item but has some elaborate and convoluted proposal for paying you it is likely a scam. These scams normally say that they are interested in the piece but never actually acknowledge what the piece is. Don't respond. If you feel like the piece you are selling is relevant for a wider audience (not just local) post it on Ebay, which protects sellers through various security means.

How about a post on how to attract reliable buyers? I have wasted countless hours waiting for buyers who have replied to my ad, given a phone number, setup AND confirmed the appointment, and then not bothered to show up. It's so frustrating that I've stopped posting items for sale and now have a "for craigslist, someday" corner in the basement. I did learn through experience that people who troll the free items section are the least likely to show up, so I now list items for $1 instead of putting them in the free section.

Another tip, give size comparisons! Just because you give dimensions doesn't mean I have a tape measure at work and can figure out if it will work in my space. Sit in the chair and post a picture of that, maybe giving your height. If I'm taller than you and the chair looks too short for you it's definitely going to be too short for me. Just an example.

needleinthehay - Me too. I just try to post stuff when I know I'll have some free time in the next few days and then wait for someone reliable to come by. And post stuff on Thursday/Friday because lots of people are more reliable about showing up on the weekends.

Through my experience, I've developed a strict "first come, first served" policy. I won't hold items for people, although I will say something like "well, someone wants to look at it tonight so if you're really interested you'd better come earlier than that", and ALWAYS be sure to let the people waiting know if you've sold an item! Respect goes both ways, right?

@ cassielynn, yes you are a hypocrite but an honest one. How do you think dealers make their money? It's happened to many of us, we see something we want at a low cost, email and it's been sold.

Later on you see the exact same item for sale at a higher price. You can buy it or not, an item is worth what someone is worth paying. This also means if the item isn't worth what they are asking maybe it isn't worth that amount.

Best.

When I set up appointments with buyers, I give them my cell number and ask them to call if they can't make it, so I don't waste my time. That has reduced the number of no-call no-shows.

i've sold things for more than i paid, too. Not too much more, but I list them for what I think someone would pay. When I try to buy something, I always offer a lower price, and it often works. I don't see anything wrong with trying to make a profit on craigslist - if the price is too high, ask for a lower one!

Although I understand the need for the "first come first serve" policy of some sellers, it sucks getting burned when you set up an appointment to look at/purchase an item only to have the seller call later and say that the item is already gone. If you're selling on a first come first serve basis, make sure all parties involved are aware - ie. make sure the buyer with an appointment knows that you're telling other people if they come over first they can have it! I just think that's proper selling etiquette.