Hey there AT,
I have a question for you. I have this really great 15 foot custom- made sofa. I need to part with it, and it needs to be recovered. What I want to do is get it to a good home, and I'm planning on putting it on Craig's list, but I don't want it to be just part of the crap pile. Do you ever feature good classifieds from elsewhere?
Thanks, Rebecca
Hey Rebecca,
Hmmm. First, we wonder if you've seen our daily Scavenger post which pulls Craig's list finds from the furniture section. Also, we have our very oun AT scavenger section, so you can list your unwanted furniture there and we will be sure to list it in a post!
(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.)
Link To All Good Questions
Link To All Good Questions
You're only part of the crap pile if it's CRAP you're adding to the pile...
I've always had good experiences selling my furniture via Craig's List. A few freaks and looky-loo's, but the eventual buyers have always been interesting, fun people who "get" design.
E--
You've had better luck than I have... I have people who make impossibly low offers on things I have priced really well to begin with. AND I had a cancellation the day before an exchange was supposed to be made. But the day AFTER I had already rented a truck... argh. Only one lovely, problem-free exchange, but I think that came from AT Classifieds, not CL.
And virtually every single CL posting yields an email asking for some funky wire-funds scam.
But truth be told, my luck selling larger items on eBay hasn't been any better... and that ain't free.
Hmmmm... the vast majority of my experiences on CL and eBay have been good. Maybe the target audience for my crap is so weird that they're also well-behaved, just so that no one spots them for space aliens and hauls them off to Area 51. My advice:
1. Provide lots of detail, including measurements of every possible dimension, all possible forms of fabric and fiber content, and whether the piece has ever been exposed to any pet, pollutant, or strong cooking odor.
2. Provide lots of photos. If color is involved, compare to a known source, such as a box of Crayolas. Providing Too Much Information discourages inane queries about exactly what shade of orange is involved.
3. Aim for a concise, direct tone that projects "don't mess with me." This need not interfere with making up a good story.
4. Strongly discourage "lookers." Keep repeating in all encounters that the person is "coming by to pick it up."
5. Don't immediately say yes to the first query unless you like how the person sounds. Often, the first response comes from an annoying flake, and the second or third response will come from someone you actually want to sell to.
I posted my bedframe on AT-LA's classifieds.. We'll see how/if it goes. and I JUST bought it, too.. ugh.
The one thing I've found is that you can't be in any real hurry to sell, especially on eBay (unless you are totally willing to let go of things for pennies on the dollar). I've listed things multiple times, and suddenly on the fifth listing they sell.
Although I have noticed a spike in general interest as we careen closer to the holidays...
And the only time I had luck on CL was when AT spotlighted the item on its Scavenger post. Found a great second life for a table with a lovely painter named Caroline.