Using Craigslist and EBay to sell your “stuff”

Take a look around your house... your garage.... your basement... up in the attic.  I’m sure you can find lots of “things” that you are no longer using.  These “things” can be sold on eBay or Craigslist to make you some cash!  And once you get the hang of selling things online, you may start searching yard sales and flea markets for items you can buy cheap and then turn around a profit online. 

Craigslist - www.craigslist.org

Craiglist has quickly become one of the most popular and useful sites on the Internet.  www.craigslist.org is the main site to begin your journey with Craigslist.  From there, you will be able to choose which state you want to search.  Once you are in the state you want, you can search further into your local areas.  You can search for jobs, goods for sale, apartments for rent, houses for sale and services offered in your area on Craigslist.  When you are ready to post an ad on craigslist to sell something, it is best to have a picture of the item(s).  Once on craigslist, choose the option “for sale” when you are under the heading of “what type of posting is this”.  Decide what category your item falls under so that it is easily found on the site.  Next, you will need to create your ad.  Name the item you are trying to sell in the posting title - this is what will show up first on the website when buyers are searching.  Next, write a brief description of the item you are selling.  Include model and make, how old it is, what condition it is in and how they can contact you.  Make sure to post how much you want to sell it for and your general location.  Don’t put your address in the ad - only provide information when you actually speak with someone that is interested in buying your product.  When you do have a buyer, it is highly recommended that you only accept cash as a payment for your goods.  There are too many scams out there with money orders and you don’t want to have to deal with a bounced check.  It is safer to meet your buyer in a public place so that they don’t know where you live.  But, if you do require to have them come to your house, make sure you are not at home alone. 

eBay - www.ebay.com

eBay is a great internet tool.  It is one of the world’s largest online auctions.  At eBay you can find almost anything for sale.  To get started with eBay to sell your goods, you must first create a seller’s account.  To create this account, you must provide eBay with a valid credit card or bank account.  Then, you will have to choose how you would like to pay your seller fees and also you will need to select the payment method you’ll accept.  Then it’s time to upload your images and create your listing.  You’ll want to research what your items are selling for so you can price it appropriately to attract buyers. You can sell your items using an auction-style or fixed price format. When you have your listing up and running, you can check how the bidding going by clicking on the Sell section of My eBay. You may receive questions about your items from potential buyers. Make sure you answer their questions in a timely manner. Your rating and reputation on eBay is based on the quality of your goods, your response time to your customers and how your customers rate you overall. Selling items on the internet can be a great way to make some extra cash.  Do your research with any site that you want to use to make sure it is reputable and that you are using it properly.