What Are The Best Items for Selling on Craigslist?

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By Dorsi

What Things Can I Sell on Craiglist?

So can you really make money with Craigslist? Is there a way to making money with Craigslist with just the stuff you have laying around your house? Yes there is - so now it's time to start looking around your house and surveying what you have..........

So now that you've decided to rid yourself of some of those unwanted items you might be asking yourself- can I really sell Grandpas old World War 2 Ham Radio equipment on Craigslist?

Yes you can, and I'm proof positive of that. After my dad died and left me about a ton of World War 2 Ham Radio equipment, I had NO idea what to do with it. Posting it on EBay would have netted me alot more cash but the thought of having to figure out what everything he left me actually was, did it work, model numbers, blah blah blah had me mind boggled. In addition, the thought of actually packing this equipment up and having to mail it out gave me absolute nightmares.

So Craigslist here it came- and went.

I could have donated it or gave it away but I KNEW that I had something valuable to someone and I was right. I just had to find the right person, and I did. As it turned out, the man that bought my dads radio equipment was an Ole Ham' himself so he happily gave me $200 and I happily relinquished my dads radio equipment which I knew I would never even have the foggiest notion of how to operate.

So that comes to the point of the article here- you can sell many-many things on Craigslist that you probably wouldn't dream you could have.

Here is a brief list of some of the things I've sold on Craigslist:

1. Furniture, both household and Business. I have sold recliners,chairs,sofas, shelving,tv stands,coffee tables,night stands,beds and frames and a humongous wet bar that I never thought I would find a new home for......

2. Plants, pots, and yard furniture. (even 5' tall cactus!)

3. Used cell phones,printers and even an antique microwave (lol-just make sure that your items are in good working order though- if not make sure you let the buyer know- honesty is the best policy here!)

4. Collectibles including old vintage gas station lamps and my dads radio World War 2 equipment.

5. Cars,bikes and a pocket motorcycle bike (my husband still misses his little pocket bike but it had to go before he killed himself on it!)

6. Used tools including an electric chainsaw,lawnmower,radial table saw, a vacuum pump for God knows what, a pressure washer (and various other assorted odd tools collected by husband and inherited)

7. Business equipment such as screen printing presses,drafting tables and a huge commercial light table

8.Jewelry

9. Pond forms (after a well meaning attempt at making a pond in my yard)

10. Car tires,rims,car parts and speakers.

11. Musical equipment (guitars, amplifiers,drum pedals and BIG speakers that I made my son get rid of- God rest my ears)

12. Sports equipment like bowling balls,gym equipment,boogie boards and even a treadmill that someone bought for their active Border Collie (no kidding).

And over 200 hundred or more assorted items from my cluttered and interesting life.

So I'm proof that you can sell just about anything on Craigslist- if the price is right and you can find the right person looking for your treasure.........

So when you are clearing out your clutter don't exclude anything as being a possible Craigslist item. You'd be surprised at the things that people are looking for, and Craigslist is a great place to find them, and sell them.

If they are items of much value and odd you might want to try EBay, that's a whole 'nother ball game but for most things Craigslist will work just fine, and it's free, so you don't have to pay a listing fee like you do on EBay and you can deal with people locally, and you don't have to wait for your auction to end.

You might say well great, yeah, I have like lots of items to sell but I have NO idea what to sell them for (or what they even are for that matter!)

In that case I suggest to people - do a little research on your item before posting it- check other similar Craigslist postings and Ebay and get an idea of what your item is and what it is selling for. In the case of my dads radio equipment it was very hard to put a price on it and I know the person that bought it got a heck of a deal . That's OK though because having the space meant more to me than having a whole shop full of very heavy equipment. And the whole point is anyways, it puts some money in your pocket, makes someone else happy and makes a cleaner house for you. So even if you do go down on the price so what- it's more than what you started with-

Happy Craigslisting!

(For advice on Craigslist feel free to ask Dorsi- she loves to see things get "recycled" and find new homes- and to see you put a little extra cash in your pocketbook)

Craigslist Headquarters in San Francisco

Craiglist's headquarters located in San Francisco California

Comments

Sally's Trove profile image

Sally's Trove 3 years ago

Another good one, Dorsi! 

I especially like the advice about using Craigslist and eBay to research the value of items you don't know off the top of your head.

Another good research site if you don't know the value of the jewelry, antique, or collectible items you want to sell is RubyLane.com.

Just_Rodney profile image

Just_Rodney Level 3 Commenter 3 years ago

Great one Doris, thanks for the Craiglist info, glad to find that there is one locally here in Johannesburg South Africa.

jw 3 years ago

Craigslist has been a great tool for my business. I use the <a href="http://freewebtrafficonline.com/freewebtraffic_006 Auto Poster Demo</a> to place ads for all my real estate listings. This has worked out great for me. Definitely worth looking into, just dont spam with this software, and you will be ok..

brittany23 3 years ago

Excellent hub; thanks for the information! You sure know how to create nice hubs:) Another great free classsified ads website is http://www.stumblehere.com!

johnr54 profile image

johnr54 3 years ago

I know some folks who have a lot of success finding people to do chores or tasks on Craigslist as well.

drpastorcarlotta profile image

drpastorcarlotta Level 5 Commenter 2 years ago

Thank you soooooo much for this info. I have never sold anything on Craigslist, but I have alot of things I am looking to sell. I was thinking about going back to Ebay because I use to have a store on Ebay. Now I have another source to consider!! Thank you my friend!!! Luv Luv

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 2 years ago

You are all so welcome! Thanks for stopping by and glad that this has inspired some of you to use Craigslist! Just remember to be careful in who you deal with, don't let strangers in your home unless you feel really right about it, and don't meet in off the wall places to do any transactions. Stay safe and have fun Craigslisting!

dwaynewade3 profile image

dwaynewade3 2 years ago

I really enjoyed reading this hub, very informative. I tend to visit Craigslist daily but I've never sold anything on there. You may have changed my mind!

alittlebitcrazy profile image

alittlebitcrazy 2 years ago

LOVE craigslist - what an awesome community tool! My family has gotten so much off Craigslist, through buying, selling, and services!

Mercedes Pimentel 2 years ago

Yes,

I want to know how I can sell my furniture from my house, I have all the pictures into a CD.

Plase let me know ASP.

Thank You :

Mrs

Mercedes Pimentel

Miss T 2 years ago

I sold an old stove on Craigs List. It was in the house when I bought it and I upgraded. It was so easy! I also needed to get out of a lease and listed my condo and found someone to sublet from me. It saved me about $5,000 in rent that I would have had to pay if I didn't find someone to sublet. So - all in all - I LOVE Craigslist!!!

My advice is to be sure to post GOOD pictures, describe your item honestly (e.g. could use a good cleaning, minor scratch on side, perfect condition, etc), and do NOT deal with people who are out of town/the country. We had every "Nigerian Scammer" emailing us - it's such a pain to try to weed through people saying their 'financier will send a certified check'. Give me a break. You need a financier to pay for a used stove?!? ha ha

Good luck with your posts!

Cheryl Taylor 2 years ago

THANKS! Just started selling things on Craigs list today! i sold on Ebay for almost 2 years, but the Ebay and Paypal fees were KILLING ME!

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 2 years ago

Thanks everyone for stopping by! Cheryl, I have only sold a couple things on EBay - but it seemed like a hassle...I love selling and buying on Craigslist!

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 2 years ago

I also found my last 2 jobs on Craigslist folks so don't forget about the job search function there! Craigslist is a great resource for many many things!

GiftedGrandma profile image

GiftedGrandma Level 1 Commenter 24 months ago

Sold a few thing on Craigslist :O)

ronald 23 months ago

for 20 ebay takes 10 and so on but craigslist you pay nothing upfront always ad what you going sell on your discription so you dont ned to keep posting ads

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 23 months ago

GiftedGrandma) Good going!

ronald) This is true. The few things I sold on EBay cost me more than I expected. Craigslist, on the other hand, is FREE!!!

SteveoMc profile image

SteveoMc 20 months ago

Oh boy, do I need to get organized. I so much junk laying around. This reminds me to get it together and get rid of some of it. Thanks for the motivation.

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 20 months ago

Steve) YW - good luck "decluttering" and hopefully make some money at it too!!

Petra 20 months ago

I started to sell household items on Craigslist a week ago because I am moving to Europe. I was a little nervous the first time but I had the best experience ( sold a sewing machine ). We meet at a public eatery and talked a bit and finalized the sale. I have much more to sell and now its going to the bigger pieces like furniture. I will meet at a public place first and get a feel about the person that I am dealing with and then invite the person into my home. My big and strong son will be with me and I feel that I can trust my instinct about a person. But Miss Dorsi is absolutely right by advising to always be careful. Just like you would with other people and situation that are unfamiliar.

Thank you for writing about Craigslist.

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 20 months ago

Petra) Sounds like selling on Craigslist is working well for you. I am glad to hear of you being cautious though. It's a great place to also buy things but always trust your gut instinct if a transaction does not feel right!

L.P. profile image

L.P. 18 months ago

I want to sell my brand new Berkline power recliner that doesn't fit in my living room and the store where I purchased it refused to refund my money. I paid over $1200 and YES, I did get ripped off I know that, but now I'm stuck. I have put it on craigs list twice and nothing...nadda...so today I lowered the price from $1,000 to $900. I know I'll end up losing a lot of money. I made a bad decision and the store I found out AFTER the fact, is not reputable. I filed a complaint with the BBB but they aren't even members plus the BBB does nothing to help with issues like this.

I sold my other 3 peices of furniture back in May and had a very positive experience and even helped the woman arrange for someone to help her move the furniture from my home to hers and the mover was on craigs list. I don't know HOW to get rid of this chair. $1200 is A LOT of $$$ for me to just eat. I am a Senior Citizen and on disability so this $1200 was a HUGE expenese and I just don't know what to do. I am sick about it.

Thanks~L.P.

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burningdesire profile image

burningdesire 17 months ago

Hi is Craigslist only limited to the States? I am from South East Asia, can I sell my things in there too?

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 17 months ago

LP) You may need to drop the recliner down in price more to sell it on Craigslist, I know you are taking a loss but people on Craigslist are looking for deals. Good luck.

callag) Thanks for the tips.

burningdesire) go to www.craigslist.com and look at the cities and countries you can post in. Good luck.

lex123 profile image

lex123 Level 2 Commenter 16 months ago

Good information Dorsi. I have never tried craiglist. Now reading your hub I feel inspired. Thanks for sharing.

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 16 months ago

lex) Glad you stopped in and got some inspiration to try Craigslist. It's a great resource!

Mattie Tolley 16 months ago

Hi Dorsi, I want to list some musical recording equipment that has never been out of it's box for a friend of mine who gave up the dream of setting up his own studio. I have no idea how to use craigslist. I am in OKlahoma and the equipment is in West Virginia; however, he may bring it to me to dispose of. Can you help me get started?

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 16 months ago

Mattie) Make sure first that you have Craigslist in your area. Then I will walk you though posting along with some tips. Some people will travel a distance to get items but not normally. I've had people come about 75 miles to get something unusual that they really wanted. Usually it's people within a 10 mile range though.

Lisa 15 months ago

Do you have any advice on dealing with a buyer who wants you to hold the item until they can pick it up, or until they get 'paid'? I held a large mirror for a week, with no guarantee the gentleman would even show, while other buyers were contacting me to say they would pick it up immediately. What wording do you use in your ads re payment? Thanks.

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 15 months ago

Hi Lisa, I have held things for people on Craigslist and lost the sale. Other times I have held the item and they showed up. Honestly, when it comes to people buying stuff on Craigslist, I usually go by my gut feeling. If they sound like they ready want it I might save it for them, but if I need to sell it and need the money sooner than later - or it's a hot item, I probably won't hold it. Or ask them to give you a down-payment - especially if it's an expensive item. I don't really have any hard and fast rules about this. Hope this helps.

Jenn 15 months ago

I never "hold" anything for anyone. Everyone on craigslist is a stranger to me, I have no reason to trust that they'll come through on the buy. Maybe I sound greedy, but money talks. I buy and sell on craigslist all the time, I would never even ask someone to hold an item for me, because I know, most people are going to sell to the first person who shows up with the money. I also never have people come to my home. I always meet in a well lit parking lot of a busy store, like Wal Mart. Only once did we have a buyer come to our home because we were selling a 60 gallon air compressor and he was coming from 100 miles away to pick it up, but I made sure my husband was home and my kids stayed inside. So far, we've had nothing but pleasant experiences using Craigslist and have even made a few new friends in the process.

Jenn 15 months ago

And Dorsi, you left out a BIG category! Baby and children's gear and clothing are bought and sold on craigslist like you wouldn't believe. I've sold clothes, jumpers, bouncers, travel systems and more, as well as bought walkers, strollers and some toys on Craigslist. It's so much better than going through a consignment store, you know your not getting ripped off and you get to keep the full profit. For example, I sold my travel system for $100 whereas if I had brought it to the consignment store and she sold it for $100 I'd have only pocketed $50! It's worth it to me to do the work myself!

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 15 months ago

Jenn) Thanks for coming by and telling us about your Craigslist experiences. Glad to hear you are taking good safety measure too when buying and selling on Craigslist.

Ed 15 months ago

I've bought and sold a lot of stuff on Craigslist, some people will show up within the hour, most will not show up at all, don't cancel anything for a buyer, I've missed dinners and get-to-gethers for no shows, never again, set a time with you in mind, not them!

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 15 months ago

Ed) I agree. When selling on Craigslist this is a good idea!

Sunnyglitter profile image

Sunnyglitter Level 3 Commenter 12 months ago

I love Craigslist! It's easier than Ebay since they come to you. :)

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 12 months ago

@Sunnyglitter) I agree! You just need to be careful though if they come to your house.

Mike 4 months ago

There is many classifieds websites....one specific for babies and items is www.ourbabypage.com

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 4 months ago

@Mike) Thanks for the info and thanks for reading.

LisaFromFolsom 2 months ago

Totally agree with ED.... I will never again wait for someone or cancel my plans for a buyer. I had one woman a real bum... made an appt to see a crib at 12noon.. I call at 1245pm ask her did she get lost... she gave an excuse and said she could come later at 2pm well again at 345pm I call her and ask what is up... she came up full of excuses and I realized there are some real flakes out there... so I agree with Ed... no more waiting or canceling my plans for buyers!

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 2 months ago

@Lisa) I so agree! No waiting for flakes! Thanks for reading Lisa.

sammy 6 weeks ago

Can I get ripped off with someone asking me to open a pay pal account so they can purchase a 2000 dollar trailer from me. I currently do not have an account. They want to send someone else to pick it up is the reason they want to pay through pay pal. For some reason my gut feeling is telling me this is a scam. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 6 weeks ago

@sammy) My hinky meter is up on this one. I would not do it. If they really want the trailer I would arrange another method (like cash first!) and then let them have the trailer.

nikki 2 weeks ago

can i sell $1000 for cash on craigslist.

nikki 2 weeks ago

i mean to say can i sell item that is worth of $1000 for cash on craigslist. let me know

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 2 weeks ago

@nikki) Yes you can.

Willie 7 days ago

Here is how I make easy money on Craigslist. I went under Items Wanted for an elliptical or treadmill. Found a very nice Proform xp 130 Elliptical for $65.00. Bought it on Friday 3:30. I posted it with a nice photo under Sports Equipment for $225.00 with the heading "Super Bowl Elliptical*****I got a response two hours later and it sold for $200.00. So easy. Now rinse and repeat.

Dorsi profile image

Dorsi Hub Author 2 days ago

@Willie) Thanks for the advice. There is alot of money to be made on Craigslist for entrepreneurial people like us. Good going!

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