Don’t sell your stuff online with eBay
I’m a nerd. Being a nerd, I brag about things that I know are dumb.
One of my most common nerdy bragging rights? I first discovered and used eBay back before it was called “eBay.” Back then, it was “eBay’s Auction Web.”
Being an eBay veteran probably leaves me well-versed in its intricacies, you’d guess. I probably know all the best eBay selling tips.
In fact, you’re right! I’m feeling generous, so I’ll share with you the biggest, most important eBay selling tip I know:
Don’t use eBay to sell stuff! Use local listings, like craigslist.org.
That’s the simple truth. Don’t get me wrong — there are lots of people that benefit greatly from eBay. It’s just that you likely are not one of those people. (My apologies if you are — ignore this article and jump to any of my other money-generating tips.)
I’ll give you a very simple example. A buddy of mine and I came across two identical computers. They were being closed out at a super-low price by a local university. We both bought them with the intention of just reselling them. His route was eBay; mine was craigslist.org.
His $400 net profit was cut by about $60 when eBay and PayPal fees kicked in and his shipping rate turned out to be a little higher than expected. He also had to wait in line to ship a big, heavy box, and worry about whether or not the shipment went through safely.
I, on the other hand, listed my machine on craigslist.org for a little more than his went for on eBay. I had a response within the day and the guy came to me, paid in cash, and left pleased. I ended up with roughly $160 more than my friend did, all for the exact same product. I had less headache dealing with it and was done with it sooner.
In other words, avoiding eBay results in less stress, quick cash, and easy transactions.
For most items, don’t bother with eBay. Use craigslist.org or any other local site
I’d say I agree with this post for the most part. But I’d be careful on craigslist. People try to haggle about price A LOT!!!
[…] right, although I do not recommend selling your stuff through eBay in most cases, I highly recommend using eBay’s half.com service for selling textbooks. Aside from using […]
Sammy, I definitely agree.
I usually make a tidy profit when selling my things on craigslist, though. A few of my craigslist habits include:
-Always list the item for more than you want to make for it. So if you want $1100 for a laptop, list it for $1250, expecting to be haggled down to around $1100. It’s always a bonus when you actually get $1250 for it. (This happens more often than I expect.)
-Be realistic in how much you expect to make. Compare it to what it’s going for on completed eBay auctions.
-Deal locally and ask for cash, but be very firm about the price you guys agreed on. Once the person is looking at it locally, unless they find something wrong with the product that you didn’t disclose, they have very little argument for paying less for it, and are likely to pay the agreed sum since they are already there and they brought cash.
[…] written plenty about selling your stuff on craigslist, and I’ve even discussed how to get a cheaper gym membership. Put both together and you have […]