Pinching Pennies - Week Six

Selling on Craigslist

For this week's installment of Pinching Pennies, I thought I would share some tips for successful selling on Craigslist. My husband and I have been using it to sell unwanted items for a few years now and have made thousands of dollars doing so. Craigslist may require a little more effort than garage sales but you will make a lot more money. Here are a few things that I have learned along the way:

• Sell it all - okay maybe not *all* of it but when you are "decrapifying" (as TDC would say), you should be ruthless. When trying to save money it is tempting to keep everything because you may need it someday but after watching a Hoarder marathon I have a strong desire to get rid of everything that we aren't using! Unless we have plans to use it in the very near future - it goes! Ocassionally there will be something that you have to re-buy but you should have more than enough from your sales to cover the cost.
• Pictures - make sure you include *at least* one picture of the item you are selling. I usually upload photos to my Picasa account and then use that to embed the images directly into the post itself. This way the pictures are bigger so they show more detail of the item and I can add as many photos as I want instead of the four that craigslist offers.
• Dimensions - it is really frustrating to look at a listing and have no idea how big an item is. Dimensions are particularly important when listing furniture.
• Sell in Lots - for smaller items it is better to sell similar items in a lot so you don't have to make an appointment with a person just to make 50 cents. I often do this with kid's clothes and group them by season as well as size. I have also found that people are willing to pay more for items when they come in a lot because they can get everything in one stop. Make sure that you have pictures of everything in the lot.
• Be Descriptive - if there is anything wrong with the item you are selling, be sure to describe the defect and include pictures of it. That way they know exactly what you are selling and won't try to talk you down on the price when they get there. It is also helpful to mention if it is a smoke-free and/or pet-free home. Plus the more ways you describe it, the more searches it will turn up in.
• Cash Only - their checking account may have insufficient funds and there are scams going around with checks and money orders.
• No Spamming - if you repost an item (which you can do every two days) delete the older listing. Having more than one post for the same item is against the rules and can get your posts removed. This also means that you can't post the same item in multiple categories.
• Dust - make sure your items are clean. They won't sell as well if they are covered in dust and grime.

Since I missed last week's pinching pennies post, I decided to feature both of the links from the last party! Just click on the photos to be taken to their post!

Sourkraut Krafts shared about how she got the awesome fabrics for as little as $1.35 a yard!

And Generally Creative shared a tutorial for these great personalized $2 Beer Mugs! I think this would be a great idea for making those wedding champagne flutes that say 'Bride' and 'Groom'. What do you think?

Now it's linking time! Guidelines are:

Link to the direct post not your blog's homepage.

Any ideas for saving or making money are welcome (this could mean inexpensive crafts, budget-friendly meals, saving on utilities, making your own cleaning products, etc.)

Keep it family-friendly, please.

Linking will close Monday at Midnight.

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1. Spooky Spider Wreath 2. DIY Built-in Shelves 3. Remnant Rag Wreath 4. Spooky Halloween Trio 5. Halloween Beanbags 6. The Bitchy Student

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