Have you ever wanted to sell your stuff online but weren’t sure how to do it? Or maybe you have tried it but things just did not sell. Yeah? Here are some tips that I hope will help you to sell your stuff online, easily!
These are the two websites that I post most of my items on. The best thing about them is the listing fee – ZERO DOLLARS! That’s right, it is absolutely FREE to list things for sale on these sites. That right there is enough to pull me in.
These sites get a remarkable amount of traffic and because of that, things usually sell pretty quick. You do have to do a bit of work on your end though. It’s not just as easy as posting a picture of a coffee table and saying “Coffee table for sale!” in the ad.
You really want your ad to stand out. You want people to see your item description, see the photo and say I WANT THAT. I WANT IT BAAAAAD. To get that reaction, follow these steps:
- First, take a really good photo of the item. Make sure the item is clean and you have good lighting and then SNAP that camera! If your item has more than one thing included, take one photo of everything. For example, if you are selling your dining room set, which includes a table, 6 chairs and a buffet & hutch you should take a photo of the table, the chairs all together, the buffet & hutch and then a photo of everything all together, so potential buyers can see what it looks like all set up.
- Now, before you post your ad, you need to do some research. Take a few minutes to check around on the website for other listings that offer the same item you do. This will give you a good idea about how much you should list your item for.
- Next, you have to think of a good headline that will attract buyers. Instead of putting “kitchen set”, try saying “Solid Maple Wood Dining Room Set – Table, 6 Chairs, Buffet & Hutch”. Which link would you click? Exactly.
- Finally, you have to describe your item. It’s best to be very descriptive, without writing paragraphs of information that no one will read. Still staying with the dining room set example, in your description, you should include:
It’s also wise to include your nearest intersection so people know where you are located (otherwise you will get a bunch of emails from people checking to see if you live too far away from them), and if you offer delivery.
When posting an ad on ANY site, always be sure to use correct grammar and spelling. Quality is important and people want to make sure they aren’t dealing with someone sketchy!
A few tips for when you finally get that lovely email from a buyer saying they want to purchase your item. YAHOO!
Act Fast – Respond to their email as soon as you get it. The longer you wait to respond, the more of a chance that the buyer finds someone else to buy the item from. You want to sell your item fast, so respond to emails as quickly as possible.
Don’t Get Too Excited – Well, not right away, anyway. Just because someone says they want to buy your item and gets your address and information, doesn’t mean they will actually show up when they say they will. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve been stood up by buyers. Those annoying jerks. The best thing to do is keep all responses from potential buyers instead of deleting extras just because one person says they will show up. Only delete buyers’ emails once your item has sold and you have the cash in your hand.
I hope this posts helps you all to sell your stuff online much easier. I know it can be difficult to get things sold, but with a little bit of work and a little bit of patience, you CAN clear our your stuff and make some MOOLAH in the process!
Be sure to stop by next Monday for tips on how to sell your stuff on Ebay. It is much more complex than Craigslist and Kijiji so I figured it deserved a post of it’s own. 
Steve: I actually don’t really sell too much on Kijiji anymore, but if I start up again I will try to remember to make a video.
i didn’t really read all that you wrote, i kinda skimmed it over but can you make a video of how u sell stuff on kijij?
no scary stories here!
i get better results with craigslist. you can usually sell an average item within a week.
which one do u prefer or got better results with?
Usually how long does it take for an avg item to sell, that is, not an hot item.
Any scary stories that you can enlighten us with?