thedukeryan
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2009
- Messages
- 298
So it always baffles me how hard it is for people to sell stuff on Craigs list. I am 100% self employed and make a VERY healthy living doing nothing but buying and selling. For example I bought the below boat last Friday for $300 off of craigs list. The only thing I did was remove a bad valve in a gas line and a new hub on the trailer. I had $350 in it. Sold it for $950 and made a quick $600. Sold in 24hrs.
Now part of the problem the original seller had was his ad was crap. I'm not a advertising guru but I have learned a few things that help. The BIGGEST is learning some basic HTML code. You don't even have to know the code just find a free online HTML editor. This alone will let you greatly clean up your ad with decent pics, larger/bold fonts etc. Next list your phone number and price. Unless its something that really has my eye I wont even consider one without a price or #. Compare my ad to his ad. The links are below. He had his almost a month and said I the first to look at it. The problem he had was crappy photos and the fact it took 3 emails just to get his phone #.
My ad... Sold in 24hrs for $950 with second offer for $850
http://ksu.craigslist.org/boa/1353510102.html
His ad... Sold in a month for $300
http://ksu.craigslist.org/boa/1305588560.html
If the previous owner took 30 minutes to clean up his ad he could of gotten $1,500 out of it easy especially with it being listed at the beginning of August.
Now thats the selling end of CL... The buying end is easy. I surf the site hourly. I look for the crappy ads that have been sitting for a few weeks. I love old ads with crappy pics. Once I find one I call them up and get as much info as i can get over the phone. Then the biggest thing is to see if they got room to budge and how desperate they are to unload it. Any answer is fine as long as they are serious about getting rid of it. Anxious sellers and bad ads make a great combo. From that point its just a matter of low balling untill you get someone to bite. My line is often something along the of well I already have plenty of toys but if the price is right I would be willing to take it off your hands. You say your wanting $1,000? Well I don't wanna offend you but would you consider $250? Never offer say $950. Always start LOW. I see ads all over for say $1100. That basically means they want you to offer $1,000 and make you think you got them down. Instead of a $1,000 offer them $400 and see what they say. Worse case they will say no and their true absolute low price will surface.
Sorry for the long post. Just my experiences. What do you guys think? This is what works for me but everyone is different. Anyone have any other tips or secrets?
Now part of the problem the original seller had was his ad was crap. I'm not a advertising guru but I have learned a few things that help. The BIGGEST is learning some basic HTML code. You don't even have to know the code just find a free online HTML editor. This alone will let you greatly clean up your ad with decent pics, larger/bold fonts etc. Next list your phone number and price. Unless its something that really has my eye I wont even consider one without a price or #. Compare my ad to his ad. The links are below. He had his almost a month and said I the first to look at it. The problem he had was crappy photos and the fact it took 3 emails just to get his phone #.
My ad... Sold in 24hrs for $950 with second offer for $850
http://ksu.craigslist.org/boa/1353510102.html
His ad... Sold in a month for $300
http://ksu.craigslist.org/boa/1305588560.html
If the previous owner took 30 minutes to clean up his ad he could of gotten $1,500 out of it easy especially with it being listed at the beginning of August.
Now thats the selling end of CL... The buying end is easy. I surf the site hourly. I look for the crappy ads that have been sitting for a few weeks. I love old ads with crappy pics. Once I find one I call them up and get as much info as i can get over the phone. Then the biggest thing is to see if they got room to budge and how desperate they are to unload it. Any answer is fine as long as they are serious about getting rid of it. Anxious sellers and bad ads make a great combo. From that point its just a matter of low balling untill you get someone to bite. My line is often something along the of well I already have plenty of toys but if the price is right I would be willing to take it off your hands. You say your wanting $1,000? Well I don't wanna offend you but would you consider $250? Never offer say $950. Always start LOW. I see ads all over for say $1100. That basically means they want you to offer $1,000 and make you think you got them down. Instead of a $1,000 offer them $400 and see what they say. Worse case they will say no and their true absolute low price will surface.
Sorry for the long post. Just my experiences. What do you guys think? This is what works for me but everyone is different. Anyone have any other tips or secrets?
I NEVER said I was doing this. I simply explained how it is done. It is illegal here in Illinois also, but that does not stop people from doing it. It is illegal to be in possesion of any title that is signed and not dated, or not signed by the buyer. He asked a question, I gave an answer. Now, I may or may not know people who practice this art, that is how I know how it is done.
