Holding a garage sale on Craigslist is another great idea to make money especially among stay at home moms. However, before anything else, you got to learn how this works to be able to succeed in selling items.
A lot of moms out there chose to stay at home instead of working fulltime to be able to take care of their kids.
Unlike before though, moms today do not make a big deal out of leaving their jobs to be home because there are so many ways now to make money while at home.
Yes! You read that right. Thanks to computers and the internet, making money from home is now possible. In fact, there are so many home-based opportunities to get into depending on your interest and expertise.
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While some moms choose to work like the usual jobs they do in a typical or traditional workplace, other moms try their luck from making money out of their own ways. One of the most popular ways of making money without having to work like the way you do in an office is by selling stuff online – just like holding a garage sale on Craigslist, which is very common especially among moms who wants to start their own online business but doesn’t have enough money to fund it.
Craigslist is known as the world’s biggest online classified ads section, at the same time, a community form. It is devoted to posting personal notices of different kinds like items for sale, services, jobs, whatever things that buyers want, and even personal and community happenings and events.
Despite the many threats with the launch of different online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist remain strong. In fact, in an article published by CNBC, it says that AIM Media Group “estimates Craigslist brought in $1.034 billion in 2018, an increase of nearly 50 percent from 2016 revenue”.
In addition, the article quoted Peter Zollman, founding principal of AIM Media saying that “Craigslist is the No. 1 classified advertising site in the world, both by revenue and by traffic”.
Meanwhile, according to Business Insider, to date, Craigslist is already serving 700 cities across 70 countries, which means, the company has now a wide range of audiences. More so, in a data presented in an article by Blue Water Credit, it says that Craigslist has already had at least 60 million users in the United States alone plus an overwhelming 50 billion page views every month 20 years since it was launched.
With all this information, it is not surprising why a lot of people use Craigslist when they need something or when they have products and services to offer. Well, the site literally caters to anything and everything anyway.
Now, having said all that, you may be even more convinced now that if you want to make money from home, doing a garage sale in Craigslist is the way to go. Thus, we are going to share with you today very important information we thought you should know about before you go and make a Craigslist profile.
Specifically, we are going to answer common yet very essential questions regarding Craigslist and of course, holding a garage sale on Craigslist. These questions include:
- What is Craigslist?
- Why use Craigslist?
- Why advertise on Craigslist?
- How to use Craigslist as a typical user?
- How to advertise a garage sale on Craigslist?
- How to sell on Craigslist?
WHAT IS CRAIGSLIST?
Before anything else, we find it very important that you understand first what Craigslist is all about. Just like in anything, before you jump into it, make sure you know exactly where you are putting yourself into.
Anyway, earlier we already mentioned a few facts about Craigslist. Particularly, we mentioned that Craigslist is known as one of rather the world’s biggest online classified ads sections. It basically is a website intended for viewing and posting local advertisements. It’s a completely free platform that anyone can take advantage of especially if you are looking for specific items ranging from apartments for rent to job opportunities to personal ads to a garage sale, and so much more.
The company, which originated literally as “Craig’s List” has been around for over twenty years already. The site was created by a man named, Craig Newmark, a computer programmer who is based in San Francisco.
Basically, the site is an online marketplace wherein people get to buy and sell items, at the same time it can also be used to look for job opportunities and more. Like we said earlier, it caters to almost anything and everything.
But apart from buying and selling, the site also runs and sees 200 million posts monthly in its discussion forums, which means a lot of people are using the site not just to earn money or provide jobs and all, but also to share information.
WHY USE CRAIGSLIST?
So, why use Craigslist given that there are many other choices out there? The answer to this question is very simple — with Craigslist, you can easily connect with everyone near you to buy, sell, or find – as we earlier said – basically about anything.
But for us, the best reason is — apart from its credibility, the site is free to use. And because it is free to use, you will be able to find things that people around you might not have bothered listing using paid classified ads.
Before proceeding to the next point, we found this video by GaryVee or Gary Vaynerchuk, a “serial entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of VaynerMedia” wherein he tackles about making money for free through Craigslist. We thought it to be really interesting and insightful that we recommend you check it out. Click the play button to know what we are exactly talking about.
WHY ADVERTISE ON CRAIGSLIST?
Craigslist has already had a strong customer/seller base, which means, you no longer have to worry about not reaching a certain group of people or anyone to send you message across, or in this case, to post garage sale on Craigslist.
In relation to that, earlier, we mentioned that as of this writing, Craigslist has already had more than 60 million users in the US alone, which means, if you post an advertisement in the site, more or less, you get to send you message across 60 million people.
HOW TO USE CRAIGSLIST AS A TYPICAL USER?
It’s very easy to get started with Craigslist, all you have to do is follow the very simple steps below:
- Using your preferred web browser, go to Craigslist’s official website (www.craigslist.org).
- Choose or select your location (or you may opt to allow Craigslist to use your current location).
- You will then be directed to the Craigslist page for your region.
- Once you are already on the list based on your region, you may choose a category depending on what you are looking for, or use the search tool instead to look for specific items. Note that there are cases when you will be needing to choose a subcategory as well.
- You may browse, filter, and search results.
- Once you find what you are looking for, just click it to see the contact information.
- If you are interested in the item or you have questions about it, you may send a short, simple message to the poster.
- Complete your transaction based on what you have agreed on.
HOW TO ADVERTISE ON CRAIGSLIST?
So, now that you already how Craigslist works on the users or customers’ side, let us now talk about the real business.
This process, however, is ideal for those who want to post an ad about the garage sale they will be holding say at home or elsewhere.
Having said that, here are the steps on how to exactly do it – especially if you are new to this:
- Register for a Craigslist account.
Go to Craigslist website and choose your city or territory. Then click the “My Account” tab located at the top of the home page. You will be asked to enter your email address in the box that says “Create an Account”. Once done, click the “Create Account” button.
Once you’re done with the process, make sure to check your inbox if the confirmation email has been sent. Once you receive the email, open it, and then follow the instructions provided to complete the whole registration process.
Note that while it is not really necessary to open an account to be able to post and advertise on Craigslist, it would make contacting you easier for people who are interested in your items.
- Start creating an ad by clicking the “Create a Posting” link.
At the homepage, particularly in the upper left corner, you will find the “Create a Post” link. The link is what you use when posting an ad for your garage sale on Craigslist.
While you are at the homepage, you may want to browse other postings in your area to check and get ideas especially when it comes to pricing your items.
3. be specific with the type of ad you want to post.
Once you are done with the second process, you will then be directed to a new screen, wherein you will be asked regarding the type of posting you are creating.
To get started with your ad, choose “for sale by owner”. Then, choose the “garage and moving sales” option on the next screen.
- Create a straightforward title for your posting, set the location, and create the body of your ad.
When creating an ad for your garage sale on Craigslist, make sure to come up with a title that easily conveys the very reason of your ad. Keep in mind that you only have one line to work with so make sure to maximize it. You can do something like “Garage Sake in (your location)”. That’s very direct, and would easily catch the attention of people near your place.
Take note that you have to fill out all the boxes that are highlighted in green, which, apart from the title, also include a specific location, the body of the post, posting details, etc. All of these are needed to be able to publish your ad. Meanwhile, the ones in black boxes are optional, which means you can leave them blank if you want to.
Note also that you will be needing to input other important information like the date, start time, and other relevant event details.
- Enter your personal information.
Of course, you will need to enter your personal information in case people have questions or clarifications.
This is also vital especially since some buyers may prefer to just settle virtually instead of physically going to your garage sale.
- Upload images of the items on sale.
Take advantage of this option. You may choose selected a few items that you are selling and post it along with your add. Or you may do group photos to maximize the space.
When uploading photos, use the image upload tool, which can be found on the review screen to send them in along with the posting form.
When uploading photos, make sure that they are in high quality. Note that you can only upload up to 12 photos per post so maximize that.
- Proofread your ad before submitting it.
Once you are done with everything, make sure to take a little time to read back your posting, and ensure that all information inputted is correct.
Make sure to pay much attention to the required fields, which again are highlighted in green.
Double-check for any typos or grammatical and spelling errors.
- Click the “Publish” button and “Confirm”.
Once you are sure everything is good, hit the “Publish” button.
Please take note that your ad won’t be published automatically. You will have to wait for a separate link, which will be sent to your email for a confirmation.
Once you have received the link for confirmation, immediately confirm it so your ad starts running.
HOW TO SELL ON CRAIGSLIST?
So, now you already know what Craigslist is, how to create an account and to post an ad. The next important thing that you need to know is how to specifically sell on Craigslist. Your garage sale on Craigslist will not be successful if you do not know how to sell them on this platform.
With that said, here are some of the tips that will help you make money from your garage sale on Craigslist:
1. Make sure to plan and research.
Before you even think of creating an ad on Craigslist, make sure that you do your own research first. When we say research, we mean looking at the price of the items being sold on the site, or better yet, check the price of the items similar to what you are selling. It will help you decide on the price of the item you are going to sell.
Also, especially if you are not that good in making descriptions, researching means checking out how product descriptions are done on other listings. This will give your idea how to make your own, and make it work to your advantage.
It would be helpful if you keep in mind that Craigslist is a very competitive online marketplace. Thus, you have to plan and research and make sure you do everything right to ensure that your items will be bought.
2. Price your item accordingly.
This is basically the part wherein you put into action the research you did. When pricing your items, make sure not to ask too much or too low. Price your item just right.
Also, always be realistic especially if you are selling used and old items. Do not sell them like how much you paid for it when you bought it. Be reasonable when pricing your items.
Assess each item you are selling and decide whether you are going to run an ad at a firm price, or as a “best offer” price. If you want to make a few bucks, you better choose the latter option.
3. Take high-quality photos.
We already explained it a while ago, but let us say this again, photos are essential when selling online. Thus, make sure your pictures are of high quality to ensure your potential buyers get to see it close as to how it really is in person. Also, we suggest you post different photo angles of the item to ensure no details are left behind. This will help your buyer decide whether to buy or not the item you are selling.
By the way, we also suggest you put effort when taking a photo of your items for a garage sale on Craigslist. Style it in such a way that it will easily attract potential buyers.
4. Write an engaging and attractive headline.
Your headlines have to capture the attention of buyers. So, make sure to really think hard of your headline before publishing it.
When you are coming up with a headline or title, remember that you have to be creative and that you really have to think what’s best. Also, keep in mind that it has two important functions: first is that it’s the very first thing people see, and second, the headline is what how buyers search for items that they want.
5. Write a very good (informative) description.
When writing a description, always ask yourself, “What do I want to know about the product?” By asking yourself, it will give you enough ideas on what you should input in the description box.
As much as possible, make sure to include all necessary information to also avoid customers or buyers from asking you about the product over and over.
For your reference though, here’s a list of what should be included in the description box:
- The name of the item you are selling.
- The condition of the item (example: used, slightly used, etc.).
- Technical specs (applicable for electronic gadgets).
- Price check
- Seller’s contact information
FINAL THOUGHTS ON GARAGE SALE ON CRAIGSLIST
It’s amazing that while you can still do the traditional type of garage sale, there is an innovative way to do it now. Apart from posting an ad to inform people near you that you have an ongoing garage sale, you can also hold your garage sale on Craigslist, which is very ideal especially among stay at home moms.
So, have you thought of holding a garage sale online yet or have you tried it already? What can you say about your experience?
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