Looking for advice on selling on Craigslist

[Brian Hughner]

I've had really good luck buying tools off Craigslist, but now I'm thinking about selling some of my creations (cherry hall table, maple coffee table, etc.) on Craigslist. I'm just a hobbyist, but I think it would be fun to occasionally make and sell stuff, to get a little pocket change to buy more toys.

Having never sold anything before on any web site, anyone have any words of advice, things to watch out for?

Thanks for the help!

[Matt Day]

I'm interested too. I just don't think there market is there on Craigslist. People are looking for cheap and used - not new and custom/high end.

Are there any other ways any of you hobbiests sell your furniture that doesn't involve spending your weekend at a craft fair?

Edit: the only advice I have for selling on craigslist is not to answer the phishing scheme scam emails you're going to get. It's gotten worse on that site. I recently posted a few bike parts and got a couple scam emails which never seemed to happen before.

[Josh Reet]

If you are selling stuff that can easily or economically be shipped, you might try etsy.com. The people who go to etsy are looking for handmade "craft" type stuff. Though you will be in there wil a bunch of college girls making bead jewelery and knitted hats. But still, at least you won't be compared to the used stuff that is posted right below like on CL.

On selling larger or furniture type pieces on CL, I have no advice. Never sold any, never bought any.

[Jerome Hanby]

Never hold anything for anyone unless they swear they are getting in the car that second. No need to be a jerk, but cash in hand should be your overwhelming concern. People will string you along, stand you up, generally waste your time, and keep you from making a sale. And to make it worse, after you're left high and dry, the folks that wanted to buy the stuff on which you were stood-up are going to be miffed when they see you re-list it.

[Michael Poller]

For some of us it goes without saying, for others it's not something they think of, but be very carefull about who comes to your home. Remember these are total strangers no matter how nice they might seem on the phone.

For larger items tough to transport, I'll meet the person nearby for an assessment to give a once over.

If my gut doesn't say "RUN" i'll generally have them follow me back to the house.

Anytime they come to the house, should the person turn out to have less then honest intentions, lets just say I am legally permitted to carry concealed.

Anything small gets loaded in the car and the meet is done locally at a hotel or other public parking area to make the sale.

Lastly, and maybe I'm paranoid, but I don't sell anything close to a time i'll be away from the house for a long period of time, such as a vacation.

Way to easy for the place to get scoped out with a small sale, and then for them to come back at their convenience to take what they want.

[Jerome Hanby]

As long as the person isn't insane, I guess we don't have the same problems here. You would have to be out of your mind to try something like that in Alabama. Good way to end up very very cold and very very still.

[johnny means]

No, no, no!:eek: Craiglist will make you feel like no one wants your stuff. You'll become depressed and suicidal due your perceived failure. After getting hooked on crack and robbing a liquor store, you'll end up on my dollar for 15 to life.:mad:

WWW.ETSY.COM is where you want to be.:)

[greg sprouls]

when you show them the stuff you want to sell bring it out to your front yard do not let them in your house or see into your garage and you should be o.k.

[Larry Marley]

I love Craig's list, but like others have said I would not use it to sell something I built. Consider entering it into a fair competition with the sale price and "artisan bio", or look into a craft show, or consignment store.
I am not familiar with ETSY but it is targeting an audience looking for hand made crafts.

[Wayne Cannon]

Don't be too quick with assumptions. I would have said the same thing, but guess I must be one generation out of the true on-line generation. My daughter and her husband look to Craig's List first for just about everything. While it's true that they are looking for a better price than at a brick-and-mortar store or a custom furniture store, they are frequently looking for quality and new items.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Good luck.
It's been my experience that people on CL and ETSY are all about paying next to nothing. However, a short surf of ETSY for hand made Woven baskets suggests otherwise - to a limited degree. Some folks can sell things for as much as $30.00


However I can tell you with absolute confidence that people who can afford hand made high end furniture as a group tend not to use the internet much.
As a group it's is unlikely that they'd be purchasing such things online because there is no option to look and feel in person.

A further complication for any purchasers not immediately local to you is the fact that shipping larger items like coffee tables etc will require you to design and construct suitable crating and packing so that the item arrives safely. And then there's trucking companies and their fees. The cost of constructing a crate might, by itself, be a deal killer for pretty much every one on the CL.

All in all I think that CL is not the right place for furniture sales

[Jim Beachler]

I agree with the above that the people buying on Craigslist (including me) are looking for a deal. I have bought and sold equipment onthere with no problems. Actually had someone drive 9 hours to pick up their purchase. as far as my products, I have had no luck at all. the few phone calls that I did get were not productive.

I sell my product on my own website, at craft and art shows and wholesale.
At the art and craft shows, I have seen people pay over $6,000 for one chair. At these shows, they expect quality and part of what they are buying is getting to know the person behind the product. Gives it a more personal touch than going to IKEA.

[Josh Reet]

I think it is more that the people who sell on etsy are likely to be handcraft people and not high end wood or other material workers. Does this mean that nobody who shops at Etsy would pay for high end stuff? I have no idea. I only suggested it because it is a place where people look for handcraft stuff. People look at CL for used bargains. Myself, CL would be one of the LAST places I would look for high end handcrafted stuff. I don't think "quality craftsmenship" when I think about CL. I think about getting something cheaper that I can buy it at the store because it's used.

As an example, my wife is someone who uses etsy. While not rich, we have enough money to buy something nice if it's an important purchase. I know for a fact that she checked out etsy when she was looking for cribs/changing tables/etc for the baby's room. Now, she's just one person, so who knows. I just figured it was worth mentioning.

[Horton Brasses]

I have a blacksmith who sells custom jewelry and decorative iron pieces on Etsy quite successfully. It might be worth a try.

[Jim Beachler]

I have several art and craft friends who sell on Etsy as well. They are very happy with the initial setup and their sales from there.

However, like all things on the web, just don't put it up on the web and expect people to find you. I get about 1/3 of my sales from my website, however I am constantly directing people there through flyers at shows, business cards, marking it on products sold, etc.