How to create a good online classified ads - Do's and Don'ts

Okay - so this brings up another lesson.  The more info you can put about your item, the better off you will be.  These are things you should describe in a good on-line classifieds ad...

DO:

• A flowery description of your item.  Please do not put "table for sale" in your description... use lots of adjectives.. is it solid wood, say so.  large, small, elegant, dainty, solid, rustic, antique, well-cared for, heirloom.. anything that is appropriate.  If you aren't creative and your item is still for sale in stores, considering cutting and pasting the text from their website into your ad.
• The dimensions/size of your item
• The condition of your item (like new, excellent, very good, good, fair, etc.)
• Whether it is from a smoke and pet free home (I've even seen "child free home" - very interesting but adds value? :)
• LOTS of pictures.. more than you think is necessary.  Take pictures from all angles but don't focus on problem areas.  I'm not saying to hide defects, not at all but if there is a scratch/nick/whatever I will point it out in person.  This way, they still can reject the item but they are already mostly committed to buying your item by then.

example of a good ad:

DON'T:

• Take zero pictures - either you are lazy or have no idea how to use technology - either way it makes it difficult for me to buy from you.
• Take and post one crappy picture of your item
• Leave no e-mail address for contact... the telephone is for old people - seriously.. I want to text or e-mail you about transactions - if I have to call you - I'll pass.
• Try to sell something that you couldn't GIVE away - seriously, sometimes I want to e-mail posters and tell them not to bother. :)
• Re-list your item daily to get it to the top of the page.  Okay, this will work sometimes but if you do it every day for a week - I will consider turning you into the kijiji police.  I don't want to see your king sized duvet cover every minute of every day.
• Put in your post "I just want this gone" or "moving, desperate to sell"... have some dignity.. have some pride.  

example of a bad ad:

The Art of Haggling

Okay, so - I am a very shy person.

Really.

It's true.

One thing I hate the MOST is face-to-face haggling.. whether it be at a marketplace, with a salesmen, with a buyer.  Hate it.

I'm getting better at it but I still don't like it - especially when you are least expecting it.

I bought this Bombay company table as part of a multi-buy with a fireplace mantle (not sure WHAT I was thinking - stay tuned for that one).  This relates back to my earlier tips of

1. Buying multiple items from the same person
2. Noting WHERE they are currently storing their item (note the unfinished walls with insulation - bingo!!)

Anyway - I offered a paltry $40 for this item and the mantle..  so effectively $20 for this table.  I knew that they retail for about $180-200 (I know - say wha?) so I figured I could make a quick buck on this.  I listed it up and reduced since it wasn't selling.. I thought I had a buyer coming in at full price but she did the oldest trick in the book - the bait and switch!  Oh yes, I will most definitely buy this at $70.. then when she shows up.. she's like "oooh, it's smaller than I thought".  Okay, that made me a little mad since I make a point of putting the dimensions of all my items (this is going to spawn another post I think)  She was like "I'll give you $50 since it's so small"  

ugh.

I'm buggered here - hate this stuff.

me: $60

her: $50

$50?  I think to myself.. dang, this girl is a legit haggler and I am out of my depth.

me: $55

her: "um... ahhhh" (she circled and touches the table some more) "okay"

<groan>

She happily pays for the table, picks it up and leaves...  man!

Summary


Purchased: $20
Modifications: $0 (just buy low, sell high)
Sold: $55

Profit: $35 (because I suck at haggling)

Try to avoid HEAVY items

First, a big shout-out to all our Canadian Veterans today past and present... thanks for making this country and planet the way it is today.

So the next "lesson" is... try to avoid buying really heavy and hard-to-move items.  This will

1. make it hard for YOU to retrieve the item 
2. make it hard for your buyer to get it from you

I suppose if I was doing this professionally - I would have a pickup truck and offer delivery service.. but, I'm not and.. I don't.

Anyway - this very wealthy gentleman was selling his EQ3 dining table (imagine, condo overlooking the Rideau canal wealthy... okay, so if you're not from Ottawa - here is the view that this guy was waking up to in the morning)

He was originally asking $40 for his modern dining table (retails for $499) because it had a bubble in the wood on one of the legs.  Honestly, this guy was just thinking about turfing it into the garbage.. insane.

So, I took advantage of the situation - offered him $30 to pick it up within the hour and he said.... YES.

Poor Geordie went to go pick this up.. the ordeal lasted about 2 hours total.. trying to get this HUGE heavy piece of furniture from his condo, down the stairs, in and on top of our van and back home.

I would totally have kept this table - it was gorgeous - except it didn't fit in the space where I'd hoped to use it.  I didn't realize how MASSIVE 42 inches was? (no jokes please) :)  Anyway, I listed it up for $180 and had multiple buyers right away..  Now, here is where the lesson comes in.. the hardest part of this sale was not the marketing or finding the buyer - it was the moving of the item, in/out of the house AND finding someone with a truck to pick it up.  It took a couple of days to figure out the logistics with the buyer - they had a friend who had a truck, yadda yadda..  Anyway - finally - happy ending, they picked up the table, were thrilled with it..  Enjoy!

Summary


Purchased: $30
Modifications: $0
Sold: $180

Profit: $150