Over the last few years, I have sold all kinds of different items online. I have sold popular products such as the iPad, flat-screen TVs, laptops, PS3s, Wiis, and XBox 360s.
I have also sold a lot of less common and less popular products like an inflatable chair with graphics from the 1994 Super Bowl, old and very outdated remote controls, used power cords for desktop computers, and a very old pager. Yes, a pager. In 2012.
With that being said, it shows that you can pretty much sell anything on Craigslist if you can price it cheap enough to beat your competition and the right buyer finds your ad. So, what are the best things to post?
Disclaimer: This post is only my opinion about what products I think are the best things to list on CL. I did not conduct any surveys, I have no contact with anyone from Craigs and I don’t have any data about the most common things posted and sold on craigslist. I am just going to include some items that I have had the most success selling. Here we go…
Tools
Tools are great things to post. Why? Because people that have small construction companies and DIY dads love to browse ads looking for used tools, especially air compressors and miter saws. If you think about it, local construction companies might be working in your area and something could break down or they need an extra tool for the job. Instead of going to the local Home Depot (sorry HD. I love Home Depot) or another hardware store and paying full price, they can find the tools they need on CL and pick it up ASAP.
And for the DIY men in your area, they don’t want to pay $300 for a brand new miter saw if they are only going to use it a few times to do a job around the house. It is much better for them to search all Craigslist for the tool they are looking for and probably find it for less than half of the retail price.
If you have old power drills, sawzalls, hammer drills, leaf blowers, lawn mowers or any other type of tool you don’t need, post it on CL for some extra cash. Keep in mind, however, if you paid $300 for your miter saw, you won’t get your money back on CL. Depending on the condition, you would probably get anywhere from $75 – $125 for that saw in used condition.
Guitars (and other instruments)
Guitars are great items to put on CL. Most local musicians that are looking for a new axe might not be making a ton of money and aren’t looking to spend a few hundred dollars on a brand new guitar. They will instead turn to Craigslist and browse for a guitar that catches their eye. It can be a regular electric guitar, bass guitar or an acoustic guitar. And again, if you can post it cheap enough and it is clean and in great condition, you will probably have a sale.
Guitars and other instruments such as clarinets, saxophones, and flutes are also good to post. This is because those instruments can be pricey when they are brand new and a lot of parents might have kids that are looking to be in the school band. They don’t want to pay full price for a brand new clarinet if their kid is only going to try it for 3 months and decide they don’t like it and don’t want to play it anymore.
Those parents will want to save some money, so they will check CL for the instrument in need.
Also, many adults want to start learning an instrument, but don’t want to spend a ton of cash. Craigslist is a great place for them to check for a nice instrument at a fraction of the retail price.
And yes, I understand most people don’t have handfuls of guitars and instruments to sell, but if you have them and don’t want them anymore, list it on CL for some cash!
Seasonal Items
This category is somewhat obvious, but if you have an extra air conditioner and summer is heating up, list it on Craigslist. If you bought a brand new lawn mower in the spring, list your old one on CL. If you have a heater that you won’t be needing, list it on CL when temperatures start to drop late in the year.
A lot of the time, people like to wait until they absolutely need something before they buy it. I’m sure there are plenty of deals and sales for brand new air conditioners during the winter, but people wait until the first 95 degree day of the year before they decide they need to buy one. And many people will look to CL to save some money on seasonal items.
Video Game Systems
Video game systems such as the Playstation 3, XBox 360 and the Wii are always very common items listed on Craigslist. There are always people looking to buy them. If you can beat your competition’s price and list a phone number, you should be able to quickly sell it.
And this type of item might be good if you are looking to buy a console because there are so many listed. However, keep in mind that you can probably search CL for a good deal on a used PS3, buy it from a seller and essentially sell it for the same price you originally paid (or sell it slightly higher and actually make a profit).
Then if you decide you want another PS3, you know where to look.
Conclusion
Keep in mind, I have only listed items that I have had the most success selling on Craigslist. Depending on the area in which you live and the items you have for sale, you might have more success selling different types of items. For example, I’ve never really sold furniture, large appliances or cars on CL, but I am sure many people have had a lot of success selling those items on CL.
Check out my main page about how to sell on Craigslist.
And remember, as always with selling stuff online, if you can price it cheap enough to beat your competition (even if you only post it $10 cheaper) and you describe it accurately, you will most likely attract a buyer.
Other Resources to Read
Search All Craigslist National
Search All of California Craigslist
Search All of Texas Craigslist
How to Price Garage Sale Items
Thank you for reading about popular items to sell!