10 Craigslist Tips & Tricks

If you're willing to exercise a fiddling extra work, secondhand items are a keen means to create a truly unique habitation on a pocket-sized budget. And you lot know I hateful it! One of my favorite sources of keen secondhand items is Craigslist. And since you've asked, today I thought I'd portion a few of my favorite tips. So, hither they are...my 10 Craigslist Tips!

#1. Frequency, Baby.

When it comes to Craigslist shopping, frequency is key. It's only similar thrifting inwards that the to a greater extent than you lot exercise it, the ameliorate materials you're gonna find. There are hundreds of items inwards each surface area that become upwards on Craigslist every unmarried day, together with most of the fourth dimension the skillful materials is gone inwards less than a day. I banking concern tally the site several times a calendar week together with search for the specific items I'm looking for. With a little persistence, I tin unremarkably honor just what I looking for.
 For example, after a few weeks of searching for a very specific item...a Queen Anne trend tufted upholstered chair (for nether $20...mandatory.), I establish this hottie for $15. 

This fiddling thang needs some work, but I'm thinking it volition live the perfect dependent area for me to larn how to reupholster something amongst tufting. 

Sigh.

This experiment could become downhill FAST, thus wishing ol' bluish luck.

#2. Use Keywords
Knowing how to utilization keywords is super helpful when finding the correct materials on Craigslist. Let's utilization my Queen Anne tufted chair equally an example. If you lot are looking specifically for that, search 'Queen Anne Tufted Upholstered Chair'. If aught shows upwards amongst your super specific search, motility leaving out unlike words together with only searching 'Queen Anne Chair' or 'Tufted Chair' or 'Upholstered Chair'. You never know how people volition push clitoris their item, thus you lot may conduct maintain to utilization several variations of your keywords.

Personally, I dearest using Craigslist to honor keen antique together with vintage pieces that can't live establish inwards stores anymore, together with these keywords are a keen starting point. 

For example, I establish this amazing mirror only today for $50. 

#3.  Use multiple spellings 

If you lot can't honor anything amongst keywords, motility unlike spellings of the word. Misspellings are a mutual work on Craigslist, together with if a discussion is spelled wrong, you lot may non honor the listing. For example, when I establish my office desk, I was searching for 'tables', equally I knew I wanted to utilization a pocket-sized dining tabular array equally my desk. After coming upwards empty handed, I randomly decided to motility searching 'tabel' together with that's when I establish the perfect tabular array for $50 that had gone unnoticed for ii weeks. I realize it's ridiculous, but you lot would live amazed at how oft this play a joke on has worked for me. 

#4. Use synonyms

Similar to #3, if aught else is working, motility searching for synonyms of the item you lot desire to find. For example, when searching for my table, I searched for all sorts of related items similar the following: dining table, entryway table, buffet, console table, sideboard, wooden furniture, furniture, dining set, desk. Eventually, it's highly probable you lot will find something. 

#5. Search By Picture.

To brand all of this searching a combat easier, I e'er pick out to search inwards 'pic view', together with and thus too click on the tab higher upwards that says 'has image'. This filters out all the listings that don't conduct maintain images, together with and thus allows you lot to reckon all the pictures inwards the residual of the listings. You tin hover over whatever of the thumbnails, together with the large motion-picture exhibit volition popular up. It's an awesome characteristic together with makes life thus much easier.

If you're life revolves around Craigslist. UNITE!

#6. Look for things amongst a keen shape.

When looking for your side yesteryear side keen slice of furniture, don't live deterred yesteryear things that only aspect ugly. Seriously. Give it a infinitesimal together with aspect beyond the headgear together with jorts. As long equally they conduct maintain a keen shape, together with you're willing to exercise a fiddling work, you lot tin e'er paint, stain, reupholster, together with bedazzle only almost anything. For example, this piteous fiddling fella I establish on Craigslist a few years ago...once an ugly duckling...

...now a total swan.

#7. Negotiate

Once you've truly establish an item you're interested in, it's fourth dimension to contact the seller. I unremarkably prefer to e-mail a seller kickoff together with negotiate the cost correct off the bat, offering less than what it is listed for. Once the details are worked out, I follow upwards amongst a telephone phone yell upwards to setup the meeting. 

Here's what you lot demand to know. Craigslist is similar a garage sale. People unremarkably await you lot to haggle. Basically, at the 8AM garage sale you're gonna pay $30 for that amazing lamp. By 3PM, the seller is loading it inwards your van for free. 

When I was looking for a headboard for our guest bedroom last year, I establish a keen woods headboard for $50, together with was able to negotiate it downwardly to $25 yesteryear letting the seller know that I could alternative it upwards that same day.

#8. Be quick.

 I've learned from selling on Craigslist, that if a buyer can't conform to pickup the item quickly, I'll unremarkably only displace on to some other interested buyer. Buyers tin live flaky similar a croissant on Craigslist, thus sellers unremarkably won't hold off around for you lot if at that topographic point are other interested buyers. You'll acquire dropped similar a hotcake. If you lot desire to acquire the skillful stuff, together with at a keen price, allow the seller know that you lot tin acquire the item ASAP together with and thus follow through.

#9. Feel complimentary to nation no give cheers you.

 If you lot exhibit upwards to acquire the item, together with it only isn't what you lot expected, nation no give cheers you. For example, I should conduct maintain totally employed this tip on the table that is nevertheless haunting me to this day. Do your due diligence earlier mitt together with inquire almost measurements or anything else non inwards the listing thus that you lot tin avoid an awkward province of affairs together with avoid inconveniencing some sugariness onetime homo amongst a table.

#10. Stay SAFE.

We prefer to purchase from people we've talked to on the phone. It leaves a record, together with puts us at ease yesteryear hearing their voice. We e'er setup our coming together at a populace location away from our habitation together with allow a friend or relative know when together with where we'll be, along amongst the make/model of the automobile together with the nurture of the soul we're meeting. I almost e'er purchase smaller items that tin live transported to a secondary location, but if I conduct maintain to become to someone's home, I e'er conduct maintain Jesse or a super burly relative amongst me. Burly men come upwards inwards handy when lifting large items and/or fending off weirdos. 

Have i handy.

Don't brand him fish you. 

Basically, only live cautious, trust your gut, together with exercise things the correct way. As long equally you lot are careful, you lot tin truly honor some awesome materials together with conduct maintain tons of ridiculously strange fun doing it.

Virginia together with Jesse post-craiglisting circa 2011. (That mightiness too only live an awesome appointment picture, but it serves our purposes, thus shhhhhh.)

So, that is all for today, my friends! Thanks thus much for stopping by! Feel complimentary to pivot this post thus you lot tin honor it later!

Happy Craigslisting!

That's all for today! 'Til side yesteryear side time!

Follow my weblog with

Subscribe to amongst email!
Enter your e-mail address:

-->