How One Weird Craigslsit Ad Caused A Traffic Jam On My Block And Earned Me $1174!

[FranciscoDancon]

I buy storage units for fun and profit. I had two garages full of what I considered trash. I had already sold all the valuable items and I decided instead of giving away the junk for free I'd sell it in a yard sale. How did I promote this sale? One sign on the main street and a craigslist ad.

The result: at 8AM there was a traffic jam on my street. I was busy with customers from 7:30 (1/2 hour before the sale even opened!!!!!!)

End result: $1174

I have never had a yard sale this successful before, and the reason it was so successful was the huge volume of people who showed up due to this craigslist ad. I know it isn't perfect, but it served its purpose very well. I hope you find it useful:

Multi-Family MEGA Yard Sale Today Only!


"Don't Miss Your Opportunity To Get Your Hands On The HOTTEST Garage Sale Finds Of The DECADE"

We are having a mega, multi-family garage sale. This is the WalMart of garage sales! If you can think of it, we probably have it. Here are some of the highlights, but there is simply too much to list:

-Huge collection 150+ antique bone china tea cups, saucers, plates, bowls etc PLUS TWO COMPLETE SETS
-500+ books, hard bound, soft bound, fiction, non-fiction
-Leather sofa plus another upholstery sofa
-Desks: huge office desks, small desks, antique desks. All kinds of desks
-Chairs: Office chairs, kitchen chairs, bar stools--we have it all and more!
-Kitchen supplies: If it goes in a kitchen, we have it
-Camping supplies: tent, sleeping bag, tree stand
-Fishing gear
-Jewelry: costume and the real stuff, many pieces marked sterling! Pearls, zirconium, all sorts of stuff
-Antique furniture
-Lamps
-Stuffed animals
-Clothes--all sorts, men's women's and children's
-Ski sets
-Bedroom sets
-Mattresses
-Dressers
-Tools of all sorts
-Decorative items of all sorts
-Tile and other construction related materials

And way, way more. If you pass up this opportunity to grab the yard sale find of the decade, you'll regret it for the next ten years! Come and get your hands on this great stuff before someone else snatches it up first!

We are located at: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We will start the sale at 8AM. That is when we will open the gate to the driveway.

Sale will end promptly at 1:00 PM so don't delay! Hope to see you there!

[Alex Cohen]

What's weird about this ad? It's pretty much what a typical amateur would write.

"Multi-Family" is a powerful trigger phrase in this niche, so that was good. And listing the items for sale was also good.

Those two alone were probably what accounted for your success.

Alex

[Johnny12345]

Originally Posted by FranciscoDancon

The result: at 8AM there was a traffic jam on my street. I was busy with customers from 7:30 (1/2 hour before the sale even opened!!!!!!)

<snip>

-Jewelry: costume and the real stuff, many pieces marked sterling! Pearls, zirconium, all sorts of stuff

It was probably because of the zirconium. I mean, who can get enough of that stuff, right?

John

[Bill Jenkins]

I've had great luck with craigslist for all sorts of things. From yard sales to selling information products. It's a real goldmine if you apply sound copywriting principles to your listings. Stuff like headlines and call to action.

Good job on your success!

Bill

[Pusateri]

I've been an estate liquidator for years, so I know this market well. There are four words in your ad that are doing the heavy lifting.

Jewelry - brings out the gals and the goldbugs.

Antiques - brings the dealers

Tools - brings the guys.

Fishing - ditto.

The only hot word missing is 'guns.'

Zirconium probably helped you a bit because no pro would use it. Makes the resellers think you don't know what you're doing, which is good for them.

It's also good that you DIDN'T mention toys, clothes or baby stuff. Those words translate as, "same old crap."

[FranciscoDancon]

Haha yeah I had a few people call and ask if I had guns for sale. Maybe I will put a couple of guns in my next yard sale so I can bring more people by advertising guns. I've just always sold guns through other channels because they are high dollar items so I didn't think they would sell in a garage sale.

Thanks for that analysis I appreciate it!

[Pusateri]

Here's a little trick that makes cleanup a lot easier.

Buy a roll of 5gal or 8gal plastic trash bags.

Tell people throughout the day that the last hour they can fill a bag for $3 (or $1 or $5...depends on the quality of your stuff.)

With about two hrs to go, pull any expensive items that would fit in a bag.

When the final hour arrives, hand out your bags and watch people stuff them with the junk you would have to throw away AND pay you for the privilege.

[jdk1970]

You thought this stuff you listed was garbage?

[Globy]

Great story.
I would think that would work so good.

Well done

[Rentamentor]

Hi,

A customer sent this ad to me because an entire article was written up about it.

Over 30,000 people showed up at this guys house.

He hit a nerve - it seems.

His Ad started out with these words...

"Keeping Hers - Selling His -
"Just Married Sale
"Everything In My House Must go!

And a list...

I remember a Movie Star on Jay Leno - complaining that the starlet he married
had made him move all his stuff into the garage.

Leno was teasing him.

But I bet the same thing happened to Leno. He works on his cars outside the house.

This really hit home with me when writing my own ads.

A HUGE CROWD Showed up
because they KNEW this poor
bastard was being FORCED to sell everything.

And they could SMELL some good deals.

Thanks,
Glenn

P.S. - This Psychology has worked great over the years. I've sold cars, Yachts, Jewelry,
houses.

Must Sell My House Fast
Need Room for My
Daughters Horse.

Sold that sucker for a friend - in less than a week.

[sethczerepak]

I caused a traffic jam on my street once in just minutes. Just tossed down some carpet tacks baby