A Simple Method for Newbies to Make Some Starting Capital with Craigslist

Hi everyone,

One of the biggest hurdles that new marketers face is finding adequate starting capital to invest in their ideas. Most people will only need a few hundred dollars but making that first few hundred can be hard. I thought I'd share a really simple way to make some quick money that should, hopefully, be enough to get you started.

The Method

This method is actually rather obvious and there's no real secret to it. I have, however, made a few hundred dollars this month using it and it only took me 2 or 3 hours tops. It may not work for everyone and I apologize if it doesn't apply to you.

We all have stuff laying around our house. Some of us have a lot of stuff. If you're like me then you end up collecting an assortment of different things for which you don't have much use. What we're going to be doing is liquidating this stuff into cold hard cash.

Step 1

Look around your house. What do you have a lot of? What do you collect? What do you have that you simply don't need anymore? Make a quick list of everything you have that you either don't use, don't want or can really live without. Keep an eye out for things collectors might want. Antique and vintage items are good too. To be honest, though, almost anything can sell.

It doesn't have to be in perfect condition but if it is clearly used then remember this when you set a price. You should also mention this in the ad.

Step 2

Grab a camera and take some pictures of the stuff on your list. Try to take at least 3-4 pictures of each item. The pictures should be as high quality as possible. Touching them up in Photoshop is ok but only if you're simply correcting the photo, we're not looking to scam anyone, that will ruin the plan.

Step 3
Step 3 is simple. Just go to gmail and create a fresh email account. This is to keep things organized and to keep any spam that you might get out of your important email accounts.

Step 4

Go to Craigslist and sign up for an account. You don't need one to post on CL but it helps you keep your ads organized and you can repost expired ads.

Step 5

This is about writing the ad. There aren't any real secrets but I do have some tips that I think will help.

1. Choose the title carefully. Make it descriptive but try to target things that you think people will be searching for. We can call this "Micro SEO". Try to refrain from using caps and things like "WOW!" or "LOOK!". If your item may fall into multiple categories then try to use as many as possible. For example: An end table might also work as a night stand so "Beautiful Solid Wood End Table Night Stand" would be good.

2. Set a good price. Don't try to get rich off of each ad, the key here is to make a decent amount of money on multiple sales. If you think something is worth a certain amount of money then take off ten dollars. What you want is a price that people will be willing to pay.

3. Writing the body copy: People on CL like to buy from real people. Try to be authentic and personable in your ad. Give them a reason why you no longer want the item you're selling. Describe the item in detail, give height and weight specifications if necessary. If the item was expensive when you bought, or if the asking price is lower than what you paid, it can be a good idea to mention this as well.

4. Ending the body copy: Make sure to be as specific as possible when it comes to a) How much you want for the item b) That you want CASH c) That the item is PICK UP ONLY and d) When you are available and where you are located (general location i.e. "Metro Area").

5. Make sure to add the pictures you took. It's very important to have pictures. The nicer the pictures are, the better. CL lets you post up to 4 pictures.

6. Choose a good category. Many people on CL simply browse by category so try to choose one that you think will fit best. You can post another ad for the same item in a different category to increase exposure (I believe you will have to write a new ad as CL won't let you post the same ad twice).

Step 6

Post the ad. This is simple. You will need to go through a few verification steps but it's really easy.

Step 7

Make sure to check your email regularly. You may start getting responses immediately or it may take a few days. The important thing is that you respond to these emails as quickly as possible. Answer any questions they may have.

It's important to agree on the price for the item and make sure the person is clear on the details before arranging to meet. This will prevent any frustration.

Step 8

This is about arranging to meet. Some people will want to pick up the item as soon as possible. Arrange a good time to meet. I am, personally, a bit paranoid (Thirty years of living in New York City will do that) so I like to have my wife home when someone comes by.

Get the item out and put it in a convenient location and display it nicely. Greet the person when they show up and take them to the item. Let them inspect it if need be. DO NOT OVER SELL THEM! Make sure you get the money, in CASH, before the item leaves your house.

I like to help people load the items into their car and tell them it was nice to meet them when they leave.

That's it!

I know this may sound pretty simple, and it is, but I've made a few hundred in the past month by doing exactly this. The idea may be simple but it's certainly not stupid.

More importantly, this is a really great way for newcomers to get a taste for internet based sales. It involves a smaller version of pretty much everything that internet marketing requires: choosing a product, picking out keywords, optimizing ads, dealing with customers and closing a sale.

I've made a few hundred with only three sales, here is what I sold this month:

4 tall swiveling metal bar/counter Stools - my landlords left them in the basement and didn't want them anymore, they were nice and barely used but didn't fit anything in the house.

2 small stained/leaded glass panels - extricated from an old cabinet that was built into the basement of a house that was being renovated. I basically saved them from the trash.

3 larger stained/leaded glass panels - they were from the same cabinet. The first buyer only wanted the smaller panels and the second buyer was happy with the three larger ones.

All in all, it took me less than 3 hours and that includes helping the buyer take apart the chairs so they fit in her tiny car. Not a bad payout for barely any effort!

Tips

1. You can never really be sure what will sell. I put up maybe 10 ads for an assortment of items and the above list is what sold. I would suggest that you pull together as many things as you can and see what works for you.

2. Don't get frustrated. I literally had at least 10 or 15 people express an interest in the chairs, one or two even said they would pick them up "ASAP" and then just disappeared. Just keep at it, if the ad is getting responses then it will eventually sell.

3. Always remember: CASH and PICK UP ONLY. I like to write those in caps to be sure people understand it.

4. Don't give out your phone number or address until you are sure the person is going to come by. The three people I sold to all gave me their cell numbers (which I ran though Google. I told you I was paranoid) before I gave them mine.

5. Be willing to accept a reduced offer to close the sale. One buyer didn't have exact change so I reduced the price. Just keep in mind that this stuff is potentially junk to you and you'd rather have the money!

6. Try to keep the house clean when people come over. Buyers might change their mind if your house is a mess or seems dirty. Some buyers may also be concerned with smoking and allergies.

7. If the ad expires and the item hasn't sold, consider reducing the price a bit, tweaking the ad copy or adding new pictures before reposting it. CL keeps all of your ads available even if they've expired so this is really easy to do.


That's pretty much it! Like I said, this may sound a bit simple or stupid but I've made good money doing it. It's hard to get that first few hundred to use as starting capital and this can be a great way to do it. Obviously you don't have to be a newbie to do this, money is money right?

If you're interested in scaling this idea up you can always stop selling "junk" and start selling the "good stuff" in your collections. This is like selling on ebay except it's easier, there's no shipping, it's free and you get paid cash.

If anyone has any questions or needs some more advice please feel free to ask. I'm always happy to help.

Best of luck!