One excellent way to make extra money while you're in college is to sell stuff. Chances are likely that every time you go home for a break, you find more junk lying around that you don't need any more. Whether you just want to get rid of old clothes, books, and CDs or are ready to part with a computer, a game system, or even the car you bought when you were sixteen, you can probably sell it on Craigslist.
Before you jump right in, though, you need to be sure you know how to write a good ad. If you scan through all the ads on the site for your area, you'll probably notice how ridiculous some of them are. Seriously, who is going to buy a couch without seeing a picture first? And who cares if your computer "works great" if you don't know anything about the processor or memory? Here are some tips to help you write the kind of ad that will sell your stuff for you in just a few days' time:
1. Take a Picture! This is probably one of the most important things that you can do, since Craigslist searchers can - and often do - choose to search for only listings that have pictures with them. Even if you think this isn't important for electronics and such, it definitely is. If you don't have a digital camera, borrow one. Take at least one decent picture of the item, but get two or three if it's something that you know will sell better when people can see how cool it looks
A word to the wise: Don't just leave that computer you want to sell in the middle of your messy desk full of empty beer bottles and trash. Tons of Craigslist pictures feature beds and couches neatly displayed in a room full of dirty underwear or totally covered in junk. No one wants to buy that! Take five minutes to make the picture look presentable!
2. Make the title really specific. People are looking for titles that tell them exactly what you're selling. Instead of saying "GREAT COUCH!!!!!!! MUST SEE!!!!!!!" try something like "Brown Leather Loveseat." The more specific you are, the more people will want to see what you have to offer.
On another note, putting "Must see" in the title or making the whole thing in caps and exclamation points is not going to get people to look at your item. In fact, this will probably annoy people enough that they totally avoid your listing. Instead, rely on a good, descriptive, short title to get the job done.
3. Learn about pricing. There are different ways to list things. If you see OBO after a price, that means "or best offer," indicating that someone is willing to take less than what they listed an item for. If someone lists the price and says "firm," that means they will take exactly that price and no less. You can usually get the best prices if you list your item for a little more than it's worth and take the best offer you can get.
4. Make the ad itself short, clear, and typo-free. No one likes to deal with idiots, and if you make yourself sound like an idiot in your ad, no one will call you about your item, no matter how awesome it is. Get all of the relevant information in the ad, and then reread it a couple of times to make sure spelling and grammar aren't blatantly wrong and that you've said everything you need to.
For instance, when you're selling furniture, include color, age, size, and whether you're a smoker or have pets. When it comes to electronics, the more details the better; put everything you would see listed on Best Buy for that item when it was new, and then add any info. about things you've added to the electronics after you bought them.
Crystal is the owner of GreekForMe - a licensed fraternity and sorority store that features Alpha Kappa Alpha merchandise and other Greek gear for fraternities and sororities.
In her free time, she volunteers at her children's school and also actively supports Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society.
