Selling

This week we sold some stuff on Craig's List. I love Craig's List- it's a like a giant yard sale with everything sorted by category. Don't feel like browsing? That's okay, you can narrow it down pretty quickly with specific searches. But buying isn't really my thing (not used, anyways). What I love about CL is selling! The fact is: by getting rid of junk on CL one is able to salvage money out of items that were unwanted. Used to be this stuff had to be thrown or perhaps given away.

This week we tacked on an extra $500 by selling some stuff we wanted to get rid of. This sale pushes me well over $1000 in selling to go along with my $1000+ of CL buying. This doesn't really make me an "expert," but that's okay, because my massive intellect, my x-ray motive vision, and my insurmountable charm pretty much does make me an expert on CL negotions. Pretty much? Okay, seriously, I AM an expert in this area. Allow me to disseminate my expertise to you "commoners."

The basic rules of CL buying:
1. Do not act overly excited in front of the seller. Do not say "this is a screaming deal!"

2. It is absolutely imperative that you find some flaw/defect in the item you are buying. Kick the tires, notice scratched paint etc. If necessary, smell the item (caution: only use this in desperate negotiations for near-perfect conditioned items. Never, under any circumstances, say, "it's perfect."

3. Never try to pay with a check.

4. Have exact change.

Those are pretty simple, right? Truly, anyone armed with the four basic rules can proficiently purchase on Craig's List. However, there exists a "next-level" set of rules for serious deal finders and true-experts. Learning these rules will help you find good deals, and being aware of them as a seller will also protect you from getting scammed.

The Jedi rules of CL Buying (note: these techniques may not be used half-heartedly or by rookie buyers):

1. Forge an alliance with the seller. Admit that you admire the product, but express reluctance to spend the asking price due to____ (insert noble use for money here. I like, "well, I am already sending money to a Christian School in Austria...") This is a passivge-aggressive way to ask for a discount.

2. Always bring the full amount asked- but keep the money in seperate places. Keep the amount you want to spend in one pocket, and keep the balance somewhere else. This way you can pull out what you want to spend and say, "I've got x. I'll give you x for it." Carrying small bills also helps- if you are buying a $20.00 item, do not show up with a 20 or two 10's. This leaves very little room for negotiations. This is a bit more assertive than the passive-aggressive approaches.

3. Have a backup plan. Even if this isn't entirely true, telling a seller you've been out looking at the other _____ posted on CL all day sometimes helps. The seller becomes anxious as now he is competing for your money rather than having you compete with other buyers for his item. Tell him there's one other one that you like. This will really provoke the seller and may initiate "the unrequested discount." This is also a passive-aggressive strategy.

4. Enlist your allies. (Note: this is considered a sinister tactic) Have friends and family members contact the seller with outrageous low-ball offers. There are several purposes here: one, it primes the seller for your semi-outrageous low-ball offer; two, it provides more information about the seller going in to the negotiation (i.e. how did he respond to ridiculous offers, how did he respond to reasonable offers, etc.) Another take on this is to have a friend admire the product, agree electronically to buy the product, and then become reluctant upon detecting some small blemish on the product and balk at the price. This will either result in the seller bringing down his price, or the seller standing firm. Even if the seller stands firm, he now has reason to suspect he may be asking too much. And the psychological component must not be underestimated- he went from having the thing sold to being back at the drawing board.


Okay, now you are well on your way to becoming a proficient buyer. Stay tuned for and upcoming post with tips on selling!!