Craigslist is an online classified site where you can find everything from furniture to vacation rentals, but it’s also your new best friend if you’re starting a business or just need some quick cash. It’s easy to get lost in the crowd on Craigslist like craigslist furniture austin tx and not know what to do first, so here are our top seven tips for getting the most out of this great website.
1. Use Live Search
The reason Craigslist is such a good place to start looking for solutions for your own problems is because you can use the live search feature to find exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re investing in something, use the keyword search box to see if anyone has posted a similar product recently. For example, I recently found an obnoxiously loud alarm clock that was going on eBay, and I just needed to get it out of my apartment and into storage. I looked one day on Craigslist in New Orleans and found it for only $30 shipped total. That’s a no-brainer! With Live Search, you’ll be able to see all recent listings within your search parameters at once – perfect when you’re trying to include every possible keyword in your search!
2. See What Other People Have Sold
Another great way to make money from Craigslist is to look at what other people have sold. If you’re buying or selling something, it’s best to know the going rate for your product. This is especially important if you’re buying or selling a large item, such as furniture or a car – you want to make sure no one is trying to rip you off!
To find out what other sellers have sold on Craigslist in the past, go to the “Selling” section and select “Price” where it says “lowest first.” Then, click on “search.” This will give you a list of prices that sellers have gotten for items that were sold in the past. This gives you a lot of information so you can see what the “going rate” for the type of item you want to buy is. You’ll see how many different sellers have sold their item in the past, which can be very helpful information if you’re trying to sell something yourself.
3. Find New Topics
Craigslist is a great place to find cheap items because all of the ads are public. But when you want to do some research on a topic, it’s a great place to find new ideas and learn from other people’s mistakes.
4. Look At Past Advertisements
If you’re selling a specific item – for example, your car – it’s helpful to see what other people have said about their experiences selling that same car. After all, if the seller had a bad time with the transaction, they may have left useful information behind!
5. Use the “Advanced Search” Feature
Using your Advanced Search feature is an easy way to help filter out unhelpful (or fake) listings so you can quickly find what you need. For example, if you want to buy a new phone, you can specify that it has to be unlocked. Or, if you’re selling something, you can use the “Words” filter and specify any words that aren’t appropriate for your listing. For example, if you’re selling a children’s book, enter the word “adult” so no one tries to buy your book by mistake!
6. Use the Reverse Look Up Feature
Sometimes, when you search for a specific item on Craigslist, you’ll come across things that may not be as advertised. For example, I was just looking for another alarm clock and saw this listing: “This is a very unique clock. It is handmade by me and is one of a kind.” What a great find right? Well, I looked it up and realized that it was only 2 inches in diameter. What a scam!
If you’re trying to sell something legitimately, use the Reverse Look Up feature to see if someone has left any information about their experience prior to their listing. You can find more information about the advertiser by clicking on their username, and even go to their “About Me” section for more information. This can be helpful if you’re curious about the seller’s reputation.
7. Check for Caught Red-Handed Scams
This is the biggest tip-off that someone is trying to rip you off! If you’ve searched enough, there will probably come a time when you’ll find a listing of some sort that promises a product or service that doesn’t exist. For example, I was looking at a listing for a laptop when I saw this awful ad:
Scammers like to use real images, names, and logos; they think this gives them more credibility and makes it look like an actual business. If you come across an ad on Craigslist that looks like this, it’s best to stay away from that person. There are plenty of legitimate deals on Craigslist – don’t waste your time with these scams!
Conclusion:
Remember, everyone uses Craigslist for different reasons. However, if you follow the above tips you should be able to find some valuable information there. If you have any other helpful tips for using Craigslist, please share!
