Ever try to sell a rickety chair or some ancient smartphone on Craigslist? The pure joy of securing interested buyers with a Craigslist ad poster! But let me tell you, making an ad right is just about as easy as flipping a pancake. Continue?
First, Stinginess with the details. Imagine you went to a buffet and none of the dishes had names. You’d be lost, right? Just like your ad. They want to know everything from what kind of shape it is in down to even partially what its history is. Too many people make their ad vague, hoping buyers would reply to enquire for more. Lay it all out there, like a book.
The next goes lousy photos. Under-focused or underexposed images are like food without seasoning-insipid. Whomever ordered a mystery box and hoped to find treasure in it got socks inside. That is how buyers will feel if there are suspicious pictures in your offer. Shoot from every possible angle and highlight any defects or other peculiarities. Give your thing at least some glamour; potato photo quality just won’t do!
Number three on the list: over-availability. Imagine someone promising to meet your quirky aunt three times a week! Be not that first-time offender; set those boundaries! If Saturday morning works for you to show off that vintage guitar, then so be it. Buyers like clarity, and you keep your sanity intact.
Now, about the pricing-the balance act: you overprice to ward off buyers, underprice, and sell less than its value. Quite often, the tendency would be there to fix that secondhand blender’s price way too high, simply because you hope it will attract someone. Otherwise, peep at similar listings to estimate the going rate. This again is a science on its own, mixed with a pinch of gut feeling. Too much extra may turn people off.