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Craigslist.org Vs. Ebay.com: Which One is Better to Sell Your Old Prized Possessions On?

Ariana R. Cherry-Shearer
It's true that one person's trash is another person's treasure. Individuals are always looking for a place to sell or throw away old possessions and clothing. Sometimes we take them to local charities, and of course, others may end up in the garbage somewhere in the dumpster.

Then we wonder, why throw all of those once prized possessions away, when we can make a profit off of these items? Our minds start brainstorming with ideas of garage sales, Internet sales, or taking them to consignment shops. But theses days, people want a fast way to get rid of all of their old stuff and consumers want a quick sale. It's all about time and money in the 21st century.

One of the best ways to rid us of all of our old junk is to sell it on the Internet. First we must find an affordable listing that will allow us to make a profit to sell our items. We don't want profits to just pay for the listing-as we put a lot of hard work and effort into making this prized possession something to sell. It was our own possession for years, and now it will be something new to someone else.

When trying to find a place to sell on the Internet, we want to find something that is either free to list, or maybe won't cost us an arm and a leg to sell. Two wonderful places to begin your selling ventures are Ebay.com and Craigslist.org.
Of course, each website has it's positives and negatives. It will be up to the seller of how they feel each website would benefit themselves and their profits, but it will also matter how much time and money that it will consume as well.

If you are selling any article of clothing, antiques, an old car, or actually any kind of household item, you could begin your journey with Ebay. Ebay will allow your item to be seen by millions of people every day. You can decide to list your item anywhere between three to seven days. You can choose from pre-designed templates or create your own. Transactions are pretty much taken care off, and once an item has been sold, all you must do is make sure you collect your money and ship the item to its new rightful owner.

Also, if you have many items that you would like to sell, you could save money by opening a store. Pay one price of about fifteen dollars a month to have your own Ebay store, or you could list your own items individually as "auction style." Depending on the extra listing accessories you choose from, your listing could cost as much as fifty five cents to over two dollars each. How you decide to present your listing is completely up to you. Also, you pay for your listing fees upfront, and then once your item sells, you must pay a final value as well. So when you list your items, you must at least consider what you will be paying out to Ebay as well. More than likely, your payments are going to cover the advertising that your ad will do on Ebay, which is why sometimes it could be a good idea to pay a bit for your auctions. So if you are looking for a website where you don't have to do a lot of extra work on the side, and you won't have to do much marketing, then Ebay could be a starter place for you to begin your selling ventures on.

If money is tight, and you are looking for an affordable and cost effective place to list your items for sale, then take a look at craigslist.com. Most of your items that are for sale can be listed for free. Individuals must register for a free account, and then you can begin your selling adventure. Choose from one of your local cities or suburbs, and then the category that your item will fall in. There are thousands of people that visit Craigslist on a daily basis, and the best thing about it is that you can list your own items for free. While you might have to do a little more marketing with your ad, the entire process of getting a free listing is worth it in the long run. You can post your classified ad URL in the bottom of your emails, message boards, or pass it along in your email lists to friends and family. Also if your item is near enough to somebody, they might even come pick up the item without you having to take care of shipping responsibilities.

While Ebay is more nationwide and worldwide with listing fees, it could end up costing you more in the long run. It is a highly marketed website that could bring in a possible sale, but you have to make up for fees in your listing price as well. Craigslist could be a better chance while people can sell their items and make a profit as well. For those not wanting to deal with shipping costs, potential buyers can go and pick up their items as well.

So while you may be on a strict budget, Craigslist.org would be a better opportunity for profits. Although you may not get the populated traffic that occurs on Ebay, you still receive free listing fees and free picture postings. Ebay is more of those who may own small businesses trying to sell products, antiques, or cars. Craigslist.org is more of a classified ad website for those just selling small individual products and would appreciate a local sale.

Published by Ariana R. Cherry-Shearer

Ariana Cherry-Shearer began writing for the Web in 2006. Her first love is poetry & she has published 2 collections. Ariana also writes web content. She has written for: Examiner, Demand Media, Need an Artic...   View profile

7 Comments

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  • Jason 8/12/2010

    I would recommend eBay more.

  • Jason 8/12/2010

    I would recommend eBay more.

  • Brian 3/31/2010

    To Corey Chambers: You cannot list both on CL and on Ebay. You can't invalidate bidders by selling it to someone locally. It's either one or the other. Imagine this: 30 people have bid on your item, and then Billy Bob from in town sees it on CL and, in the middle of the auction, you decide to sell it to him. I suggest you go and read your eBay user agreement again.

  • Corey Chambers on eBay 12/8/2009

    If your item is a very large item of low value, then Craigslist is the perfect venue. If your item is large and of moderate to high value, list it on both eBay and Craigslist so that you will maximize your audience, profit, and sell your item as quickly as possible.

    Corey Chambers on eBay, coreychambers.com

  • Corey Chambers on eBay and Craigslist 12/8/2009

    If you have futher questions about eBay and Craigslist, feel free to contact me -- Corey Chambers on eBay -- coreychambers.com

  • Corey Chambers on eBay 12/8/2009

    When deciding which service to sell your item on, eBay and Craigslist currently dominate the arena of selling used items.

    As an Trading Assistant on eBay with a Registered eBay Drop Off Location Store in Santa Ana, CA, I can tell you the eBay is the best place to sell most items. eBay is the world's largest online marketplace, and by far the largest marketplace for used items, collectibles and even automobiles.

    Craigslist certainly has its advantages. Craigslist is free and has a significant readership with about 2 million regular users in the Orange County area. That's enough to get your item sold. If pales in comparison to eBay's 80 million worldwide users, however.

    Because eBay is worldwide while Craigslist is local, you can base your decision on whether your item will appeal to residents of your local area or worldwide buyers. If your item is smaller than a breadbox and worth over $200, then eBay will be far more successful. If your item is a very large item of low v

  • RainyDayInterns 5/17/2008

    Funny you should have posted this today as we had made the following observations after an odd little encounter this past week on Craigslist :-)

    http://www.rainydaymagazine.com/RDM2008/Home/May/RDMHomeMay08W3.htm#EBayVsCraigslist

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