Make sure you give your post a good title when selling items online.Jupiterimages/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Any day now, spring will have sprung (for real this time), which means 'tis the season to clear house. Just admit it - you're never going to use Grandma's dining set, or that multiplying collection of old laptops, so why not collect some cash by posting your gems on Craigslist or Kijiji? Here, the dos and don'ts of the 21st-century garage sale.
Make the right first impression
The title of your post is the first thing prospective buyers see, so give them the info they're looking for. "Some people will just put 'Bed, wood,' " says Claire Pfeiffer, the design enthusiast behind Take This Sofa (a blog culling the best of Craigslist offerings), whereas something like "Bed - headboard, footboard and rails, king size, oak" will alert people looking for exactly that. It seems like a no-brainer, but there are hawkers who hope that once you click an intentionally vague title, you'll realize that you've always wanted a waterbed. Those sellers are wrong.
Key words are key
Break out the thesaurus to ensure your beautiful bookcase isn't a victim of semantics. "If you call it a 'bookcase' and someone searches 'bookshelf,' your item won't come up," Ms. Pfeiffer says. The secret: include all possible descriptions somewhere in your text (the search function scans the entire post). So your "mint condition, two-seater, leather couch" is also a sofa, a love seat, and even a davenport, should your prospective buyer happen to be Dame Judi Dench.
Give details (just don't go overboard)
Try to anticipate buyers' questions in advance. In the case of furniture, include dimensions, brand information and condition. When selling electronics, Adam Dachis, author of Lifehacker's guide to online gadget selling, says model number, age and warranty status is essential. "But with something like a computer, the specifications could go on forever," he says, and when a post looks overly complicated, buyers tend to scroll past it.
Be a tech nerd (or know someone who is)
When selling electronics, understanding sales cycles can make a huge difference in your profit. If you're looking to unload your MacBook, say, do so before the new model comes out, otherwise the value decreases significantly. Mr. Dachis recommends checking websites like macrumours.com, nikonrumours.com, etc. Another hot tip: hold onto those boxes. "Original packaging, manuals and accessories help with buyer confidence," he says.
A picture is worth a thousand clicks
Post a lot of photos - full shots, close-ups, various angles - and make sure they're of reasonable quality and size. Make the effort to clean/fluff/dust your beloved foosball table. "Natural lighting makes a huge difference," says Ms. Pfeiffer, who recalls seeing one picture that was a photo of another photo taken in a basement.
When pricing, research but don't overthink it
Check the prices of similar items online, though keep in mind that the stuff up there is the stuff that hasn't sold yet. And just because an appraiser said your Civil War-era brandy snifters are worth $3,000 doesn't mean anyone is going to pay that much. In other words, this isn't The Antiques Roadshow, so get off your high ottoman if you're truly looking to sell.
And don't do this: Sell crap! As in "Mid-Century Avocado Hanging Yarn Art," currently available for $120 on Craigslist.
Special to The Globe and Mail