I LOVE Craigslist!

As I pondered what I love this particular Thursday, I was mostly thinking of my homemade maggie moo desserts.

But out of respect for all of you who may be trying to NOT love something so sinfully caloric, I decided to love something else today. Sigh.....

I've decided to swoon about my love for Craigslist. It's an outright love affair, I do believe. It's one of the first things I check in the morning when I get up (you never know what's been listed while you were sleeping!) and I check it frequently during the day.

If you've never heard of Craigslist before (is there really anyone who hasn't???) it's an online place for classifieds. It's absolutely free to buy or sell (take that Ebay!). The site is categorized geographically.

I've had great success both buying and selling. The last couple of months have been pretty slow work-wise for my husband and selling stuff on Craigslist really helped us through. We needed to clear out the garage anyway! I sold furniture, pictures, lamps, clothes, toys, baby things, a mattress set, and more.

As for buying, I found this set of bunk beds for my girls. It came with the mattresses, the bunky boards, and it matched their chest perfectly! Score!

I got couches for our front living area that was very bare (unless you count toys).

This was the MOST perfect loft bed ever for my 8 year old son. He desperately needed a place to build legos so my dining table wouldn't be covered in them. =)

My latest find was patio furniture for our front patio. How great is this??? The exact same set is still selling at the store for more than double what I paid. I can't wait to make that patio look great.

With Craigslist you have to remember:

• Things sell fast. If you think you might want something, contact the seller immediately to set up a time to go see it.
  
• Go with cash in hand.
• Already know what it is you're looking for so that you don't need "time to think about it". You'll probably lose out to someone else if you don't buy it right then.
• Don't be afraid to offer less, but be careful how you word it so as not to offend the seller. I had one person email me and ask, "What's the least you'll take for it?" I thought that was rude. Make an offer if you want, just do it considerately.
• Check other nearby cities if you can't find something in your own town.
  
• Get in the habit of always checking Craigslist before buying anything new (except underwear - that would be gross).
  

As a seller on Craigslist remember:

• Set up an account. It makes things a little easier and it's free just like normal.
  
• Take really good pictures. You can post up to four for each post.
• Accurately describe what you're selling, flaws and all.
• Research before setting a price. I've regretted setting my price too low a few times. Keep in mind the whole supply and demand thing. If you're selling something that is nice and isn't posted too often, you can probably ask a little more. You can always lower your price later if your item doesn't sell.
• Include your email address and/or phone number in your post. Too often the Craigslist email system doesn't work and a buyer can't contact you.
• Post your ad in neighboring cities.
  
• It's a good idea to state in your ad that the first buyer with cash in hand will take the item. The reasons for this are numerous but my hands are tired of typing. =)
• Only have people come to your house to get something if you're comfortable with it. I haven't had any weirdos yet, but I've made sure my husband was going to be around a few times just to be safe. If you have a smaller item you can always meet the buyer in a public place. I just prefer my home because it's hard for me to leave with all my kids.
  

Are you a Craigslister? What's the best find you've had??? Do you have any tips to add? Any strategies to help me score even more?

To see what other bloggers are loving today, head over to The Diaper Diaries......