I have been super excited about this article because it has been a year in the making. At the beginning of the year, I knew we were moving and I was excited to get rid of any useless clutter. I consider myself a minimalist so I strive for the ideal that everything I own is actually useful. But I noticed I had some things that I did not use, did not need, and that was taking up space. So it was time to get started flipping them online.
What can you sell on Craigslist? You can sell hundreds of items on Craigslist from antiques to automotive vehicles and parts, clothing, beauty and health items, CDs, DVDs, electronics, furniture, home appliances, sporting goods, tools, toys and games. Some examples include cell phones, cards, fishing rods, mattresses, washers, driers, air conditioners, books, consoles and more.
But of course, we all know what happened in March 2020, so that definitely made things a little bit more difficult to be able to actually meet people for in-person sales. But that didn’t keep me from selling over $2,000 worth of things while respecting social distancing and (Canadian) government regulations.
In this article, you will find a list of 21 things I sold online over the span of 11 months, and the process that I use to decide where to sell the items (ebay, in person, donate or recycle). I hope this article will inspire you to look around your home and see if you have anything that you might want to sell to turn into cash.
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1. DVDs
The first thing I sold at the beginning of the year were a few towers of blank DVDs. They have become totally useless to us, and neither of our computers can even read DVDs anymore. I did not think they would sell and was leaning more towards donating them until I saw that someone was actually looking specifically for blank DVDs in the “Wanted” section. So I reached out to them and made contact to initiate the sale.
Sold for: $15
Pro Tip: Look in the “Wanted” section to see if there are people searching for what you are selling in your area and reach out to them.
2. Cell Phone
The next thing I sold was an old iPhone 3. As an actual cell phone, the iPhone 3 is no longer a very good product. You can no longer update it, and so most of the apps just do not work. I knew it would be difficult to sell it as an actual cell phone, and so I listed it as a good MP3 player. The target client I was looking for is who purchased: an elderly woman who just wanted to listen to her music on it.
Sold for: $20
Pro Tip: Choose the right product category for your products and adapt if necessary. For example, in this case, I listed the phone as an MP3 player since it would not be a good cell phone.
3. Projector
I actually got this mini projector on eBay for $60, used it a few years and resold it for $50. I used it quite a few times but it makes so much noise. Of course, I specified that information in the listing, but the person wanted something quick and easy to set up in their home. They were excited to buy it for such a low cost, most projectors do start at about $100.
Sold for: $50
Pro Tip: Disclose any imperfections or product-related issues in your product listings to avoid bad surprises when you meet up with buyers.
4. Fishing Rod
I love fishing! I actually had three fishing rods, and this was one of them. This one was actually for fishing in the Sea. When I met the man I sold to, he wanted to see it full length so I opened it up in the street. Since it’s a rod for fishing in the Sea, it’s huge! We did look a bit crazy standing in the middle of the street with a huge fishing rod taking up half the sidewalk. The buyer was super happy because his goal was to fish in the middle of the river without having to go into it. The rod was perfect for that.
Sold for: $20
5. Mattress
There are a couple of things that I look at when I decide where I want to sell something. Do I want to donate it, sell it online, or sell it in person? And of course, this was an easy decision, it is not easy to ship! I was not going to sell a mattress online since shipping would have been impossible, and it was fairly new so it still had value so donating was not yet an option.
We sold it to a perfect target client: a student who just arrived in town and was looking for a fairly new, good quality mattress. We could have sold it for more, but we definitely wanted to liquidate it, and $350 was a great quick-sell price.
Sold for: $350
6. Pilates Machine
Here is another example of something that I would not sell online because of the size and the weight. We put a pilates machine in great condition online for $300 and a person came from out of town to get it and negotiated it at $250. Later on, we found out the machine was actually purchased for $300, 6 years earlier! So we made a great deal.
Sold for: $250
Pro Tip: Negotiate before meeting the client to ensure a much smoother transaction. I personally do not accept in-person negotiations and make sure the terms of the sale are very clear before meeting up (payment methods and final cost).
7. Air Conditioner
I love the story of this air conditioner. I actually bought it on Kijiji for $75 and I used it for 5 years. I took excellent care of this air conditioner because I knew that I would be reselling it once I didn’t need it anymore, and since we were moving, it was time to let it go. But when I purchased it, I knew very well it was worth more than $75. Similar machines had been selling for well over $100! Even if it was already used, and I used it for an extra five years, I easily sold it for $100. It was in better condition than when I bought it and was working perfectly well.
This is a little concept that I have with myself that I absolutely love and enjoy. I rent things for myself. So this air conditioner, for example, I knew I would need it for a certain amount of time, but I wouldn’t be keeping it. So I was glad to invest $75, use it, fix it up, and then resell it in the future for the same amount or more. I’m lucky in this case, I made more money than I spent on my purchase.
Pro Tip: Rent things from yourself. Purchase used products you need on Craigslist, use them for as long as you need to, and then resell them for the same, or a higher price. Be sure to take extra care of things you are planning on reselling, and improve their quality to boost their price if you can.
Sold for: $75
8. Kitchen Items
This was a really cool set. We had a bunch of kitchen items that we were not using anymore. We looked at everything in the kitchen and regrouped whatever we no longer needed, or had not used once throughout the entire year. From pots and pans to knives, utensils, a toaster oven, coffee maker and toaster.
Selling all those items individually would have been worth very little money and demanded a lot of time. We could have donated everything but we knew there was a chance of selling everything as one big package. We thought that maybe the whole lot would interest students, and that’s exactly who came and made the purchase.
We sold the bundle of items to a couple of international students who had just arrived in town. This lot gave them a good boost of things they needed in their unfurnished kitchen, so this was a great lot for them! I was super happy to be able to sell it to them, and they were very pleased with what they got for the price.
Sold for: $50
Pro Tip: Regroup similar items that have little value to sell them as one (well-priced) bundle or lot.
9. Bench
We found a shoe bench in the street a couple of years ago, and it was in great condition! We picked it up, tightened a couple of screws, cleaned it up, took good care of it and resold it for 20 dollars when we moved. We had used it for five years at that time. Even if we got it for free and used it, the bench still had value.
Sold for: $20
10. Washer Dryer
What a horrible experience we had with this washer and dryer! We purchased them for $100, used them for a year, and then resold them the same price. They cost us repairs since we got them fixed, so you could take off some revenue – but if you consider going to a laundromat, it would have cost more. And of course, we resold them in a better shape than when we got them. They were so heavy, I am so glad to never see them again.
Sold for: $100
11. Books
We had some books lying around and sold them for $20. I don’t like to go out for Kijiji sales If the product isn’t worth at least $20. I got a lot of offers for these books, but I waited and made sure to find a buyer who was willing to spend the $20.
Sold for: $20
12. Pokemon Cards #1
I love this sale because these are actually all doubles, triples and quadruples of the cards that we collected since our childhood. There was nothing really interesting in the lot. Of course there were older sets, but overall it was just a quick win to sell the bundle for $300. Definitely check out the videos below if you have pokemon cards you want to know how much they’re worth and how much they’re selling for today.
Pro Tip: Divide your collection into smaller chunks to sell it for more money. Try to regroup cards by series or separate the lower value cards and higher value cards and sell them separately to try to increase your sales value.
Sold for: $300
13. Cot / Lounge Chair
Here’s another example of a personal rental. I actually purchased this cot/lounge chair on Kijiji for my balcony, used it for five years, and then resold it for the same price that I bought it. It was in great condition, the same condition I bought it in. I knew I was going to be reselling it.
Sold for: $50
14. Computer Charger
I had this old Toshiba laptop that was completely for parts. But I put it online to see if anyone would want it. The buyer did not want the computer, but they wanted the charger. And so I sold it to them for $10.
Sold for: $10
15. Pogs
I have a huge Pog collection from my childhood! They were my favourite thing to collect when I was a kid. The person who purchased them for me was actually a school teacher who was looking for a fun game to play with the children at school. She remembered how much fun she had with Pogs when she was a kid, and wanted to share the fun with the children in her class. I hope she got to use them because we met in January, so before social distancing…
Pro Tip: Pogs are still hot items and can easily sell $20 for a pack of 50 online or in person on Craigslist. You just need to be patient and ensure they are in good condition. Avoid selling them at garage sales since buyers are looking for very cheap items. Your Pogs can sell for much more on eBay.
Sold for: $20
16. Soundproofing
I was very happy about this sale! This listing contained a bunch of things I had been using as soundproofing. A man contacted me saying he would be recording in a closet he was setting up as an audio recording studio. I said this lot was perfect for that, and I know it is because that’s what I had been using it for as well! I bought the lot for about the price I sold it for, but also included two soundproof panels I made from canvases and towels.
Sold for: $50
17. Wifi Router
I also sold a Wifi router I was no longer using.
Sold for: $20
18. Headphones
And some headphones that I got for free with an order on eBay, but did not need.
Sold for: $20
19. Patches
I sold these backpack travel patches to a man at the other end of Canada, so this was not an in-person meetup. I charged more than the shipping cost because I had to take time to go to the Post office and send them.
Sold for: $20
Pro Tip: Charge your handling time on top of the cost of shipping. Your time is money.
20. Hockey & Baseball Cards
I really like the story behind these hockey cards. I had two large lots of hockey ($20) and baseball cards ($30) with 45 individual card page holders ($15) that had not sold online in months. They had not budged, no interest at all. I had changed the price and relisted them multiple times.
One day I thought to myself I should sell all the cards with the page holders as a lot for $50, and that day a man messaged me and offered $50 for the lot! It was a great sale! He said he used to collect with his grandfather when he was a kid, but he passed away and was continuing the tradition alone. It was a touching story and a nice meetup.
Sold for: $50
21. Watches
I actually sold this lot of watches in the mail. The person only wanted one of the watches but I was selling them as a bundle. I did not want to waste my time selling watches that have no value individually. Together they had more value. I had tried to sell them for more but they hadn’t moved all Summer. I charged extra for handling and made some extra money on top of the $80.
Sold for: $80
22. Pokemon Cards #2
I also sold another part of our Pokemon Card collection for $450. This part of the collection had some old cards and holographic cards. If you are wondering how much your cards are worth, definitely check out the section called Pokemon Cards #1 in this article where I embedded videos from our YouTube channel that explains card values.
Sold for: $450
Other Things You Can Sell on Craigslist
There are some other things I sold online this year that I forgot to add to the video above. For example I also sold a folding table (initially purchased on Kijiji for $10, used it for a year and then resold for $30), a used backpack ($20), four toy laser guns ($30), a bracelet and an outdoor movement detector lamp (sold as a lot for $80).
But of course you may not have these things at home. So here is a list of things that you could sell on Craigslist:
- Antiques & Collectibles
- Automotive & Transportation
- Boats
- Bikes
- ATV
- Trucks
- Tractors
- Motorcycles
- Heavy Equipment
- Trailers
- Wheels / Tires
- Parts
- Clothing
- Mens
- Womens
- Baby Supplies
- Accessories
- Beauty & Health Items
- Jewelry
- CD / DVD / VHS
- Electronics
- Cell Phones
- Computers
- Photo
- Video
- Parts
- Garden
- Furniture
- Hobbies
- Art & Craft Supplies
- Musical Instruments
- Home Appliances
- Sporting Goods
- Tools
- Toys & Games
Things I Did Not Manage to Sell
I have been selling things online for well over 10 years now and love doing it 🙂 So selling online over the past 11 months was a lot of fun for me. However, despite my well-rounded in-person selling strategies, I did not sell everything! Some things spent 11 months online and did not budge. It could have been due to the price, the products, my location… Who knows. But I did what I could not, and did not sell the following:
- Computer for parts
- x2 Luggage
- Back brace
- Guitar tuner
- A large lot of cell-phone and computer wires
- Lot of Spice Girls Collectables
I must admit I was surprised the Spice Girls lot did not sell. I received no interest in it at all. I never would have thought that back in 1998! All of the things above were therefore donated. So let’s talk more about my sales decision process.
Things I Donated
There are some things that I did not even second guess and just donated. We had a mattress from the 90’s – although it was in excellent condition and still very comfortable, it did not sell in 11 months (at the low cost of $50) so we donated it.
Pro Tip: Don’t waste your time on low-value items. I donated some things off the bat like DVDs and CD’s: nobody buys them and if they do, they are such a waste of time. CD’s and DVD’s only sell for about $2 to $3 each. We also donated clothes since they are hard to sell – people want to see them, test the size and even though they meetup with interest, from experience, they often don’t buy. A better approach to clothing is to donate anything worth under $20 and to sell the rest on eBay or Poshmark.
I also gathered all the bubble wrap, bubble sheets, styrofoam, and any other packing item received from Amazon orders into a huge bag and put it up for free. It was donated to a woman looking for exactly those items in less than two days. It avoided them being being recycled or thrown into a landfill and made someone happy.
There was also a horrible couch in our apartment when we moved in. It was online as a donation for months and even when it wound up on the side of the street, nobody picked it up. It is the only thing that the city picked up for the landfill – and it did not even belong to us.
My Sales Decision Process
In this section I will talk more about my process: sell, donate or recycle. You can use the flow-chart below to decide:
Ask Yourself is The Item is:
- Working:
- Sell or
- Donate
- Borken:
- Repair & Sell
- Recycle
And then if it should be sold, here is how I decide if I want to sell it in person (Craigslist, Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace or other) or online.
Next Evaluate The Following:
- Type:
- Collectable : eBay
- Size:
- Huge: In-person
- Can easily be shipped: In-person or eBay
- Value:
- Low: $20-$200: In-person
- Medium $200-$500: In-person or eBay
- High $500-$1,000+: eBay
Some Examples:
- Working > Low value > Large object > In person
- Washer > $50 > Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji
- Bike > $80 > Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji
- Working > Collectable > Small item > Easy to ship > High Value > eBay
- Pokemon Cards > $1,200 > eBay
- Collector Coins > $2,000 > eBay
- Broken > Repairable > Fixed > Medium item > Medium Value > In person or eBay
- Furniture > $500 > Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji
If something does not move on either platform I delete and renew the listing to bump it up in the listings a couple weeks after creating it. I may also try lowering the price or changing the cover photo. I may also add new photos and information to the listing.
My In-Person Sales Tips (Covid)
Covid-19 definitely slowed down my ability to sell things online and in person. However, that did not keep me from selling over $2,000 worth of things while respecting social distancing and (Canadian) government regulations. Here are my tips for selling during these unprecedented times.
1. Follow Local Regulations
Of course, my tips are for general information purposes only. Be sure to abide by the rules that have been set not only by the platform that you choose to sell on, but also by your local government.
2. Meet in a Public Place
I never give out my home address for security reasons. I always meet in a public place like outside a grocery store. Always remember the sale is on your terms. If the buyer is trying to get you to go somewhere you do not want to, do not go. Wait for another buyer.
3. Meet Outdoors
I also always meet outdoors for a couple reasons. It’s easier to get away if something is sketchy, and Covid is known to propagate less easily outdoors.
4. Go With a Friend
I usually go with a friend so I do not sell alone. I especially am sure to not be alone if the product value is high (over $500) or if I have any strange feelings about the sale. For example, I was selling a camera and had a strange feeling about the buyer. Their spelling was off, they lived in a sketchy part of town and told me they got money from someone else to make the purchase. It was all very strange and off. I went to the meetup location with a friend and arrived 15 minutes early to scout out the place. It clearly was not safe so we left. Safety First. And since then I never where the buyer wants me to meet. The sales location is always on my terms and if they don’t agree, too bad.
5. Use a Picnic Table
If you feel like you can trust the buyer, feel free to use a picnic table as an in-between. What you can do is place the item you have for sale on the picnic table, let them look at it, and then leave the money on the picnic table. That way neither parties actually exchanged hands and can easily social distance.
6. Accept Money Transfers
We know Covid can transmit on surfaces and because of this a lot of stores no longer accept cash. If you would like to avoid cash payments, prefer transfers instead. Keep in mind that they sometimes take a while to go through. A certain level of trust will be required in that case.
7. Wear a Mask
To be protective of myself and others, I always wear a mask when I meet people. I also warn people of this in advance. One time I had someone who was very upset that I was wearing a mask outside. From then on I warn people to avoid that situation. If they are not happy about it I refuse to meet up.
8. Sell Online Instead
If you are not comfortable with meeting up, some of the platforms offer the ability to list products as available to be shipped. So without selling on eBay, you can use Kijiji for example to sell products online and avoid meeting-up in-person altogether.
9. Extra In-Person Selling Tips
- I personally avoid giving out my phone number at all costs. I have had far too many after-sales service questions like “How do I transfer data from my old phone to my new one?” – I’m not a tech support agent, that’s not part of the sale.
- Speaking of which, I do not engage in questions that have to do with technical support after the sale is made.
- I use platforms that do not give out my personal information. Although it is very popular, I personally do not use Facebook Marketplace since it gives the buyer access to your (public) Facebook profile. I use Kijiji that encrypts user emails.
- I am very careful with personal information and if I feel like someone is being invasive or aggressive, I do not hesitate to block them.
- Be wary of scammers. If you have any doubts, wait for another buyer.
I hope you enjoyed this article and that it inspired you to find things that you could sell on Craigslist around your home to make some extra cash. Of course, be careful, be safe, take precautions, make sure that you’re comfortable with the setting and the situation that you get yourself into.
Related Questions
What items sell best on Craigslist? The things that sell the best on Craigslist include home appliances like washers and driers, electronics like used computers, tablets, and phones, automobiles like cars, pickup trucks, and motorcycles, toys like Playmobil, Legos and kick scooters, and power tools like hand drills.
What things can you sell for quick cash? You can sell things you do not need around your home for quick cash on sites like Craigslist. Things that sell the fastest due to high demand are home appliances like washers, air conditioners and fridges, electronics like computers, home cinema systems, tablets, cell phones and game consoles, clothing (especially for babies) and scrap metal.
What can I buy for fix and sell? Some of the best things to buy, fix and sell online are electronics (like computers, tablets and cell phones) and furniture. Used electronics are in high demand as well as strong indoor or outdoor wood furniture such as chairs, tables, counters and more. Antiques, cars, bikes and other automobiles are also great to flip online.
How does craigslist make money if it’s free? Craigslist is free for most listings. They mostly make income from job listings which they charge $25 for in a number of US cities and $75 in the San Francisco area. They also make income from ads that are shown on the site. But overall, it’s a free site for most users.
Is Craigslist safe to sell? It is safe to sell on Craigslist but a number of precautions must be taken. Never go through with a sale you are not comfortable with. Meet in a public place outdoors. Go with a friend if you would be more comfortable. And due to the current global situation, wear a mask, avoid cash exchanges, and social distance.
Is it better to sell on Craigslist or EBay? Craigslist and eBay are two great platforms to sell online. Craigslist may be better for bulky, lower-cost, harder to ship items. Some examples that are better for Craigslist are appliances, mattresses and furniture. eBay is better for collectables, high-demand, and expensive items. These include jewelry, collector cards and high-end antiques.