Quick Tip Tuesday #4

So you'll soon see a trend that I like Craigslist, and it just so happens it is the one thing I get the most questions about. You may have a different method of buying used, but most of these tips apply to all avenues of buying and selling.

Today's tip is:

SEARCH FOR THE LISTINGS WITH MISSPELLED WORDS

You may think I'm joking, but I was just talking to a friend about this just this weekend.  Craigslist doesn't spell check for you! And you can snag some AMAZING deals when ads are listed with incorrect spellings. WHY? Because nobody can find them. Sometimes I just want to help them out and say,

"Hey, you need to change 'this' word to 'that',

and then people could probably find your ad

and you can sell your item."

Ahem....the same goes for when listing your own products. In fact, occasionally I will put some misspelled key words at the bottom of my ad so that people who are actually LOOKING for items (and type in inccorect spellings) will find mine - sometimes. ;-)

Here are some very common misspellings:

(mind you, I often look for furniture, but the same goes for other categories)

*Chaise = Chez = Chase = Shaize = whatever else you can phonetically dream up.

Try it - you may be surprised.

*Separate = Seperate

*Jewelry = Jewlery

*System = Sistem (seriously)

*Beautiful = Beutiful = Beutifull = Butifull (yeah, I know)

*Vintage = Vintege = Vintige

*Piece = Peice (the whole "i" before "e" thing)

*Great = Grate

*Sleigh = Slay

*Pedestal = Pedastal

*Picnic = Picnick

*Anything ending in er, or, ar can be confused for the other

*Anything ending in ible or able (example: collectible vs. collectable)

If you are doing a search, just think outside the box for a minute and ask yourself whether or not someone else might spell a particular word differently. You may get no hits at all, but -

It might help you snag that great find and save you a ton of money!

(fyi-misspelled words and poor foreign grammar usually mean scam-

always use safety precautions)

I hope this has been helpful to you today!

Have you ever found some great used item using this search technique?

Remember to enter the current GIVEAWAY to Kayla J Photography

which ends Wednesday, September 14th @ 9pm PST!

~Anneke~



Quick Tip Tuesday #3 - Craigslist Selling

I've met A LOT of GREAT people through my interactions on craigslist - both buying and selling. Yet you hear of scary news stories about people who fall victim to predators who use craigslist as a means to get into people's homes.  This is constantly on my mind as people come to my house to purchase either a personal item or RustiChic piece.  There are MANY rules and steps I personally follow to ensure safety.

One of my more recent tactics that I am sharing with you today takes a little personal discernment...you'll see what I mean.  My husband and I have been incredibly blessed, and while we sell a lot of things, we also give away a lot of things and remember always - that they are just things.

It can take quite a bit of coordinating with other people on Craigslist to pick up an item you have for sale, so lately, we have gone the route of taking a relatively low cost item (for us under $80 - that's your personal descision), and just leaving it here (um, that's just A door, not MY door, btw) and putting the money under the door mat:

source

This is what I've learned in practicing this rule:



1. You make no contact and increase safety - you either don't go to the door or you're not home.

2. I have yet to have someone not leave the money and steal the item (this may vary in your neighborhood) - someone actually paid me $7 MORE because they couldn't remember the asking price, $20 or $25. They said they left $22, but they actually left $27! Thanks!!!

3. You don't have to haggle in person - work out your price before pick-up.

4. You don't have to reaarange your life - leave a party early, have your child woken up, or dinner left on the table, because so and so picking up the thing is here a bit later or earlier than they were supposed to be. Can you tell I've utilized CL for awhile now?

5. On that note, it saves time.  Instead of, "What about this day, this time....???" and then waiting, waiting, waiting. It's "Perfect, I can just leave it on our front door step and you can leave the money under that mat. You can stop by anytime between _:__ and _:__. We'll be in and out all day. Give me a call if you have any trouble finding the address." And I almost always say "address"...not "house". Sometimes it's the little things.

5. We live up on a high hill with close neighbors, but not CLOSE neighbors. If you try this method, make sure you don't have a neighbor kid (or adult heaven forbid!) spying on these "transactions" and taking advantage of you.

6. Our attitude is "If they take without paying, they take it", and move on.  It's just stuff...we'll be ok. I'd feel sad for them and their bad choice, but again, so far we've met (and not met) GREAT people! :-)

I hope you find this helpful! Maybe it's something you'll try,

maybe not, but it's been a great time saver for our family,

and it helps increase revenue while decluttering our revamping our home.

~~~~~~

I'm hoping to finish up and post

the Drexel Heritage Vanity and a Round Dining Table

by the end of the week.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed,

but I'm pretty preoocupied with kindergarten starting

and Annabelle's 6th birthday! Yeah!!!

Best of luck "Craigslisting"!

~Anneke~