Amazon.com vs. ebay

[BMWSTeve]

 

As riding season has drawn to a close and I am looking for something to do, I have decided to sell some excess stuff around the house.

 

So which 'auction house' is better? why?

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Craigslist is free, and you can target your local area.

 

Didn't sell? edit/repost your ad with a lower price after a couple of weeks. Again, free.

[OoPEZoO]

Craigslist is free, and you can target your local area.

 

Didn't sell? edit/repost your ad with a lower price after a couple of weeks. Again, free.

 

+1 for craigslist. I've sold some stuff on Ebay, but its so much nicer to just sell stuff localy and deal with cash. Hell, you might even end up accidently finding a riding buddy.

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Craigslist is free, and you can target your local area.

 

Didn't sell? edit/repost your ad with a lower price after a couple of weeks. Again, free.

 

+1 for craigslist. I've sold some stuff on Ebay, but its so much nicer to just sell stuff localy and deal with cash. Hell, you might even end up accidently finding a riding buddy.

 

Craigslist rocks. BUT, put all the information you possibly can in the ad. Try to answer every question someone might have about the item, and post good, detailed pictures. Craigslist is a blank slate and you can go to town with it- remember; you're not paying for size or space, so write a good ad, and have fun with it. If you can host your pictures elsewhere and write a tiny bit of HTML that will allow you to include big pictures, you'll be better off. Post your phone number in the ad and tell everyone to call you. Specifically tell them NOT TO email, and then don't answer any questions that will inevitably come in by email. If they can't follow the instructions in your ad, then any transaction you have with them is going to be difficult and testing. Take only cash or PayPal and sell it first-come first-served. Delete your ad when it sells. If you leave it up with a "sold" attached, take your number off it or they'll still call (DAMHIK.)

 

I've sold loads of stuff on Craigslist and given away a bunch of stuff too. Generally, I provide specific instuctions about how to contact me so the "craigslist flakes" who I rather not deal with generally don't get through. While I think it's a prime place to buy/sell things, the learning curve is steep, and often frustrating.

[JohnBryer]

I work for eBay...so sell it there so I can continue to work!

[BMWSTeve]

I will give CL another try. I have tried before and had a less than pleasant experience there.

 

 

[Mike]

If you're selling motorcycle-related stuff, the Classifieds section here is about as good as it gets--it's free, you're reaching your target audience, and there are very few transactions that go poorly. Having said that, I recognize that our restrictions can make it a bit cumbersome.

 

For other items I've turned increasingly to Craigslist. I used to use eBay quite a bit, but that was back in the days when it was new and more closely resembled an Internet swap meet. Over the past few years I've found that eBay's restrictions and, most importantly, their ever-increasing fees, make it unpalatable for most of my needs.

 

Now, I generally first turn to Craigslist. But, unlike Boney, I'm probably not as sophisticated as I should be. I generally list my e-mail address and find that I get a lot of nuisance inquiries--things like "I'll buy your $1,000 set of wheels for $150 bucks. Take it or leave it." Also, unlike eBay's auction format, you never know if you've maximized your sale price, even if you have avoided fees.

 

Having said all that, I'm not operating under any illusions that I'm going to get rich selling the crap that's overflowing from my garage. Don't tell anyone else this, but I'm happy to get pretty much anything for my old crap and I'd rather keep it simple. So, I put them on Craigslist, price things low, and advertise that they're "for pick-up only."

 

So, this would be my advice: If you're trying to just clear mundane things out, use Craigslist. If you have something rather rare or valuable, eBay is probably a better bet, since it offers some seller protections and reaches a wider audience.