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Buying and Selling On Craigslist

Buying and Selling On Craigslist

Ive been loving Craigslist lately because weve been selling some furniture recently ...more on that later.

Ive got a challenge for you. Can you tell which armoire I purchased on Craigslist and which one I paid full retail for??? 
If you looked inside, youd probably see that one is a little more worn than the other and guess that it was the one that was purchased on Craigslist...
 I purchased the armoire on the left at least 14 years ago  retail,  then about 6 years ago,  I thought a matching one would look good, so we found a matching one on Craigslist for about a third of the price.


I think that at least half of the furniture we have in our house was found on Craigslist. I found the vintage china cabinet in our Family Room several years ago.
We sold the black sofa table last year . 


We couldnt afford the matching china hutch to our dining room table way back in the early 90s and our crystal glasses were kept in one of our kitchen cabinets for years, until I finally found this matching one on Craigslist a couple of years ago. I had plans to paint it, but never got around to it. When we downsize, I may be selling the table and the hutch- you guessed it- on Craigslist -- and look for something a little less formal. 


I think these bookcases were my all time favorite find on Craigslist. Of course, they didnt always look this great. Click HERE to see how ugly they were when we bought them.  Almost all the other furniture in our daughters bedroom was found on Craigslist too: her dresser, a nightstand and her headboard. 


Our oldest daughters armoire and nightstand were Craigslist finds. We transformed the amoire for into a makeup center  for her a couple of years before she moved to SoCal. You can see the awesome Organized Armoire post HERE.



Another piece of furniture I always intended to paint was this bookcase in our music room. Found it on Craigslist too.  Im hoping to find a place for it in the smaller home we buy, hopefully this year.  Maybe then Ill paint it! 


When I wanted to make a fancy Framed Chalkboard, I searched Craigslist for  a mirror and transformed it. You can see how we did it HERE.

Found the new chair (it really is new) on Craigslist. 

Other items Ive purchased on Craigslist:
Executive desk for Mr. DIY(havent shown you yet)
Breakfast table
Upholstered chair for bedroom*
Dresser for guest room and upstairs bedroom at the Mountain Cottage
Vintage Cabinet and ladder, Vintage Buffet, new bathroom vanity at the Mountain Cottage

Weve also sold a whole bunch of things on Craigslist over the years:
Furniture, mirrors, kids toys and clothes, trailer hitches, etc.

Which brings me to what weve sold lately:
I put this ad up on Craigslist last Saturday morning and had them sold by Sunday, along with another dining table. 


We purchased the headboard and Basset nightstand from a friends estate sale for $125. We bought the matching Basset dresser on Craigslist for $150. Total: $275.

We sold the 3 together for $350. Not bad; we made money on the deal and used the furniture for several years. 

Here are a few tips if you decide to Buy or Sell on Craigslist:
Safety first!

Ive always met the nicest people both buying and selling things on Craigslist, but...

• Dont go to a strangers house alone and dont have a buyer come to your house when youre home alone.

• Dont give out your address until the person is on their way over and you (and someone else) are home.

• Move the item you are selling into a front room, so they arent coming into your home and seeing everything you have.

• I wont buy upholstered items with the exception that its new or from a model home (Im afraid of bedbugs). Always check all furniture items for signs of bugs.

• Always buy furniture from a home in a nice neighborhood with a clean home. Dont be afraid to leave the item behind if the home isnt clean.

• Always ask if the person will take less. (name an amount)

• Always bring cash

• Call the person if you say youre coming over and cant make it for some reason. 

• Always include measurements in your ad when selling furniture!

• Resale/Antique shops and shops that sell new closeout items also place ads on Craigslist, so you never know what youre going to find. 

• Start you Craigslist search on Thursday, place your ads on Thursday and Friday. Look often. Sometimes it takes me months to find the perfect piece. 

Buying and Selling On Craigslist