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The free section on Craigslist is one of the most profitable sections on the website for me. There are a lot of ways to make money through the craigslist free section from reselling, to recycling, restoring, trading, use in your own home and many other uses. People tend to give things away when they are cleaning, in a rush to move or just do not want to spend the time trying to sell the item. Which ever case they all have one thing in common, they want it it GONE and FAST. I want to share with you how I view the free section and what I do to get maximum profit from it. 

Time Matters

When trying to score something off the free section it is always good to remember how important time is. If the item is good and of some value there is a very large chance that other people are wanting it as well. Spotting an item in the first 15-20 mins of being online is the best chance you will have at it, past 20-30 minutes can be to late. There are lots of other eyes cruising Craigslist and looking to spot those deals too. So when you spot something call/email right away and tell them you are interested and ready to pick up. Most people giving something away do not want to hold onto it, so if you are unable to get in your car immediately and start heading to the location you most likely will not get it. No shame in asking but keep that in mind. Also if its a CURBALERT then check the time the ad was posted and the location before you go waste your time. If its within 10-20 miles away and was posted less then a hour ago you should still be in the race and will have a good chance at acquisition of the item.

Respect the List!

Do not be that guy who is told it is no longer available and offers to pay for it, or beat them there. No one likes a sore loser. Just accept that someone beat you to it and ask to be next in line if they do not show up. I recently picked up a massage table from the free section and when I arrived the owner told me that one person requested to pay her $20 for the item, when she said no he then asked to be next in line if I just so happen to get in a car crash or something.. DON’T BE THAT GUY. Fortunately the owner of the table told him she was staying true to her word and would be giving the table to me. (I spotted this ad within 23 minutes of being posted, immediately sent a message saying I could be there in 30 minutes, hopped in my car and started heading in that direction)

 

What To Do With Your Awesome New FREEBIE? 

Resale

Seems simple enough: spot the item, get the item and sell the item. This simple process is potentially the best  financial Craiglist gain you may come across. It requires essentially zero work, the most difficult part is the travel to acquire the item. This only works if the item is not complete garbage. In reference to the massage table,  it was in great shape so I was able to list it and sell if for $80 a couple days later.

Restore/ Reincarnate

Some items acquired may not be in the most beautiful of shape and may need a little TLC. Whether it be a deep cleaning, a new paint job, some missing hardware installed or any sort of fix, restoring an item can greatly increase what you can sell it for. Lets say you found a book shelf that is in good condition, you can either sell it as is for maybe $30-50 or you can paint it, possibly stain it, sand out the dings and then sell it in excellent condition for $60-100. You have the possibility to double your money by doing 10 minutes of work. If you have the space, time and will power then this extra step proves very effective.

Recycling

Recycling is one of my top freebie turn-around’s because all you do is pick up the item, drive to the recycling place and collect your money. If you have a trailer, truck or SUV this is more practical but if you are on your grind you can still do this no matter what your vehicle is. I have filled a Honda Civic as full as possible with metal scraps that I received for free. People love to give away scrap metal because it is just a pain in the ass for them to get rid of, but for us grinders it’s dollar signs in our eyes (at least for me it is). It is very important to do your research on what metal is worth what, so you can decipher what is worth your time. Once you acquire the knowledge of whats worth what you will begin to see money making opportunities scrapping metals all the time. Whether it be sticking out of your neighbors garbage can, piled in the corner at the garage sale/craigslist deal, or just at your own home; scrapping metal is a great way to turn garbage and other people’s laziness into cash.

This website is a little disorganized but offers a lot of good information on scrapping metal.

Personal Use

The free section is a great way to not only make money, but to save money! I have outfitted my last 3 living spaces almost completely with free items. Of course, when you are getting items like a couch, a bed or anything for that matter; you should always DEEP CLEAN.. TWICE. There is so much filth on some items that you do not even know about so protect yourself, your home and your family by just cleaning a little more than normal. Once you are done with the item you can then sell it and now you got a double profit (use for some time + money in your pocket).

Trading

By far my favorite use of Craigslist (besides filling my pockets with cash) is the barter section. Trading an item for another item has a sort of mystery to it and also has the potential for you to increase your value. When trading an item you got for free, you have 100% profit and are potentially trading for something of more value. Either way you go with the trade, you come up profitable. Trading is like fishing, you may know what your looking for but may be surprised at what you may pull out of the water. You can either post an ad looking for something specific or just post an open ended ad stating some interests and asking people to make you an offer. Whatever way you choose you will make money and be surprised at what you get offered.

*TRADE WARNING: Depending on where you live, you may get a lot of offers about trading weed, a lot of offers*

 

 

  One Man’s Trash, Is Another Man’s Treasure 

For those of you who do not know what a tire kicker is.. basically it’s that person whose going to question you about everything and potentially set up a deal but in reality they won’t show, you wont hear back from them as the meeting time approaches or at the last minute they decide not to buy. THE biggest time wasters for any type of business but especially for us re-salesmen.

HOW TO SPOT AND DEAL WITH A TIRE KICKER?

Tire kickers tend to blend in really well with our actual customers. The trick is to be able spot them and stop wasting your precious time. IMMEDIATELY.

Tire kickers will never buy from you, they get their kicks from just entertaining the idea of owning that new car or buying that bigger TV. They have a bunch of inner anxiety and doubt inside that makes them hold back. (I know I have been there)

If you cannot get the potential customer or client to tell you exactly what their doubts are then they are most likely a TK! When a TK is asking similar questions over and over, never really finding satisfaction in the knowledge you have give them about the product/ service, they are just filling their own head with self doubt trying to justify why not to go forward. Once you get the slightest doubt this person is wasting your time, just let them know you have given them as much information as you can and for them to contact you when they feel ready. Most likely you will never hear back from them.

If the TK has kept it quick with the questions and set a meeting time expressing great interest. The next step is the typical last minute cancellation or no show, we understand things happen but when you’re trying to make money, your time is valuable! When someone tries to set up an appointment with me, I have a ONE DAY RULE. If they seem legit, I will let them know that I will hold the item for one day. If they are asking for anymore time, I politely let them know that it is first come first serve and if it is still available in a few days they are welcome to have it.

AVOIDING A TIRE KICKER

When it comes to DEALING with tire kickers, the best remedy is to not ATTRACT them in the first place. Using direct language in your ad is critical. Saying “Firm” or “No Low Balls” or “Will only respond to emails with phone Number” are a few ways to help discourage a TK.

If you leave your ad open ended, like saying “Inquire for more info” or “Make me an offer”, you are basically saying COME WASTE MY TIME.

Be informative and precise in your ad.

Make it clear it is first come first serve. MONEY TALKS

Be firm on your price, if running an OBO (Or Best Offer), set a limit for what you actually want. For example when some one counters your $140 with a $60. Tell them you will not go any lower then $100. If they are interested then move forward. Do not just ignore a lower bid, kindly let them know your bottom line.

Use the ONE DAY RULE, to set up appointments and times, if no price has been negotiated then remind them you want X amount of money for the product before they arrive. Nothing is worse then trying to haggle with someone who was ready to cut your valuation by 40% or more when you knew the whole time you would go lower then 20% less.

Be direct and be honest. It will go a long way for both parties.

 

Kick Rocks, Not Tires