10 Years After "Get Rich With.. Craigslist," How to YOU Buy or Sell Used Stuff?

[GuitarStv]

Kijiji is pretty big here in Canada.  Seems to be bigger than craigslist.  It's what I've used to sell most of my stuff.

the best site has to be trade me. You can even find time machines on there!

http://web.mit.edu/zoz/Public/Time%20machine%20for%20sale%20-%20TradeMe.co.nz%20-%20New%20Zealand.pdf

Man, I could use a 12$ time machine . . .

[ender]

I've found Facebook marketplace way better for selling and buying most things.

People seem much less flaky.

[GodlessCommie]

Or when C doesn't get the shirt, they create a post of their own post asking for a shirt (you're encouraged to ask for things you need, not just give them), and gets buried alive in shirt offers. These groups are incredibly generous and your odds are pretty good of getting whatever you ask for, if it's a common item like clothing.

I don't question the generosity in the slightest! And I hope things are better in Canada - but in the US, several things are in the way:
- digital divide. People who need a shirt may not have internet.
- time poverty. At least before the pandemic, most people working minimum wage jobs worked multiple minimum wage jobs, leaving less time for everything else.
- language. In our area, a decent share of people needing a shirt don't speak English well or at all.
- geographic boundaries often = economic boundaries. You can easily have Buy Nothing A-ville, where everyone is happy to give a shirt, and Buy Nothing C-ville, where everyone needs a shirt.

I'm in A-ville, we recently got merged with an even more affluent area, and it is now a struggle to give anything away. But when people ask for something on behalf of a charity or a neighbor or someone else, they are (as you described) bombarded with offers.

[Zikoris]

Or when C doesn't get the shirt, they create a post of their own post asking for a shirt (you're encouraged to ask for things you need, not just give them), and gets buried alive in shirt offers. These groups are incredibly generous and your odds are pretty good of getting whatever you ask for, if it's a common item like clothing.

I don't question the generosity in the slightest! And I hope things are better in Canada - but in the US, several things are in the way:
- digital divide. People who need a shirt may not have internet.
- time poverty. At least before the pandemic, most people working minimum wage jobs worked multiple minimum wage jobs, leaving less time for everything else.
- language. In our area, a decent share of people needing a shirt don't speak English well or at all.
- geographic boundaries often = economic boundaries. You can easily have Buy Nothing A-ville, where everyone is happy to give a shirt, and Buy Nothing C-ville, where everyone needs a shirt.

I'm in A-ville, we recently got merged with an even more affluent area, and it is now a struggle to give anything away. But when people ask for something on behalf of a charity or a neighbor or someone else, they are (as you described) bombarded with offers.

Getting someone else to post for you seems to take care of most of those problems. Unless in addition to having no internet, time, or English, you also don't know anyone with internet, time, or English, in which case you probably have bigger problems that lack of a shirt. Certainly in my group we get a lot of people posting on behalf of their mom, friend, etc. But regardless, the groups are not aiming to solve poverty or provide charity, but to be sustainable and build local community, so as long as someone ends up getting and using the stuff, goal met.

My group works super well boundary-wise because the area happens to be about half gentrified, rich yuppies (including me), half poor people who need all sorts of stuff, so tons of stuff is up for grabs all the time, and stuff gets taken really quickly.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Or when C doesn't get the shirt, they create a post of their own post asking for a shirt (you're encouraged to ask for things you need, not just give them), and gets buried alive in shirt offers. These groups are incredibly generous and your odds are pretty good of getting whatever you ask for, if it's a common item like clothing.

I don't question the generosity in the slightest! And I hope things are better in Canada - but in the US, several things are in the way:
- digital divide. People who need a shirt may not have internet.
- time poverty. At least before the pandemic, most people working minimum wage jobs worked multiple minimum wage jobs, leaving less time for everything else.
- language. In our area, a decent share of people needing a shirt don't speak English well or at all.
- geographic boundaries often = economic boundaries. You can easily have Buy Nothing A-ville, where everyone is happy to give a shirt, and Buy Nothing C-ville, where everyone needs a shirt.

I'm in A-ville, we recently got merged with an even more affluent area, and it is now a struggle to give anything away. But when people ask for something on behalf of a charity or a neighbor or someone else, they are (as you described) bombarded with offers.

This is one reason we don't use the Buy Nothing group anymore.  Time poverty is real, as is transportation poverty, connectivity poverty, etc.  We think it's best to try to get our excess to either a) the people who truly need it, or b) a charity that runs a thrift store and uses the proceeds to help people in need.  Honestly, most of what I gave on BN or saw being given wasn't the basics like clothing and housewares.  But I came to realize that the non-essential items were still best given to a solid charity, and my neighbors could shop at the thrift shop if they wanted something.  In other words, I came to see that Buy Nothing cuts out the most needy people.  To participate a person needs time to do so, a device that can get to Facebook (and I do know people who have phones that can't) and internet access, transportation to get to the location and carry home items and money to pay for the gasoline.  In terms of Mustachianism, BN is great because people who are not in poverty can use it to reduce their expenses and work toward their FIRE goals.  In those terms, Craigslist and FB Marketplace are also great because we can now sell items we would have donated before.  They just aren't great for those in true poverty.

We have several thrift stores we can donate to.  We take the most usable essential household and clothing items to the local food pantry that also serves homeless families and helps get them set up in housing.  They don't run a thrift store, so we don't donate anything that doesn't fit in the categories they specify.  Nice items go to our local Assistance League because their main program in a free dental clinic for underserved children.  As a child who only went to the dentist twice before I was 18 (at age 7 and age 14) and who as an adult has had many dental issues as a result, I see great value in this program.  The rest goes to Goodwill; we personally know someone who is helped by their programs.  If Goodwill isn't accepting we take it to the large thrift store with huge space for taking in items, but they run as a hybrid program with some of their profits going to a charitable program.  They will, however, take absolutely anything, including many things Goodwill turns down.  Oh, and we also have a Habitat ReStore and have taken them old doors, and old sink, etc.

I give much more valuable items now that I've come around to seeing myself as privileged and not in need of squeezing every dollar back out of items I've purchased.  Just yesterday we took in a barely used microscope we could have sold on eBay for over $100 without a doubt.

[JustK]

We have a great and active neighborhood FB group (everything from "anybody know where this dog belongs?" to "please come take some of our mangoes"). Most of us just give our stuff away for free to one another. Post a picture, get a message from interested neighbor, stick out on the porch, done.  It's great to keep stuff out of the landfill, save a trip to the donation center, and meet neighbors.

[Zikoris]

This is one reason we don't use the Buy Nothing group anymore.  Time poverty is real, as is transportation poverty, connectivity poverty, etc.  We think it's best to try to get our excess to either a) the people who truly need it, or b) a charity that runs a thrift store and uses the proceeds to help people in need.  Honestly, most of what I gave on BN or saw being given wasn't the basics like clothing and housewares.  But I came to realize that the non-essential items were still best given to a solid charity, and my neighbors could shop at the thrift shop if they wanted something.  In other words, I came to see that Buy Nothing cuts out the most needy people.  To participate a person needs time to do so, a device that can get to Facebook (and I do know people who have phones that can't) and internet access, transportation to get to the location and carry home items and money to pay for the gasoline.  In terms of Mustachianism, BN is great because people who are not in poverty can use it to reduce their expenses and work toward their FIRE goals.  In those terms, Craigslist and FB Marketplace are also great because we can now sell items we would have donated before.  They just aren't great for those in true poverty.

We have several thrift stores we can donate to.  We take the most usable essential household and clothing items to the local food pantry that also serves homeless families and helps get them set up in housing.  They don't run a thrift store, so we don't donate anything that doesn't fit in the categories they specify.  Nice items go to our local Assistance League because their main program in a free dental clinic for underserved children.  As a child who only went to the dentist twice before I was 18 (at age 7 and age 14) and who as an adult has had many dental issues as a result, I see great value in this program.  The rest goes to Goodwill; we personally know someone who is helped by their programs.  If Goodwill isn't accepting we take it to the large thrift store with huge space for taking in items, but they run as a hybrid program with some of their profits going to a charitable program.  They will, however, take absolutely anything, including many things Goodwill turns down.  Oh, and we also have a Habitat ReStore and have taken them old doors, and old sink, etc.

I give much more valuable items now that I've come around to seeing myself as privileged and not in need of squeezing every dollar back out of items I've purchased.  Just yesterday we took in a barely used microscope we could have sold on eBay for over $100 without a doubt.

The big (sustainability) problem with donating to thrift stores is that most of them get so much more donated than they can possibly sell, and a TON of it ends up in the landfill at the end of the day. Buy Nothing is specifically trying to avoid that situation by giving goods directly to people who want to use them.

The other thing that's pretty good about Buy Nothing is that you can give away stuff that other places wouldn't take. Like if you bought some food item and didn't like it, you could give away an opened package of granola bars or cookies or whatnot. People on my groups give away a lot of food items. You can also give away broken or damaged or semi-functional things, which secondhand stores won't take, but a lot of people on BN are happy to take and fix. Both of those are super sustainable options that make a big difference in minimizing what goes in the garbage.

[Adventine]

[/snip]

The other thing that's pretty good about Buy Nothing is that you can give away stuff that other places wouldn't take. Like if you bought some food item and didn't like it, you could give away an opened package of granola bars or cookies or whatnot. People on my groups give away a lot of food items. You can also give away broken or damaged or semi-functional things, which secondhand stores won't take, but a lot of people on BN are happy to take and fix. Both of those are super sustainable options that make a big difference in minimizing what goes in the garbage.

I agree that this is a big advantage of the Buy Nothing groups.

[Jenny Wren]

Buy Nothing is about so much more than getting items to the needy or scoring a deal. It's about forging strong and sustainability minded communities. I've belonged to mixed income neighborhood groups, affluent groups, and working class groups over the years and across a couple of cities. Sure, people give away unwanted items, but they also band together to tackle issues affecting our area. There's an ongoing take-out container drive going on for a group of members that cook and deliver meals to the homeless, for example. There are apartment dwellers that crave a garden to work in that have teamed up with elderly members to help them tend their yards. We have an entertainment box that anyone can borrow if they need a bunch of reusable place settings for a party, and meal train box with reusable containers and people ready to fill them if someone is in need of a meal train. So many meals left on porches as members contracted Covid last year and didn't have the energy to take care of themselves or their children. People give others rides to airports when no ubers are available, or have rushed over a handful of diapers when a paycheck has been delayed. We had a free group garage sale two years ago for the holidays, and opened it up to anyone passing by, BN member or not. Affluent, middle class, and unhoused community members, young and old, mingled on equal ground at that sale. It was kind of moving to see how much everyone is the same once the idea of money is removed from the activity.

For me, BN is so, so much more than free stuff. It's a glimpse of what we could be as a society if we tried to do better. I don't do Marketplace and rarely visit Craigslist. It's BN all the way. Once they fully launch the Buy Nothing app, I can fully abandon my FB account, since my BN group is the only reason I am still on that platform.

[Adventine]

Buy Nothing is about so much more than getting items to the needy or scoring a deal. It's about forging strong and sustainability minded communities. I've belonged to mixed income neighborhood groups, affluent groups, and working class groups over the years and across a couple of cities. Sure, people give away unwanted items, but they also band together to tackle issues affecting our area. There's an ongoing take-out container drive going on for a group of members that cook and deliver meals to the homeless, for example. There are apartment dwellers that crave a garden to work in that have teamed up with elderly members to help them tend their yards. We have an entertainment box that anyone can borrow if they need a bunch of reusable place settings for a party, and meal train box with reusable containers and people ready to fill them if someone is in need of a meal train. So many meals left on porches as members contracted Covid last year and didn't have the energy to take care of themselves or their children. People give others rides to airports when no ubers are available, or have rushed over a handful of diapers when a paycheck has been delayed. We had a free group garage sale two years ago for the holidays, and opened it up to anyone passing by, BN member or not. Affluent, middle class, and unhoused community members, young and old, mingled on equal ground at that sale. It was kind of moving to see how much everyone is the same once the idea of money is removed from the activity.

For me, BN is so, so much more than free stuff. It's a glimpse of what we could be as a society if we tried to do better. I don't do Marketplace and rarely visit Craigslist. It's BN all the way. Once they fully launch the Buy Nothing app, I can fully abandon my FB account, since my BN group is the only reason I am still on that platform.

It's great that your BN community has progressed to that level! Mine isn't yet, although it's certainly on its way.

[GodlessCommie]

What you describe sounds awesome, @Botany Bae ! Our group is, unfortunately, nowhere near.

[draco44]

[/snip]

The other thing that's pretty good about Buy Nothing is that you can give away stuff that other places wouldn't take. Like if you bought some food item and didn't like it, you could give away an opened package of granola bars or cookies or whatnot. People on my groups give away a lot of food items. You can also give away broken or damaged or semi-functional things, which secondhand stores won't take, but a lot of people on BN are happy to take and fix. Both of those are super sustainable options that make a big difference in minimizing what goes in the garbage.

I agree that this is a big advantage of the Buy Nothing groups.

+1 Buy Nothing is wonderful as a way to keep items that regular thrift shops wouldn't be able to or want to handle out the the landfill. A post on my local group for a collection of partially used high-end hair products got a flurry of interest.

Re. the concern that BN is keeping the "good stuff" out of the hands of those who most need it, I understand the concern but would venture that there is regional variation in this. My experience is that in dense population areas at least, thrift stores often get more donations than they can handle, and therefore I support the existence of both thrift stores as well as Buy Nothing as multiple pathways to get stuff re-homed. In the case of textiles at least, a lot of what's donated to thrift stores never sells, and eventually is rerouted for auction in baled lots, sale overseas (negatively impacting clothing production industries in those countries), shredding for recycling, or incineration. https://www.greenamerica.org/unraveling-fashion-industry/what-really-happens-unwanted-clothes There's simply too much stuff being produced overall, at least in the category of fast fashion clothing.

[draco44]

Just realized my last post is very similar to what Zikoris said. Sorry for repeating. Bottom line, I find it exciting that BN creates a new way for unwanted items to circulate and be used. Everybody has different ideas about the best way to deal with their stuff, and having more options in this field is something I see as a net positive for society.

[Dicey]

Every time I hear about Buy Nothing groups, I really, really want to join. Until I remember it's run through Facebook and I run away screaming. I do volunteer at a thrift store, but they don't take everything. For now, I just use NextDoor.

[ysette9]

Personally I like that BN provides a very local way of getting in touch with your neighbors as well as giving a new life to things that wouldn’t necessarily be accepted otherwise. An extra onion, half a bottle of lotion, an opened bag of cereal, etc.

[Zikoris]

Personally I like that BN provides a very local way of getting in touch with your neighbors as well as giving a new life to things that wouldn’t necessarily be accepted otherwise. An extra onion, half a bottle of lotion, an opened bag of cereal, etc.

Oh yeah. A day or two ago someone in my group posted that she bought ingredients to make a specific dish, and then tripped and broke her arm, so she was giving the recipe + all needed ingredients since she wouldn't be able to cook it before stuff went bad. It's a pretty cool idea.

[Morning Glory]

On language barriers: I recently sold my car through FB marketplace to someone who spoke no English. We used a translation app for the whole deal (he spoke Spanish and I can understand/read a little but don't speak very well).

I don't think my area has a buy nothing group but I was able to list things for free in the marketplace if I didn't think I could sell them.  I've been able to give away broken things on the classified board at my old job. I was very honest e.g. "this printer has something wrong with the carriage mechanism but I want to keep it out of the landfill" and always had people show up and get my stuff. I've also had luck with just leaving stuff next to the road.

[draco44]

Like Morning Glory, I've also had success in the past giving away items at work. I am still teleworking at the moment but when in the office it was a common practice to leave things up for grabs in the pantry area (labeled as free so you don't accidentally steal someone's lunch). I've given away lots of odds and ends, like greeting cards I would never use. And got to try a bunch of different teas that other people that rejected.

Multi-unit living spaces can also have good giveaway opportunities. Earlier in life I lived in an intern housing building, and people were coming and going so much that in the laundry room it seemed like there was always at least two or three containers of partially used detergent that people left behind for others to take when they moved out.

[Adventine]

Another thing I really like about my local Buy Nothing group: people are extremely generous to those who are struggling financially. I've seen posts from single moms, sick seniors, broke college students, and even people who used to be homeless and are now trying to set up a household from scratch. Some givers even offer to drive the items over to the asker's home.

Of course, there will always be people who will take advantage of the generosity of others, but the interactions I've seen on my local group seem to be between honest people.

The most memorable post I've seen was a guy who collected art supplies that other people didn't want any more, and used the materials to create his first solo art exhibition. He was open about the fact that he would never have been able to afford the supplies on his own. I really liked that he made something valuable out of junk that other people had lying around their homes.

[lhamo]

Every time I hear about Buy Nothing groups, I really, really want to join. Until I remember it's run through Facebook and I run away screaming.

They are currently beta testing their own app in selected areas (mine is one of the ones due to roll out soon) and will be moving off FB in due course.

[Zikoris]

Every time I hear about Buy Nothing groups, I really, really want to join. Until I remember it's run through Facebook and I run away screaming.

They are currently beta testing their own app in selected areas (mine is one of the ones due to roll out soon) and will be moving off FB in due course.

Which kind of sucks for lower-technology people who don't have smartphones or devices capable of running modern apps. Love it or hate it, Facebook is extremely accessible.

[ChpBstrd]

Craigslist's poor management has left them behind the times. They're still using email instead of app-based chats, which is why the scams are impossible to control, and also why it takes 3 days to coordinate a time to pick up an item. Plus you can flag something as a scam all day and nothing will happen to the ad.

The killer was when Craigslist started charging for certain categories of ads.
https://www.craigslist.org/about/help/posting_fees

So now you have to pay to use their inferior service.

I've been casually selling objects off my front porch during the pandemic, using FB marketplace. Had a device posted for sale a couple days ago for $125, chatted with a guy who told me exactly when he was coming to pick it up, waved at him through the window as he picked it up, and there was $130 in the mailbox because I guess he didn't want to bother to ask if I'd break a ten. It doesn't get any easier than that. My porch is an ongoing yard sale and I just check on it periodically. No one has ever ripped me off.

Yes the "is it available" + silence people (or bots) are annoying, but not as bad as if you under-price something and wake up to 30 messages! Thus I price everything high and slowly lower the ask. I've sold some items off my porch for as low as $10. Never underestimate people's willingness to drive long distances for a "bargain" which is often something I pulled off a neighbor's trash.

The most annoying thing about FB ads is that it's so easy to post stuff via the app people don't put much effort into it. You'll see something like "car" or "MacBook" or "speakers" with one photo and no other information about year, mileage, specs, whether it even works, etc. Given the convoluted process to post on CL at least people generally write a description!

Oh yea. I absolutely hate Facebook, and if I found myself in one of their data centers I would have a hard time not setting it on fire. I put misinformation in my profile just to be a jerk to them. But this is an example of using the internet instead of being used by the internet. I'm making $ on FB. Other people are getting Covid misinformation on FB and ending up dead. That's the difference.

[grantmeaname]

I totally agree that craigslist is behind the times - I would add the lack of moderation to your list - but there have been fees on craigslist for certain categories since at least 2004.

My problem is I really want to transact in the used marketplace but I really don't want to help Zuck destroy society and the world to do it. Fuck Facebook and everything it stands for.

[Drink Coffee And Stack Money]

I'm a collector at heart but I buy a lot of stuff to flip as well. I sell mostly through eBay and Facebook groups, plus a little (maybe 5%) through Instagram. Mostly vintage sports memorabilia/cards, vintage toys (70's-80's), and related pop culture stuff.

Edited to add: I've also used auction houses REA and Heritage to sell some higher dollar stuff.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Every time I hear about Buy Nothing groups, I really, really want to join. Until I remember it's run through Facebook and I run away screaming. I do volunteer at a thrift store, but they don't take everything. For now, I just use NextDoor.

So true!  I mostly liked my Buy Nothing group but eventually decided I can't support Facebook.  Luckily we do have one thrift store that will take almost anything: power cords without devices/appliances, bags of screws, old toilet seats, used buckets, etc.  They even take broken furniture and stick it outside on their bargain patio.  I have a ranking of where to take donations based on their value.  Assistance League gets the best stuff.  Goodwill gets most of the other stuff since they're across the street from AL.  The independent thrift gets items we aren't sure GW will take, as well as any load of donations that doesn't contain items for AL (to simplify things).

[Retire-Canada]

I'm generally not a FB fan, but, Market Place is probably the best feature at the moment. I've been moving and have sold a ton of stuff on the platform as well as given away a lot of items. I was using our local version of CL and FBM, but FBM out performed the local CL so badly I stopped using anything other than FBM.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I view Buy Nothing & true charitable donations as totally separate. Buy Nothing is about matching people with unwanted goods. Thrift stores can do that, but the stores in my area are overwhelmed. Also to the point about open products, food items, etc. My goal with Buy Nothing is to keep my unwanted items out of landfills, as often as possible.

For true charitable donations, I make them with cash, with an employer match. I realize not everyone can do this, and there are many ways to give back (volunteering time, donating goods, etc) but that's how I separate them in my mind. I don't view Buy Nothing as charity, I view it as an environmental win.

[Dicey]

I view Buy Nothing & true charitable donations as totally separate. Buy Nothing is about matching people with unwanted goods. Thrift stores can do that, but the stores in my area are overwhelmed. Also to the point about open products, food items, etc. My goal with Buy Nothing is to keep my unwanted items out of landfills, as often as possible.

For true charitable donations, I make them with cash, with an employer match. I realize not everyone can do this, and there are many ways to give back (volunteering time, donating goods, etc) but that's how I separate them in my mind. I don't view Buy Nothing as charity, I view it as an environmental win.

I completely agree. Giving away something you no longer want or need isn't exactly an act of charity. Oh dear, can you tell I went to Catholic school?

[Retire-Canada]

I completely agree. Giving away something you no longer want or need isn't exactly an act of charity. Oh dear, can you tell I went to Catholic school?

Would that include money you no longer want or need?

[Dicey]

I completely agree. Giving away something you no longer want or need isn't exactly an act of charity. Oh dear, can you tell I went to Catholic school?

Would that include money you no longer want or need?

Yeah, I have a Donor Advised Fund for that ;-)