If you are regular reader of this blog, you will find numerous (some might even say, excessive) references to kijiji.ca.
I love this website.
This has been our first line of defence in liquidating our assets. [Some people use Craigslist, though I’ve found …uh, better success with kijiji. Fewer seedy people… fewer dirty underpants for sale… fewer ads for “massage parlours”].
Some tips for selling things online:
- Start early. The longer your stuff is out there, the better chance you have of catching the interest of someone who will pay you a fair price for it.
- Price fairly. Do your research to find out what your item was worth new, and what others like it are selling for online. You’ll get fewer people lecturing you on overpriced goods if you price your stuff reasonably.
- Post lots of pictures. People really do respond to the visual stimuli – use it to your advantage.
- Add lots of detail to your ads. When people have to ask for lots of information, it wastes your time and theirs, and delays prospective sales.
- Make your ad stand out. Tell a story. Give funny details. For example, I add the line: “Whatever you do, do not look at my other ads” to tease people into viewing my other ads.
- Reply promptly. The faster you reply to inquiries, the more success you’ll have capitalizing on people’s instant gratification reflex.
- Be prepared for low-ballers. There are some people out there just looking for the deal of a lifetime. They’ll offer you $10 for something worth $500. To combat this, decide ahead of time what is the lowest you’ll accept for a certain item, then politely reply with “Sorry, that’s too low for me.” Sassy responses only result in online harassment, so don’t waste your time.
- Negotiate price online. You’ll come out on top if you agree to a price ahead of time rather than negotiating at the door.
- Use common sense when setting up a meeting place. You can meet in a public place, take someone with you, let someone know where you’re going if you’re going alone. If you’re not comfortable with people calling and texting at all hours, don’t put your phone number on the ad.
- Be prepared for no-show-ers. I’d say about 1/3 of the people who say they’re coming to pick something up do not show up. You can email a reminder on the day of to remind people to show up. And be polite in following up with no-show-ers (i.e. Hey, I figure you’re not able to make it today. I hope everything is OK – let me know if you’d like to reschedule).
- Disregard the crazies. The internet is chock-full of loonies, lonlies, lollies and trolls. Don’t engage with ANYONE who baits you.
- Watch out for scams. There are jerks out there on the internet, making their livings stealing from you and me. Key words to tip you off to these people include Pay-pal, money transfer and requests not to text back. Do not engage. You can report them to kijiji and forget about it.
- Repost. Repost. Repost. As often as you can stand it, delete your old ad and repost it in as a new ad. It will keep your ads at the top of the pile and makes all the difference in the world. Do not leave old ads up, or make multiples of the same ad. Kijiji shoppers find that SUPER annoying.
Here is how we’ve done:
Item | Asking Price | Amount received | |
Art | Three panel canvases | 30 | 25 |
Blank canvas (1×3) | 35 | 30 | |
Pair of Massive Canvases | 150 | 75 | |
IKEA flower canvas | 10 | 10 | |
Beatrix Potter Art | 50 | 20 | |
Moroccan Canvas | 15 | 15 | |
Framed horse photo | 30 | 20 | |
Moroccan Canvas II | 15 | 10 | |
Music Painting | 35 | 15 | |
Scotland mounted poster | 35 | 15 | |
Collage Picture frame | 40 | 25 | |
Teal, Black and white canvas | 125 | 120 | |
Colourful Bedroom Canvas | 125 | 50 | |
Pair of Nautical Pics | 40 | 30 | |
Dog Painting in City Park | 50 | 30 | |
Sports and Outdoor | MEC Backpack | 35 | 35 |
MEC Sleeping Bag | 135 | 135 | |
Women’s Bike | 350 | 300 | |
Women’s golf clubs | 75 | 75 | |
Large Cooler | 30 | 25 | |
Elliptical Machine | 125 | 100 | |
Ski Goggles | 30 | 30 | |
Ski Goggles | 15 | 15 | |
Air Mattress – single | 20 | 15 | |
Pair of Patio lounge chairs | 50 | 40 | |
Golf Caddie | 30 | 30 | |
Bike Rack | 40 | 35 | |
Bird Feeder | 20 | 10 | |
Men’s MEC Sleeping Bag | 85 | 50 | |
Men’s Golf Clubs | 500 | 500 | |
Women’s Outdoor Cleats | 30 | 30 | |
Men’s Outdoor Cleats | 30 | 30 | |
6 Birdhouses | 50 | 40 | |
Women’s Rollerblades | 45 | 46 | |
Mini Cooler | 8 | 8 | |
MEC Gators | 8 | 8 | |
Hockey Socks | 10 | 5 | |
Small Grey MEC Backpack | 15 | 10 | |
Orange OR Backpack | 15 | 15 | |
Large Blue MEC Backpack | 15 | 10 | |
Men’s Mountain Bike | 225 | 150 | |
Men’s Indoor Soccer Shoes | 30 | 20 | |
Tennis Rackets | 100 | 60 | |
Electronics | Battery Charger | 15 | 10 |
The Clapper | 20 | 18 | |
iPod dock | 100 | 75 | |
CPU Case | 10 | 10 | |
Joystick and Flight Sim Games | 25 | 25 | |
VCR/DVD Combo | 40 | 40 | |
Other iPod Dock | 30 | 20 | |
Flat Screen Sony TV | 175 | 175 | |
Fitbit | 85 | 70 | |
Computer Speakers and Sub Woofer | 15 | 10 | |
Samsung Galaxy S3 – broken | 30 | 30 | |
Underwater Camera | 10 | 10 | |
Garage Space Heater | 20 | 20 | |
Printer | 40 | 35 | |
Purple iPod Dock | 20 | 20 | |
Tube TV | 10 | 10 | |
Bluetooth Earpieces x2 | 25 | 20 | |
Hair Straightener | 30 | 25 | |
Computer Speakers | 10 | 5 | |
Books and Movies | Bibles | 5 | 5 |
Black Stallion DVD Series | 30 | 20 | |
WWII DVDs | 6 | 6 | |
Disney VHS Collection | 25 | 25 | |
Piano Book – Les Mis | 10 | 5 | |
Piano Book – Hunchback, Newsies | 20 | 20 | |
The Office Season 9 | 10 | 10 | |
Star Trek Seasons 1-3 | 100 | 50 | |
Furniture | Craft Bin – black | 15 | 15 |
Built-in bookshelf | 75 | 75 | |
Built-in Bookshelf – small | 40 | 40 | |
Purple Chair | 35 | 25 | |
Oak coffee table | 75 | 60 | |
Corner Shelf | 250 | 200 | |
Green Couches (2) | 175 | 125 | |
Craft Bin – white | 20 | 15 | |
Four IKEA coffee tables | 50 | 70 | |
IKEA Kallax | 75 | 75 | |
Red Wicker Chair | 40 | 35 | |
Little Filing Cabinet | 10 | 10 | |
Piano | 2400 | 2000 | |
Wet Bar | 100 | 80 | |
TV Stand | 40 | 30 | |
IKEA Computer Desk | 50 | 40 | |
Rolling Office Chair | 20 | 20 | |
Bar Stool | 45 | 40 | |
Dining Room Table (and 8 chairs) | 600 | 300 | |
King Bed | 200 | 200 | |
Clothing | Tea Party Hat | 50 | 30 |
Wedding Dress | 200 | 150 | |
Lip Purse | 35 | 35 | |
Kitchen | Blender | 20 | 15 |
Bridesmaid Dress | 20 | 20 | |
Food Processor | 150 | 150 | |
Minifridge | 100 | 100 | |
Kitchen scale | 8 | 5 | |
Table Runner | 15 | 12 | |
Apple Pealer | 15 | 10 | |
Electric Can Opener | 10 | 5 | |
Electric Hand mixer | 10 | 10 | |
Cream Table Cloth | 10 | 10 | |
White/Green Dish set | 60 | 60 | |
Deep Freeze | 40 | 35 | |
Automotive | Rooftop Carrier | 120 | 120 |
Chevy Cobalt Car | 1000 | 1000 | |
Toyota Highlander SUV | 5500 | 4500 | |
Crafting/Hobbies | Cards | 5 | 5 |
Cat Door | 50 | 30 | |
Misc. Fabrics | 10 | 10 | |
RC Park Flyer Airplane | 70 | 60 | |
Settlers of Catan Seafareres | 35 | 25 | |
RC Jet | 60 | 60 | |
RC Transmitter/Controller | 40 | 25 | |
RC Helicopter | 100 | 80 | |
Air Master RC Float Plane | 150 | 100 | |
Battery and Charger | 20 | 20 | |
RC Accessories | 50 | 50 | |
Jet-a-pult | 50 | 40 | |
Spitfire | 100 | 140 | |
Field Box | 25 | 25 | |
Trumpet | 1000 | 900 | |
Pet Stuff | Cat Tree – blue | 35 | 35 |
Cat Feeder | 75 | 40 | |
Fish Tank – fully loaded | 100 | 90 | |
Dog Kennel | 30 | 30 | |
Dog House | 150 | 100 | |
Bin of dog balls | 15 | 10 | |
Dog Bed | 25 | 25 | |
Dog collars and bed | 40 | 35 | |
Leash, poop bags, clippers | 10 | 5 | |
Cat Crate | 30 | 15 | |
Cat Tree | 80 | 75 | |
Lighting | Aztec Lamp | 50 | 50 |
Pair of teal lamps | 35 | 30 | |
Pair of lampshades | 30 | 15 | |
Trio of lanterns | 35 | 35 | |
Black lamp | 20 | 20 | |
Antique Lamp | 15 | 15 | |
Black Lamp | 15 | 15 | |
Tools | Scroll Saw | 225 | 180 |
Drill Press | 85 | 70 | |
Belt and Disc Sander | 50 | 50 | |
Band Saw | 100 | 90 | |
Jig Saw | 50 | 40 | |
Steel Toed Work Boots | 100 | 40 | |
Home Décor | Red Couch Pillows | 35 | 20 |
Decorative Boats | 8 | 8 | |
Teal Pillows | 12.5 | 5 | |
Nautical Reversible Duvet Cover | 10 | 10 | |
Queen Duvet Cover and shams | 30 | 30 | |
Other | Aircast boot | 50 | 45 |
Cash box | 30 | 25 | |
Single French Horn | 250 | 200 | |
Garden Ladder | 75 | 45 | |
Maple Syrup | 15 | 10 | |
House Plants | 5 to 25 | 3 to 15 | |
Plant pots | 5-40 | 5-35 | |
Bathroom Scale | 30 | 20 | |
Poker Set | 50 | 40 | |
Boggle | 5 | ||
Toothpaste/Tin Foil | 15 | 10 | |
Christmas Decorations | 35 | 15 | |
French Door | 75 | 80 | |
Space Pen | 20 | 15 | |
Office Chair Mat | 15 | 5 | |
Cream Area Rug | 100 | 80 | |
Teal Area Rug | 225 | 180 | |
Face Creams | 20 | 20 | |
Music Stand | 40 | 30 | |
Kitchen Faucet (1 handle) | 40 | 30 | |
Shoe Rack | 15 | 15 | |
Kitchen Faucet (2 handled) | 20 | 20 | |
Shoe Rack | 8 | 8 | |
Carry On Suitcase | 15 | 15 | |
Two Binders | 5 | 3 | |
Totals | 19913.5 | 16472 |
Yes, Kijiji is a great website. I hope Gumtree is just as good!
Isn’t it amazing how much stuff we’ve collected over the years!?
We’ll have to be more careful about not accumulating too much on the other side of the ocean 😉 Dan. I’m looking at you, man. Reign in that shopping bug would you please?
Can’t believe you sold your Boggle!
I can’t believe someone bought it 😉 We’ve got to find an online boggle game we can play against one another with.
Hey Guys!! Well done on the selling stuff! This is an amazing accomplishment! 🙂 Super pumped for you!