Research your product: Know what you have and how much it is worth. Brand names are worth more. If you have a model number then you can do better online research. Look for reviews, go on sites that sell it new. All this will give you an indication of how much you can sell for. Ensure you compare like products. Many products are more cheaply made now than in the past, so old items might be worth more than new. Some new products are so badly made that you know they will break down or need to replaced before long. Use this info to your advangage.
Set Your Price: I usually go for about 50% of the general retail price. Smart sellers usually know how much they would have to pay in a retail store. Online prices will be cheaper because they have no rent and can do their business from their house, but online buyers need to factor in shipping costs. These shipping costs can be quite high for heavy items. Be fair with your price. A price that is too high will mean your item will not sell, or take a very long time to sell. A lower price will get it out the door faster. If you feel buyers will bargain with you then maybe increase the advertised price slightly over the price you want. This is up to you.
Item Photos: Yes, take clear and relevant item photos. I use a tripod and a good, sharp camera. I crop my photos so that buyers can see exactly what they are buying. If you cannot wait for good lighting and need to use a flash then some areas can be too bright and other areas can be in dark shadow. I try to wait for a sunny day to get a good exposure, then exposure correct the photo if necessary. It is always disheartening to arrive at a seller’s house to find they did not disclose a certain defect in their photos. Good photos will highlight your product’s advantages but also show the buyer any defects. It is better to be honest than to cheat people.
Giving your phone number away: Some people do not mind giving their phone number away, but for me, a security conscious IT person, these buyers are people you do not know. They may not be that interested in your product, but using Kijiji and Craigslist to find people’s phone numbers. You tell them your number and you could be put on to a telemarketer list and inundated with spam phone calls. Why take the risk, all for little or no benefit? I know that many young people now are constantly on their phones but I personally do not think this immediate contact is worth the risk. You really need to qualify them and ensure they are really interested in your item. If they have a question then they can answer your ad and emails and type it out. If they are unwilling to type out a question then they will probably be too lazy to come pay you. Cut your losses and do not spend any energy into these people. This is a common issue with selling here in Toronto.
Buyer Rudeness: This is very common, and unfortunately, should be expected in this day and age. Many people now often text replies. I suppose they wish to reduce the amount of typing as much as possible so they abbreviate their messages and eliminate superfluous English that includes proper spelling, grammar and, unfortunately etiquette. Is this lack of education, lack of English language skills, the difficulty of their devices to input text or simply laziness I do not know, and it really does not matter. To those you know and are familiar to you, this might be entirely Ok, but to those that are strangers and contacting for the first time, such messages come across as outright rude. This rudeness, unfortunately, is pretty widespread here in Toronto and should be expected. There are the few that actually write with some politeness. These people, usually are a little older in age. They alone should not carry the weight of politeness for the world on their shoulders, but they do.
Setting up a Meeting: Once someone is interested and after they try to bargain you will need to set up a meeting to sell the item. I usually give the seller a major intersection and area of town. Most people who say they will come to a meeting rarely show up. Many buyers do not even know if you, the seller, are 5km, 10km or more away from them. There is no need to give them your full address, as at this stage there is little to gain but your risk is much higher. If they acknowledge that they really want to come to see you, set up an appropriate time. Note that most people who set up a meeting will not show up. Do not inconvenience yourself unduly just to sell an item, because invariably, buyers simply do not show up, nor do they let you know they will not show up. I always set an end time as well. If they say they will show up from 2:00-3:00pm, then I state that I have to go out at 3:30pm and if the seller arrives after 3:30pm you will not be home. I have found this strategy to work quite well.
Meeting a Buyer at a location half way between us: I do not do this because my experience with buyers not showing up. Maybe some buyers would show up but I do not want to waste time and gas based on an unknown expectation.
Meeting Expectations: Do not be disappointed when buyers do not show up for meetings. This is so common for me that I am surprised when a buyer actually does show up.