The original Craigslist was created in 1995 by Craig Newmark as an email list for his friends in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1996 it became a web-based service and today it is one of the most popular free online classifieds service worldwide, although it is nowhere as popular as in North America.
Craigslist has it all. Whether you are looking for friends, a job, an apartment, a hair stylist, or a ride, you will find a matching category. While you can find almost anything on Craigslist, some items are more likely to be found than others. Let's have a look at some popular items most commonly sold on Craigslist.
Cars
For this category I went straight to Craigslist in the Detroit Metro area but I found many more ads for used cars and trucks (sold from the owner) than for simple auto parts. Obviously, people are dying to get rid of their old cars to - hopefully - get something smaller and less expensive.
Furniture
Craigslist is the best place to get a great deal on high quality furniture, provided you don't mind that it has been used.
Real Estate
In many cities, searching a room or apartment to rent via Craigslist is a standard procedure, just as browsing classified ads in newspapers was in the 'old days'. If you're in the market to buy, however, would you consider Craigslist?
Judging by the amount of ads posted by realtors, you should! The market is hot for those who can afford to invest, while sellers don't want to lose even more money on advertisements. Hence, the best offers are more likely to be found on sites like Craigslist.
Computers & Tech
Where would you expect to find used computers and accessories if not on Craigslist? Indeed, if your keyboard or laptop suddenly died on you, an affordable replacement is certainly waiting for you in the respective category. Or maybe you need some additional toys?
Baby & Kid Stuff
For families on a tight budget, Craigslist can be a real life safer. Not only can families save a lot of money by making deals on otherwise horribly expensive items (strollers or baby furniture), they may also be able to afford less essential items.
Once junior has grown out of his fancy clothes, no longer needs baby furniture, or is tired of his toys, the items can easily be re-distributed via Craigslist, rather than catching dust in the attic.
Cell Phones
Mobile phones are hot items on Craigslist and if you don't mind sporting last year's model, you can get incredible deals. Or fall for a scam if the seller isn't as honest as the one in the example below. So watch out!
Tickets
This is one of the cheaper items and in a city like New York with a lively entertainment culture, there are hundreds of tickets for sale on Craigslist every day. Unfortunately, a lot of these ads forward you to other ticket selling websites and thus this is not really the most popular item on Craigslist.
Are you burning to use Craigslist? Also have a look at these articles:
- 5 Used Things You Can Feel Safe About Buying On Craigslist
- 5 Tools To Make Craigslist Even More Useful
- How To Email Yourself New Craigslist Search Results
When you do sell on Craigslist, remember that you may have to pay income taxes on any revenue you generate!
Image credits: Andy Dean Photography