Craigslist Vs. eBay: Where to Sell? What Items To Sell On eBay or Craigslist

Craigslist or eBay? When you are trying to GET RID OF CLUTTER around your house and make a little extra money, that question can be challenging right?...Not really, selling on eBay and Craigslist is probably the easiest thing to do. Particularly when you want to get the biggest return possible for what you are selling.

With each item you sell on eBay and Craigslist, you'll want to consider the following before listing your items on eBay and Craigslist:

• How much would shipping cost? 
• Very important you calculate this correctly when selling on eBay.
• Is the extra income I'd make via eBay worth the hassle of shipping it out?
• Or is Craigslist a more viable option for selling your item?
• Do I want to risk auctioning the item or go with the safe-bet price? 
• Auction Vs Fix Price Vs Best Offer options
• Are there enough people in my vicinity to sell the item through Craigslist at all? 
• Most important when selling in more rural areas.
• Should not be a problem when selling on Craigslist in Bigger Urban Areas
• Is the risk of meeting a stranger on Craigslist worth a few extra bucks?
• With the recent cases in the media about people being killed while doing Craigslist transactions it should give you something to think about when listing your items on Craigslist.

So why don't we take a look at 10 common items that you may sell through an online ad and see if it makes more sense to post each item on Craigslist or eBay.

1. Furniture

You may be able to fetch more for a given piece via eBay, but shipping costs can be absolutely prohibitive unless you're talking about a smaller, highly coveted piece of furniture (i.e., an antique, light item). I was just able to sell an old bed via Craigslist for $150. The shipping would have been at least that much if I tried to sell it on eBay. Winner: Craigslist

2. Media Items

When you are selling individual books, CDs, DVDs, video games, or vinyl, demand is often a necessity in order to find a buyer. This is a split in my opinion and I will tell you why:  Selling it on eBay will give you more of an exposure but will also cost you a lot of fees to list and final value fees that will considerably lower your profit margin.  Where Craigslist wins Vs. eBay is the no fees therefore you could potentially get more money by selling it on Craigslist and Cash is always a nice little bonus.  This is a split decision because of the nature of this category and that some items are more highly desired than others and then they would have to be sold on eBay.   Winner: Split

3. Vehicles, Recreational Vehicles, and Bikes

Cars on Craigslist has become a big business. I was able to sell a car for the same price I bought it (used) two years earlier. The demand is sky-high. Once again, shipping becomes a prohibitive factor here unless you have something very unique that could fetch a much higher price with the added demand you'll get via eBay. It's also tough to find buyers who are willing to shell out significant funds without first checking the condition. eBay does come close behind as you will have customers that are local who will bid, again the fees are prohibitive and therefore the Selling your vehicle on Craigslist is clearly the winning option. Winner: Craigslist

4. TVs

There will be a local supply/demand for just about any type of TV on or off the market. At the same time, they are very heavy and fragile, which poses major shipping concerns. Winner: Craigslist

•  As a side not to this you, could put Local Pickup Only on TV's

5. Event Tickets

I've really struggled with this one myself. I have only bought tickets from Craigslist ads; I've found that eBay prices are too high, and I can get a better deal buying from someone locally in the last few days or hours before an event. But this post isn't about buying, it's about selling. If you have tickets for a high-demand event and have a few months or weeks to sell and ship them off, eBay is the way to go. If you have to unload a ticket a few days prior to an event or less, Craigslist may be the only option. Winner: Split (eBay has the edge)

6. Clothing

The fact that you can try something on in person might work out to your advantage if you list via Craigslist. But 9 times out of 10 (if you're as picky of a clothing buyer as I am) it will not. When you sell via eBay, the buyer will rarely return the item if it comes as promised. If they don't like the way it looks on them, they'll usually just re-sell it. Also, shipping is often inexpensive and most items fit in the USPS 1st Class Mail Parcel which is cheap and fast. Winner: eBay

7. Used Cell Phones

I've seen three-year-old outdated cell phones bid on up to over $50 on eBay. My theory on this? People fall in love with particular models, are locked in to contracts, and when their devices fail them, have to get them back. Because they can no longer easily find the older phones, they are willing to bid up to surprising levels on EBay. This is definitely a category that benefits from nationwide demand. Winner: eBay

• If selling New On Demand Phones(ex. Iphone, Mytouch 4, or any other Smartphones) it would be better to list it on Craigslist as well as most people do enjoy getting the phone the same day they pay for it and in most cases will be willing to pay extra for that small convenience that that is why Craigslist can provide a better selling ground for New, on demand smartphones. 

• Most insurance companies do not insure Computers and Cell Phones on eBay so Craigslist becomes a better selling avenue for these items.

8. Computers

Computers are such a commodity with the only big differentiators being the hardware and operating system, that they are frequently bought and sold at the local level. They can also be pricey to ship and very fragile, and a computer is an item that people may want to try out before buying used. Winner: Craigslist

•  Most insurance companies do not insure Computers and Cell Phones on eBay so Craigslist becomes a better selling avenue for these items.

9. Tools

Tools are a category where size really does matter. The smaller the tool, the more likely you'll be able to fetch a larger amount for it on eBay because of higher demand and lower shipping costs. The bigger the tool, the more likely you'll have significant local demand for it, and shipping costs become prohibitive. Bigger tools usually fetch higher prices, too, and buyers typically want to look them over.  Winner: Depends on tool size

10. Pet Supplies

When Scooby goes to that little doggy place in the sky, he often leaves behind dozens of items. Americans are expected to spend $51 billion on pet supplies in 2011. That's a lot of crates, beds, bowls, and more. You're typically not going to be able to re-sell small used toys, but there is a lot of demand out there for the larger pet items. Dozens, maybe hundreds of people in your community are becoming first-time pet owners every day. When local demand is high and shipping costs are as well, turn to Craigslist. Winner: Craigslist

Deciding whether to sell on Craigslist or eBay varies for every product. I've provided some general guidelines here, but there will always be exceptions. Before you list a product, I'd recommend that you check existing and completed listings for that product on eBay and also search for that same product on Craigslist. Also always check the eBay fees and PayPal Fees and see if it makes sense to sell your items on eBay or if Craigslist is a better option.  Here is a calculator to help you out what your total fees will be EBAY & PAYPAL FEE CALCULATOR. I use this same fee calculator and it is updated to the new fees of 2011.  Find out what items have been sold for on eBay. That, along with estimating shipping costs, should give you a great idea which option will give you the best return.