Is craigslist Dead?

[Indigo Knight]

I have been using craigslist to sell my finds for over 10 years.

Over the past few months I've talked with other dealers and hobbyists and the general conclusion is that the platform is not what it used to be. Items that used to sell within a week languish for months or never sell, customers are more flaky than ever, and fraud/spam contacts are also increasing.

I think it's a combination of increased competition from other platforms (Facebook Marketplace, Letgo, OfferUp), mistrust/bad PR for craigslist and a faiure of craigslist to keep the site efficient. However, I think the biggest cause is a stalling of the second-hand economy, if not the economy as a whole. The selling experiences of the locals at the flea market last year coincided with my own, that it was a very odd and inconsistent year for merchandise.

Are your experiences with selling on craigslist similar in your area(s)? Is the platform no longer relevant?

 

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[pjdentry]

I've done much better on Facebook Marketplace than Craigslist as of late. I do post the same items on both, as sometimes Craigslist does come through, but not often.

 

[artslinger]

Craigslist has been dead in my area for buying and selling. I've had more success on Offerup. The positive that I see on CL is that if you religiously continue to search for scores, and continue to be resilient, the score that everybody has given up on may pop up. I used to do this religiously every day for hours. I stopped because of the lack of potential scores, and the score did come up, and I missed it by half an hour. When I called the seller, he told me that someone was on his way. Knowing the market for the lost score, it was an easy $1,000 profit.

This is definitely due to competition.

Artslinger

 

[lookingharder]

I've done much better on Facebook Marketplace than Craigslist as of late. I do post the same items on both, as sometimes Craigslist does come through, but not often.

Every thing around here is on the Facebook yard sale site as well.

 

[AlienLifeForm]

Not dead, but not as lively as it once was. I still get sales there, and I like it because people are not as likely to grossly lowball you there like they do on OfferUp, Letgo, etc.

As far as facebook - I don't do it. I'd rather stuff move a little slower than create an account on that evil site.

 

[trdking]

I can't hang with the bottom feeders on craigslist.. eBay is getting almost as bad. Put something up for a hundred that is worth 120 and everyone wants it for 30 bucks

 

[AlienLifeForm]

I can't hang with the bottom feeders on craigslist.. eBay is getting almost as bad. Put something up for a hundred that is worth 120 and everyone wants it for 30 bucks

Sounds like OfferUp here in this area. For some reason Craigslist buyers in my area will pay asking or offer 10 - 20% off of asking which im usually happy to do.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

My son has had some luck with salvage vehicles but when we were looking for a dog to adopt I was attacked by numerous sellers.
It seems these days that if you're not willing to pay a puppy mill $500 for a pup then you shouldn't have a dog. I ended up cancelling my wanted ad within 12 hours.

One thing I noticed in their replies was that very few of them can spell. Seems a strange trend these days. I wasn't sure if I was talking to a grown person or a second grade kid?

 

[FingerChili]

The absolute worst thing about craigslist is the keyword spam.

 

[kingskid1611]

Yes and Good Riddance........

 

[jeff of pa]

I got car off craigslist July '16 . Been extremely Happy with it.

I still check the detectors & When I remember the Lost ads

 

[creekhunter]

Trying to sell a vehicle on Craigslist now, and that is after 3 non paying bidders on ebay, all low ball offers so far, and yeah, most cannot spell. It is an increasing trend I'm afraid.

 

[Imfishboy]

I sold my 1988 Ford F250, 4x4 "Big Block" 460 FI in four days for $8,000 cash. I have sold lots of other items on CL. Love the site. Just saying.

 

[FingerChili]

I sold my 1988 Ford F250, 4x4 "Big Block" 460 FI in four days for $8,000 cash. I have sold lots of other items on CL. Love the site. Just saying.

Here in the bay area CL is fine. Try going up to the mountains and it's pretty slow.

 

[Indigo Knight]

It seems most of you have experiences similar to my own. The major urban areas may still have OK traffic, but the site as a whole is a lot less active.

Not dead, but not as lively as it once was. I still get sales there, and I like it because people are not as likely to grossly lowball you there like they do on OfferUp, Letgo, etc.

As far as facebook - I don't do it. I'd rather stuff move a little slower than create an account on that evil site.

I've no interest in facebook either, but I may have to join that rat race in order to keep selling some items. Letgo and OfferUp are worse than craigslist in my area, basically worthless.

 

[jerseyben]

You guys realize CL is free right? You get what you pay for.

 

[SnakemanBill]

Yes said the sparrow.
With my little bow and arrow.
I killed Craigslist.

 

[SCdigger]

Last two times I posted on craigslist, the only responses I received seemed to be automated phishing scams...we are interested in the "antique item" you have posted on CL.

 

[zombieraccoon]

i used to love craigslist, would make multiple sales daily. anymore it is just a place to dump stuff that is too big or heavy to ship. years ago i rented a space in a thrift mall for this purpose, but anymore it seems alk the malls want vendors to sell antiques. since i tend to focus more on newer items, it is simply not a viable option. have not tried selling on facebook, have had mixed results on offer up. i keep craigslist and offer up mostly for selling furniture, tools, and electronics. and to me its not worth the hassle of listing anything worth less than $40

 

[bigcaddy64]

I see CL as hit or miss and i only really use it for items i don't want to ship. Last transaction was a couch since the GF and i bought a new one and the old one had to go. From listing to sale, it took less then 72 hours and i took a bit more then half of what i paid for it originally. It was a used couch to begin with and it was in my house for over 6 months so it wasn't a bad deal.

I've got a few items on there now but haven't got any hits. The couch immediately netted me a scammer which i played with for a while but they lost interest with me and stopped responding.

My 2 biggest biggest peeves are: 1) when people ask "whats your lowest price". Well, if you bothered to read the ad, it says $200.00 or best offer. That means you need to figure out what you are willing to pay and then send me that number. I will happily blow up every single prospective deal if i see this in an email, even if they do have "cash in hand". 2) When they show up with 20.00 less then the agreed upon price in an attempt to get just a tiny bit more off the price, after they said "ill take it!" without asking to look at it first and negotiate. That means you bought it for my asking price, hoss. Want a deal, come take a look and see what you think then. I price my stuff fairly but that kind of stunt is just rude and i'll happily send you home empty handed if you balk.

Maybe Craigslist has made me a bit bitter.....