Guy McDowell · February 18, 2020 · 9 min read A lot of us have too much stuff, or stuff we don’t need or use anymore. So what do we do with that stuff? Sell it and make money online. Craigslist used to be the first stop to do that, but things change.
Here are 11 best Craigslist alternatives to help you sell your things, in no particular order.
- Facebook Marketplace
- Letgo
- Swappa
- Geebo
- Decluttr or Music Magpie
- PoshMark
- Vinted
- Carousell
- VarageSale
- thredUp
Facebook Marketplace – Website – Google Play – App Store
If you haven’t already bought or sold something through Facebook Marketplace, we’d be surprised. Consider how many people buy your local newspapers. Now consider how many people in your area are on Facebook. Chances are there will be far more of your neighbors on Facebook than buy the local papers.
That alone makes Facebook an excellent Craigslist alternative to sell your stuff. Check out how to get great deals on Facebook Marketplace to get more ideas
If you’re a member of local marketplace groups on Facebook, you can simultaneously post to them. Facebook Marketplace is a completely free service as well. Payment, shipping, and pickup is your responsibility to arrange. You could use Facebook Pay though.
Letgo – Website – Google Play – App Store
Convenience is Letgo’s strong point. With their app on your phone, you can take a picture of the item and post it directly on the site in under a minute. Currently at over 100 million downloads, Letgo is extremely popular. User profiles can be verified and rated. This helps make sure you are dealing with a reputable person.
Letgo can also help you make sure you get a good price. Letgo Reveal uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to determine what your item is and estimate price and selling time based on similar listings.
Listings are free, but there are fee-based options to help you sell your item quicker. How you want to be paid and how the customer gets the item is up to you to arrange.
Swappa – Website – Google Play
Swappa is a Craigslist alternative that focuses on electronics such as smartphones, tablets, and more in the US. You can list your electronics for free, but a fee may get built into your pricing. Technically, that means the buyer pays the fee, but it’s about the same as consignment.
Swappa has a strict no-junk policy. If the item doesn’t work, is in rough shape, has a cracked screen or is stolen, they won’t list it. This works in your favour as a seller because the buyer is already expecting something solid.
Swappa even runs Electronic Serial Number (ESN) checks on all items listed that have an ESN. An ESN is a permanently embedded serial number unique to that specific device.
You list your item, Swappa processes the payment via PayPal, and then you ship your item to the customer. There is also the Swappa Local serving most major US cities. This provides the opportunity to arrange for the local customer and you to arrange pickup and be paid directly by the buyer.
Geebo – Website
Geebo is a classic classified ad type of site, much like Craigslist. Where it differs is that every post is checked by a human to help ensure it’s worth looking at. Geebo doesn’t list what the criteria is for passing the check, but the site is still around after 10 years. They must be doing something right.
Currently, Geebo only serves the U.S. in over 160 communities. Geebo is another site where payment and item delivery or pickup is up to you to arrange.
Decluttr Or MusicMagpie
Website – Decluttr or MusicMagpie
Google Play – Decluttr or MusicMagpie
App Store – Decluttr or MusicMagpie
Decluttr is the US site and Music Magpie is the UK site for selling your cell phones, games, books and other devices. They function more like a consignment shop than a classified ad though. Use their app or enter the barcode from your item and they’ll give you an instant price estimate. They’ll send you a package that you put your items in and ship to them.
If you’re sending 10 items or more, the shipping is free. Then, Decluttr checks over your device, ensures all personal data is wiped, and then sends you payment by direct deposit, cheque, or PayPal. The payouts may not be as great as what you might get selling your stuff on your own. But, it is a quick way to get it out of your place.
PoshMark – Website – Google Play – App Store
For selling brand name clothing, PoshMark is a possible option and a great Craigslist alternative, available to the US and Canada, especially if it’s valued over $500 USD. You list your items and when they sell, PoshMark sends you a pre-paid, pre-addressed label. If the item is under the $500 mark it goes directly to the buyer.
If it’s over $500, it goes to PoshMark where they will authenticate the item. If it passes their authentication, then they send it to the buyer. They use an escrow-style payment method. The payment is made to PoshMark and when the customer receives the order, the payment is released to you. This protects both you and the customer.
Vinted – Website – Google Play – App Store
Another great spot to sell your clothing instead of Craigslist is Vinted. Based in Europe, Vinted is available in Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, the UK, and the USA. Right now, their market is about 25 million users.
As the seller, you set the price. There are no selling fees, but you’ll want to build in the cost of shipping. Vinted can provide you with a USPS shipping label so the shipment can be tracked.
Payment is made to Vinted and goes into their escrow system called Vinted Wallet. Once the buyer gets the item and agrees that it’s good, the money becomes available in the wallet.
If the buyer doesn’t hit the button, the money still gets released 2 days after delivery. You can use the funds in the wallet to buy other stuff on Vinted. Or, you can get it paid out to your bank account. It’ll show up in your account after 3-4 business days.
Carousell – Website – Google Play –App Store
Targeting more of the Pacific countries, Carousell operates in Hong Kong, Australia, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, New Zealand, and Canada. Carousell is a market place Craigslist alternative for household items, vehicles, clothes, and even housing and rentals. Maybe you can rent out your car?
You can list your items for free. If you want to use their Spotlight or Boosts to promote your item, you can pay additional fees. Those programs seem a bit complicated so make sure you understand them. Shipping and how the customer pays you is between you and the buyer.
VarageSale – Website – Google Play – App Store
As the name suggests, VarageSale is like your own online garage sale. Operating around the world, and open to selling all kinds of items to people in your community. You join your community on VarageSale, connect it to your Facebook account so you can be verified, then start selling.
Each community has an administrator to help make sure things go smoothly and safely. Everyone on VarageSale has to use their real name and photos. Listings are free, too. It’s up to you and the buyer to determine how payment and delivery is done.
thredUp – Website – Google Play – App Store
For those that have clothes to sell and can’t be bothered with waiting to get a premium price, there’s thredUp. It functions on a consignment model, and serves the US and Canada.
You request a Clean Out Kit from thredUp, put your clothes in and send it back to them. From there, thredUp inspects it, takes pictures and lists it. If it’s something that one of their retail partners wants, thredUp will buy it from you. It won’t hit the site. If it does go to the site, you have 12 hours to edit the price. Then it goes up for a 12-hour bidding period.
If it doesn’t sell during a 60 or a 90 day period, you can have it sent back at your own cost. Or forget about it and thredUp claims it. The 60 day period applies to most items, 90 days to premium items.
If you’re not interested in thredUp’s selling process, you can request a Donation Bag to send the items. thredUp will donate $5 on your behalf to whichever of their charity partners you choose. They’ll send you a tax receipt. Seems like a lot of work when there are so many local charities that will gladly take your donation too.
Instagram – Website – Google Play – App Store
Maybe the least obvious option, Instagram might be the right way for you to sell some stuff. It’s not set up to make selling the easiest thing, but it can be, and is, done. Putting a picture on Instagram is about as easy as can be. Then write a description, hashtag it as #forsale, maybe post an asking price and have people DM you.
This could be the Craigslist alternative option for you if you have followers that would be highly interested. Maybe you have a lot of local followers, or maybe you’re a handbag person and have a lot of followers who are handbag people. It might be a custom-made market.
Get Selling, Get Paid!
Now that you know your Craigslist alternatives, what are you going to sell? Where do you think you’ll sell it? Have you had any experience selling in any of these methods? How about other options? We’d love to hear from you.
