If you plan to sell the merchandise that you purchase from storage auctions on the internet, you will spend a lot of time taking photos, placing ads and doing research on the items. If you don't already use them, websites like Craigslist & Ebay will become your new best friends. These websites are the greatest resources for reaching customers on a local, national & even international level.
I personally use Craigslist for almost everything that I sell. Craigslist is completely free and you can post a for sale classified in your city. Most consumers turn to Craigslist first when they are looking for a good deal on second hand merchandise. If the items you are selling are priced reasonably, they typically sell fast.
Larger items like furniture and appliances do well on Craigslist. You wouldn't want to post items like these on Ebay because the shipping costs could eat you alive. Since Craigslist ads are local, your customers can come directly to your home or any place you decide to meet them to pick up the item for sale. You may get some tire kickers, an occasional late night phone call or even some spam in you inbox, but overall, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
Using Ebay can be a great way to sell rare, valuable or unique items that require a specific buyer. Collectibles, antiques & oddities do especially well on Ebay. Keep in mind that Ebay charges listing fees and that there will be shipping costs as well. Posting an item on Ebay takes a little more time than posting an ad on Craigslist, but you may be able to achieve a higher selling price.
Using these tools can be a great way to maximize your profits on items that you purchased from storage auctions. Beware of scams, they are prevalent on both of these websites. The most common scam seen on Craigslist is when someone contacts you by email, claiming that they are out of town and would like to purchase your item for sale. These scam artists are pretty easy to spot because the emails often contain poor grammar. They offer to send you a cashiers check and to make arrangements for a moving company to pick the item up. The cashiers checks are almost always fake. Do not accept checks or cashier's checks and if using PayPal, only ship to verified addresses. It's pretty easy to tell when you have a legitimate buyer. Most legitimate buyers don't have a problem with speaking with you on the phone, responding to your emails and if possible, meeting you in person.
All in all, Craigslist & Ebay are great tools for storage auction buyers. If you use a little common sense, they can help you make a lot of money.
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