Tips for selling Mount Isa second-hand stuff online
Selling your unwanted Mount Isa second-hand stuff can be a great way to make some extra cash, and these days, more and more people are using platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree to do it. Here are our top tips to help you do it without any hassles.
Tip #1: Compare the Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree platforms
A good first step is to compare both of these popular selling platforms to see if one suits your needs better than the other.
Below are the main differentiating features of Facebook Marketplace:
- It’s integrated within the massive Facebook platform, so it gives you wider reach quickly when you post an item for sale.
- Communication between buyers and sellers is done on Facebook Messenger.
Gumtree on the other hand is a standalone buying and selling platform. It has its own messaging system for communication between buyers and sellers.
Placing an ad on both platforms is free and straightforward. However, you can also pay to increase your ad’s exposure on both platforms, but that’s your decision to make whether you do that or not.
Marketplace currently has 19 selling categories, including:
- Vehicles
- Clothing
- Electronics
- Garden and outdoors
- Home goods
- Home improvement supplies
- Musical instruments
- Office supplies
- Pet supplies
- Sporting goods
- Toys and games
Gumtree currently has 14 selling categories, including:
- Cars and vehicles
- Home and garden
- Clothing and jewellery
- Pets
- Books, music and games
- Electronics and computer
- Sport and fitness
- Antiques, art and collectibles
- Baby and children
So, as you can see, there are some differences as well as similarities between the two platforms.
Tip #3: Research your best selling price
You obviously want to get the best price you can, so it’s important to do your research on other options that Mount Isa buyers may or may not have and then to price your item accordingly when you list it for sale.
Be mindful that if you price it too high, it mightn’t sell quickly. On the flip side, if you price it too low, you’re doing yourself out of money. Try and find the sweet spot where it’s priced right.
Tip #4: Take good photos
This is crucial. Buyers are likely to almost immediately decide whether they would consider buying your item based on your online photos. Make sure your photos show it in the best possible light.
Tip #5: Be wary of holding items for buyers without having any deposit
If you want to make a sale quickly, be wary of holding an item for a potential buyer for any length of time unless they pay a deposit. If you do, you run the risk of the buyer not turning up when they say they will and you will probably have turned genuine buyers away in the meantime.
Tip #6: Be mindful of your security
Security is crucial when you’re selling online. Ways that you can help to ensure your security include:
- checking a potential buyer’s Facebook profile if you’re selling on Facebook Marketplace to see if it looks genuine (beware of profiles that have only just been set up).
- never provide your address for pickup of the item you’re selling until you verify that the buyer is genuine (you could even meet at a neutral, public venue if it’s feasible).
- being very aware of the potential for online scams (never reveal any sensitive information like your passwords or other personal information to potential buyers).
- ensuring that you keep all communication on the platform (scammers often want to take the conversation onto another platform or onto your phone so they can’t be reported as quickly and easily).
- using secure payment methods like cash or PayPal.
- never provide the goods you’re selling to the buyer until you are sure you have the full payment (if a buyer is transferring money electronically, be wary of fake payment confirmation screenshots.
- never providing any refunds if the buyer claims to have overpaid by mistake online (as scammers often use this method to get money off you that they never even paid you in the first place).
- reporting any suspicious online contacts and blocking or ignoring them completely.
Tip #7: Mark the item you’re selling as sold as soon as you’ve sold it
When you have confirmed the buyer’s payment, mark the item as sold in the platform you’re using. Messages about the item will stop almost immediately and you will avoid wasting both your own time and that of potential buyers.
The bottom line
Buying and selling Mt Isa second-hand goods can be quick, lucrative and hassle-free, provided you follow the tips we’ve outlined.
About us
Jays Real Estate has been Mount Isa’s premier residential and commercial real estate agency since 1981.
If you’re thinking about buying, selling, renting or leasing any Mt Isa property, or you need your property professionally managed, then contact our team today for an obligation-free chat!
We’d be happy to provide you with advice and to answer any property questions you have.