Copyright 2012 - Leo J. Quinn Jr. - · Copyright 2012 - Leo J. Quinn Jr. - You can add time to your phone in various amounts. The more minutes you buy at one

Copyright 2012 - Leo J. Quinn Jr. - www.LeoQuinn.com


How To Use Craigslist

For Profit and

Problem Solving

By Leo J. Quinn, Jr.

This publication is not intended for use as a source of financial, legal, accounting, or tax advice. All users are advised to retain the services of competent professionals for legal, accounting or tax advice. The author and publisher assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials.

Leo J. Quinn, Jr.

PO Box 118

Ballston Spa, NY 12020

518-857-6346 [email protected]

Copyright 2012 Leo J. Quinn, Jr. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by

any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, photocopying or otherwise without prior written permission of

the above copyright holder.

mailto:[email protected]


A couple times a year I ask my readers to tell me their biggest financial challenge.

It's always the biggest response I get to anything.

This recent round brought about 200 responses. They ranged from a one word answer:

"husband" to long, heart-wrenching accounts of money trouble.

As I was responding to some of them it occurred to me that many of the problems could

have been solved or at least mitigated by the creative use of Craigslist.

My goal is to have you think of Craigslist FIRST

when you have a need to make or spend money.

It's truly a mindset.

I'm not perfect at it. Just yesterday I spent an hour in the car, round trip to spend 5

minutes clearing off a friends deck.

Later in the day I smacked myself in the head.

I should have placed an ad on CRAIGSLIST to find someone who was closer to do that

and save me the time and gas.

So to prove a point, I placed the ad...


That ad went live at 4:46PM

Brandon responded at 5:59PM

I immediately wrote Brandon back thanking him and telling him the job had been done.

The point?

If you can conceive it, you can advertise for it on Craigslist. That doesn't mean you'll

get it but since the ads are free, you should absolutely TRY!

In this publication you will find and think of DOZENS of unique and unusual ways to get

whatever you want or need using Craiglist.

I've spent a lot of time on this site over the years, buying, selling and looking for special

situations.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't find an unusual proposal of some kind.

An example...


The ad reads:

Very unusual request- my girlfriend went all the way home to NY to visit her

grandmother, who is home bound. She wanted to show her her new ballet film, but

her laptop died this morning. Moreover, her grandmother does not have internet. If

you have an ipad, and can head over to albany (delmar) this morning, and show her

grandmother this film while she is there visiting, I'll paypal you $50, and you'll be

doing a great thing.

Another...


The ad reads:

I left three shirts at Mayflower Laundromat in Schenectady, NY. 1606 Eastern

Parkway Schenectady, NY 12309 (518) 372-3632

I need someone to go pickup the shirts, pay for them, and ship them to me in Austin,

TX. I will pay $50 for the service (the shirts cost $5.80 and the shipping should cost

no more than $10 so you stand to make at least $30). If you can do this relatively

simple task for me, email me your phone number and I will call you.

***

These are just two quick examples of people using Craigslist creatively to solve

problems. If you were able to help, you'd make some quick money.

I'm not sure why the guy above didn't just make that offer to the drycleaner.

It seems to me the most logical.

If it were me interested in this gig, I'd call the drycleaner myself, tell them about the ad

and see if they have some sort of policy against doing this sort of thing themselves.

The ad could be a ploy to get phone numbers and email addresses but to what end I

don't know.


NOTE:

One of my readers had the following reaction to Craigslist...

There are scammers and dishonest people everywhere.

In this publication I'll give you tips for spotting and avoiding them

Craigslist may get a bad rap because it's such a popular website and since the ads are

free anyone, including bad people, can place ads. Bad people can also reply to ads.

Over the years I've traded cash for time and merchandise with literally hundreds of

people. I've never had a problem. I have no recollection of ever being scared but if I

was, I'd have no problem exiting the situation.

The guidelines for keeping safe are the same no matter if you are meeting someone

you found on Craigslist or the local newspaper...

1) Meet people in public if possible.

2) Bring a friend.

3) Let people know where you are going.

4) Have people at your house with you if people must come there.

5) If something doesn't feel right, leave. You don't have to be there or deal with anyone.

6) If it will be a really quick transaction, be on the phone with a friend..."hang on

Joey"...make the deal and go back to your call.

You don't really have to be on the phone but if you are, make sure your friend knows

EXACTLY where you are, and the contact details for the person you are meeting. If

you're really nervous, give your friend on the phone a license plate of the other guy's

car.


A weird ad popped up in my area last week. The guy was looking for used women's

shoes and was willing to pay $20 per pair.

That's one I'd steer clear of.

Now, if you have a 6 foot 8, 300 pound friend named "Tiny" by all means send him to

get paid for your shoes, otherwise ignore ads like that!

I really doubt a guy is sitting around with piles of cash to pay $20 each for hundreds of

pairs of women's shoes.

He probably just wants to "chat".

OK. Enough jibber jabber. Let's get into it.


PREPARATION

In dealing with people on Craigslist you can communicate via email or phone.

The nice thing for advertisers is that you can keep your identity secret until you've

decided you are comfortable dealing with the person who contacted you.

Toward the top left of each ad you will see:

When you click on REPLY TO THIS POST you are offered this:

If that were your ad and someone was responding to you, they would see your address

as [email protected]

Don't worry, that email address is assigned by CRAIGSLIST and you never need to

know it or remember it.


The only way someone sees your real email address is if you respond to their email to

you.

EMAIL ADDRESS

I recommend setting up a new email address just for your Craigslist activity. I like to

use Gmail but you can use yahoo, hotmail or any other address you want.

Why a new address?

There are people and robots who troll Gmail just looking for email addresses. Over time

you may start to get a lot of junk mail and it's very easy to close a free email account

and start another one.

You can set up a free Gmail account here:

https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?service=mail&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmai

l%2F&ltmpl=default&hl=en

PHONE

Sometimes I like to put my phone number in my ads to speed up the process.

However, I don't like to include my home or main cell phone numbers.

For that reason I spent $10.57 to buy a Tracfone at Walmart.

The look of the phone will vary but they usually come with 20 minutes of time included

so you don't need to buy minutes right away.

https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?service=mail&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F&ltmpl=default&hl=en

https://accounts.google.com/SignUp?service=mail&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F&ltmpl=default&hl=en


You can add time to your phone in various amounts. The more minutes you buy at one

time, the less you pay per minute.

At the time of this writing, when you buy the phone you'll get double minutes for life.

That means if you buy a 60 minute card you'll actually get 120 minutes. You get 150

days to use your minutes and each time you add minutes you get 150 more days.

The 20 minutes you get for buying the phone should be enough at the start.

So for less than $15 you can have a phone devoted to your Craigslist fun!

TRACFONE MONEY SAVING TIP

Minutes are deducted from your balance as you use it, obviously!

However, minutes are not deducted for the time it takes people to leave a message on

your Tracfone voicemail.

Also, and this is important, if you check your messages from your Tracfone, minutes are

deducted from your balance for the time it takes you to listen to the messages.

However, if you check your messages from another phone, your home phone for

example, minutes are not deducted.

You can buy these phones and extra minutes at any department store and many gas

stations.

GOOGLE VOICE

Another option is a phone number from Google Voice.

http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html

This is a free service from Google. All area codes are not represented but yours might

be so give it a try. You do need a GMail account but those are free also.

Once you get a number from Google you can set up your outgoing voice message.

You can set it up so calls get forwarded to any other phone number or just let the

number take messages. Set it up so you get an email when any messages come in

and you don’t have to waste time checking.

A cool feature is that when you make calls using Google Voice it will show up on their

caller ID as your Google Voice number .

http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html


Here is what a message from Google Voice looks like...

They actually try to transcribe the calls automatically. Sometimes it's good and

sometimes it's bad. Better to just listen!

There are pluses and minuses to both of these options but if money is tight and you

want to have a separate phone for CRAIGSLIST activity, then investigate Google Voice.

To get to Google Voice...once you are logged into your Gmail account...


Then on the EVEN MORE page look for...

It's self explanatory from there.

OK...now that you're prepared to handle emails and calls, it's time to head over to the

site and register.


REGISTER

If you've never been to www.Craigslist.org before you'll likely end up here first...

Pick the city nearest you and the page will look something like this.


Spend some time looking at ads and familiarizing yourself with the site.

I haven't ever used the Personals section and any time I've looked in the Discussion

Forums area it looks like a crazy place. All the other sections should become familiar to

you.


Before you can post on CRAIGSLIST you'll need to register and it's a fairly simple

process.

For some reason you can't just click a REGISTER button. You have to go through the

process of posting an ad to get to the registration part.

First choose the CATEGORY...any category will do if you aren't ready to place an ad...

and click on POST

It will then prompt you to choose a CATEGORY to place your ad.


You'll then be prompted to SIGN-IN or JOIN.


Joining is quick and easy but may require you getting a phone call. They do this to

discourage spammers. You might be able to use your Tracfone or Google voice

number for this or maybe not.

I've had both results. If you don't get the confirmation call to your alternate phone, your

home or main cell phone is fine. They don't publish or use those numbers so nothing to

worry about.


They will either call you or text you (your choice) with a code you'll need to use to verify

who you are. No big deal. It's a small price to pay for all the benefits you get from

Craigslist.

This is the confirmation email you will get...

Once your registration is done and you are ready to post ads it will show you a

summary of your ads (which are zero at the start)...


This next step is optional but I like to see how many people are looking at my ads so I

include an image or photo that allows me to track visitors.

Set up a free account at Photobucket.com

If you already have an account there, set a new one up for your Craigslist activity.


After uploading you are shown your pictures...

Above your newly uploaded pics you'll see:

Click VIEW ALBUM and then hover over one of the pics and you'll see...


Click the "HTML CODE" box and you'll see the word COPIED appear...

Open up Notepad or any other word processing program and paste what you have just

copied.


Then remove everything up to "<img src..." so you are left with...

Then paste this text into your Craiglist ad and you will be able to see how many people

have looked at your ad.

(The reason you want to remove the first part above is that without doing that, someone

could click on the picture and be taken to your entire photo album in Photobucket. BE

AWARE even though you've removed that part, smart people could still get in and see

your pics so don't put anything in that account you wouldn't want to see on the front

page of your local newspaper!)

You can't view the stats in real time but every morning you can check to see how many

views you had.

To see your stats log into Photobucket...


Later you'll see where I placed this photo but you can see I had 6 views the first day it

was up.

That's a pretty good result.

Which brings up the question, what is a good number of people looking at your ad?

It's complicated!


If you are selling something and you get one looker and you sell it to her, that's a good

number!

If you are selling something and 15 people have looked and you haven't heard from

anyone, your price may be too high or your offer may not be strong enough.

Same for if you are looking for someone to provide a product/service to you.

If 15 people have looked and you haven't heard from anyone, the price you are offering

to pay may be too low or they may not believe you are legit.

Make changes based on what is happening.

An alternative to using an image from Photobucket is to install a counter in your ad.

I don't like to do this because it shows people, perhaps competitors, how many visitors

you are getting.

If you are getting a lot they may steal your good ideas.

Here are a couple options...

http://www.websitegoodies.com/tools/hitcounter.php

You'd simply paste the code above into your ad and you'd get a counter you could

check every day.

http://www.websitegoodies.com/tools/hitcounter.php


Here is another option:

http://www.SimpleHitCounter.com

MAKING A GREAT AD

No matter what you want to accomplish on Craigslist, what you say in your ad will be

very important.

My first stop, when I am putting together an ad is the website: www.AdHuntr.com

At this site I can search all of Craigslist. By typing in my keywords I can see how other

people have advertised around the world.

http://www.simplehitcounter.com/


Type in your "keywords" and you'll then be presented with a list of relevant ads from all

over.

Open some of the ads...see what they say and use them as your inspiration or "swipe

file".


Look for titles that get your attention. Make note of prices. What sort of offer did they

make? Would his ad cause YOU to contact him?

Here's a couple examples of good titles...


If I was thinking about selling my bass boat this title made me think and gave me a good

reason to contact this guy.

If I had a comic book collection and money was tight that $15,000 got my attention

If you find an ad you really like, go back to that CRAIGSLIST site every few days and

see if the same ad is there.

If the ad is selling a service and it gets renewed over and over again that may mean the

ad is working and is one you should emulate.

If the ad was simply selling something somebody wanted to get rid of (TV, computer,

couch etc.) and the ad is gone in two days that probably means it was sold. Take what

you can learn from an ad like that and use it in yours.

Once you've designed an ad it's a simple matter to renew it.

Test different TITLES. Test different OFFERS. Test putting in phone numbers vs.

having them respond via email. Test prices. Test everything you can think of!

Renew your ads every 2-3 days.

It's really easy to do. Login to your account and it will show you the ads that are eligible

to be renewed.


That "renew" link will appear in your account every 48 hours for 45 days. There are

some exceptions to that which can be found on the website. Here is the most recent

information:

Post different ads in multiple categories if it makes sense.

Don't worry if an ad of yours gets flagged or deleted. With anything like this, there are

people who have a lot of free time and feel they must be the "police". If you don't think

your ad was in violation of CRAIGSLIST terms of service then re-post it.

If you are interested in reading their terms of service the link is below.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/terms.of.use

http://www.craigslist.org/about/terms.of.use


POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE TITLES

You don't like wasting your time and neither does anyone else.

For that reason, make your TITLE as descriptive as possible.

If you are selling something from your garage or basement or simply stuff you don't

need any more, don't be cryptic.

Spell out exactly what you want, have or need.

Here's an example of a bad title

Rossignol what?

Try to come up with a TITLE that grabs people's attention and gives them the info they need. Glenn Osborn of NLPBrainBuzz.com is a master at this. One of his favorites... KICK AN OLD LADY WHEN SHE IS DOWN Which you can adapt as KICK AN OLD MAN WHEN HE IS DOWN -Fishing boat must go. Glenn likes to weave a story in his CRAIGSLIST ads. Here are some recent examples from him in an email he sent out. Jane Asked for some ideas for her CraigsList ad - Moving on.. A friend of friend retired woman got her home foreclosed. Wanting me to sell her appliances(fridge, washer/dryer, etc..) asap--She said she is moving out cannot move big stuff and she needs extra moolah. How can I zap my craigs ad?? Is it good to mention foreclosures?


Thank ya! J ---------------------------- Thanks Jane, You have all the basics for a REASON WHY Ad. Let me know how this does for you - ok? Retired Old Lady Tossed out of her home Asked me to sell her Appliances ASAP - FAST for extra Moolah. New (brand) Fridge - Best offer New (Brand) Washer/Dryer - best offer Contact Jane at ____________ ===================== Old Lady Attacked by Her Banker Thrown out of her home. Asked me to sell her Nearly New Appliances ASAP-FAST for C ash. Almost new Fridge, Washer, dryer, oven Call Jane quick at ____________. ====================== Old Lady Neighbor BEGGED me to Help Her Sell her Nearly New Fridge, washer, dryer, oven ASAP Ahead of Home Foreclosure Next week. Call Jane Quick! at ___________ ==================== ==================== ACTION SUMMARY - Jane Thanked me. Then Emailed back and asked for a Headline for the ad... We have this Nifty NLP Template. “KICK ME I’M DOWN. --------- Strategy #1 - Is to SHOCK the reader with a Version of this NLP Headline. “Kick an Old Lady When She’s Down”


--------- Strategy #2 - is to Get Inside the Readers Head and say what they WANT to do already! “Kick A Banker in the Teeth While I Hold Him Down!” “I'm Helping an Old Lady Neighbor RESCUE Her Nearly New Kitchen Appliances from a Greedy Banker. ---------- HEADLINE #1 - Should GRAB Attention. But I’m not sure if readers are GREEDY Enough to Kick an Old lady. ---------- HEADLINE #2 - The Reader And Jane GANG UP to KICK The Greedy Banker. AND help the old lady at the same time. ONE or BOTH of these Ads Should Work FANTASTIC. ***

Can you see how ads like these will stand out and get attention? That is half the battle in advertising anything. Have some fun with your ads. SAVE MY MARRIAGE - Pool table must be gone before wife's birthday MY HUSBAND WILL DIVORCE ME IF HE FINDS OUT...Corvette for sale I'm sure Glenn inspired these ideas in me over the years. Have fun with your titles and make sure to keep track of the number of visitors you get!

USE PICTURES!

The advertisements that have pictures get the most views.

For that reason, your ad should have pictures. You are allowed 8 pictures hosted by

CRAIGSLIST but you can link to as many pictures as you need from Photobuket or

similar sites.


In most categories you will be competing with other advertisers for the attention of

buyers so you want to use every advantage you can.

I'll walk you through placing an ad with pictures the way I do it.

Recently I needed some water damage fixed in my house. Here is how I placed the ad.

I chose the GIGS category...

THEN...


NEXT I wrote the ad...


I added one photo using Photobucket so I could tell how many people looked at the ad

and uploaded one more to the Craigslist site itself.

When you are done designing your ad, click the CONTINUE button and you'll be

presented with an option to add more photos.

Add up to 8, click CONTINUE and review your ad one more time before it gets posted.


Now you're done. Place your next ad!

You've probably noticed that most of the ads you see on CRAIGSLIST are very boring.

You can "pretty" them up by using simple HTML code.

To bold a word or sentence use:

<b>WORD OR SENTENCE HERE</b>

Add a <b> at the start and add a </b> to the end of whatever words you want BOLDED

There is a bunch of HTML you can use in CRAIGSLIST ads and they are explained very

clearly at:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/html_in_craigslist_postings/

You can also use interesting SYMBOLS in your CRAIGSLIST TITLES to make them

stand out.

A list of codes can be found at:

http://craigslistadtracker.com/fancy-ad-titles.aspx

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

You're probably familiar with infomercials that scream...BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!!!

and then they add some bonuses.

There is no rule that says you can't add bonuses to your CRAIGSLIST ads.

If you had a couple movie passes lying around or a gift card you won't be using, offer

them as a bonus if your item is sold before a certain time.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/html_in_craigslist_postings/

http://craigslistadtracker.com/fancy-ad-titles.aspx


Offer anything you might give or throw away anyway.

The funniest bonus I've ever seen offered was a plastic surgeon who offered a free oil

change with any nose job.

That wasn't a Craigslist ad but it was memorable!

I have one of those big cabinet TVs that I would have gotten rid of a long time ago if it

wasn't such a hassle to move.

When it must go, I'll offer to give it to the first person who picks it up and I'll add some

bonus that doesn't cost me much.

Add "PLUS BONUS" or something like that to your titles to increase readership.

Look at every CRAIGSLIST ad as a fishing line in the water.

The more lines you have in the water, the more "fish" you will catch.

Simply make a note on your calendar to renew your CRAIGSLIST ads and it should

literally take you seconds to repost each one.

Ideally you'll have so many ads running that logging into CRAIGSLIST and renewing

ads will be a daily activity for you.

OK...Now the fun begins.

You're all prepared with your new email address and phone number. You know how to

get great ideas for ads and track how many visitors you are getting.

It's time to get some ads up and running!

STRATEGIZE - THINK!

What do you want to accomplish right now?

1. Sell some stuff to make some money? Go to page 42

2. Put some ads up offering a service to make some money? Go to page 38

3. Need something done and want to save money? Go to page 84

3. Find a special situation? Go to Page 95


If nothing springs to mind right now, keep reading and you'll get plenty of ideas.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

As you move through this book you'll see many examples of ways you can solve your

problems, money and otherwise, using Craigslist.

Since it's free to advertise, you can and should post ads for anything you want.

ANYTHING!

When something needs fixing, put an ad on Craigslist.

When you want to make some money, put a bunch of ads on CRAIGSLIST

There are no legal limits to what you can advertise on this site and you'll see a bunch in

this book. I hope it spurs your creativity.

Now some background on the example ad from above.

I had some water damage to a wall in my bathroom and had no idea what it would cost

to fix but I took a couple pics and placed this ad...


The ad was placed at 6:07PM on a Friday night.

The first response came in at 7:05PM

I had five responses by 12:29AM.

One guy said he'd do it for $75.

One said it was a $400 job.

One said it was probably a bigger job because there might be mold behind the wall.


And two said "call me".

None followed instructions to provide references and background info.

I probably would have gotten more people to "bid" if I'd let them set the price.

BUT I wanted to see what would happen and since I could remain anonymous I slapped

an ad up there.

BEFORE YOU SPEND ANY MONEY, THINK CRAIGSLIST FIRST!


MAKE MONEY USING CRAIGSLIST

If you're not familiar with CRAIGSLIST, I think you should start by selling stuff around

your home.

This past summer I decided to get rid of some dumbbells that were gathering dust in my

living room.

I had purchased them back in 2007 when I did the P90X program. (the only way I

completed that program was thanks to Craigslist...more on that later)

I placed the following ad:

The ad reads:

I have 6 dumbells

2- 15lbs

2-20lbs

2-30lbs


It may shock you to learn they are in excellent condition (lightly used) and retail on

Amazon for $180+ shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Cap-Barbell-Single-Dumbbell-15-

Pound/dp/B002OF327W/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1340841019&sr=8-

5&keywords=cap+barbell

I'd be happy to meet you in a mutually convenient location in the Capital District.

I did include a couple pictures in my ad but I've since removed them from the

Photobucket site so they aren't visible any more.

I also referenced similar pricing from Amazon to give them an idea of the value.

I mentioned I was willing to meet them somewhere convenient.

I also tried to inject a little personality into the ad.

All good ideas in my opinion.

My first response, one day later on the 28th, asked if I would be willing to separate them

since he only wanted the 15s and 20s. I wrote back that I wasn't interested.

Two days later I got this email...

http://www.amazon.com/Cap-Barbell-Single-Dumbbell-15-Pound/dp/B002OF327W/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1340841019&sr=8-5&keywords=cap+barbell




You'll notice the name of the emailer is Michael Quinn. That email was from my brother.

We got a big laugh out of that and I gave him a $15 break on the price.

In retrospect, I believe I actually spelled dumbbells wrong in my ad. Oh well. It worked

anyway.

I'm going to show you a few more of my selling adventures now and share with you

more good ideas for any ad you place.

WHAT'S A FAIR PRICE?

This is an important question to ask whether you are buying or selling. Let me walk you

through how to do your research.

I have a nearly brand new pair of Rossignol skis in the garage. They were used at most

six times and I think the number is closer to two. They don't come with bindings

although the holes are in place for them.

I'm writing this in September which isn't quite the best time to sell these in Upstate NY

but let's give it a try...

First thing is to figure out exactly what you have...can you find a model # or UPC code?

(There is a UPC code on the skis but I couldn't find out any info from it)

Next thing I do is type in "Rossignol" into my local Craigslist to see what pops up.


I look for similar products and price ranges. I also look for catchy titles I could emulate.

Next, I headed over to Amazon to see what prices they have...


That's usually enough to get an idea of what I could expect or at least where I should

start my pricing.

If you need more price info, check out eBay too!

I've settled on a starting price of $75.

I'm going to adapt a title I found on Craigslist.

I'm going to include 6 pictures....you are allowed to post 8 pictures on the CRAIGSLIST

site.

I uploaded one of the pics to Photobucket so I could see if anyone looks at the ad.

The other 5 I posted on CRAIGSLIST..




The ad is posted...

Time will tell if $75 is a fair price.

As of this writing the ad has been up for 6 days and we've had 9 views. Too soon to

tell.

Speaking of time...

Last year around the beginning of August my father decided to sell his 22 foot sailboat

and replace it with a smaller one.

I thought it was a bit late in the season to be selling a boat but since the ads are free I

did it.

Plus, I didn't relish the job of helping him put it away for the winter. I'd be glad to be rid

of it.


Here's a peek inside my CRAIGSLIST account...

I placed my first ad on August 3rd and the last on September 11th.

As you can see I was being clever with my titles early on..."Wife Says It's The Boat or

Me!" but I did give specific details about the boat in the title too.

Also, I placed these ads in two area CRAIGSLIST pages....Albany and Glens Falls.

At that time I hadn't figured out how to track views using pictures so I posted a Youtube

Video in the ad and simply checked to see how many were looking at it.

The video is still up and has 301 views. By now it may have more as readers of this

book take a look.

There is no audio because dad doesn't say much but if I'd known anything about the

boat I would have given a tour.

http://youtu.be/oF2I0Unm8zE

He got a few interested people looking at it but no offers.

I encouraged my father to lower his price but he wouldn't go below $2250, at least in the

ad. I guess we gave up in early September when he took the boat out of the water.

Knowing what I know now I would have kept renewing the ad and lowering the price

myself until he got an offer.

The funny thing is, on November 1st, fully 50 days after I last posted the ad, I got an

email from Nate.

http://youtu.be/oF2I0Unm8zE


He said he was interested in the boat and wanted to come see it.

I was immediately suspicious.

Three days later he was in my parent's driveway with a couple friends and my father

made a deal with him for $1900.

He left $1000 and came back a week later with the balance.

Just goes to show you, keep advertising until the thing sells!

I'm still suspicious though! :)

You'll probably run out of your own stuff to sell pretty quickly. When that happens you

should take your new skill and start selling the stuff that belongs to other people.

If you want an official title, use...

CRAIGSLIST COMMISSION AGENT

I have to thank my Cousin Nancy for this idea.

Nancy has a friend who had a lot of stuff he wanted to sell. He is an older guy, doesn't need the money and can't be bothered to sell this stuff for himself. So far, she has sold a "ton of a electronics and household stuff". She has also sold a car and a boat trailer for him. Nancy earns 20% of the final sale price. Nancy finds buyers for this stuff using Craigslist. She spends no money advertising. She takes phone calls, answers questions, meets with potential buyers and collects the money. The only thing she "spends" to make this money is time. She makes the buyers come to her when it's convenient for her. If she's lucky, she will have more than one buyer interested in showing up at the same time which often leads to a higher price, and thus a bigger commission for her. Being a Craigslist Commission Agent is a perfect no-risk way to earn some extra money.


FINDING STUFF TO SELL Think about people you know who have large items sitting around that they aren't using. Think about complaints you've heard… " I wish my husband would get rid of that pool table." Next, let your friends and relatives know that you are available to sell any unwanted items they might have around. Give them some examples… Cars, boats, furniture, trailers, pool tables etc. Make this announcement on Facebook, Twitter, email and of course, any time you run into people. Tell them about the success you've had selling your own stuff if that's applicable. "Hey Polly, do you still have that old boat in the backyard? Would you like to sell it?" Around your town you may have noticed someone selling a boat or car with a sign in their front yard. If it's been for sale for awhile they are a prospect. Approach those people with an offer to sell their items for a commission. Tell them you will handle everything. All they will have to do is open their hand and take cash from you. Explain your commission structure… And you can make this whenever you want… 10%, 20%, 30% or more. Generally the higher the price of the item the less of a commission you'll be able to get. But some people will just give you the item to get rid of it and then the full sale price is yours! The reason many people don't sell stuff they want to get rid of it is they think it's going to be an aggravating experience… Placing ads, taking calls, meeting people, negotiating etc. Most will gladly pay you to handle that aggravation. After awhile, you will become really good at this and people will seek you out to sell their stuff. RESEARCH Pricing the items will be important. If the seller has an idea about the price they want and they are firm on that go with it. If they have no idea what a fair price is, figuring that out is up to you and it's quick and easy. Consult page 52 for how to set a fair price.


MEETING POTENTIAL BUYERS I remember when Nancy was moving. She was selling some of her own furniture on Craigslist. She would make appointments for people to come look at the stuff and a high percentage of people would not show up. She was incredibly aggravated. If you stick to being a Craigslist Commission Agent you will no doubt run into this issue yourself. You can deal with it a couple ways. One is by ending every phone call with "please do me one favor, I know schedules change, if it turns out you can't meet me at the time we've agreed on, please call and let me know... it will save me from wasting a trip out there, OK?" That should solve most of the problem. You could also say something like… "I live about 10 miles from the [item] so I like to schedule a few people to come see it at the same time which saves me gas money. When I get a few more callers who want to see it I will give you a call and let you know when I will be there." If the person really wants the item, hearing that they will be competing with other potential buyers will drive them crazy. You will get people offering to pay for your gas! :-) If they sound serious and ready to buy at your asking price, go meet them and take their money. NEGOTIATING Most people don't like to negotiate or haggle. If you are the potential buyer, you dislike the thought of being rejected or having your lower offer rejected. If you are the seller you probably don't like rejecting people who are standing in front of you with cash. In this case, you have the perfect out. This is not your item. If you get offered a lower price you will have to check with the owner. It's not you saying no, but someone else. It's not you who are rejecting the potential buyer, it's the big bad owner. Buyer: Would you take $1500? You: The owner told me she was firm at $2500 but let me call and check with her.


If you can make this call right in front of the potential buyer you can be the middleman in their negotiations. You: the owner says $2250 is the price today. Buyer: I can do $2000 cash on the barrelhead right now. You: the owner says OK! In fact, when you know you will be meeting people it's a good idea to let the owner know so they can answer the phone when you call.

There is one other way you can get stuff to sell using Craigslist and that is in the FREE

section.

I'm not going to devote a lot of ink to this because it requires speed, luck, a truck and

one or two strong backs. But there are people who make decent money pouncing on

free stuff and reselling it.

Here's an example of something offered free in my area CL:


I'd never heard of this product but a quick Google search indicates that this could easily

be a $100 profit...

I'd be surprised if this one lasted long.

In the FREE category you'll find a lot of big heavy stuff. Washers, dryers, dishwashers

and the like. You'll find "curb alerts" which are people making it known that they are

leaving stuff on the curb, usually after a yard sale.

Go pick them up, clean them up if needed and put them back up for sale on Craigslist.

And include a PICTURE of your item. That will get you more interest.

Just a quick note about the FREE section. If you have stuff you just want to get rid of

offer it there. You might be surprised how fast it goes. Offer this as a service to friends.


Offer to place an ad for the thing they want to give away. Hopefully they'll remember

you when it comes time to sell something they have.

So you've sold your stuff and now have your antennae up looking for opportunities to

sell stuff for other people.

BUY TO RESELL

Just like there are people who are on the lookout for free stuff they can resell, there are

plenty of people who look to purchase items on Craigslist with the intention of reselling

for a profit either back on Craigslist or on eBay.

This takes some specialized knowledge but if you have that knowledge you can

sometimes find good deals.

Search for key phrases that indicate a need for speed or someone in distress.

Examples are:

"Must sell"

"Price reduced"

"Need quick sale"

If you don't like the advertised price, ask for a lower one.

The old adage is "you make your money when you buy, not when you sell."

There are good deals out there but you need expertise and speed. While you're

developing that, let's think about what you can DO for money.


MAKING MONEY PROVIDING SERVICES

You can actually find a "real" job here on Craigslist.

Roam around the JOBS section and see if there is anything that fits...

Search for jobs related to your skills.

If you'd like to work from home search for:


By searching for "TELECOMMUTING is OK" you'll get employers who will allow you to

work from home.

NOTE: There is a LOT of junk in this category. A LOT. You'll have to wade through a

bunch of ads trying to get your contact info.

Look for ads like this...

The ad reads...

REPLY TO THIS AD BY SENDING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO

[email protected]

Mr. John Jay Hooker, a well-known Nashville attorney, needs an experienced legal

secretary or paralegal to help him on a large ongoing project. Hours will vary and will

include nights and weekends and for the most part, the work can be done from home

with Mr. Hooker dictating over the phone. An occasional trip to his office in Green


Hills may be required.

Applicant must be somewhat familiar with litigation and filing with the Courts as well

as have excellent typing, proofing and computer skills in Word. If interested, please

respond as soon as possible as the next few weeks will be very busy.

REPLY TO THIS AD BY SENDING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER (as attachments,

not in the body of the email) TO [email protected]

***

If you live in or near Nashville, you can easily determine if this is a real attorney in the

area. Another clue that this is legit is the email address. It's not a free address like

yahoo, hotmail or gmail.

This ad reads...

Well established residential appraisal firm is currently seeking an Administrative

Assistant/Office Manager for general office duties and appraisal report preparation.

This position entails processing appraisal requests, researching public records & MLS,

preparing appraisal reports, as well as miscellaneous office functions. This is an

excellent opportunity for a licensed appraiser assistant to gain experience credits.

Working from home is a possibility for the right person. A good work ethic, a positive


attitude, excellent computer skills, and working knowledge of MS Office required.

Opportunity for advancement exists for the right candidate.

***

I'm pretty sure the ad above is legit but I would have liked to have seen a company

name, email address or phone number.

Below is an example of a telecommuting job that will be a waste of your time to

pursue...


So don't overlook CRAIGSLIST for finding a real job.

The first stop if you're looking to earn money on a temporary basis is the GIGS Section.

Click on all of them. You never know what you might find.

Gigs are where people advertise when they need something done.

You'll see results like this...


With any luck you will be able to provide what they need and make some money in the

process.

Visit that section on a daily basis or set up an alert to let you know when someone posts

a need for your skills. More on how to do that later.

At the same time you are looking for people who are advertising for your skills you

should be advertising that you have those skills.

I read an article recently and the author said...

" ...I have a rather silly number of skills and things that I'm willing to get paid to do. I

have, through craigslist, posted ads for and worked as a nude model, children's art

teacher, website copy writer, resume and cover letter writer, trombone teacher, piano

teacher, painter, contract office assistant, transcriptionist, babysitter, event promoter,

and theater props designer."

My first piece of advice is STEER CLEAR of the jobs wanting nude models! I don't

know the circumstances of her job doing that, but most are slimy!

My second piece of advice is to make a list of all the "silly number of skills" that you

would be willing to get paid to do.

Here is an exercise to help...

STEP 1


List at least 101 things you COULD do to earn money without incurring a lot of expense or wear and tear on your body. Maybe you could shovel snow but if you're in your 50s that's probably not something you want to do alot. Emphasis on the COULD...forget about the WOULD! (Hey, that's catchy.) At this point you are only thinking about your physical abilities (can you climb a ladder, run 10 miles, etc.) and your technical skills and stuff you could do if you HAD to. Most of us can't do brain surgery. Most of us COULD clean a toilet. When making this list don't judge whether you WOULD do these things, just if you

could.

Then head on over to Craigslist (Services and Gigs) to see what other people are

advertising their willingness to do and make note of what you could do.

STEP TWO

Once you are done with your list, go back through it and circle all the things you WOULD do. I'm not talking "would do" if a gun was to your head but would do because you might actually enjoy it. Your list is now much smaller.

To see how other people are advertising what you can do, go to:

Make a note of the "TITLES"...


What gets your attention? Why? Write it down. Above, I like seeing a price. I figure

most people like having an idea how much they will have to pay ahead of time and if I

needed my computer repaired, this would be the first ad I clicked on.

Asking a question can be a good TITLE. "Do you need a website?" could be made

stronger by adding a price.... "Do you need a website?"...5 page site only $197"

Again, research ALL categories and make note of the ads and headlines that get YOUR

attention. Borrow the components that work for you.

And always include a picture.


Go to http://www.AdHuntr.com and type in your "keywords" and see what others are

doing around the country.

STEP THREE

Post an ad for every skill you've identified. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Renew your ads

every 2-3 days without fail. Even 20 ads would take you less than a minute to renew.

Do this even if you don't really intend to do the job. Do it just to get the experience.

It's FREE! It's ANONYMOUS! DO IT!

Look at every CRAIGSLIST ad as a fishing line in the water.

The more lines you have in the water, the more "fish" you will catch.

Here are a few more ideas of services you could provide for money...

FREELANCE COLD-CALLER

This will not be for everyone. I figured I'd get the REALLY scary one out of the way first.

It was inspired by an ad I saw on CraigsList...

http://www.adhuntr.com/


This guy (Mike) has a good looking website and he's actually based in the Caribbean.

This is something you can easily do from home.

You don't need a website, simply place an ad like this one.

I've seen another cold caller advertising that he charges $30 per lead and the customer

has to buy at least 5 leads or $150.

How you structure your service is up to you.

Personally, I like knowing that for my $150 I'm going to get 5 appointments.

If you pay Mike $199 for 10 hours of calling you might not get any appointments.

In doing your own research go to www.craigslist.org and find the city nearest you.


Type "cold calling" into the "JOBS" search box and see what comes up.

In Albany, on this day I got:

Some of these ads say "NO COLD CALLING" but some are looking for cold callers.

They may be expecting you to come to them and make the calls but if they are local

they may be willing to let you make your calls from home.

My guess is, until you prove yourself trustworthy, they probably wouldn't be willing to

pay you hourly, but certainly for results...like the person who charged $30 for an

appointment.

This is one way to get clients or you could place your own ad...

COLD CALLER AVAILABLE FOR [AREA]


Use some aspects of Mike's ad above and place your ad in any Craigslist category that

makes sense.

It does take a special personality to be a cold caller, but if that's you, this can be a

lucrative project.

NOTE: At the time of this writing, it is my understanding that you can cold call

businesses without any problem. But you do want to verify that in the area you live. If

you will be cold calling individuals, you need to be sure the numbers you are calling are

NOT on the DO NOT CALL list.

That is not your job. If your prospective employer is wanting you to call residences

make sure to ask for proof that the numbers are not on the "do not call" list.

You can get more info at: www.donotcall.gov

If making calls from home, don't use your home phone. Get a Skype or Google Voice

phone number.

HANDY WITH A CAR?

This ad doesn't really inspire trust but he had the right idea.


This ad reads...

One man show here. I've been remodeling homes for over 25 years. I do it all well

and have a great attention to details. Give me a chance and you won't be

disappointed. I'm like that funny uncle that can fix anything and makes it look easy.

I'll make you feel comfortable and confident that you picked the right guy. I'm neet,

clean, and I will show up. Shoot me an email or give me a call ( Chris ) thanks for

checking out my post.

***

Not a bad ad but I would have added a list of specific skills.

Here's an ad for someone with nursing skills...


This time of year in Upstate NY people start to think about moving down to FL for the

winter. Ads for people willing to drive you and/or your car to FL are becoming more

common.

The above ad reads...

Hi, my name is John, and I want to offer to drive your car down to Florida/Georgia/South

Carolina, or anywhere along the East Coast/95 Car transport. I'll pick-up your car and

drive it directly to your destination. I can meet you at the airport, or drive your vehicle to

your home. I will be taking a flight back home.

Mature, responsible driver, licensed and insured (owner of 2 cars and motorcycle). fast,

efficient, stress-free transportation of your vehicle. R

Dog and Cat friendly, I'll treat Fido or Fluffy like they're my pet. I'm all about service and

your convenience! Please email for further information, or if you would like any more

information from me!

I ask $.33 cents per mile driven reguardless of what your vehicle gets for milage, and

that I leave the Boston area with a full tank of gas.

For example,

Charleston SC $350

Atlanta GA $374

Jacksonville FL $407

Orlando $454


Tampa $476

Miami $523

Reguards,

John

***

That's a good ad. I like that he lists typical prices. I'm not sure of his motivation though.

The ad says he'll be taking a flight home and unless he has some free travel vouchers,

I'm not sure how he makes any money.

Here's an ad for a guy who is available to drive you, in your car, anywhere you want to

go...

The ad reads...

Tired of driving, or want to take a night on the town and not worry about a DUI?


Save 50% on limo / town car service. I'm available 24/7 to drive your car for any

occasion! I'm a 35 year old professional male chauffeur, 12 years of industry

experience, licensed in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

I'm very friendly, clean cut, and provide 1st class reliable service for your needs.

Professionally dressed or casual (your choice). Non-smoker, don't drink or do drugs.

Clean driving & criminal history.

Great service to use for a night on the town, business meetings, airport transportation,

doctor appointments, out-patient procedures, luncheons, dinner, concerts, shopping,

sporting events and errands. I also provide assistance to the elderly & handicapped.

Available 24/7. I will arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled start time.

Rates:

Hourly: $30 per hour. 3-hour minimum Sun-Thurs. 4-hour minimum Fri & Sat.

Airport Service: $45 to Miami or Ft Lauderdale. $60 to Palm Beach.

Your car is convenient and reliable, now you have a driver that is too! Fully insured

under your auto policy.

Call me anytime, 972-971-6050 (I am based in Broward County) My name is Shon and I

look forward to servicing your needs.

***

Good ad. Prices. Explanation of insurance. Suggested uses. Background. This is

one to emulate.

Here's another good one...


It looks like the ad above is for an established business and what's different about this

one is the Q&A...It reads, in part...

Airport Transportation, etc

Professional Driver for Hire

$20-45/hr I travel to my customers

I am a ~seasoned~ professional chauffeur and driver for hire, to drive your car, or mine!

I may use my 6-passenger stretch limousine to transport you to, or from the airport, pier,

train, doctor, shopping, or anyplace else you need to go.

I'm a owner-operator of a limousine service...~Shall We Take Your Car...or, Mine?


You can visit our website or give us a call...www.YourCar-orMine.com...(805) 985-9463

Available in Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties.

Question and answer

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Ask for references, licenses held, and professional organizations that the provider

belongs to.

Q: If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside

secrets to share?

A: In my business there are many chauffeurs, but very few that I would consider

professional. I consider myself to be one of the very few professionals.

Q: What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you

out?

A: Ask questions, get references, compare prices, ask about the condition of the

providers equipment that's used to provide the service.

Q: Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A: I am an independent chauffeur. I do not work for a limousine company; therefore, I

can provide exceptional service to my clients at a much lower cost.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I truly love driving and I get to meet very interesting people from all walks of life.

A: How do you know that you've chosen the right driving service?

Call: (805) 985-9463

***

A really good ad. Prices, background, website, phone number and personality!

Are you good at selling stuff on Craigslist or eBay? Advertise that skill!



The ad reads...

Do you want to sell your item on craigslist but don't want the spam and dealing with all

the no shows? Let us deal with it. We will list your item and answer email. That way you

don't have to even meet the people. You will only have to meet with us. We will deal

with the spam, lowballers, no-shows, and all the other part that take up your time.

***

This is a good example of "entering the conversation your prospects may be having in

their heads". No doubt some people have become frustrated with various parts of

CRAIGSLIST including no-shows...people who say they are coming and don't show up.

This guy solves that problem!

My name is Dalton, and I can sell your stuff. If you have stuff sitting around but don't

have time to mess with selling it or the process of getting it out there on the Web, text

me, I will get it sold. There will be no upfront fee. I will only get paid if you get paid. I will

charge 50% commission, which may sound like a lot but you will have more money than


you started with. I sell something of yours for $1,000, we both make $500 and both are

happy! Text me at (918)510-9413. Thats nine one eight five one zero nine four one

three. I will be more than happy to help you out!

***

This is a good ad...gives his name and a phone number and a justification for his fees.

The ad reads...

Have stuff laying around the house? Need to get rid of it to make room? Is it in decent

condition that it could be someone elses treasure? If so I sell peoples things all the time

and would like to offer to sell your merchandise for a percentage of the profit. The

percentage is 35%. I'll do all the work while you get to sit back and watch the money roll

in from your stuff. A contract will be made out so that everything is legalized. Call or text

me at 812-272-zerosix05 or email me. My name is Nate and I want to help you declutter

your house.

***

Some people like to have everything in writing and this ad speaks to those people. He's

got a percentage and his name and phone number. Decent ad.


The ad above is the best title of the bunch...

Greetings,

I am a vendor at bay area flea markets. i will come take a picture of your item to sell

then i will take the picture to the flea market and place it in a portfolio catergorized for

people to view. If some one wants to purchase i will contact you and set up time to meet

up with person ( so all three of us will meet up at your destination ). Boom! sale made i

take a percent that we aggree on and were all happy. if youre not sure if the item you

want to get rid of will sell feel free to email me, i see the things that people are

searching for all the time at the markets and will be happy to answer any questions

weather through email or phone. Thank you and lets make it happen. Dont wait... just

ask, you never know what how bad others may want your item or items and are willing

to pay to get it. Thank you.

***

This one has a few spelling errors but I've made a few in my life. I love the title... "I don't

get paid unless your stuff sells" As a potential customer of this guy I like hearing that.

He also outlines the entire process and how it will work. He talks about a percentage he

will get but I'd have liked to see some examples.

Just a note that none of these ads look any different than any other ad.

Be sure to dress yours up with bold and color and other decorations you

discovered in the section on writing a great ad.

I'm a big fan of the television show "Storage Wars".

My favorite part is finding out how much some of the stuff is worth.


It's amazing to me how often something sitting in an abandoned storage unit can be

worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

If the previous owner had simply known about the value, he wouldn't have lost it to an

auction.

If you are good at appraising value of things you might offer your services via a

Craigslist ad.

On the flip side, don't sell anything you think might be valuable without getting it

appraised.

The ad reads...

Hello. Instead of doing an estate sale, we will be selling a collection of China and glassware as a lot. There are many cut glass vases, sugar bowls, and some pieces collected from Germany in the 1950s.

I would like to get an honest appraisal of these items and of course you would have first opportunity to see and perhaps make an offer to purchase.

Please reply with PHONE CONTACT and I will call back.

THANKS!

***

With the success of television shows like "Who Do You Think You Are" genealogy has become hot.


Even if you have only done your own genealogy, that is a skill that is valuable.

Place your ad and get clients:

The ad reads...

Do you have an interest in your Genealogy? Would you like to share a bit of family history with someone close to you? I can help. For a flat fee to $50 I will do 4 hours of Genealogical Research for you. With that research you will get a 8.5x11 full color 3-5 generation family tree, copies of any documents I find attractively bound and a disk with all documents saved on it. We can then use that information to create any number of gift worthy projects from larger family tree posters to photo books to full family history books. It cost nothing to call and talk about what you would like to create and how to get there. Lesley Potts Genealogical Researcher LRP Genealogy

***

This is a really good ad. She mentions a price and exactly what she will do for you.

Use AdHuntr.com to get more ideas for how to word your ad.

To get more ideas for services you could provide check out:


http://fiverr.com/

This is a site where people advertise their willingness to do something for $5.

Click on every category and make note of the things you could do for people in your

local area.

And of course, keep quiet about this site because you want to earn more than $5!

http://fiverr.com/


FIND A PARTNER

Here's a guy who has an idea for an app but not the expertise to get it done. He

probably can't afford to hire a programmer so he's willing to give up some equity in the

company in exchange for getting it done.

If you are skilled in making apps, place your own ad...

The sky is the limit.

You will be amazed what you find people advertising for using AdHunter.com


TRAVEL FOR FREE?

Got a truck?

This guy advertises that he will move your stuff, in his truck, anywhere on his route

between Houston, Dallas and Buffalo, NY.

I'm sure he advertises in every Craigslist city on his route.

Perhaps he has family in one of those places and by hauling stuff for people he gets his

gas paid for.

If you do this, be sure to verify what you are transporting. Open the boxes and look.

You know why.


SAVE MONEY USING CRAIGSLIST

If you need to spend money for products or services and it isn't an emergency, consult

your local CRAIGSLIST.

Years ago I was looking for a treadmill. I found a great one on Craigslist and the owner

helped me put it into my truck with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He got it as a

Christmas gift from one of his boys and never used it.

If searching for something specific, type in product names and model numbers. (if you

are selling something be sure to include it's model number in your ad)

Many a recent college grad has crowed with pride about furnishing their new apartment

with stuff they got off CRAIGSLIST...mostly free stuff in some cases.

If you can't find a specific product you are looking for, then place an ad for it in the

WANTED section.


I have a recumbent bike in my garage that I got off CRAIGSLIST years ago. I should

respond to this guy.


The advertiser above wanted a free pool so he advertised for one.

ADVERTISE FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT!

You risk nothing by searching or placing ads on CRAIGSLIST for stuff you want.

If you aren't in any hurry, there is an automated process for being alerted that

something you want has been posted.

You can set up those alerts at: www.NotiFinder.com

Type your nearest CRAIGSLIST city into Box 1.


Describe what you are looking for in Box 2.

In Box 3 choose how often you want be alerted and then provide the email address you

would like to be contacted at.

At last check you could set up 5 alerts per email address.

Here is a sample alert I have set up for new postings in the FREE section that mention

my town.


You can use Notifinder for any category, not just FREE.


SAVE MONEY ON SERVICES

You saw an example of me saving money by placing the ad for the bathroom repair.

You can do the same for appliance repair.

or AC repair in your car...

or moving...


The ad reads:

I need at least one guy and a truck to help me move.

I have a 10 x 9 storage unit on W. 11th ave. I need to empty it out and move it's

contents to a house off River Road on River Loop 1.

I have a computer desk, a TV entertainment stand, and a queen size mattress and box

spring. That's basically it for the heavy stuff. The rest is mostly boxes of household

and personal items. A few end tables.

I also have stuff here where I'm currently residing off of Maxwell Rd. Probably 6 or 7

boxes here.

I need to take it all to River Loop 1. I don't anticipate taking more than two trips.

I am strong and able bodied but I can't do this all on my own. Plus I don't have a truck

or a license.

Please have your own truck, be a licensed driver with insurance, and for heaven's

sake don't be on drugs.


I'm willing to pay $10.00 an hour plus $20.00 for gas. I'd like to get it done as quick as

possible.

Please respond to this e-mail with a picture of yourself and your truck lol. No joke.

There's some wierdos out there.

***

That's a VERY clear ad with some hoops to get through which will cut down on time

wasters. A good one to emulate.

WHATEVER you need done can be done by someone on CRAIGSLIST.

There are millions of talented people available to help you and you will save money

when you find them on there.

Obviously, be safe. Ask for references. Check those references.

BARTER!

Another way to save money is through the use of Barter.

There is a whole barter section with ads like this...


This is a really specific one...


He wants to trade his Budweiser sign for a Arcade Video or Pinball machine. I suspect

he'd take cash too.

Here's a photographer who wants to trade photography services for airline miles.


If you have a skill and are open to Barter place an ad in that section.

An ad in my area simply listed a bunch of stuff he was willing to barter with...

I have some items for sale/barter partial cash plus trade on all never hurts to text me

an offer all I can say is no thanks I can text a pic of any item

Air hockey table made in USA brand $ 225

Charmglow table gas grill $40

Emerson 1/4 split phase belted fan& blower motor reversible cat # 1194 $185

Pearl drum one side needs repair

Pearl cx300 14" hi hat cymbals

Twin floral bed in a bag $50

Center island counter top $75

Ge profile over the range vent hood stainless $80

1/2 box allure ultra flooring clear cherry color fully waterproof $30

Text or call Rick 518-339-5277 no email please please remember part cash with

trade but may swap for good deal thanks and cash is king on any I am open to cash

offers too

***

In my experience, I think it's better to have something specific in mind...I have X and I

want Z.

Being specific will cut down on responses from people who have nothing you want or

need.

Is your head spinning yet? Can you see why you should be using Craigslist?

Get a grip on your head, because it's only begun to spin!


SPECIAL SITUATIONS

An idea that falls in this section is what inspired me to put this publication together.

A reader of mine mentioned she was looking for affordable housing for she and her

daughter. I had recently seen an ad on craigslist for someone looking for a similar

situation.

I searched AdHuntr and came up with many such examples…


Of course this is not limited to single women with children. Anyone looking to share

housing expenses can put in an ad or search for ads.

Use common sense here. Do background checks. Check references. Don't sign

anything long-term until there has been a probation period. If children are involved on

both sides spend some time in a local park to judge your compatibility.

Move carefully but you can really save a lot of money this way.

It doesn't have to be forever, but if you are going through a tough time or need to get

back on your feet it's an option to explore.


Before Regis Philbin retired from "Live with Regis and Kelly" in New York City I attended

the show.

We had tickets so we didn't have to stand in line but there were people who had stood

in line for at least two hours.

A new ipad was soon to be released so line-standing had been on my mind, I guess,

when an idea popped in...

"I’m sure some people would be willing to pay someone to stand in line for them….to

get cold and wet in exchange for money." So rather than just wonder, I put it to the test

and placed three FREE ads on the Manhattan Craigslist section.

I placed the ad below...

I don’t actually live in NYC…I live 3 hours north so I’m not really interested in doing this

for anyone down there but I wanted to see if people would pay for this service.


Frankly, I was amazed at how quickly I was proven correct.

In 39 minutes I received this reply…

If you are having trouble reading it, the email says:

Are you available to save a table at a bar in the east village? It’s my wife’s birthday and I wanted to get a table for six of friends and the tables in the lounge are first come first served.

Thanks,

Larry

I wrote to tell him I wasn't available.

Larry knows the minimum price is $30 so if I were really going to do this, I’d get there

when the doors open and my guess is I wouldn’t be there for 3 hours.

$10 an hour is LOW for NYC I'm sure!

I got this idea by simply thinking about a service I would have liked.

My free ads were like bait in the water and I got a bite!

This is a great word-of-mouth service. Be sure to make some business cards, because

when Larry and the gang show up you’ll be a star for a few minutes as he tells the story

about how he got this great table.

Five days after posting the ads I got another response…


The email says…

Hello,

I am hoping to purchase an iPad 2 with Wifi only. This means that I would need

someone to wait outside of the Apple store to pick this up. Please let me know what the

cost would be for this service. Feel free to contact me for any further details you might

need in order to give me a price. Thank you in advance for your help.

Best,

Davina

I wrote to Davina and told her I couldn’t do it but it clearly demonstrates this is a service

people wanted.

It should be noted that these ads were placed in probably one of the busiest Craiglist

areas in the country. The ads are BURIED by now yet I still got a response, five days

later.

You will probably have an easier time in your neck of the woods, particularly since you

can post the same ad every two or three days.

I doubt anyone goes onto CRAIGSLIST looking for someone to stand in line for them.

They happen to notice your ad while looking for something else.


I love this story!

Genius!

Coincidentally, a new iPhone has just been released and people were advertising on

Craigslist to sell their place in line…


The morning the iPhone went on sale I heard news reports that some guy in Chicago

was willing to sell his spot for $1000.

Like buying a lottery ticket, hey, you never know!

ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS

Back in late 2007 I bought the P90X exercise program from an infomercial. These days

I'd head to Craigslist first.

It retails for about $150 so getting it for $70 would be a deal.


I've lived with myself long enough to know there was NO WAY I would stick with this

program if left to it myself.

So I placed an ad on CRAIGSLIST looking for a personal trainer to come to my house 6

days a week to make sure I stuck with it.

I can't find the ad I placed because they didn't require accounts in those days, nor can I

remember how many responses I got but I found a good one.

Tricia showed up every day and after a couple weeks, once I knew all the moves, all

she had to do was show up and she read a book most of the time.

A waste of money? Maybe but I really wanted to finish the program and having to get

up and open the door every morning by 7AM was really motivating.

You don't have to spend any money to stick with your workout routine though.

Look for or advertise for a workout buddy...


No money need change hands and you will both have an easier time achieving your

goals.

You aren't limited to workout buddies either. On Craigslist you can find buddies for

fishing, golf, surfing, biking and even drinking buddies.

If you can't find what you're looking for, advertise for them.

This next guy is looking for a fishing buddy...


The ad reads...

hello im looking for a fishing buddy! my wife works a lot of hours and im on disabilty

and i dont drive so i got a lot of time on my hands and im 36 years old . i love fishing

just took up the sport and hoping to catch that big steelhead and salmon and

wanting to learn some tips and tricks on catching them big fish . ive got a few fishing

poles and some gear and i also have a 4man fish n hunter raft hoping to get a trolling

motor for it soon i also have a caddais float tube . im willing to help out with gas for

our fishing trips . oh ya and i got some info on a good spot out at carver . if intrested

in meeting a new fishing buddy e mail me my name is kenny

***

How about a buddy to help you be more successful?



This ad reads...

I 'm an entrepreneur and writer who has recently picked up new guest posting gigs

and has a lot of personal projects I'd like to move forward. I'm seeking a writing

accountability partner to meet with daily, or every other day during the week with

the intention of writing for one hour. If you need help with writing accountability,

feedback and creating the time to do your work, please message me. I'm female, late

20s. I have a laptop and am looking to meet at a coffee shop or cafe. Ewa or Kapolei

preferred. My schedule is flexible though I'd prefer not to meet at busy times such as

lunch or dinner hours.

***

She wants to meet in person but this same thing could be accomplished via Skype or

just the phone.

No money exchanges hands and you accomplish your goals!


OTHER LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Earlier I used the example of a single mother looking for shared housing arrangements.

There are many other ways to live free or at half price.

From 1998 to 2005 I lived for free most of the time in other people's homes as a house

sitter.

It all started in 1997 when the mother of a neighbor needed someone to live in her

house and take care of the dog while she went to Florida for the winter.

I like dogs. I like living for free and I jumped at the chance.

The next year, after she got back from Florida she invited me to live on the property in

an apartment above the garage.

When she traveled or when she went back to Florida I moved into the main part of the

house and took care of the dog.

It was a big, beautiful house with a swimming pool and I really enjoyed it.

You can find many people advertising on craigslist these days looking for house sitting

gigs.




I think the first two ads are probably the best ones. They include a lot of detail about

themselves and a nice picture.

The more detail you include in ads like this the better. I'd probably add a video for even

more credibility.

I like the ad below because she includes prices...


The ad reads...

Hello!

I am a University of Iowa graduate student looking for any house or petsitting

opportunities in the North Liberty/Iowa City area to make some extra money while

going to school. I have two labs of my own, grew up with cats, and have even owned

a few hamsters in my day - any pet you would like taken care of while you are out of

town is welcome! I offer in-home pet/housesitting where I would be a constant

presence at your home for your pet (water your plants, check your mail, etc.), and

would even consider taking your well-behaved, potty-trained dog(s) into my own

home if you'd prefer (my own friendly labs love new playmates, and we dogsit for

friends often!).

Please contact me if you would like pricing details or to meet in person - only serious

calls please.

-Beth-


(3-six-0) Nine-0-four-6-three-9-six

$25 per day to check in on your pet twice a day to feed/potty/walk (includes 1-2 pets)

(rate is for Coralville/N.Liberty - $5 extra for Iowa City residents because it's a long

drive for me to make twice a day!)

$30 per day for me to watch your dog at my home (interview with dog required

beforehand to make sure they would get along with my dogs) (rate is for 1 dog - $15

per day for each additional dog)

$40 per day for house/petsitting in your own home. (rate includes 1-2 dogs or up to 3

cats - $10 for each additional dog, $5 for each additional cat)

***

Before you place an ad, do your research at AdHuntr.com to get ideas for good ads.

I've started noticing something in CRAIGSLIST ads and this one is a good

demonstration.

You'll notice she expressed her phone number using both letters and numbers... (3-six-

0) Nine-0-four-6-three-9-six)

I assume this is because there are bots scraping CRAIGSLIST for phone numbers

which results in junk phone calls.

It hasn't been a problem for me. I simply ignore calls from outside my area code.

OTHER ALTERNATIVE LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

House sitting isn't the only option...

Like cleaning?



Most of these advertisers are looking to exchange their housekeeping services for a

place to live or they want to exchange an extra room for a housekeeper.

The ad reads...

We are a married couple ages 32 and 41, we lost our home due to financial difficulties

and unfortunately we have no close family/ friends to help out.

We are looking for a furnished room private bath & utilities included in exchange I can

do housekeeping full time and cooking (I have experience in both)

I am a very meticulous, organized person in general. My husband is handy and can fix

minor things if need be, he is also excellent at working on computers. We would need

to have Wifi as we attend school online and we would also be working part time.

We do not have children living with us, we do not have pets, we do not drink, do drugs

or smoke. We are friendly, laid back but pretty private and very respectful.

You can e-mail us through this posting and I will get back ASAP or you can call us from

8:00 AM to 11:00 PM. We are looking for a place ASAP, we're staying in a hotel and it

is getting very costly.

***

Another example...


Aloha,

I am a 34 year old educated (B.S. in Ecology) woman from Seattle hearing the call to

return to home o Island and my ohana. I will be returning around October and I am

looking for a private room with full rent paid, including utilities and Wifi, in exchange for

work trade. I have work experience as a housekeeper in an assisted living facility and I

have also been on the management team for 2 restaurants in Seattle and the General

Manager of a lounge in Columbia City. I am offering my services for house sitting,

housework, remodeling, organizing, yard work, shopping, cooking and taking care of

pets. I can also help with your personal business, filing, books, customer service,

making calls, setting appointments, etc... I am a responsible, reliable, meticulous, well

organized, adaptable, capable, multifaceted, hardworking and integritous person. I

enjoy reading, writing, yoga, going for adventurous walks, making jewelry and other

creative endeavors. If this sounds like I would be a good fit I would love to connect with

you. :):):)

References and resume available upon request. Please reply via email.

Next are a couple ads from the other side...they have room and want a housekeeper...


Hello, We are a family of four that has a large home off of I-45 and Rayford Rd. We

are looking for extra help around the house and with the kids. My husband and I

work full time and are hardly home. We have two girls, ages 4 and 6 years old. They

can use some occasional child care. This is not a full time nanny. I need help around

the house with daily chores and house keeping. We do have two dogs and we go out

of town often, so we need some one to watch over the dogs as well.

This is not a full time job. This is an exchange of helping us out around the house, in

return you get room and board.

You'll get your own bedroom, own bathroom, cable TV, internet, use of whatever is

in the refrigerator, use of family computer, washer/dryer, gated community,

community pool, community health club.

Your kids are welcome.

***


I am looking for a live in housekeeper in exchange forroom and board. The house is a

two family house where the housekeeper would have his or her own room in the

upstairs apartment. There will be internet and cable provided. The housekeeper will be

in charge of keeping the common areas of both apartments clean. The floors mopped or

vacuumed. The kitchens and bathrooms well kept. Complete details will be discussed.

I am looking to fill the position as of September 1st. Please email me with interest,

contact information and resume and/or your current situation and past.

***

If you like to clean there are many bartering opportunities I could think of. Here's one I

hadn't thought of...


If I'm reading that ad correctly she's will to trade 40 pieces of women's clothing for a one

time cleaning of a small cottage.

If you like to clean, start your ad with

"I will clean your home or office in exchange for..."

and fill in whatever you want!

TICKETS?

When you want tickets to something that is sold out, put an ad on Craigslist AND set up

an alert for when someone else posts an ad.

If you don't have money for the tickets, ask for free tickets! You have NOTHING to

lose.

Event ticket deals will be easier to find the day of the event so you'll have to move

quickly.

NEED A CAR?

Don't have a lot of money or none?

Put up an ad!


You will be FAR from the first.

This ad reads...

hi sir or mam,

I am praying that someone has a car that wasn't that great that I could have . I lost

my job after years with no warning and cannot afford to buy a car . I have no

transportation and have to keep borrowing cars. Please keep me in mind You can

text me @

God bless,

sincerley,

praying man

***

Hope the praying man got one!

SET IT UP AND SELL IT or LEASE IT!

Did you ever see that movie with Liam Neeson...I think it was called "Taken"? He was

talking to kidnappers on the phone and said...


I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I

can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills.

Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for

people like you. If you let my daughter go now that'll be the end of it. I will not look for

you. I will not pursue you. But if you don't I will look for you. I will find you and I will kill

you.

(Note to self, don't kidnap Liam Neeson's daughter)

Anyway, these ideas will be for someone with a particular set of skills.

Every once in awhile I'll see a route for sale on Craigslist.

-A lawn mowing route

-A window cleaning route

-A vending route

-A pool cleaning route.

Here's an example...

The ad had been removed, probably means they sold it, so I couldn't see any more

detail but with 85 lawns I'm sure they were grossing at least 5-6K a month. 85 x $20 per

lawn x 4 weeks a month =$6800 and that's a low guess, I'd bet.

Here's an ad with more detail...

***


Here's another example...

This ad reads...

Pool Route For Sale $697

I have 2 Pools for Sale in the Austin area with a 90 day Warranty. I am asking 6 times

the monthly service amount. You may make payments. You can pay me in 6

installments. I get around 2 new pools per month in the Austin area and can sell

those to you as well. The Warranty works as follows: If the pool account cancels for

any reason in the 90 day period, I will replace it with another pool and credit any

payments you made to the replacement pool. I will not Warranty a pool if you didn't

go one week and they fire you. If you have any questions, please contact me at the

phone number below.

Bill

This is a really good case study.

This is hardly a route...it's two pools! But it's a good start for a person who wants to get

into this business.

He's selling it for 6x the monthly service amount which my calculator tells me means he

is earning $116 per month or say, $60 per pool. According to the ad you go to each

pool once a week so that works out to $15 per visit.

According to the ad he is probably doing something similar to what I'm suggesting you

do....getting the clients and selling them.

It's a great business model. He's even taking payments so he's got a nice cash flow

too!


If, by some chance, you were really good at getting customers for a service you could

set up small routes and sell them.

10 lawn customers at $20 a week = $200 or $800 a month. You could easily sell that

for $1-$2000 to someone looking to get into the business. It would be a great head start

for them. The perfect time to be selling such a route is the spring when college kids are

looking for jobs.

Or you could subcontract the route out like this creative person...

They are advertising for someone else to go out and do the actual cleaning and they'll

split the profits. Who knows what they are doing if not the actual cleaning but if they're

smart they will be building up the client base.

I read a story recently of a chiropractor who was really good at setting up chiropractic

practices. So he'd spend some time doing that and then sell the practice to recently

graduated chiropractors.

If you have a "particular set of skills" the possibilities are many to make nice lump sums

of cash.


VENDING MACHINES

In my opinion steer clear of "vending machines". America's garages and basements are

FULL of vending machines people bought with visions of piles of passive income.

I'll never forget the couple who took my "How To Own Your Paycheck Again!" class and

were excited to tell me about the vending machines they were considering buying.

They thought the machine salespeople were pretty sharp because they recommended

placing the machines in smaller office buildings that the big vending companies passed

over.

I pointed out that the big boys avoided small office buildings because small buildings =

few bodies and few bodies = few dollars for vending machines.

I hope they passed on that "opportunity".

Having said that, if you want a vending machine for your man cave then you won't have

any problem finding one with an ad on Craigslist!

THE AD THAT STARTED A NEW CAREER

I've written about cousin Nancy a few times in this book. She's always using Craigslist

for one thing or another and that includes starting a new career.

A few years ago Nancy met me in Chicago and we drove to Wisconsin to visit some

relatives.

On the way we stopped for lunch with my friends Maria and Joe Gracia.

Maria runs www.GetOrganizedNow.com and Nancy was very impressed with Maria's

cooking and her home.

Shortly thereafter Nancy bought Maria's book "The Ultimate Guide to Professional

Organizers"

When Nancy decided she wanted to earn some extra money as a professional

organizer she went right to Craigslist and posted an ad...

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4383793

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4383793


Date: 2008-11-26, 1:05PM HST

Organization helps us in all aspects of our lives. When we are "organized" we can

*Think more clearly

*Be more productive

*Enjoy our free time more (no more guilt about what we "should" be doing)

*Breathe more freely

Nancy Organizes! provides personalized home and office organizational services, as well as guides for

the "do it yourself" organizer who just needs some direction to get going.

ORGANIZING THE HOME

*Home Office

*Paper Filing Systems

*Computer Filing Systems

*Photos/Videos/Media Sorting

*Closets, Pantries, Storage Areas

*Garage/Lanai Cleanup

*Christmas Card Projects

*Craigslist/Ebay Posting

ORGANIZING THE WORKPLACE

*Desk Ergonomics & Arrangement

*Paper Filing Systems

*Computer Filing Systems

*Supply Room Order


She had her first response in less than 24 hours and that person remains a client to this

day, almost 4 years later.

Nancy has since decided to focus on professional organizing as her career.

And it all started with one ad on Craigslist.

ADVERTISING YOUR NETWORK MARKETING OPPORTUNITY

You'll find many people advertising these opportunities on Craigslist.

The one piece of advice I'd have for you is BE DIFFERENT.

Most ads you'll find are "blind". That means they don't reveal what the real deal is.

They are deliberately vague in the hopes you'll respond.

Why?

Because they assume you already have a negative opinion of network marketing in

general or their company in particular.

A legendary copywriter had some good advice for you...

"Enter the conversation your prospects are already having in their heads..."

When it comes to network marketing that conversation probably sounds something

like...

"it's a scam"

"I'll have to bug my friends & relatives"

"I hate pushy MLM people and I won't become one"

You can probably come up with some more.

Your ad should address all the possible objections you can think of...

"You might be thinking this is a scam...well according to (authoritative body) XYZ

company is legal..."


"You might be thinking you'll have to bug your friends or become one of those pushy

MLM people...That was the old way. I've built a $X,XXX a month business and my

friends and family don't even know what I do."

You get the idea.

Figure out what they may be thinking...what their objections might be and address them

UPFRONT.

This way, when someone responds to your ad they will be REALLY interested.

Be brutally honest and the quality of your leads will be much higher!

WANT OR NEED OWNER FINANCING TO BUY A HOUSE?

When I was a sophomore in HS I attended one of those get rich quick in real estate

freebie seminars. I remember being all excited that they offered a student rate to attend

the real training.

I forked over the $300 bucks but never got rich quick in real estate.

One of the secrets to that is finding owners willing to hold the mortgage and it was

expensive to find those people in 1984.

It's FREE now thanks to Craigslist.



You have NOTHING to lose by placing an ad.

If you own property and you want to sell it and accept owner financing you'll get a bunch

of responses by placing an ad.

Here's a fun search for you...



People are looking for "bird dogs" or people to find them stuff.

You just might happen to have, or know where to find what they need!


The above ad reads...

I am looking to network with "pickers" or dealers who get gold, silver, and platinum. If

you spend your days going to garage sales, estate sales, and auctions for gold, silver,

and platinum we need to talk!

I want to work with you to make sure you get the most for your precious metals and fine

jewelry. I want to build long-term relationships that make us both money.

Call me to find out more.

***

This guy, Dave, is looking for someone to do his legwork!

He doesn't have to pay anyone until he makes money.

Dave has knowledge and skill in making money with precious metals.

Instead of beating the bushes himself, he can sit back and let other people bring him

deals.

Get in that position if you can!


DISCOUNT TRAVEL

You could sell your miles to make some money...

or you can buy travel vouchers and save money on travel...


And you're not limited to airline travel vouchers either...


Tread carefully here.

It's too easy to get ripped-off buying expired or used miles. Check with the carrier to be

sure the voucher is still good, before any money changes hands.


FINAL THOUGHTS

ANYTHING CAN BE BOUGHT & SOLD ON CRAIGSLIST

And everything HAS been bought & sold on CRAIGSLIST but that doesn't mean

everything SHOULD be.

I don't recommend buying or selling jewelry, gold, silver or anything small and valuable.

Why?

Safety and the possibility of fraud.

Can you tell the difference between real gold & silver and fake? Do you know what a

real Rolex looks like? Do you know if it's really Elvis' signature on the photo?

Gold, silver, jewelry and watches are best sold to a reputable jewelry store.

An alternative would be to meet a seller of gold, jewelry or watches meet you at a

jewelry story for an appraisal.

eBay

If the item you are selling has limited appeal then eBay may be the best place to sell it.

For example, I recently cleaned out my basement and sold a bunch of products I'd

purchased at marketing seminars around the country.

They sold within one week on eBay and while I didn't list them on Craigslist I'm

confident it would have taken much longer and I probably wouldn't have made as much.

The point is there were potentially more people looking for this stuff on eBay than were

looking on my local Craigslist.

In the example of the skis I'm selling, I could sell them in a week to someone on eBay

but the shipping would be a hassle.

For that reason I'm willing to wait for a local buyer.


FAKE RESPONSES

Occasionally you'll receive email responses to your ads that are from people not really

interested in what you were offering in the ad.

Sometimes they are easy to spot but not always.

I was testing an ad for my offline business in the RESUMES section. It was the first

time I'd ever advertised in that section and probably the last.

I got a LOT of junk emails and they were all very similar:

This response didn't make any sense. I wasn't looking for a job.

Another response that didn't make any sense.


Look for responses that make specific references to your ad. The more specific the

better.

And take a lesson from this when responding to ads.

Be specific so they know you are real.

CONCLUSION

The only thing standing between you getting whatever you want in life is ACTION.

Place 10 or 20 ads.

...ads for services you could do.

...ads for products around your house you'd like to sell.

...ads for special situations you want.

Renew those ads every three days and who knows what might happen.

Read through this book a couple more times and then once every month.

As you get more experience, more ideas will come to you. You really have nothing to

lose.

Have fun with this.

Remember, just because you place an ad does not mean you have to get back to

anyone who responds.

Please keep me informed on your successes.

Thank you!

Leo Quinn

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Copyright 2012 - Leo J. Quinn Jr. - · Copyright 2012 - Leo J. Quinn Jr. - You can add time to your phone in various amounts. The more minutes you buy at one