GRM Craiglist Seller's Guide

ddavidv wrote: Here's the last paragraph of the ad I have up for my Mini. I guess I shouldn't be surprised I've only had ONE inquiry:

World weary GRMer said: If you don't know about these cars, please do your research before contacting me. They are not suitable for daily use. They will rust if you leave them outside overnight. You can get just about any part for them but finding someone to work on it for you may be difficult. This is a collector car, not a suitable transportation device for a novice. Serious inquiries only; I will not give joy rides to tire kickers. I will not take trades. You cannot make payments. If you can't string a couple of sentences together in an email I won't reply to you. I'm asking $6900 for it. I won't take less just because you ask in your first email. If you're serious, come see it and then tell me why it's not worth what I'm asking. Maybe, just maybe, I'll knock a little off. But I probably won't.

Personally, I've found a list of rules in a posting to be a complete turn off.

I've also found that I get more responses when I don't put in a bunch of rules that turn potential buyers off.

In reply to Ranger50:

I do tend to be somewhat wordy. I actually pared down the text about a paragraph from what I'd originally written. I think somewhere between utter honesty and attempting to make a sale lies some sort of a sweet spot.

I do have more pictures; I tried eBay for the car a while back and had 40+ pictures on the listing.

Thanks for the recommendations.

dj06482 wrote:

volvoclearinghouse wrote: An ad I've been running for my Mercedes 560 recently. Haven't gotten many hits, but I am trying to describe the car so that I don't have to answer every stupid question 100 times. What do you think? http://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/3197820175.html

you probably included too much info in the original ad, and probably scared them away. You can keep the ad simple, and then if you get a reply from a Mercedes enthusiast, you can give them the details. I personally appreciate the details you included, but other potential buyers may not. I'm not suggesting that you misrepresent the car, but it's kind of like a first date. You want to be yourself, but you don't want to lead in with all of your problems/baggage...

This is very good information and something I try to abide by.

JohnRW1621 wrote: I never use statements like "or best offer." The guy who is going to throw you a low offer is doing so weather you invite him to or not and why invite a shopper to a lower offer if you do not have to. Of course, this advise coincides with the concept of be realistic in your asking price.

I disagree. I always price just a bit higher than what I expect to get and include "best offer". I find that most people want to negotiate a little to feel like they got a better deal. I know I do! But it also shows some flexibility on your part, which I think is helpful.

And yes on the additional pics, I always create a Picasa or Photobucket album with at least 30 pics of every car I'm selling. Anything to give the buyer confidence in the car. Of course, before I do that, the car gets a thorough detailing, too.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:
Tom, I think we would both agree, it is hard to sell a car where you use the phrase "price is firm."
This is somewhat akin to the first date that says, "I will not put out."
Agreed, everyone wants a deal.

I think I tend to be the date that says no twice to putting out but always does.
This may be similar to the girl who says, "I have never done this before" but you also notice that she is very good at it.

Your method (to me) is more of an announcement that you are easy.

I guess we both end up on our back, just a different dance.

ClemSparks wrote:

ddavidv wrote: Here's the last paragraph of the ad I have up for my Mini. I guess I shouldn't be surprised I've only had ONE inquiry:

World weary GRMer said: If you don't know about these cars, please do your research before contacting me. They are not suitable for daily use. They will rust if you leave them outside overnight. You can get just about any part for them but finding someone to work on it for you may be difficult. This is a collector car, not a suitable transportation device for a novice. Serious inquiries only; I will not give joy rides to tire kickers. I will not take trades. You cannot make payments. If you can't string a couple of sentences together in an email I won't reply to you. I'm asking $6900 for it. I won't take less just because you ask in your first email. If you're serious, come see it and then tell me why it's not worth what I'm asking. Maybe, just maybe, I'll knock a little off. But I probably won't.

Personally, I've found a list of rules in a posting to be a complete turn off. I've also found that I get more responses when I don't put in a bunch of rules that turn potential buyers off.

No offense, but if I saw that in an add even if it was a car i was looking for I would keep looking. The first part is ok (about not being good daily transportation), but the rest of it no. I refuse to reply to any adds that say anything like no lowballers, serious inquiries only, price reduced for quick sale, must have cash to test drive, etc. If I am selling a car, as long as they are polite about it, I am happy for anyone who is interested at all to come see it, as long as they aren't too annoying.

Travis_K wrote: If I am selling a car, as long as they are polite about it, I am happy for anyone who is interested at all to come see it, as long as they aren't too annoying.

Well...I suppose that's the issue. What you think is too annoying and what Ddavid thinks is too annoying and what I think is too annoying may be worlds apart.

But yeah...it takes all types

Wow.

I didn't do any of these things yesterday and sold my MKIV Jetta in 30 minutes, literally.

Imagine that!

Travis_K wrote:

ClemSparks wrote:

ddavidv wrote: Here's the last paragraph of the ad I have up for my Mini. I guess I shouldn't be surprised I've only had ONE inquiry:

World weary GRMer said: If you don't know about these cars, please do your research before contacting me. They are not suitable for daily use. They will rust if you leave them outside overnight. You can get just about any part for them but finding someone to work on it for you may be difficult. This is a collector car, not a suitable transportation device for a novice. Serious inquiries only; I will not give joy rides to tire kickers. I will not take trades. You cannot make payments. If you can't string a couple of sentences together in an email I won't reply to you. I'm asking $6900 for it. I won't take less just because you ask in your first email. If you're serious, come see it and then tell me why it's not worth what I'm asking. Maybe, just maybe, I'll knock a little off. But I probably won't.

Personally, I've found a list of rules in a posting to be a complete turn off. I've also found that I get more responses when I don't put in a bunch of rules that turn potential buyers off.

No offense, but if I saw that in an add even if it was a car i was looking for I would keep looking. The first part is ok (about not being good daily transportation), but the rest of it no. I refuse to reply to any adds that say anything like no lowballers, serious inquiries only, price reduced for quick sale, must have cash to test drive, etc. If I am selling a car, as long as they are polite about it, I am happy for anyone who is interested at all to come see it, as long as they aren't too annoying.

Oh, I've learned long ago many people don't get my sense of humor. That whole paragraph is half truth, half sarcasm. I probably wouldn't do it on something I'm really desperate to sell or that was more common, but with this car it will sell when someone falls in love with it enough to pay my price. If you would talk to as many half-wits as I do when I'm just out driving the thing around you wouldn't question my hoping to thin the herd a bit with a CL ad. Feel Good Moment: a car dealer friend saw the ad and told me I should write all his ad copy in the future. He loved it.

And here we have another pet peeve, the world's longest run on sentence: http://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/cto/3255676254.html

Not a bad price on a Viper though.