For a LONG time, I wanted to keep these secrets to myself but not anymore! Today I'm sharing the dirty deets.
If you want to sell your old crap on OfferUp and do it quickly, use these sneaky tips.
(source)
1. Crop Your Pictures
Just like Pinterest, it's best to have a long, narrow picture (at least the item's main photo). You'll see here that the longer it is, the more real estate it takes on the screen. Landscape pictures get almost no space at all.
2. Phone A Friend
OfferUp's algorithms will keep "hot" items at the top of the home screen for a period of time. @Shenanigator and I figured out that if someone makes an offer or sends a message within about 15 minutes of posting, it ends up there. We take turns making offers on each others' items right after they are listed to increase the odds it will be a "trending" item, and therefore more people will see it when opening the app.3. Save Time, Include All Details Immediately
Whenever ANYONE sends a message or makes an offer, respond with all pertinent details. I've come to find that 95% of the people on OfferUp (at least in my area) don't think about logistics (location, transportation, etc.), nor do they pay attention to the details of each listing. For instance, each post is tagged with the location, and I've also included my cross streets in my screen name. Yet, buyers constantly act surprised when I give them my address.
Therefore, it saves me time and frustration to respond with something like:
"Hi <Person's Name>, when would you like to come by? My address is _______. I'm available ______ or ______.
4. Keywords Help—Be Descriptive
Err on the side of too much when describing your item. It might sound silly to title something "Ladies Women's Trench Coat Winter Jacket Size Medium," but it gives you the best chances of appearing in searches. Don't be obnoxious about it or keyword stuff, but if there's another name for the item or alternate phrasing that might help buyers discover it, include that.5. Anticipate Questions
Do you deliver? Wanna trade? What are the dimensions? How old is it?
You're going to get allllll these questions and more. Do yourself a favor and answer anything you can in the description. It takes a bit more time up front, but it saves you a lot later.
6. Keep Your Cool
This is one of my faaaaavorite conversations...
For this example, let's say the item is listed for $86.
BUYER: Would you take $20?
ME: Sorry, I can't accept that price.
BUYER: What's your lowest?
ME: The lowest I can do for you is $70.
BUYER: Would you take $30?
Close variations of this conversation have happened DOZENS of times. It frosts my fucking cookies. Don't ask my lowest price and then offer something below that. (Mini-rant over.)
Moral of the story? People will test your patience. They'll insult you with lowball offers. They'll cancel on you after you've rearranged your plans to accommodate them. They'll give you every super-obvious excuse in the book. They'll tell you blatantly untrue sob stories. They'll say "5 minutes away," and show up in two hours. Whatever you do...don't let it get to you! (Easier said than done, I know.)
Here's what you can do:
- Educate people. Sometimes they just don't know how the app works or they aren't familiar with the culture.
- Set reasonable boundaries. (For example, I won't meet people anywhere. They must come to my house because of how often people cancel or don't show up.)
- Be firm on your prices or lowballers will take advantage of you.
- Try to accommodate people but don't go out of your way. (See 2)
- Follow up before meeting times. (i.e., "I'll see you today at 4 pm at (address). Let me know if you need help finding the place.")
- Don't negotiate in person. OfferUp is designed for people to make offers within the app, so if someone tries giving you a lower amount when they show up, they're likely hoping you'll accept just because you've already invested time and effort into the transaction.
7. Use Odd Pricing
People on OfferUp love to feel like they're getting a steal. If you list something for $100, they want it for $25. To help get the most money for your stuff, use odd pricing (as in not even bill amounts) so people are more likely to offer the amount you actually want.Hoping to earn $40? List the item for $47.
Really want to get $85 out of it? Price it at $102.
You will have some people pay your random prices down to the dollar, but more often than not, the offers will come in at around the price you're looking for.
BONUS TIP
Be warned. The lower you price an item, the more work you will probably have to do to sell it. It's like a siren goes off and all the riff-raff come out of hiding to try and waste your time. It's been proven time and time again. There's no better story than this one:A few months ago, I listed a set of unused makeup brushes. They had some sticky residue on the handles from the price stickers, so I listed the $40 brushes for $6. You wouldn't believe the ungodly amount of messages I got from people:
- Asking if I'd take $1, $2, $3...
- Wanting me to deliver.
- Setting a meeting time and canceling.
- Giving excuses why they needed them for free.
- Messaging endlessly with questions only to ghost me when they were supposed to show up.
Ugh, it was the worst. And the sad part is, Jordan and I have experienced the same thing numerous other times when we list a normally high-priced item for a fraction of the original cost. I'm not saying you shouldn't sell things like this, but just know what you're getting into.
Hope these help you avoid headaches and GET THAT MONAYYY on OfferUp. Do you have any tips or tricks that I didn't mention? Share in the comments.
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