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Craigslist is an interesting part of the internet's legacy. Founded over two decades ago as an email distribution list, the platform has steadfastly refused to change its minimalist design and easy-to-use posting system. For many people, Craigslist remains a favorite marketplace to buy and sell items locally.
But this is not your only local buy and sell website option. There are plenty of other sites where you can post classified ads, sell used stuff, or buy second-second products. Some don't even require a user account.
Let's take a look at some of the most popular options out there.
1. Oodle Marketplace
Oodle has pretty much the same features as Craigslist, but it also serves as a social network. The basic concept of posting online classifieds is the same. What makes this website stand out is the ability to add friends to your network and see other users' Facebook profiles.
The platform uses the same technology that powers Facebook Marketplace. You don't have to use Facebook to post, but you have to connect your Oodle account to your Facebook profile. This feature makes it easier to build trust and show that you're a legitimate user.
Oodle's focus on social networking makes it a bit less intuitive for people looking to find items in a specific category. Some users will prefer this design, and others will find it frustrating. However, its interface is easy to use, even for those lacking computer skills.
There's a lot of activity on Oodle, too. You can not only post used things for sale but also use the platform to find jobs nearby. This site seems to do a better job of providing geographically relevant results than many competitors, and there is support for several countries besides the United States. The site operates in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
2. Geebo
Here's another veteran of the buy and sell industry. Geebo has never obtained the household name status of companies like Craigslist and eBay, but has remained relevant for anyone who's looking for an alternative classified site.
Like other buy-and-sell sites, its interface is clean and easy to navigate. It's a little more colorful and modern than Craigslist, but not as appalling as eBay. Users can post classifieds for free, along with relevant photos and additional information, such as the price, location, and product category.
Geebo uses the tagline “safe community classifieds” and claims to have a more personal approach than the competition. Its blog does spend a lot of time bashing the competition for sketchy practices, but otherwise, the site isn't any safer than other online marketplaces where scams abound.
3. Facebook Marketplace
There was a hint of Facebook's own market when we talked about Oodle. There are already thousands of groups on Facebook that have the same idea at their heart, but the Marketplace makes it a bit more organized.
Think of it as a more specialized corner where you can perform localized searches for stuff you want to buy or sell. You might even find people listing things like clothes for free.
Snap a photo and publish it to sell your stuff. To buy stuff, type the keywords and filter by location, category, and price, or through a map. This community-powered marketplace allows you to get a feel of the people you're dealing with through their social profiles.
Related: Useful Tips for Buying and Selling on Facebook Marketplace
To stay on the safe side, make sure you carefully check the listings, as well the Facebook profiles behind them. Ideally, only buy from users with verified profiles. You can talk to the seller using Facebook Messenger to negotiate a final price and close the sale. If you spot a red flag, be careful of the details you give out.
Marketplace is available in the Facebook app and on desktops and tablets. Look for the Shop icon at the bottom of the app on iOS or at the top of the app on Android.
4. ClassifiedAds.com
ClassifiedAds.com, one of the oldest buy-and-sell sites, features thousands of listings in every category you could think of. There are used cars, appliances, toys, home gym machines, mobile phones, second-hand mattresses, and other goods.
Related: Best Websites to Find Used Laptops for Sale
The platform also boasts dedicated sections for jobs, services, and real estate listings. If something catches your eye, you can message the seller and request more information. Buyers are not required to sign up for an account.
Most listings are pretty basic, resembling the classified ads you'd see in a newspaper. Depending on your preferences, you can either browse by category or use the search bar to find used stuff, local services, or rental properties. There is also the option to filter the results by location.
5. Locanto
Locanto is a more streamlined version of Craigslist. Users can post free classified ads in nearly 60 countries worldwide, including the U.S., China, Canada, Vietnam, Ireland, and others.
Think of this platform as a one-stop-shop for used stuff, local events, jobs, cars, and real estate. There's also a section called Community where you can find babysitters, musicians, tutors, and other service providers. The website accepts paid ads from local and national retailers, making it easier to find what you need when you need it.
If, say, you want to buy home gym equipment, you can get it from a private seller or look for stores in your area. Locanto also gives you the option to follow or ignore users, contact advertisers, or make an offer.
6. eBay Classifieds
eBay is one of the oldest and most popular places to buy used second-hand stuff. You can not only buy directly from sellers but also bid on auctions smartly. Use the Advanced Search filter and select Used to narrow down on the used items for sale. Also, use the Location filters to find great deals near your home.
eBay has a classified ads format and it allows you to use eBay as a local buy and sell website. The support article on eBay describes the ad listing process. Do note that the feature is available only for select categories and it's cumbersome to find it in the category you want.
Online Flea Markets: Other Honorable Mentions
Craigslist is bare bones. Several alternatives have found a home in mobile apps because it's easier to click, upload, and list the stuff you want to sell online. So, pick one that reaches the largest audience or has a thriving community. Even selling internationally is no longer difficult.
- AdsGlobe
- Your Classifieds
- Wallapop
- Gumtree (UK)
- AdlandPro
- AdsGlobe
- Mercari
- Bookoo
- USA Today Classifieds
- Free Ads Time
And if it's old toys you're selling, check out these helpful tips for making the most money with them.
More Ways to Take Advantage of Craigslist
There are a lot of sites like Craigslist, but these were picked because of their strong user communities. A classified site is not of much use if no one ever visits it.
In this digital era, you can take your pick from social shopping apps and many niche apps that list just a few categories, such as used cars or electronics. Whether you want to buy used stuff, sell your old gadgets, or find local contractors, everything you need is one click away.
FAQs
The 6 Best Sites Like Craigslist to Find Used Items for Sale? ›
1. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is my #1 overall Craigslist replacement. You'll find listings for electronics, furniture, temp gigs, home rentals, and more. Buyers and sellers can communicate and pay instantly through Facebook Messenger and are required to use their real profiles.
1. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is my #1 overall Craigslist replacement. You'll find listings for electronics, furniture, temp gigs, home rentals, and more. Buyers and sellers can communicate and pay instantly through Facebook Messenger and are required to use their real profiles.
org's top 5 competitors in March 2023 are: ebay.com, classifiedads.com, amazon.com, backpage.com, and more.
What is the best second hand marketplace? ›Poshmark, Ebay, Mercari, Depop, and Grailed are all great platforms for selling secondhand or new items. They each have their own unique features, but all of them offer a great way to list and sell your items quickly and easily.
What does Utah use instead of Craigslist? ›KSL Classifieds is a classified advertisements website covering northern Utah and nearby parts of Idaho and Wyoming.
Which is the best classifieds site? ›| Rank | Website | Rank Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | craigslist.org | = |
| 2 | boattrader.com | = |
| 3 | bizbuysell.com | = |
| 4 | craigslist.com | 2 |
It turns out that people do still use craigslist, just in far fewer numbers than they did several years ago. According to SEMRUSH, Craiglist traffic has been in a steady decline since it peaked in February 2018. Despite this, Craiglist remains one of the most popular platforms for local sales.
What is the difference between Craigslist and CPlus Craigslist? ›CPlus (previously Craigslist+) is an officially licensed Craigslist app for Windows. Like Craigslist on steroids, CPlus Pro offers tremendous extra features that make browsing and searching on Craigslist very smoothly.
What is best of on Craigslist? ›In addition to flagging a Craigslist post as inappropriate, you can flag it for the Best of Craigslist hall of fame. To do so, simply click the "best of" link near the bottom of a Craigslist post. These can include posts that are funny, heartwarming or otherwise memorable.
Why does Craigslist charge to post? ›If I need something in my local community, I can find it on Craigslist. The $5 fee stops spammers from flooding the website. It forces the users to post an item by delivering value to the buyer...
What is the biggest used marketplace? ›
Amazon.com is the most visited e-commerce marketplace, with an average of over 2.3 billion monthly visits. If you merge the visits to the biggest Amazon domains, the visits are almost 5 billion per month.
What is the biggest second hand website? ›eBay, hub of second-hand e-shopping
Founded in the United States in 1995, the online auction and shopping website eBay has grown to become one of the leading e-commerce platforms for second-hand buying and selling worldwide.
- 1) Thredup. By and large, thredUP is the cream of the crop when it comes to an online retailer for secondhand items. ...
- 2) Depop. ...
- 3) The RealReal. ...
- 4) Tradesy. ...
- 5) Urban Renewal. ...
- 6) Patagonia Worn Wear. ...
- Also, Looking for more secondhand shopping?
- Makeup. Shutterstock. ...
- Event Tickets. Shutterstock. ...
- Helmets. Shutterstock. ...
- Car Seats. Shutterstock. ...
- Used Shoes. ...
- Used Mattresses. ...
- Anything "Designer" ...
- Kitchen Knives.
- Furniture. Craigslist is the best place to get a great deal on high quality furniture, provided you don't mind that it has been used. ...
- Computers & Tech. Where would you expect to find used computers and accessories if not on Craigslist? ...
- Cell Phones.
- Situation vacant.
- To-let.
- Sale and Purchase of Property/Vehicles/Goods.
- Education institutions promotion.
- Missing persons.
- Tour and Travels.
Craigslist's advantages over Kijiji would probably be mostly related to userbase. You're more likely to get responses quickly and more frequently on CL as a seller, and more likely to find what you're looking for as a buyer.
What is similar to KSL classifieds? ›ksl.com's top 5 competitors in March 2023 are: sltrib.com, deseret.com, heraldextra.com, cbc.ca, and more.
What does the black flag mean on Craigslist? ›Having a post ghosted or flagged means that either a user of the site has clicked the 'prohibited' flag at the top of your post or that the Craigslist bots have removed your post due to exceeding a threshold in one of their algorithms.
Why is Craigslist so sketchy? ›The Dark Side: Scammers, Stalkers, and Setups. Scammers use Craigslist to steal money from unsuspecting victims by placing fraudulent advertisements with incredible deals. Buyers are asked to send money orders or checks online, and after making payment, never receive their item.
Why is no one using Craigslist? ›
Craigslist lost popularity because it was not able to keep up with the times. It did not have a mobile app, which made it difficult to use, and its interface was not as user-friendly as those of other websites. What replaced Craigslist is a website called OfferUp.
What is the best way to use Craigslist? ›- Always use a proxy email address or phone number.
- Plan details in advance.
- Meet in public and bring a friend.
- Stay safe when a buyer comes to your house.
- Use a secure form of payment.
- Trust your instincts when vetting buyers.
- Always inspect items before forking over the cash.
3. Accept cash only, even for large purchases. If you indicated this requirement in your Craigslist post, it shouldn't be a problem. If you cash a fake cashier's check or money order, the bank will hold you responsible when it discovers it isn't real and will require that you give back the cash.
What is the most expensive thing on Craigslist? ›Take your pick.) Well put away your Monte Carlos, because here is quite possibly the most expensive Craigslist find, ever: seven point eight nine million dollars for a 1994 McLaren F1, well-worn with 78,436 miles.
Can I trust people on Craigslist? ›As a website, Craigslist is generally safe when it comes to threats such as viruses and identity theft. The online classified ad site uses standard security protocols, has a strict privacy policy and limits the types of files users can post to the site.
Does Craigslist take a percentage of what you sell? ›There are no fees for selling on Craigslist.
Can I post on Craigslist without paying? ›One of the ways in which Web surfers look for jobs, sell goods and find services is by posting to Craigslist, an online classified advertising site. Posting is free, which means users may be tempted to flood the site with their ads. However, Craigslist has some rules concerning how often users may post.
How do you pay on Craigslist? ›Cash or Check
Paying in person with cash or a personal check are the only forms of payment that are recommended by Craigslist. Understand that Craigslist does not guarantee transactions or have any power to correct a transaction gone wrong.
People love to buy boxed toys at discounted rates from the Facebook marketplace. Stuffed toys, puzzles, bath toys, and soft toys are some of the best selling items on the Facebook marketplace.
What is the best selling website in the US? ›Amazon (Worldwide | All Product Categories)
Let's start with the obvious one: Amazon. Amazon's brand and reach are massive. The company serves over 300 million active users worldwide. In the US, Amazon is expected to account for almost 40% of all retail ecommerce sales in 2022.
What is USA most popular marketplace? ›
| Rank | Website | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | amazon.com | eCommerce & Shopping > Marketplace |
| 2 | ebay.com | eCommerce & Shopping > Marketplace |
| 3 | walmart.com | eCommerce & Shopping > Marketplace |
| 4 | etsy.com | eCommerce & Shopping > Marketplace |
Amazon. Among the most trusted online marketplaces, Amazon is the world's largest. The company operates in over 20 countries and has over 310 million active customers. If you are looking for a reliable place to start selling online, Amazon is a viable option.
What is the oldest online store? ›By 1982, the world's first eCommerce company launched. The Boston Computer Exchange (BCE) was an online marketplace for people to buy and sell used computers. The launch of BCE predates the advent of the World Wide Web, and because of this, the company operated on a dial up bulletin board system.
What website has the most sales? ›| Rank | Website | Acquired By |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft | |
| 2 | Aquantive | Microsoft |
| 3 | Yahoo | Verizon |
| 4 | Geocities | Yahoo |
Swap. Considered one of the most affordable online thrift stores (and popular destination for closet cleanouts), Swap's model is similar to Thredup. Unlike Thredup, however, they also have a strong men's category. Though they do have a section for more spendy premium pieces, items on sale start as low as $2.39.
What is the most cheapest online shopping? ›- AliExpress.
- TechBargains.
- Etsy.
- Forever 21.
- Amazon.
- Newegg.
- ASOS.
- CigBest.
Amazon is the leading mobile online shopping app.
Despite seeing an increase in direct-to-consumer strategies, a study in September 2019 found that the most popular online mobile shopping app, by reach, was Amazon.
“Ghosted” listings are listings that appear to have been successfully posted to Craigslist without errors, and can even be found under your account page and accessed directly by its posting ID, but cannot be found by browsing the site or searching for them.
What is the disadvantage of Craigslist? ›Craigslist is notorious for scammers. You might receive 5 or more bogus offers before being contacted by a serious buyer. Your employees who monitor your Craigslist account have to be vigilant, and you have to account for potential time wasted on unqualified prospects.
How can you tell a Craigslist scammer? ›Craigslist does not back any transaction on its site. If you receive an email or text trying to sell you purchase protection, you're looking at a scam. There is no such thing as a Craigslist voicemail service. If a contact asks you to access or check your “Craigslist voicemails,” you're dealing with a scammer.
Is Letgo better than Craigslist? ›
Letgo. If what you like about Craigslist is the ability to shop locally, and being able to buy pretty much anything, Letgo might be the site/app for you. Like Craigslist, Letgo is an online classifieds listing, only unlike Craigslist, it exclusively offers items (Craigslist also offers services).
What age group uses Craigslist? ›craigslist.org Audience Demographics
Audience composition can reveal a site's current market share across various audiences. craigslist. org's audience is 65.86% male and 34.14% female. The largest age group of visitors are 25 - 34 year olds (Desktop).
Target audience of Craigslist
Craigslist targets every community, age group, and gender. As it provides ads in various categories across the globe, it does not target its audience specifically. So, Anyone with an internet connection can easily benefit from the amazing service of Craigslist.
the $1 sales price
Some sellers will list the sales price as $1, hoping to attract buyers who sort the listings by lowest price.
Facebook Marketplace is a better option than Craigslist if you're trying to sell merchandise, furniture, electronics, and other everyday items. Furthermore, the platform makes listing easier, doesn't attract any cost, and communication with potential buyers is seamless via Facebook messenger.
How do you get noticed on Craigslist? ›- Look at Other Ads – and Take Notes. ...
- Gain Ad Presence – Create as Many Craigslist Accounts as You Can. ...
- Create Many Unique Ads. ...
- Know Your Audience. ...
- Give Your Ad a Make-Over. ...
- Go Old-School. ...
- Include Keywords in the Footer.
It's probably safer
Facebook Marketplace is tied directly to buyers' and sellers' Facebook accounts. Obviously those can be faked as well, but at the very least you can look at a person's profile, find out how long they've been on Facebook, check their previous Marketplace activity and so on.
Craigslist Shuts Down Personals Section After Congress Passes Bill On Trafficking : The Two-Way Craigslist says it made the change because of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, which is meant to crack down on sex trafficking of children. Free speech advocates are critical of FOSTA.
What to avoid when selling on Craigslist? ›- Email or texting phishing scams. ...
- Don't. ...
- Vague, short responses riddled with spelling errors. ...
- A buyer asks you to wire or transfer money, or they ask you to send a cashier's check or money order. ...
- Don't. ...
- Buyer refuses to meet you in person. ...
- The verification code scam.
One method of safety he always uses is meeting at a public place. He either meets at a mall or post office, but also recommends the use of a police or sheriff's station. “The best place honestly is in front of a police station.
What websites do human traffickers use? ›
Social Media in Recruitment
The National Human Trafficking Hotline has recorded recruitment in all types of sex and labor trafficking on social media platforms including, but not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Kik, Meetme.com, WhatsApp, and dating sites/apps like Tinder, Grindr, and Plenty of Fish.
Haven't used Craigslist lately? You aren't alone. According to a report from AIM Group earlier this year, the site's traffic is down roughly 40% since 2017. Revenue peaked at a shocking $1.03 billion in 2018 and was down almost 50% from that high last year, though still a massive $566 million.
Is Double List legit? ›Doublelist has a rating of 4.46 stars from 16,797 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with Doublelist most frequently mention easy sign, new people, and great experience. Doublelist ranks 23rd among Gay Dating sites.
What is the most bought item on Craigslist? ›- Furniture. Craigslist is the best place to get a great deal on high quality furniture, provided you don't mind that it has been used. ...
- Computers & Tech. Where would you expect to find used computers and accessories if not on Craigslist? ...
- Cell Phones.
The Dark Side: Scammers, Stalkers, and Setups. Scammers use Craigslist to steal money from unsuspecting victims by placing fraudulent advertisements with incredible deals. Buyers are asked to send money orders or checks online, and after making payment, never receive their item.
Should you give out your phone number on Craigslist? ›Case in point, when you're placing an ad or responding to an ad, avoid using your personal phone number to communicate with buyers or sellers. Otherwise you're asking to be bombarded by a number of unwanted spam and scam calls.
Should I put my number on Craigslist? ›Omit any personal information about yourself when you create your Craigslist ad. Do not include your phone number, a permanent email address or anything in photos of your product that someone could use to find your house or place of business.