Selling Stuff Over the Internet: Why Kijiji, Craigslist or eBay May Not Be Your Best Option

I've met a lot of older folks who don't really understand the Internet, but they know it's a great tool. I have a little story that helps illustrate how surprising the Internet can be. One of our clients had an auction with us, and even though his son was in California, he could find the auction no problem. This fellow said, “So your Internet, it's not just local then is it?” So I told him we pay extra to get it that far. Young people take it for granted that they can buy a barbeque from the comfort of their home, but it amazes people who didn't grow up with it.

There are a lot of different ways to sell online these days. The tools available make it possible for anyone to sell stuff over the Internet—and these services are often free or have low costs. So why then should a senior choose to use an auction service like Gordon's when they can do it themselves? There are quite a few reasons.

Kijiji and Craigslist

These are basically online classified ads, and you can post for free. However, all they do is let you post ads, the rest of the transaction is up to you. So, for the 30-year old who wants to sell his old iPhone, it's great. Someone in town answers the ad, they meet, negotiate, and make a deal. It's great for someone who is confident, willing to negotiate, and selling one or two items. Selling 150 items on Kijiji or Craigslist means individual communication with each potential buyer, lots of strangers coming by your home to see your goods, and potentially lots of people trying to haggle their way to a lower price- not to mention the security issues.

eBay

eBay and other online auction sites are great ways to sell a few items to people a long way away. You usually have to pay a small fee when you list an item and then when it sells. eBay starts the transaction between you and your buyer. You set your auction price and indicate shipping costs and when it sells, you get an email. It's pretty easy for one or two items. However, trying to sell everything in your home on eBay is a big chore, especially when it comes to figuring out how much it costs to ship your goods.

When you use an auction service like Gordon's, we do the work for you. You get the benefits of selling online (it's efficient, cost-effective, and brings in more money) along with good records of each transaction without having to be actively involved. With Gordon’s, you don't need to know how the Internet works to receive the value in using it.

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