Last year I found this darling country french settee at a local Salvation army. I took photos on my phone and sent them to my mom because she was looking for more seating in her living room and the plaid on this settee was a fabric that she was already using. Not to mention the fact that I thought it was totally charming despite the few repairs it needed. It cost a mere $100.
I ended up getting it for her but after a few months, it just didn't work in the room. She gave it back. And I reluctantly listed it on craigslist. It was hard to list it, I admit. I really loved the piece but realistically, there was no place in my house that I could use it.
I listed it for $250 and in 24 hours I had it sold for $200. Twice the price I paid for it.
I bet you have something rotting in your garage/attic/shed that you are having trouble parting with. Consider listing it today or selling it on ebay or taking it to a friend's yard sale. We are talking about that large item that you have known for years that you don't really need or use but is hard to part with for whatever reason. Maybe it will be the perfect thing for another family and you can free up some space and make a few extra bucks!
Anyone need a piano? But wait, maybe I'll paint it. Hate me.
31 Days to A Better Dressed Nest :: Day 9~ List Something on Craigslist
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I bet that was hard to part with. It's so cute! I think I will take your advice and list a head board/foot board I have been holding on to. Maybe I can use the money for something we can actually use in our home!
I need to do that- I spend more time talking about doing it then just listing it. And I am going to paint my piano too!
I'm a Craiglist fanatic! I've cleaned a ton of stuff out of the house (and acquired a lot!) through CL.
I bet it was hard to part with that lovely.
I'm FAIRLY certain I could find something to list. :-) Are you kidding about the piano? I hope not. I LOVE a painted piano, especially if it's an unexpected color. Have a great weekend!
pk @ room remix
Great idea. I love this series, thanks so much for sharing! I recently noticed you are a fellow NC blogger! Yeah!!!
I love this. If something does not bless you, let it go so it can bless someone else.
I love giving stuff away. I also love when an investment pays off and you make a little profit. Sweet.
Gwyn Rosser
The Pink Tractor
www.gwynrosser.blogspot.com
I've never tried Craigslist....waaaay too much anxiety for me and Kevin with that whole thing. (I know, we're weird) Maybe I could throw my neighbor a couple bucks and let her handle a transaction or two for me.
Wait. Then I'd have to put in my contacts, do my hair, put on some make up and go talk to my neighbor.
Nevermind.
:-)
Layla
I put things on Craig's List all the time. I sold all of my son's baby things on there (swing, high chair, crib, changing table). It's awesome and you get more money than garage sales.
I love Craigslist. I'm about to list my husband's surround sound system that has sat in a trash can behind the TV not hooked up for the last year. Even though it's hidden, it bugs me.
I think this was just the motivation I needed. I have something I LOVE but have no place for. I keep hoping I'll be able to use it if we move, but I guess I'd better just get rid of it! Darn!
I actually have two pieces of furniture I keep saying I'm going to list. I need to move my butt and take the pictures to get it listed. I should do that this weekend ~ hopefully the sun will come out and cooperate for the picture taking.
I rescued an old art deco dresser from the trash a few weeks back. I gave it a completely new life, but it still doesn't work in my home. Don't get me wrong, it's LOVELY, but it just doesn't work. I've been considering listing it, and this was JUST the push I needed!
Oh my heavens friend. I love you and all your paint, but PLEASE do NOT paint the piano! If you really do not like it that much and if your family does not use it...please ask around and sell it or give it away. I was the beneficiary of a friend's old family upright that was just an ugly dust-collector at their house. I grew up on piano lessons and now have the resource to play every day at home (which I love!) and to be able to stay at home with my son and teach lessons from home. It was such a HUGE blessing to me to get their old clunker that is actually well-made and will withstand the test of time! Find a musician friend and ditch the piano before you paint it please! Do it out of respect for the poor old instrument and in honor of all musicians everywhere who have worked their butts off for hours every day practicing.
I currently have 2 pianos. One sounds/plays good, and one looks good. I've wondered about doing something cute with the good sounding one... I'd love to see what you'd do with it. (...or were you joking about painting it?) Maybe if it looked cute I could sell it easier..
Oooooh! We are about to get a 'must stay in the family' piano that I'd love to paint! And why not? Painting it doesn't change how it works, just how it works in the room, right? Definitely post on how that goes!!
I love craigslist! I try to hold this rule: when something comes into the house something must leave. Craigslist makes the leaving part easy!
Have a wonderful weekend!! Janell
Had to laugh, since I own the white version of this exact same settee! The fabric is the same, but on different cushions...it's really very sweet.
Holy cow, I am flying out to your goodwill!
I have two beautiful antique vanities/dressing tables I've been listing for a long time now, and no sales. :( I have them priced really well too, less than I paid for them. I just want them out because I don't have room anymore. But even so, I guess nobody wants them. This economy must be rearing it's head on craigslist. :b
I did sell my sofa two years ago for what I was asking. :D
We are lucky to have three very good household consignment stores in my town. The seller gets 60% and the store gets 40%. I usually return to the store a few days after drop-off to make sure my items are prominently displayed and not hidden behind a vase. Another good way to sell unwanted items.
I wish I had stuff to sell on Craiglist...but I am currently in the market to buy! I do sell small things on eBay though...will that count for day 9?! Thanks for the post!
-Grace
Okay, nothing that wonderful would EVER be at our local Salvation Army. And if it was, they would have $500 on it. There is something amiss at our SA!
This is just gorgeous!!!
Lou Cinda :)
I love your description, "rotting". That's so true for all of us. I have an armoire in my garage that was a very expensive piece of furniture. It doesn't fit our needs anymore so it's sitting in the garage.
I did sell my coffee tables on CL last year and was pleased with the price I got. Much better than a garage sale.
Never done Craiglist but I have heard people do well selling things!
sandy toe
Not that I know much, but if you ever intend to sell the piano, I think most musicians would likely turn away from a painted piano. I just wanted to throw that out there if you haven't thought about future resale-ability. Food for thot. :)
Thanks for the Craigslist push, to. :)
My piano is only worth about $100 so it's so worth ruining with paint!
But yes, if you have a $10,000 piano, don't paint it for fun.
Another great tip from the Nester! As a military family, we purge quite a bit during moves, but it never hurts to take some inventory in between moves and purge some more!
Go ahead and paint that piano. Tell 'em that I'm a music teacher and I said you could! :)
I did. This: AGA Legacy ALEGS36ESS- New in 2006. I'm listing it for about half the price. I plumbed my kitchen for gas for a dual-fuel stove and I should have stuck with that...
:sigh:
I have my eye on another stove as soon as I move this one... ;)
That really must have been tough to send away, but I bet that extra $100 sure helped. :) Our local CL is sort of hit or miss...maybe I'll set a trend by listing some cute stuff. ;)
i am really enjoying this series. could you possibly do a 60 days to a better dressed nest? :)
I love craigslist! I recently found an upright piano for $50- I couldn't believe that!
I have bought MOST of the furniture we have on CL! I have also sold quite a few things. I recently bought THE perfect chair for our bedroom for $30 of their.
I think I am going to list a red toile chair I have... I LOVE it, but it really doesn't work in our new home.
My son went to camp this summer after my husband sold his treadmill on Craiglist. I can't believe someone drove all the way up from Columbia AND paid $400 for it! Blessings!
I love selling things on Craig's List. I have a post with some tips for successful listing on my blog. By the way, you should definitely paint the piano. I want one just so that I CAN paint it!
Oh man, I totally love that piece and see why you bought it. But, we can't always keep everything. The person who bought it got a good deal!
Please post pictures of your painted piano! Best is is fabulous!
You probably don't believe in karma, but I think it's pretty poor form to list something for a 150% profit when you haven't done anything to it.
Wouldn't the honest thing have been to list the item for $100 firm?
dude! i love that settee...that would've been a hard one to give up. i've sold stuff on craigslist and had major seller's remorse! but i hear you...i have stuff that i seriously need to get rid of.
So funny that you mentioned craigslist today. We sold something today that we listed yesterday. I shouldn't admit this but I also bought something from cragislist today too :)
Nester, I dont' know if you believe in Karma, but one day your kids might grow up and buy you beautiful things for no other reason than delighting you!
Anon, she didn't "do nothing" to the item. She found it, bought it, transported it twice, stored it, photographed it, and posted it - all for someone who really wanted it (no one spends $200 for something they don't really want). People like her do a good service for people like me - she collects the goodies from the stores for those of us who rely heavily on the computer for our shopping/thrifting. AND she did a service for her family bringing in a little extra. Well done Nester!
Just wanted to let you know , I have a new vanity in my bedroom, thanks to moving the sofa table out of the Family Room (Day 2)!
Thanks Nester! PLs check out my new blog
www.thepaintedhome.blogspot.com
Have a great day and keep it up. I love your blog
I just sold some stuff last night actually. I made $55 dollars on a couch that had been given to me for free. I was so excited. It never worked in our home and was majorly taking up room. Can't wait to redecorate the room now...and find more junk to sell!
[gasp!] I just heart that settee so much! Goodness...if this were a year ago - then I would have bought that from you! And where's this SA at? I need to be checking it out~!
I have sold so much stuff on CraigsList lately for money that it's just crazy. I'm more hooked on it than eBay!
Just stopped back by to let ya know that I sold that dresser! You were sooo right, because now that it's gone, I don't even miss it one bit.
Oh, and that $50 feels pretty good, too!
Annon?
Seriously?
Absolutely not! I have zero, ZERO guilt about selling something to someone that was a great deal for them. Remember, it sold in 24 hours! Trust me, I didn't force the lady to purchase it! For all I know she listed it and sold it the next week for twice as much money.
There are people out there who make a living from purchasing things and then reselling at a higher price--and I'm sure I've been happy to buy things from them. You probably have been too.
I have sold things that I've made for a profit on Craigslist and I don't feel badly about that...I guess I could set up an Etsy shop, but I don't make the amount of items that I think warrants that.
There have been times when I've thought about buying small pieces of furniture, painting them or refinishing them, and then selling them on Craigslist, but I haven't had to time to really get that going.
I have to admit, though, that I get a great feeling from passing on things to people through Craigslist, so I don't try to make a big profit on selling household items (I set a price because I've found that offering things for free gets a lot of interest, but people don't always follow through and show up!).
I've always enjoyed watching a mom or a student load something up that I know I could have sold for more. Sure, I could have used a little extra money, but this way, I feel as though I'm helping someone in a very small way. :)
Happy Craigslist shopping, everyone!
Thanks. I took your advice and listed four big things I've had a hard time parting with. In less than 24 hours I've already sold two things. It feels so good to make room.
I'm not sure I have anything anyone would want! Maybe the old doors and window frames in the basement ... except since we just moved here I want a go at using them first!
But I LOVE to get rid of stuff I no longer use, never used or just don't like.
OMG! i.could.never.have.parted.with.that.
Would it have looked good on your roof?
Please tell this to my husband! I have no problem parting with the pieces if we don't need them, but he thinks we need to keep them because we'll eventually use them....therefore, we have no space in our attic.
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