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Abstract

p, you see all the most recently posted items in a grid-like photo display.</p><p id="d947">By clicking on an image, you open the listing page for the item. There you’re able to see more photos of the object, read the description, see the product’s condition, find out about the item’s local, and contact the seller to ask further questions.</p><p id="1d06">The simplicity and direct approach OfferUp takes in displaying products is a plus for me. There’s no searching for features. This app is user-friendly and accessible for even the most technology-challenged individuals.</p><h2 id="520a">Messaging system</h2><p id="fce3">The direct messaging system on the OfferUp platform comes in a close second for my favorite features of this app. If a buyer wants to make you an offer on a product, they shoot you a message which goes straight to your account.</p><p id="eace">Moreover, if you set up your notifications, you see the message right away on your phone’s home screen.</p><p id="f61a">I also have notifications sent to my email to ensure I don’t miss any potential customers’ messages.</p><p id="dc14">The back-and-forth exchange with the buyers also makes arranging pickups painless and fast.</p><p id="3305">OfferUp encourages users to keep all exchanges on the platform for safety purposes. One potential buyer asked for my phone number to verify I was a legit seller, but the app prompted me not to give out any personal information as scammers present on these types of marketplaces.</p><p id="07d9">This prompt showed me that OfferUp considers their user’s safety seriously and made me feel more secure about using the platform.</p><h2 id="c6b6">Free platform</h2><p id="4c7e">I mentioned it earlier, but it bears repeating because OfferUp allows sellers to post products for free on their platform, and they don’t take a percentage of your sales.</p><p id="c182">I won’t get into how much I paid eBay last month for my sales, but I’m not happy about it.</p><p id="c481">I also don’t have to pay for shipping if I list all of my products for pick up only. This choice has saved me a lot on profits because I sold heavy items. Trying to ship a dip station, a heavy bag, a typewriter, and a scanner would’ve eaten up my earnings.</p><h1 id="197b">The Lows:</h1><figure id="88d9"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*l21ma0RcVmy9oy0sFgXDsA.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">NeONBRAND</a> on <a href="/s/photos/broke?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2 id="e952">Scammers & low-ballers</h2><p id="d453">These types of people exist across all platforms; OfferUp is not the exception. As I mentioned before, I encountered a scammer looking to get my personal information. As long as you don’t give out sensitive material on the platform, you should be fine.</p><p id="7f33">Low-ballers are the worst, and OfferUp has plenty of them. Without fail,

Options

every item I’ve listed has received at least one offensive counter offer. I understand the idea of shooting your shot if a seller is desperate for money, but offering a blatantly low amount is a waste of everyone’s time.</p><p id="f229">Believe it or not, there are degrees to low-balling. Most low-ballers make an offer and accept the rejection, while some attempt to finesse you by questioning your product’s quality.</p><p id="eddb">I’ve run into quite a few of the latter on OfferUp and have found it best to stop responding to them all together after a certain point. These individuals are more than likely trying to buy your item for almost nothing to resell it themselves.</p><h2 id="498d">Flaky people</h2><p id="6c7e">I cannot tolerate flaky people on any level. I dislike them more than low-ballers. These individuals agree to buy your item, set up a time to meet, and then never show or contact you afterward.</p><p id="d2dd">What is the point of this behavior?</p><p id="1157">Flaky buyers waste your time and energy. As a seller, I do my best to cut to the chase with potential buyers to avoid flakes. I try to lock in a time and place to meet as soon as I feel a buyer is serious about purchasing. If I feel like the person I’m selling to is dragging their feet, I continue taking offers and setting up other potential purchase meetings.</p><p id="fb98"><i>Time is money.</i></p><p id="94df">I’ve had quite a few flaky individuals hit me up after the sale of an item they dragged their feet on, and I hope it taught them a lesson. Good things don’t last forever.</p><h2 id="90f3">Cameras underperform</h2><p id="8cbf">Unfortunately for me, I’ve found cameras don’t sell well on OfferUp. I have a working theory as to why. While perusing the marketplace for cameras, I’ve noticed quite a few photography items are overpriced, laughably so.</p><p id="7635">I’ve had to restrain myself from sending links to sellers of their item for sale for at least forty percent cheaper on different platforms. These individuals either have emotional attachments to their cameras, or they’re looking to catch a sucker.</p><p id="ad5e">However, because the photography market is overpriced on OfferUp, I believe hobbyists and photographers aren’t utilizing the platform.</p><p id="d73d">To date, I’ve sold one camera on OfferUp. I’ve listed five.</p><p id="2539">At the end of one month, I’ve managed to make $485 selling items around the house I no longer use. The best part, none of my profits had to be paid to OfferUp, and I didn’t pay for shipping.</p><p id="8e8f">If you’re looking to make some extra cash selling items you already own, take a look at <a href="https://pennyforyourdreams.com/offerup-tips-for-selling-your-stuff-making-money/"><i>10 OFFERUP TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR STUFF & MAKING MORE MONEY</i></a>.</p><p id="4871">The process of selling on OfferUp is by far the least stressful and strenuous of all other avenues I’ve explored. Moving forward, I will continue to use the platform as the highs out weight the lows for me as a seller.</p></article></body>

The Highs and Lows of OfferUp

My first month in review

I started the year determined not to spend any new money on cameras. Sounds easy enough to the average individual, I’m sure, but I bought five cameras last year.

I promise I don’t have a weird obsession. I’m a photographer, and I make content on my YouTube channel about photography.

Nonetheless, if I want a new camera this year, I have to trade for it or sell off my existing cameras to purchase a new camera with the sale’s profits. With this in mind, I began researching buying and selling platforms available to me.

In the past, I’ve used eBay, Amazon, and Craigslist. However, eBay and Amazon both take a percentage of your profits and sometimes charge for listings. While people still use Craigslist, I find the process to be a bit slow.

With all this in mind, I decided to give the app OfferUp a try. It’s free to join, free to list items, and the app doesn’t take a cut of your profits. You can also decide to ship or offer pickup only on the items listed. These attributes were what I wanted most from a buying and selling platform.

After a month on the platform, I can say I’ve had both highs and lows, but I gain invaluable insights about OfferUp.

So, here’s an account of how my first month went:

The Highs:

Ease of use

I find the OfferUp app easy to use and straightforward. It’s as simple as taking a photo of an item with your phone, then uploading it to the app within minutes.

The app then takes you through a quick menu prompt in which you describe the item you’re selling, price it, and decide if the item will ship or not.

Another bonus is managing your account from your phone is effortless.

OfferUp has by far the fasted uploading process I’ve ever encountered for selling items on any platform.

The layout

The homepage of OfferUp looks like an Instagram user page, which isn’t a bad thing. When you open the app, you see all the most recently posted items in a grid-like photo display.

By clicking on an image, you open the listing page for the item. There you’re able to see more photos of the object, read the description, see the product’s condition, find out about the item’s local, and contact the seller to ask further questions.

The simplicity and direct approach OfferUp takes in displaying products is a plus for me. There’s no searching for features. This app is user-friendly and accessible for even the most technology-challenged individuals.

Messaging system

The direct messaging system on the OfferUp platform comes in a close second for my favorite features of this app. If a buyer wants to make you an offer on a product, they shoot you a message which goes straight to your account.

Moreover, if you set up your notifications, you see the message right away on your phone’s home screen.

I also have notifications sent to my email to ensure I don’t miss any potential customers’ messages.

The back-and-forth exchange with the buyers also makes arranging pickups painless and fast.

OfferUp encourages users to keep all exchanges on the platform for safety purposes. One potential buyer asked for my phone number to verify I was a legit seller, but the app prompted me not to give out any personal information as scammers present on these types of marketplaces.

This prompt showed me that OfferUp considers their user’s safety seriously and made me feel more secure about using the platform.

Free platform

I mentioned it earlier, but it bears repeating because OfferUp allows sellers to post products for free on their platform, and they don’t take a percentage of your sales.

I won’t get into how much I paid eBay last month for my sales, but I’m not happy about it.

I also don’t have to pay for shipping if I list all of my products for pick up only. This choice has saved me a lot on profits because I sold heavy items. Trying to ship a dip station, a heavy bag, a typewriter, and a scanner would’ve eaten up my earnings.

The Lows:

Scammers & low-ballers

These types of people exist across all platforms; OfferUp is not the exception. As I mentioned before, I encountered a scammer looking to get my personal information. As long as you don’t give out sensitive material on the platform, you should be fine.

Low-ballers are the worst, and OfferUp has plenty of them. Without fail, every item I’ve listed has received at least one offensive counter offer. I understand the idea of shooting your shot if a seller is desperate for money, but offering a blatantly low amount is a waste of everyone’s time.

Believe it or not, there are degrees to low-balling. Most low-ballers make an offer and accept the rejection, while some attempt to finesse you by questioning your product’s quality.

I’ve run into quite a few of the latter on OfferUp and have found it best to stop responding to them all together after a certain point. These individuals are more than likely trying to buy your item for almost nothing to resell it themselves.

Flaky people

I cannot tolerate flaky people on any level. I dislike them more than low-ballers. These individuals agree to buy your item, set up a time to meet, and then never show or contact you afterward.

What is the point of this behavior?

Flaky buyers waste your time and energy. As a seller, I do my best to cut to the chase with potential buyers to avoid flakes. I try to lock in a time and place to meet as soon as I feel a buyer is serious about purchasing. If I feel like the person I’m selling to is dragging their feet, I continue taking offers and setting up other potential purchase meetings.

Time is money.

I’ve had quite a few flaky individuals hit me up after the sale of an item they dragged their feet on, and I hope it taught them a lesson. Good things don’t last forever.

Cameras underperform

Unfortunately for me, I’ve found cameras don’t sell well on OfferUp. I have a working theory as to why. While perusing the marketplace for cameras, I’ve noticed quite a few photography items are overpriced, laughably so.

I’ve had to restrain myself from sending links to sellers of their item for sale for at least forty percent cheaper on different platforms. These individuals either have emotional attachments to their cameras, or they’re looking to catch a sucker.

However, because the photography market is overpriced on OfferUp, I believe hobbyists and photographers aren’t utilizing the platform.

To date, I’ve sold one camera on OfferUp. I’ve listed five.

At the end of one month, I’ve managed to make $485 selling items around the house I no longer use. The best part, none of my profits had to be paid to OfferUp, and I didn’t pay for shipping.

If you’re looking to make some extra cash selling items you already own, take a look at 10 OFFERUP TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR STUFF & MAKING MORE MONEY.

The process of selling on OfferUp is by far the least stressful and strenuous of all other avenues I’ve explored. Moving forward, I will continue to use the platform as the highs out weight the lows for me as a seller.