How To Get Free Stuff.... Well, Mostly Free Stuff

I recently wrote a small Hub about Listia and the wonderful features the site offers to users. I received some email about the article and I guess people wanted to know more so I figured I would give it a go.

Listia allows users to sign up for their site, free of charge, which is set up almost like a mirror image of Ebay. Upon signing up you receive a certain amount of credits. Think of these as dollars if you will. Credits are the chosen form of currency on Listia. You can use them to bid and buy other people's free items they have placed on the site. Depending on what deal Listia is running, you could start with 200 credits or you could start with 500, it just depends on what is being offered at what time.

When you first log into the site you will have the option of checking out your my listia page. This page will show you what items you are bidding on, and whether or not you are winning or losing the auction at that time. It pays to keep an eye on auctions you are interested in because at any time someone could snipe you at the last second.

Items on Listia range from the common Coke Rewards Points all the way up to Amazon's Kindle e-reader. The value of each item tends to change so it is not uncommon to walk away from an auction with a $20.00 or $300.00 item that you gave only a few credits for. It pays to sign in daily and check the auctions to see if you will find anything you need or want.

You will want more credits and Listia offers a good deal of ways to do just that but the best way is to join in with the auction community. Sell some junk you no longer want. I like to think of it as trading your junk for good junk, lol. I know that is an odd way to view it but it works for me.

As a seller you have many options to choose from when placing your items on the site. You can make it completely free by including free shipping. This not only boost the chance of your item being sold it also grants you 15 bonus credits for your generosity. You also can ask that the winner of the auction pay a shipping cost for your item. I strongly suggest you simply charge exact shipping and not to try to profit from shipping cost that are not really there.

When placing your auction you may also decide how many days to run the auction. I like to do week long auctions to give everyone a chance to see and bid on my items. It allows for more bids to accumulate and add up. You will also be given the chance to decide the starting bid of your stuff. Be reasonable here. Don't start a sticker off at 100 credits if it really isn't worth it.

In some cases you will receive the option of making your auction a premium auction. This will cost a number of credits and will place your item in locations that make it easier to be seen and will increase the chance of the item being sold for a higher amiount of credits.

First off if you know you really want an item don't nickel and dime it. Go ahead and bid the highest amount you would be willing to pay. The site will take the lowest bid and work up until you are bid out or you win the auction. This makes it easier to use the site as you will not have to check on the item as much.

Another great tip is when you bid, comment on the person's item. This creates a very friendly environment and will allow the seller to loosen up more and if you fail to win the item they will at least consider you in the event they have another item of the same type.

When listing auctions make your descriptions catchy and fun. People will relate to that and get right on board with what you are selling. Also use pictures. I find that pictures are really eye drawing and can make or break an auction.

Go cheap. If you want to get into this but don't want to spend a fortune on shipping simply explore cheaper options. The majority of what I sell is small paper items. I simply buy a book of stamps and a box of envelopes. I will put up several sticker deals or maybe a few temporary tatoo deals and when the auction is over I simply mail the item out in a stamped envelope and it cost very little. This is a great way to get the ball rolling but you are going to want to find other items as well to make your auctions more diverse.

I suggest looking at thrift stores for DVD and book deals that will allow you to make the most credits for your shipping cost, unless of course you are going to charge for shipping, than the sky is the limit.

Jopining is simple. Go here and you can sign up with a few extra credits. The site is easy to navigate and has a lot to offer.