How To Sell Used Diapers
One of the great things about cloth diapers is that if you find that that particular diaper doesn't work for your child, or you just are tired of it, you can sell it. I have sold many a diaper on Diaper Swappers and on Spot's Corner. There are a few tricks to know before you sell used diapers, and after that it's easy and even fun. Nothing beats the feeling of making a sale and putting some money into your PayPal account!
First things first - you need to be familiar with some of the lingo and abbreviations on the forums. You'll want to know these terms in particular:
PPD- Postage Paid
CC - Credit Card
BNIP
NIP - New In Package
NOP - New Out of Package
EUC - Excellent Used Condition
VGUC - Very Good Used Condition
FFS - Free For Shipping
PP - Pay Pal
Funded - The funds you have in your Pay Pal account
RME - Revolution Money Exchange
Once you know those basics, you will be ready to get started.
TIP #1
OK, so you have the diapers in mind you want to sell. Before you start listing them, make sure to inspect them first. Make note of the condition they are in: stains, tears, holes, elastic problems, etc. Any problems that you find will need to be listed clearly on your post with a picture of the problem if possible.
Diapers that are stained or have other minor issues will not sell for as much as a diaper that is in like new condition. If I have a stained diaper I want to get rid of, I usually just put it in the sun for a day or two and the stains come right out. You can also give it a good Oxiclean soak and wash it up.
If your diaper has tears or elastic problems, you can list it for either very cheap or free for shipping. There are mama's that will want them! Lot's of crafty mama's will fix them up and use them.
TIP # 2
One thing you will learn quickly is you have to earn a reputation as a seller and you can ruin it as quickly as you made it. So you always want to make sure you treat potential buyers with courtesy and respect, communicate clearly and often, and most of all - sell something that you yourself would want to buy.
TIP #3
Now that you have your diaper in selling condition, you'll want to take some pictures of it. A nice close-up of both the inner and the outer of the diaper will help potential buyers see how nice your diaper looks. If you have several diapers to sell at once, I would suggest you put them in small groups to take pictures so that the condition of the diapers shows in the pictures. Before you put the pictures on your post, check it to make sure it's not blurry, the diaper looks nice - not wrinkled, and that the diaper is clearly visible. This are all important points that will help it sell quickly.
TIP #4
Pricing your items is very important. If you price to high they will not sell, and if they do it will take quite awhile. I always price a diaper depending the condition it's in and how much I paid for it. I like to take at least 25% off the price I paid, unless it is either brand new, or like new. Then I would probably take more like 10-15% off the price I paid.
TIP #5
Your post should contain all relevant information about your diaper. You should list whether you are the first owner or not, what condition it's in, whether or not there are stains or defects, if it's a second quality diaper make note of it, who made the diaper and if the print has a name you know of, list that as well. Most buyers like for you to include the price of shipping in the asking price. If you do not want to take credit card payments, be sure to say so in your post. If you do not want to ship to Canada (although it is actually cheaper than shipping to the US most times), state that as well. Try to think of any obvious information that a potential buyer would like to know, and add that to your post. That way you can make a sale go through much more smoothly.
TIP #6
Once you have given your Pay Pal address out, it's a good practice to put "pending" on your post. That way other mamas know it is probably sold. If you have a potential buyer ask you for your Pay Pal address, but they do not pay you right away, it is up to you to decide how long you want to wait. I would not wait more than 24 hours, but you can certainly contact them much sooner to see when they plan to pay for the item. You never know what may have come up. You may even want to list in your post that you will only hold items for a certain period of time. If you someone asks you for your Pay Pal address and they do not pay you, or contact you after you pm them, it is a good chance they have changed their mind.
During these hard financial times, it's best to understand that things are selling slower than normal. If you can't sell a diaper right away, don't give up hope. I have had diapers up for months before selling before. I think it was even more exciting after such a long wait, and I was glad to have the Pay Pal. Try to have fun with selling and you can always work on trades.
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