Selling my old car: listing it myself vs. those 'cash now' guys

I needed to sell my 2008 Honda Civic fast last month, so I tried two things. First, I put a sign in the window and posted it on Craigslist for $2,800. I got a lot of calls, but most were lowball offers or people who never showed up. Then, I called one of those 'we buy any car' places that advertise on the radio. They offered me $1,500 cash on the spot, no questions. The difference was time versus money. By dealing with the hassle myself for two weeks, I got an extra $1,300. The 'fast cash' route was quick, but it cost me almost half the car's value. If you can wait a little, the extra work pays off. Has anyone else found a good middle ground for a quick but fair sale?

3 comments

3 Comments

laura_wright19d ago

Doesn't it feel like the real cost is the time you put in chasing those dead end buyers? Rubyschmidt nailed it saying you never get your time back, and that's what too many people forget when they see a higher asking price on Craigslist. I think the middle ground is pricing your car a little under market value so you sell fast, but still get more than a dealer's cash offer.

rubyschmidt1mo ago

Got to disagree on this one. Tried selling my old truck myself last year and it was a nightmare. Wasted three weekends showing it to people who just wanted to test drive something. Ended up taking a lower offer from a dealer just to be done with it. That extra money sounds nice but you never get your time back.

nathana481mo ago

Man, how much time did you end up wasting total? I was totally in the camp of selling private party for years, but hearing stories like yours is what changed my mind. That hassle of dealing with flaky people and random meetups just isn't worth the extra cash sometimes. I'd probably take the dealer offer too just for the peace of mind.