Most of the big hybridizers apparently don't care if you use their pictures because most everyone uses them. I use my own pictures if I get good ones. It is so hard to get good pictures, because of lighting, rain, weather etc etc. I have asked a couple of people who are "Big" hybridizers and they say sure use them all you want. If you want you could email them and ask. Other people who sell on the Lily Auction or post their pictures on their personal websires, always ask, some even say to "do not use their pictures without their permission". Some say it's alright to use them as long as you give them credit for the picture. It must be decided on a person to person basis. I have noticed many many people using the Stamiles, Trimmers, F Smith, Lambertsons, Gossard, Gaskins, Salters etc. pictures. I try to remember to give credit for the picture and the descriptions, but alas sometimes I forget. So when in doubt "ask". Many people copyright their pictures and to use them is a no no. Hope this helps. This is just my personal opinion, I'm sure some people might even be appalled at my answer. So sue me. I put my name on my pictures so I don't care who uses them LOL. I'm going to post some of my favorite pictures from last summer on another post so enjoy. Dot

You are getting lots of good advice especially from kellyeng, teacats and egbar. I had a fabulous realtor couple when selling my last home. We interviewed 3 full-time (don't go w/ a part-timer) experienced (at least 5yrs) real estate teams (2-3 people so you're covered ) who were good sellers in the area and who seemed to have good marketing skills. One team clearly was not up to par and we selected the best. They hired a pro photographer and paid for a stager to come in after we had things clean and decluttered and somewhat staged. I wrote, or tweeked, quite a bit of copy and made a sheet listing highlights of the property and recent improvements. That was well received by our realtor (who shared the goal of selling) and buyers. The realtor did a great job of marketing to other realtors and managing showings, feedback, offers, etc. We sold fairly quickly in a tough market. I have also sold 2 homes in more rural areas w/o a realtor but working with an experienced real estate attorney who provided me with appropriate forms for disclosure, offers, etc. Of course, I did all of the marketing. One was sold to a neighbors sister after we had an open house (not common in the area). They were not even looking to buy a house! I would expect your agent to do an open for agents and another general one shortly after listing even if it's not customary. I also made sure the house was presented well -- better than the norm. Clean, decluttered, and simple repairs and staging done. It sounds like that is what you have done and it should make your home sell quicker. But there is a time to say "enough" and get it on the market. It sounds like you are at that point. Good luck. Choose the best of the lot, don't sign a long listing so they will have to continue to earn your business, work with the agent on getting marketing set up then let them do their thing.. Mutual respect will go a long way to achieving the end you both want--a sold house.

I've put some of my more "normal" unusual things on Craigslist and done well with them. Things that I make out of weird items and turn them into furniture, I sold a garden trellis made out of a headboard, etc. It just depends on what kinds of things you have! I owned a consignment shop for years, and while that is a great idea for selling things you don't want...it is kind of hard to get in the door selling things you want to make a profit on. Most consignment stores (at least in our area) have a 60/40 split. They keep 60% of the total sales price (minus tax, delivery, etc.) and you only get 40%, and THEY set the price, not you! I think you would be better off with some of the places that lindasewandsew listed above, depending on what you were trying to sell. Gift boutiques, for unusual items...plant nurseries would be great if you make garden accessories, I have sold handmade jewlery to a "higher-end" used clothing store that we have in town. They didn't charge me consignment rates, since they were different than the clothes the normally sell and they bought outright from me, I set my price, then let them charge what they wanted for them. It worked out really well. Street fairs and festivals work well, but you can lose money on those. I had a "craft fair business" that I ran for 2 years with a friend. We had shows that we did great (we paid on average between $125-$200 for a booth at the bigger shows - and we are in a small midwestern town, so I don't know how the rates compare) and we had shows were we lost alot of money. I remember a few years ago, we did an outdoor show, and it was miserable all weekend. Middle of August and it was 40 degrees and raining the whole time! Needless to say, we were miserable and no one showed up because of the weather, so we barely sold anything! We also did a Christmas show each year for 3 years and some years thing sold and some years they didn't. I specialize in country snowmen. The second year, I sold out all of my snowmen items (I had about 120 items) in the first 4 hours. (I literally had to go home and make snowmen all night, so I would have more the next morning). So, the next year, I was prepared and had 3 times as many, and barely sold any of them! So you just have to prepare yourself. If you do craft fairs, I suggest you hit all the craft fairs in the area for a few months before commiting to one. Talk to the crafters, find out how they are doing and if it is worth buying a booth locally. They are a close knit community and most of them have been doing it for years and know everybody in the local scene. They are usually happy to welcome a new crafter to the group, and they really will give you the scoop on which shows are better than others! If you know any store owners, in stores that you frequent...talk to them first. Most will be willing to help you out and give your stuff a try. If you don't know anyone, start frequenting some local shops and start talking to the owners/employees. Get to know them and find out how they get their things and if they'd be willing to give you a shot. More than likely, you'll be able to find an outlet to sell your goods! Sorry this got so long. I just wanted to share what knowlege I had after running the business' that I have run!

I have successfully sold on CL, but it has taken a lot of NO SHOWS and a lot of SCAMS to do so. My tips: (these may be duplicate, I didn't read through every post) * Put good info in your title, and as much info as possible in your message body. Include every term someone might search for if they wanted your item. Synonyms, and not so synonyms. :) "table and chairs", "dining set", "dining room furniture", etc. Even if it means a string of adjectives, or using different terminology ever time you state something - it will generate more viewers. (Great example of this - I picked up a hand-finished ORB king sized headboard, footboard and rails for $20. The seller had been posting it simply as "metal bed" and wasn't getting any traffic, so she kept dropping & dropping her price because she needed to get rid of it. I know this would have sold long before I saw the ad if she had been able to generate more hits. Good for me, I guess!) * If you know the maker, include it... same with store. A lot of people will search by store name because it represents their overall style. * Include the style. E.g. I may not search for "farm table" but I might search for "rustic dining". * If you don't want to haggle, put in the ad that the prie is firm. Otherwise you'll probably have to deal with it. * Echoing previous: include a notice that the ad will be removed when the item is sold. Otherwise you'll get countless "is it still available?" emails to respond to.