7 Great Online Classified Sites

Think Craigslist is the only online classified site out there? We’ve done a little digging and, lo and behold, there are other options. While it’s true that classifieds are not exactly a top source for fashion items (actually, we wouldn’t really recommend them as a source at all) but we also know your budget shopping savvy doesn’t stop at Misses Department. You buy other stuff right? Or, in this economy, perhaps you have some stuff to unload and need a reputable place to advertise? Either way, you’ll need to get the lowdown first, and here it is:

7 Great Online Classified Sites

Craigslist.org. We thought we’d just get this one out of the way right off the bat. Craigslist is to classifieds what eBay is to auction sites. Looking for a big response? Craigslist probably is your best bet. Of course the biggest site will likely also attract the biggest number of kooks (we’ve all heard the stories). So screen with care.

Angieslist.com. Shopping for services instead of goods? Angie’s List has become a popular site for consumers seeking reputable service-providers (landscapers, plumbers, etc.), which is understandable since everyone has some kind of horror story about the handyman who came and tore up the bathroom ceiling only to never to be seen again (or maybe that’s just Angela). The drawback? Good advice here isn’t free—you’ll pay a sign-up fee and montly charge (or you can opt to pay for a year at a time).

Oodle.com. Oodle’s tagline is “more listings. smarter classifieds.” There are a lot of listings, but as for the smarter part? Yeah, they might have that wrapped up too. Because what Oodle does is pull classifieds from a number of other online classifieds sites and consolidates the results for you right there. It’s a Shop.com for classifieds, if you will. And that caveat about buying fashion items through the classifieds? Well, there was this pair of Michael Kors”>Michael Kors shoes that we felt oddly drawn to, tucked in amidst the Bandolino boots and brand new Uggs, all of which we were surprised to find. And since we’d already plugged in our zip code, what showed up was within 60 miles of home sweet home.

Livedeal.com. Livedeal focuses on access to local classifieds too, which is great if you want to inspect something firsthand before you buy or if you don’t want to mess with the whole shipping hassle (and cost). You can create an account and post ads for free (you can choose to pay for optional ad features, of course). Are we wowed? Um, no. But it’s perfectly functional, and if you’re in the market for a something larger like, say, a new house or car, those sections seem to be where the site has actually found its niche.

Hoobly.com. Post free ads and search for local goods, services, merchandise. Honestly, it’s not terribly intuitive to navigate, and the most ads we found seemed to be for dogs—if it’s a pit bull with champion bloodlines (mm-hmm) you require, this might just be the place for you. Otherwise, there are better options, in our humble non-pit-bull-requiring opinion.

Backpage.com. It’s kind of a Craigslist clone, but there’s nothing wrong with that exactly. Pick your metro area, and get an easy to scan list of categories, with plenty of ads to scan in an eminently readable format. Post local ads for free, pay for listing in multiple cities, and, of course, browse at your leisure. We like it when things are easy, so we’ll probably return.

Classifieds.MySpace.com. If you want literally millions of listings to choose from, MySpace.com’s classified pages are for you. Even though we’re not HUGE fans of MySpace (only because we’re not teenyboppers and therefore do not receive NEARLY enough attention there to suit us) we have the say, the classifieds are pretty extensive, and of course you can localize results. Angela, for example, found a very cute Banana Republic wrap dress, new with tags, for $48, just a few miles away with local pickup available. Okay, it’s not exactly a vintage Coach Bag for under 10 bucks (let us know if you find one) but it’ll do. Oh, and you can post ads for free too.