Online Classifieds: Where To Go Today to Buy, Sell, and Trade

Those of us who are “of a certain age” will remember that when we wanted to find a house, job, used car, apartment or even love, the tiny print in the last section of the newspaper was where you went. Since the mid-1990s, when Craigslist launched, many of us have seen newspaper classifieds dwindle to a little more than a half-page of legal notices.

In this post, we look at where you can go to find stuff online, including jobs, stuff for sale, and companionship. Links to these sites don’t equate to endorsements. All the information provided here is informational only. Always read the fine print before creating accounts and using these or any online advertising platforms.

Newspaper Classified Ads vs. Online Classifieds

It’s a no-brainer to see why people prefer online classifieds to print:

Online sites are easy to filter by location and various categories.
Online classifieds are customizable and accessible from anywhere.
They are cheaper to produce, and many are free, which is impossible for print media to compete with.
Classified ads online provide more information and can include multiple color pictures.
Some platforms allow you to link to product reviews and more details or other shopping tools.
Online ads can reach a much bigger geographical audience, as well as a much larger of non-newspaper readers!

For example, suppose you’re looking for a new car. You may find websites that provide a 360-degree view inside and outside of the vehicle, specifications, detailed pricing info, a car payment calculator, and links to financing options.

Alternatives to Traditional Classified Ads

Most online classified listings don’t resemble what you’d find in newspapers. However, a few sites aggregate listings from various sources and look similar to newspaper ads, minus the black ink.

To help you go from newspaper classified ads to digital ones, OneLaunch has added a Classifieds tool to our desktop dock. This new OneLaunch tool gives you one-click access to 1,000s of digital classified ads through our partner ClassifiedAds.com and other sites; Locanto, Craigslist, and Oodles. Here’s a quick video tutorial on our Classified Ads tool.

Local Classifieds Online

If you’re ready to venture into digital classifieds, here are a handful of online classifieds that resemble traditional newspaper ads. Yes, many contain enhanced elements such as item images, but several are simple listings with only necessary information like price, buying terms, and the item’s location.

Craigslist: Launched in 1995, Craigslist is one of the most popular websites for posting free online classified ads. You can find listings to buy, sell or trade almost anything in your area, including furniture, computers, and baby and kids’ stuff. Craigslist is plagued by scammers, so make sure you read their tips for avoiding scams.
Facebook Marketplace: Meta’s Facebook Marketplace is great for buying and selling stuff locally, as you can see the profiles of buyers and sellers, chat with them through Messenger, and browse items by categories or location. You’ll also be able to see if you have mutual connections with buyers and sellers, which adds a level of confidence to your transactions.
eBay: On eBay, you can buy and sell new or used goods through auctions or at fixed prices locally or worldwide. To be honest, eBay has lost some of the charm it had as an auction site for everyday people. It’s the second-largest e-commerce site in the world (second to Amazon, according to Web Retailer)
Poshmark: This is a site that helps you buy and sell fashion items such as clothing, accessories, shoes, and jewelry. You can browse the classifieds by brand, style, or category.

Help Wanted Ads Online

Looking for work? Or what companies pay for specific positions? Online employment classifieds can help you search job openings and find industry and position-specific details, including salaries and company reviews by current and previous employees.

Indeed: This has become a leading job site that aggregates millions of job postings from thousands of websites, including company career pages, job boards, newspapers, blogs, and associations.
FlexJobs: Job-seekers can search for remote, flexible, and part-time jobs online from job listings in over 50 career categories in their database.
Glassdoor: This is an employment/career site that allows job-seekers to search job listings by company, location, industry, or keyword. It also allows current and former employees, as well as interviewees, to leave anonymous feedback on companies as employers.

Real Estate Online Classifieds

Websites with real estate listing information, including property photos, amenities, association costs, neighborhood reports, and more, make searching for your next home or apartment purchase or rental easier.

Apartments.com: Find apartments for rent in your area, and search by price range, bedrooms, bathrooms, amenities, pet policy, and more. You can also view each property’s photos, floor plans, ratings, and reviews.
Realtor.com: Find homes for sale in your area (or in the areas you’ve always dreamed of living in!). You can search by location, price range, property type, features, and more. Other features include photos, videos, virtual tours, maps, and neighborhood information on each listing.
Zillow: Similar to Realtor.com, Zilow is a site that pulls listings from Multiple Listing Services to help you find homes for sale or rent in your area. Search options include location, price range, property type, features, and more. In addition, you can view each listing’s images, videos, maps, and neighborhood information. You can even take virtual tours and search recently sold listings for price comparisons.

Automotive Classified Ads on the Internet

Automotive classifieds on the internet remove the pressure from on-lot car salespeople and provide detailed vehicle information such as pricing and mileage, and some even offer home delivery options, plus other shopping tools. If you’re looking to buy or sell a vehicle, eBay and Craigslist are worth checking, but as we said earlier, Craigslist can be a playground for scammers (buyers and sellers beware). Here are two alternatives to Craigslist.

AutoTrader: This website helps connect buyers and sellers. You can find and sell new and used cars, RVs, and motorcycles. You can also read car reviews and get price advice.
Cars.com: Cars.com is a website that helps you buy and sell new and used cars. You can compare prices, features, specs, and reviews of different models, plus, find dealerships near you, and get financing options.

Online Personal Classifieds Ads

Like newspaper personal ads, online dating sites have surpassed personal classifieds to help subscribers find companionship or love.

Match.com: Perhaps the most well-known dating site, Match.com helps you find compatible singles based on your preferences and interests. You can create a profile, browse photos, send messages, and use various features to find your match.
For more information about online dating sites, check out our Article titled “Safe Dating Sites for 50+.”

Digital Listings for Sport and Entertainment

Online listings make finding tickets to sporting events, concerts, movie tickets, and other entertainment easy.

StubHub: This is the world’s largest ticket marketplace. You can buy or sell tickets to myriad live events.
Ticketmaster: Similar to StubHub, Ticketmaster allows users to buy or sell tickets for live events.