Sell second-hand
How to judge a price from similar ads, take clear photos and describe the item's condition honestly: all in the collection for your first sale.
a guide to private classifieds: selling, buying, finding work
Lip48: private classifieds without trouble
Selling something you no longer need, buying something used, finding side work through an ad: these are ordinary everyday tasks. When they go wrong, it is usually not because they are complicated but because of haste: the item was not inspected, the meeting was arranged in a hurry, money was sent to a stranger. This guide collects simple rules that help you avoid that.
A good second-hand deal looks boring: the item has been inspected, money changes hands at the meeting, and both sides know exactly what is being bought and sold. Here, boring is a sign that everything was done right.
Choose your task
Buy second-hand
A practical article: what to find out in messages, how to inspect the item on the spot, and why you should not pay a stranger in advance.
Find work
Answers on how to read job and side-work ads, and which conditions should raise a red flag before you even get to the interview.
Meet safely
Where and when to meet an unknown buyer or seller, who to tell and how to settle up: covered in the guide's topics.
Guide sections
- Topics
The guide's four topics: selling, buying, jobs and side work, safety and money.
- Guides
How to buy second-hand without regrets: steps, mistakes, a checklist. Plus the article catalogue.
- Questions
Short answers on selling and buying, job ads, money and safety.
- Collections
Reading paths: your first sale, looking for side work, giving things away or swapping them.
- Reference
Glossary: oral and written deals, receipts, employment contracts, phishing links.
- Updates
A feed of new materials in the guide, with dates and topics.
- Archive
Guide materials by date and topic, plus a note on the domain's former addresses.
Five steps before meeting a buyer or seller
Agree on the place and time
Suggest a busy, well-lit place and a meeting in daylight. If the other person insists on a deserted courtyard or a late hour, that is a reason to rethink your plans.
Make sure everything about the item has been said
Confirm the condition, what is included and any known defects once more in your messages. The less that is unclear before the meeting, the fewer disputes on the spot.
Bring someone you trust, or tell them
It is better to go in pairs. If that is not possible, message a relative or friend saying where you are going, who you are meeting and when you expect to be back.
Check the item on the spot
Switch it on, try it on, look at it from every side, compare what is included with the description. Do not be shy about taking as much time as you need.
Pay at the handover
Money and item change hands at the same moment. That way the deal is completed immediately and neither side has to take the other at their word.
The essentials in brief
Are you a classifieds board?
No. Lip48 is a guide with advice on private deals and finding work. There are no ads here, and you cannot post one on this site.
Can I post an ad or a job offer with you?
No. We do not accept or publish ads for sale, job offers or CVs, paid or otherwise. If someone offers to place an ad for you on this site, they are misleading you.
Can you recommend where to post an ad?
We do not name specific platforms. When choosing one, check whether you can message people inside the platform without revealing your phone number, whether there are clear rules for sellers and buyers, and where you can report suspicious users.
What should I do if I have been scammed?
If money has left your card, call your bank straight away on the number on the back of the card. Keep the messages, links, numbers and screenshots and contact the police. In Russia that is 102 from a mobile or 112, the single emergency number; numbers differ by country (112 also works across the EU).
About the project
This domain used to host a private classifieds board, and later its pages filled up with spam profiles. The current guide has no connection with that board: it does not restore the old ads and does not publish new ones. The name Lip48 is kept from the domain address.
We write about what everyone runs into who has ever sold or bought something second-hand or looked for work through an ad: how to agree, how to check, how to put things in writing and what to do if something goes wrong. We do not name platforms, banks or companies and do not publish prices, only general rules that work in any situation.
Sources
- Civil Code of the Russian Federation (arts. 159, 161)
- Labour Code of the Russian Federation (art. 67)
- Bank of Russia: financial literacy materials
Information is correct as of the date the material was prepared. Laws and official guidance change: check current wording of the Russian Civil and Labour Codes in official publications, ask your own bank about its rules, and if you live outside Russia, check the rules that apply in your country.