A short, specific description almost always outperforms a long, vague one. Here's what to actually include.
State the condition honestly in the first sentence — "used, light scratches on the back, works perfectly" tells a buyer exactly what to expect and builds more trust than "good condition" ever will.
Answer the three questions every buyer has before they even message you: why are you selling it, how old is it, and why is it priced the way it is. Answering these upfront in two or three lines cuts out half the back-and-forth questions you'd otherwise get.
Mention pickup logistics directly — "available weekends only, near Devon Ave, can't deliver." This single line filters out people who were never going to be a match anyway, so you only hear from buyers who can actually follow through.
Avoid all-caps and excessive exclamation points — it reads as spam, even when the item is genuinely great. A calm, factual tone builds more trust in a classifieds listing than an excited one does.
If your character limit feels tight, prioritize condition, price logic, and pickup details over backstory — buyers care more about those three things than why you're decluttering.
Last tip: re-read your listing as if you were the buyer seeing it cold. If it answers your own questions, it'll answer theirs too.