When we are talking about free small ads nowadays, this has nothing to do with the section in the newspaper or the magazine anymore. In fact, with the breakthrough of the internet , multiple systems of small ads develloped themself on the virtual network. Today, a lot of sites are in competition in the domain, but each site does not offer all the same options.
If you take for exemple Ebay, the form itself of the small ad is transformed in an auction system who offers rarely the starting bid price of an object placed on the site. Furthermore, most of the auction sites take a pourcentage part on the total of object sold, which gives a lot less to the seller.
If we are looking at other sites like Kijiji or PriceMinister, it seems like it's more easy to buy used items at the indicated price. But lately, a new player came in play in France; it is the free classified ads site "Le Bon Coin". This site offers sections of personals ads depending on the area where you live. For now, Leboncoin.fr is only available in France, but let's bet that very soon the site will win other country's.