CL buyers - what's up?

[Matt Day]

So I'm selling some speakers that I built years ago that don't fit in our home we live in now. I must have gotten 15 replies from people that all said "I am interested in your speakers, do you still have them?" Every single one of those either did not reply to my response or flaked out.

Maybe I am just used to dealing with woodworkers that are in general a cut above, and this is the way the normal craigslist sale goes.

I need to remember a saying I was told years ago: think about how stupid they he average person is, and realize that half the people are stupider than that!
-George Carlin

[Jim Koepke]

I haven't sold anything on CL. I have had a couple of deadbeats/slow to pays on ebay.

It can be a bit frustrating doing business with the general public at times.

We sell things at the farmers market. All the time we get folks who say they really like something and want to walk around and think about it or come back later. Most of the time they don't.

One time someone expressed interest in a potting bench. A week or two before a woman said she wanted to buy it when she got paid. The woman came and paid for the bench and a few other items. Then the other couple came back and were a bit miffed that we sold it before they could come back and kick the tires again.

The next person that looked at one of our potting benches was told "first to flash the cash gets the bench." She put down a deposit while she ran to the bank to get the full amount.

In the future we will likely take "non-refundable" deposits from serious lookers. At least tell them that it is for sale until there is cash changing hands.

People respond to "a sense of urgency" when they think someone might make them miss a deal if they don't act now.

My plan is to make two potting benches so that I will not run out of stock on hand.

jtk

[David Weaver]

I only ever sold one thing on CL - a hybrid table saw. The guy showed up with the cash, and came back and got it the next day (he wasn't so much a woodworker as he was an industrial designer - a professional one - who needed a TS from time to time). He brought his dad and his granddad - good people.

I can see from other peoples' stories though why a lot of folks will not respond any further than "my location is X, I'm not holding Y, the first person here with Z dollars gets it".

[Bruce Page]

I have bought & sold several things on our local CL. All but one were positive experiences.

[Dennis Heskett]

So I'm selling some speakers that I built years ago that don't fit in our home we live in now. I must have gotten 15 replies from people that all said "I am interested in your speakers, do you still have them?" Every single one of those either did not reply to my response or flaked out.

Maybe I am just used to dealing with woodworkers that are in general a cut above, and this is the way the normal craigslist sale goes.

I need to remember a saying I was told years ago: think about how stupid they he average person is, and realize that half the people are stupider than that!
-George Carlin

I have sold quite a lot on Craigslist and also purchased. One tip: Put in your ad that you will not answer "Is it still available" emails and that when it is sold you will remove the ad. Most of those are just trying to get actual email addresses that they can sell as lists. I also generally don't meet anyone except at at business in a high traffic area for obvious safety reasons. And, of course cash only.

Good Luck

[Matt Day]

I have bought and sold many things on craigslist, mostly woodworking and cycling related. Heck, every large machine in my shop was bought on craigslist! For the most part I have always met in a public area unless the machine is too big to transport multiple times. And in those cases I always use the satellite view on Google maps to scope out the location. And of course always let my wife know where I'm going.

Good tip on stating in the ad that it is available if the ad is up. I have seen that before and it is a good idea.

I guess my main point is that there seem to be so many people out there who do not follow through or have the courtesy to respond that they no longer want the item.

[David Weaver]

When it comes to low value things that invite the general population, I usually convince my wife that we should donate them. I had the same speaker issue as you - good quality large speakers, but they were not worth a lot of money (presuming yours aren't worth a mint), so we donated them to the goodwill. Having bought those new 15 years before, it stung a little bit for me to let them go for free, but I can only imagine the yahoos that would be interested in speakers like them (they'd be hooligans like I was in my youth).

[Matt Day]

I hear you David. I listed mine for $250. Worst case, I'll strip the components and sell online and that will bring just as much as the complete speakers. We'll see!

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

recently sold some high-dollar aftermarket Camaro parts for a friend who "doesn't internet"

we priced everything cheap to encourage quick sales.

ads for the parts had all the specifics, pictures, prices (OBO), shipping/payment terms, etc

still had numerous emails asking stupid questions...and my favourite question is "I'm interested, what's the least you'll take" (mind you - some parts were priced less than 50% of their retail price)

my response is always "the ad lists a price, and OBO. if you want to make an offer, make an offer - but the 'least I'll take' is the price in the ad"


the others that drive me crazy are the ones that ask 20 questions, spend time getting the item boxed, get shipping quote (to give them the best possible price) - send them the final price, with shipping and my paypal address...then NEVER HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN.

[Myk Rian]

I just recently sold a high dollar Pioneer PL-71 turntable. First 3 responders said they were interested. The 4th bought it. Never heard from the other 3 again.

[Matt Meiser]

I sold a ton of stuff on CL before and after our move. But I've also taken a lot of what I listed to the ReStore or Goodwill. Low dollar stuff I listed for a few days and if it wasn't sold quick I donated. I got a lot of the same--do you still have it, questions but no follow up, etc, etc. We probably would have done better with a garage sale but it wasn't the right season and we really didn't have the time.

The thing I got rid of fastest was 2 huge boxes full of bubble wrap for free. Gone from the curb 20 minutes after I posted!

[Marty Tippin]

Selling on Craigslist is easy once you realize that less than half the people who email or call or text won't answer you back, and of those who do, less than half who tell you they'll be there in a hour to buy it will never show up - and of those who actually show up, less than half will really have the money in hand.

Never hold anything for anybody regardless of the reason - first to show with the money gets the item. Be prepared to deal with all sorts of idiots, tire kickers, low-ballers, etc. - but if you know the value of the item you're selling and your price is fair, someone will come along fairly quickly to buy it.

I've got a friend trying to sell his house FSBO on Craigslist. Had a couple make 5 different appointments to come see him, cancel all of them, then eventually drop in out of the blue one day for a tour, go on and on and on about how much they loved everything, only to tell him in the end that they could never afford even half of what he's asking...

[Kevin Bourque]

The lesson I learned on craigslist is that high dollar items seem to attract the more responsible buyers.

Not to many tire kickers or "flippers" will call about the Laguna bandsaw you're selling for $1200.00, but lots & lots of people will call about your $30 Griswold frying pan.

I have bought and sold dozens of items on craigslist and have had not had any bad experiences.

[Wade Lippman]

Did they say that they were interested in your speakers, or in what you have for sale? I will get a dozen of the latter, which I ignore as they are just collecting email addresses.
I sell a lot on CL, and most of the real replies will respond one way or another if I ask them if they want to see it.
But I agree; emailing to see if it is still for sale, as many do, is just dumb.

My favorite though are the emails saying they want to buy what I have for sale, will send me a certified check (often for twice my asking price to compensate me for the inconvenience) and shipping instructions.
Of course, they are not always fake. I just sold a Ceros to someone 2000 miles away who somehow found my CL listing and was willing to pay shipping.

[Art Mann]

I have sold all sorts of stuff on Craigslist, including motorcycles, cars and trucks and woodworking machinery. I have never had any trouble with any of the transactions.

[Brian Elfert]

I believe Craigslist is now using their email relay service for all emails so buyers and sellers don't reveal their email addresses to each other.

I have sold a fair bit through Craigslist with few problems. I have seen buyers who seem really interested just quit responding to email. I have more problems with sellers who never respond to repeated emails when you want to buy something. In some cases I have used different email addresses in case one address is marked as spam.

[Dan Hintz]

I just sold a Ceros to someone 2000 miles away who somehow found my CL listing and was willing to pay shipping.

Plenty of CL aggregation sites, so I can easily find small, shippable stuff in CA from here in MD.

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on this.

There's a great deal of Phishing going on.
I ask for a "keyword" in the subject line
and a local telephone number before I respond.

There are two types of genuine Craigslist shoppers.
Those that are ready to buy, and those that are bottom feeding.

I NEVER negotiate price on the telephone.

I've sold three large items on Craigslist,
all at my asking price.

It's not for the faint-hearted.

[Erik Loza]

There are two types of genuine Craigslist shoppers.
Those that are ready to buy, and those that are bottom feeding.

I NEVER negotiate price on the telephone.

I've sold three large items on Craigslist,
all at my asking price.

It's not for the faint-hearted.

+1^^^....

We've sold some home electronics on CL and I actually did sell an automobile on it but as other have said, you get lots of tire-kickers, too. It is funny: Some of them, you knew they probably never bought anything from anyone. Like their whole experience was "thinking about buying it". But, CL is free, so what can you really complain about?

One thing I always did was only meet prospective buyers in a public place like a parking lot or starbucks. And generally during daylight hours. I would let my wife know exactly when and where the meeting was to be and then texted her as soon as the meeting was over, whatever the outcome.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Greg Portland]

So I'm selling some speakers that I built years ago that don't fit in our home we live in now. I must have gotten 15 replies from people that all said "I am interested in your speakers, do you still have them?" Every single one of those either did not reply to my response or flaked out.
People are browsing Craigslist and are making impulse buys. This means that they lose interest in a few minutes after sending the e-mail. If you miss that window then you miss the sale. No one is specifically browsing for DIY speakers (parts yes, speakers no).

[Jim Matthews]

(they'd be hooligans like I was in my youth).

One should be careful, using the past tense.

[Wade Lippman]

I NEVER negotiate price on the telephone.


I put a xylophone on CL really cheap because I am a distance from town. A guy tells me he will be driving by anyhow and wants to buy it.
He stops out, his kid loves it, and the guy tells me I have to give him $10 off because he drove so far to get it. I decline, and he makes up a story about there being a cheaper one in town anyhow. The whole while his kid is complaining that he needs it for class. He left screaming at me.

Had he negotiated on the phone (or in case, on email) we all could have saved a lot of trouble.

OTOH I have offered less in emails and had my offers accepted.

[Dan Hintz]

I decline, and he makes up a story about there being a cheaper one in town anyhow.

I never got that excuse... if there was a cheaper one in the same condition, then buy it. Why waste both of our times trying to price match with me.

[Wade Lippman]

I never got that excuse... if there was a cheaper one in the same condition, then buy it. Why waste both of our times trying to price match with me.
Sure, why drive 30 miles for mine when there is cheaper one near him. It is a a childish bluff. I bet the ride home with the crying kid was fun.

Fortunately I sold it for full price the next day.

[Steve Peterson]

my response is always "the ad lists a price, and OBO. if you want to make an offer, make an offer - but the 'least I'll take' is the price in the ad"

I interpret OBO to mean that you may consider slightly less money if there are no better offers. Why would someone offer you more than your asking price? If you want a specific price and won't take less then it should be listed as "firm".

Steve

[Matt Day]

+1 Steve...

[Brian Elfert]

I interpret OBO to mean that you may consider slightly less money if there are no better offers. Why would someone offer you more than your asking price? If you want a specific price and won't take less then it should be listed as "firm".


I think his point is he wants the buyer to throw out a price and then he'll consider it. If he puts OBO then he should be willing to take at least a somewhat lower price. If the seller is willing to take 20% less it would be smart not to tell the buyer that as the buyer might be willing to pay something more than 20% off.

I see Craigslist ads all the time where a ridiculous high price is listed and it says price is firm. That might explain why it hasn't sold after a month of being listed.

[pete halliwell]

I just missed a planer 35 miles away in the next state because I had to wait most of the day for a return email, I know phone numbers are problematic but I need to contact you somehow quickly.

[Brian Elfert]

I just missed a planer 35 miles away in the next state because I had to wait most of the day for a return email, I know phone numbers are problematic but I need to contact you somehow quickly.

If the seller only provided an email address didn't the buyer have to email the seller too? How do you know you would beat the other buyer had a phone number been provided?