Craigslist rant!

[Justin Leiwig]

I'm so sick of searching craigslist for tools,seeing an add that sounds great and finding craftsman and chicago electric tools that are either overpriced or selling for near what you can buy them in the store for.

I don't understand how some of you find these great deals on old arn on craiglist and all I find is crap! Maybe it's just my area but these people seem to think that their stuff is made of gold. Sure..your 20 year old craftsman RAS is worth $275 bucks! That 60 piece set of router bits from HF...sure...$150 bucks is a great deal. :mad:

Very rarely do I find a good deal, and that's usually someone who's father has passed away and has a stash of good stuff. It's getting to be as bad as Ebay and their "power sellers" selling rehashed chinese crap!

Ok...rant over. Thanks for listening. :D

[Matt Benton]

If someone is selling a quality tool, they will virtually always give enough information in the ad (brand, model, age, etc.) to determine if it's a good buy or not, as well as pictures.

If the above is not present in an ad, there's no way I'll spend the time contacting the seller. That could turn into a full time job...

[Marlin Williams]

Yep if they don't have the make/model and at least 1 good pic then I move on.


Also area does make a difference. In NC I could get a old working push mover for $20 or even free. But here in VA a mower that should fall under the free section is now $50 or more. In NC I could get a lot of different woods for a good price. here in VA it is not easy. I have to drive back to NC or up to PA to get a lot of the stuff I like.


I will admit I have got some good deals off craigslist in VA like my $450 3hp Grizzly shaper, riding lawn mower, etc... but that is more rare then common.

[Neal Clayton]

i check 4 different craigslists. i've got an uncle in st louis, my dad's family lives in new orleans, i live in little rock, and memphis is a short drive. so between the 4 there's usually something worth looking at.

i feel your pain though. the vast majority of the little rock craigslist usually is people selling harbor freight/home depot tools for about 10-20% less than retail. that and those 2000 dollar nascar snap-on tool chests of course.

[Justin Leiwig]

i feel your pain though. the vast majority of the little rock craigslist usually is people selling harbor freight/home depot tools for about 10-20% less than retail. that and those 2000 dollar nascar snap-on tool chests of course.

Don't even get me started on those tool chests I see everyday. Anyone who pays that kind of money for a tool chest is nuts in my book.

I may have a line on a 30-40's era delta jointer that I may pick up this weekend for a good deal, but that's about it in the past 6 months that I've seen.

[Bill Lucas]

It is bad on both ends. I just sold a 4 year old delta contractor's saw with a older unifence and mobile base. Everything was in good shape. I was asking $350. I got $320. The guy who bought is a son of a cabinetmaker. He is very happy.

I had people offering a $100, calling me thief, going on forever on how they could buy it new for less. Then there are the no shows. Anyway it is hard dealing with the public.

Bill

[Eric Mims]

I've gotten a couple great things.. a never used Steel City table saw for 30% of it's new price, and a Jet dust collector for 100 bucks. But 95% of the stuff on my local craigslist is just as you say, cheap 10 year old Harbor Freight junk selling for 90% of it's new price.

and don't forget the air nailer random sets (a nailer, compressor or part of one, maybe a trowel, um, throw in a level and some pencils maybe all covered in dirt and if you're lucky maybe a box with a few nails in it), which you can bet your life was just stolen off a job site the day before.

[Scott Wigginton]

If it doesn't have a make/model or a pic, I ask for one. I never go to see a tool until I know all the info, my time and gas money are more valuable.

There are tons of good deals, but because they are such a great deal they don't last long and are usually removed when sold. I recently missed out on a 52" Biesemeyer fence in nebraska and a 50" Steel city fence in knoxville, both were asking $200 plus shipping (I can't get an extension to my dewalt fence for that price).

Naturally before we worked out the logistics a local came with cash in hand and bought it out from under me. But that is the nature with CL, cash now means a sell. No one will hold an item because there are too many no-shows.

Of course location is also huge, we have a lot of military in my area so that means a lot of motivated sellers which equals better deals (how I got my TS so cheap, was too expensive to keep shipping it around)

[Eric DeSilva]

I've gotten some very good deals off CL--$750 for an 8" Grizz jointer & 20" Grizz planer, $700 for a Unisaw w/52" Bies fence and extras, $700 for a mint Jet 25CS shaper, $650 for a mint 14" PM bandsaw, $300 for a 3HP never-been-used Grizz power feeder, $700 for a Delta 18/36 sander (plus a Ryobi OSS, a small Delta belt/circular sander, and loads of sandpaper), $300 for more Bessey K bodies than I'll ever need--but I've been looking at CL in my area daily for over a year now. Part of it is my willingness to pull out lots of cash out of the ATM and drive all over creation at the drop of a hat... Part of it is that I'm in the DC area, so its a high population area with a fair amount of coming and going. Part of it may also be that, when I contact a seller, I tell them that I've sold stuff on CL, I'm not a flake, I let them known exactly when I'm coming and make sure I mention that I am bringing cash and that we will have a deal if the item is as described.

Having also sold stuff on CL, I sympathize with the whole "I won't reserve it, first cash in hand gets it." Most recently, I sold a Nikon D80 dSLR body on CL, and the number of time-wasters I had was appalling. People who had no idea what they were trying to buy--and wanted me to educate them. It was also clear that others hadn't even read the ad--asking me stuff that was in my text, like the number of shutter actuations and whether it came with a lens. I pulled the ad when I had a "definite" buyer, but he flaked out (after coming over and wasting an evening of mine). I went through two other people, both of which committed, then backed out after coming over and wasting my time. When I reposted the ad, I had to add something that basically said "I have no problem showing you this camera, but I expect you to have done your research--if you are going to ask me to take my evening to show it to you, you should be ready to buy it unless you find something that doesn't match the description I've given here."

CL does have good buyers (I consider myself one), but there are some serious flakes out there...

[Tony Bilello]

I live in the Houston area and my experiences with Craigslist is exactly like yours. Actually if you wait for a sale in Harbor Freight, you can get the item cheaper new than on Craigslist.
I have been looking at CL almost everyday for the last 6 months and still have not been tempted.

[Chris Gombola]

Same here. I had a guy come out for a belt sander once, a very old craftsman model. I think I wanted $10 for it. The guy comes in my shop and starts looking around, he wants me to throw in a #80 cabinet scraper (worth more than the sander in my book) and some other stuff. He starts asking about almost every tool I have, is that for sale? Is that? How about the table saw? I finally had to ask him to leave!



It is bad on both ends. I just sold a 4 year old delta contractor's saw with a older unifence and mobile base. Everything was in good shape. I was asking $350. I got $320. The guy who bought is a son of a cabinetmaker. He is very happy.

I had people offering a $100, calling me thief, going on forever on how they could buy it new for less. Then there are the no shows. Anyway it is hard dealing with the public.

Bill

[Jamie Delker]

I had people offering a $100, calling me thief, going on forever on how they could buy it new for less. Then there are the no shows. Anyway it is hard dealing with the public.

Bill

Most people that think they're expert hagglers are nothing more than expert hasslers... seems like more of them frequent Craigslist than any other forum I've used to buy and sell things.
A typical Craigslist ad I've put up and 90% of the responses for it:
Ad: "Guitar for sale, mint condition. $500 firm, no shipping, no trades please."
Response: "Hey dude, I'll give you $350 for it and throw in some cables I have, and how much extra to ship it to Rancho Cucamonga?"

:mad:

[Joe Vincent]

Craigslist stories. Priceless.

[Dave Lehnert]

Craigslist stories. Priceless.

I was e-mailing a CL seller about a tool. He e-mailed back "I will be out of town for a week" Will get back with me.
Why would you ad something, then not be home to sell it?

[Greg Cole]

a never used Steel City table saw for 30% of it's new price,
I looked for what seemed like years before anything worth a squat appeared. My advice on these types of sales-listings is to act the first second you have it & offer cash on the spot. If not, it's gone if you wait a few hours... or days.
Steel City 3 HP cabinet saw came my way via CL sane as Eric's unused. $600.00 :D.
I made a verbal agreement with a guy on a new 15" Griz planer but the SOB sold it the next morning, when he'd agreed with me the night before that I'd show up the next afternoon with the bones in hand.:mad: Planer was still in the shipping crate!
I've picked up some great deals n lumber off CL as well. $1 a bf for anything useable is a good deal, especially red elm and walnut.

[Justin Leiwig]

Here's an example of the stupidity

Radial Arm Saw - $250 (***** City)

Reply to: sale- (sale-895040676@craigslist.org?subject=Radial%20Arm%20Sa w%20-%20$250%20(Tipp%20City)) [? (http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/replying_to_posts)]
Date: 2008-10-27, 9:20AM EDT



10" Craftsman Radial Arm Saw, excellent condition. New table and blade guard.

[Mike Hess]

I've had some good and bad Craigslist experiences. Mainly good as a buyer, but bad as a seller. I live in Harrisburg PA which is less than 3 hours from Philly, DC, Baltimore, even NYC, and a bunch of smaller towns, so I have a lot of areas to choose from. I usually check in the morning while I'm drinking my coffee, and then again at lunch time. Some of my better finds include:

A Shopsmith Mark V (510) with 4" jointer, lathe tools, extension tables, and other odds and ends for $200

A Dewalt MBF Radial Arm Saw, in good shape, with some accessories (jig saw) but without a stand for $75

An older Delta Drill Press for $125

A newer Delta Industrial 10" dual bevel mitre saw for $60

And, with a little luck - I could be picking up an old Walker Turner 16" Band saw for $150 (oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy) and/or a newer Hitachi C10FL hybrid saw for $145 this weekend.

I always let the seller know that I'll pay cash and haul away, and try to structure my email inquiries so that they know that I'm a woodworker/old tool enthusiast and will give their tools a good home. To most folks that wouldn't matter, but lots of times older woodworkers will prefer to see their tools be cared for and appreciated, all other things being equal. I'm a younger guy (30yrs old) and I think a lot of folks who are retiring or moving into a smaller homes like to see their interests and traditions carried on to the next generation. I might just be waxing philisophic, but I've had some nice conversations with sellers of the tools I'm buying, and they've expressed as much.

[Justin Leiwig]

There are some good deals to be had rarely, but I've never seen anything remotely like you guys get. There was one Unisaw for $200 bucks that I would have gotten if I had the money, but other than that it's piddley stuff.

[David Tiell]

I think it's just a matter or right place/right time on a lot of stuff on CL. And don't be afraid to explore other locations. Sometimes things might fall into your lap if you're lucky. Not to tick you off, but I just got a Jet 16" planer in pretty much new condition for $500 off the Dayton/Springfield CL back in July. My brother picked it up, brought it down, and spent a few days here drinking beer and visiting. I also was able to snag the big Jet floor model Oscillating Spindle Sander from the San Diego CL for $400. My brother-in-law in the Marines was stationed there, but being transferred here later that same month. He picked it up for me and brought it in with his household goods move. Again, right place, right time, and wasn't even at either place.:D

[Chris Padilla]

Snarfer...look it up...makes searching CL and eBay a pleasure.

[David G Baker]

I put Snarfer on my desktop, had a problem, now I can't get rid of it. Searched the net to no avail.

[Pat Germain]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This is what I get when I browse the tool section of my local CL:

- Craftsman...
- Craftsman...
- Craftsman...
- SHOPSMITH!
- Craftsman...
- Craftsman...
- SHOPSMITH!
- Craftsman...
- Craftsman...
- Craftsman...
- SHOPSMITH!
- SHOPSMITH!
- SHOPSMITH!
- Craftsman...

Is it written somewhere that when you sell a Shopsmith or Shopsmith accessories you have to put the add in all caps and use exclamation points?

And yes, typically, the sellers of Craftsman power tools are demanding about $10 below full retail at the local Sears.

What also cheeses me off are sellers who post the same set of crappy tools in fifteen different ads. And, come to think of it, they also tend to use a lot of exclamation points!!!!

[Chris Padilla]

Bummer, David. I don't have any issue with Snarfer on my laptop although my laptop certainly has many issues--I'm thinking to accidentally drop it off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean.... ;)

[Tom Burger]

Oh, boy!
I'd love to pimpslap half the morons on CL!

Buying can be OK if you know how to sift through the garbage,
but selling is a nightmare.

I have a PC 690-6931 router / plunge base combo I've been tryin' to move
in an effort to upgrade to a more powerful router.
About 2 years old, exc. condition...barely a scratch on it.
Cash only,local only. Thought $150 was a fair price.
NOTHING!!!! For three weeks , not even a hint of interest until
some meathead in Seattle (I'm in Pittsburgh) offers me $75 in money order
and informs me that for that price, I'll have to ship it to HIM!!!
I mean, you expect to take a loss and everything's negotiable, but I'm
not lookin' to GIVE IT AWAY!

I guess the reason you see mostly cheap tools on CL is that people don't
want to pay for quality, don't recognize quality, or don't want to put out
the cash and take a chance on a used tool.?
Dunno????

[Eric DeSilva]

Most people that think they're expert hagglers are nothing more than expert hasslers...

I think my favorite is still "what's the lowest price you would take for it?"

Entirely misses the point of negotiation... My response is usually "What is the highest price you would pay for it?"

[Burt Alcantara]

I've had better luck selling then buying. I only had one item then got no response at all. An old computer desk that I managed to give away to my neighbor.

Most of the non industrial tools here are red, as in rusted red and people want multiples of $100s for rust.

What I see is giant tools -- 10' tall bandsaws, industrial dust collectors, 15 hp saws, back hoes, tow compressors. The rest -- junk, almost all low end Craftsman and rusted solid ShopSmiths.

Burt

[Eric Roberge]

How about the people that can't spell the name of the tool?

Rigid = Ridgid
Porta Cabel = Porter Cable
Etc...:confused:

That always makes me nervous too.

[Karl Brogger]

I love Craigslist. Where else can you find a used couch, an atv, and escort, and a cord of firewood?

Buyer beware is the key thing to remember.

[Justin Leiwig]

Where else can you find a used couch, an atv, and escort, and a cord of firewood?



That sounds like the start of a bad redneck joke I heard once! :D

[Chris Padilla]

I love Craigslist. Where else can you find a used couch, an atv, and escort, and a cord of firewood?

Buyer beware is the key thing to remember.

Caveat emptor!!

CL is great...I've never had any problems on it and I've bought about as much as I've sold. Just realize that folks scouring CL will rarely pay top dollar and expect stuff relatively cheap. It is just the nature of the beast.

[Justin Leiwig]

Caveat emptor!!

CL is great...I've never had any problems on it and I've bought about as much as I've sold. Just realize that folks scouring CL will rarely pay top dollar and expect stuff relatively cheap. It is just the nature of the beast.

How about the opposite? All sellers local to me are like this. Top dollar for a used tool.

This "version" only available from tool reps is available at Rockler for $14 bucks more new than this guy is selling used. Often I'm tempted to email them links to their "special" tools to show them how stupid they sound.
Delta slow speed grinder on custom floor base - $175 (******)

Reply to: [? (http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/replying_to_posts)]
Date: 2008-10-29, 3:41PM EDT



Delta slow speed grinder on custom floor stand used only about 10 times still like new. Model number is 23-725 this is the heavy duty version only available through tool reps and not the newer thin case this one has a thick case. runs about 300 new and is hard to get. Call Bill .

No shipping is available pick up only this is not light.

[Chris Padilla]

Yes, there are folks on CL trying to get gold prices for their tin stuff but I can almost guarantee they aren't getting many hits nor selling their stuff.

With Snarfer working for me, I have actually followed several of the same postings and watched the prices drop and drop and drop and drop or you simply don't see the ad posted again.

I've had good luck selling on CL because I price my stuff to move. Sure, I want to get some cash for my stuff but my main goal is to get the stuff out of my house. CL is free to post in, that will attract all kinds of folks selling/buying stuff....

[Tom Veatch]

Snarfer...look it up....

I did. Wish I hadn't. The "Urban Dictionary" listing isn't too appetiziing. Would post the link, but not sure it fits in a "family" environment.

[Tom Veatch]

... CL is free to post in, that will attract all kinds of folks selling/buying stuff....

Including scammers.

Had a guy contact me about a couple of propane tanks he wanted shipped to England. You know the spiel - I'll send you a cashiers check, you pay the shipper, and refund the difference. I guess there are folks that fall for it.

[Eric Larsen]

Here are some tricks to CL...

1) Figure out when people list the good stuff. In my neck of the desert, it's weeknights from 8-10 p.m. and weekend mornings, particularly Saturday before 10 a.m. When we were in the market for a leather livingroom set, that's when we searched. It took three weeks to get what we wanted, but we got it for less than 20% of new. Definitely worth the effort.

2) Many sellers place importance on the first person to call/email. Try to be that person. Also, make it clear that you are a serious buyer who will arrive with cash in hand and a means of transporting the item. Any CL seller will tell you the horror stories about CL flakes who no-show, or try to pay with grocery coupons, etc.

When I bought my cabinet saw, I told the seller, "Ok, I'm going to come look at the saw. If I like it, I'll give you a deposit, and then drive to Budget to get a truck with a lift gate." If they know you're serious, they'll tell other buyers that the saw is "probably sold."

3) Sellers are supposed to delete their ad after the item sells. When I bought that $75 lathe, the ad was up for a grand total of 20 minutes. I saw it, made the call, and the seller deleted the ad as I was on my way to buy it. The reason you're not finding good stuff might be it's getting deleted before you can find it.

4) Have enough cash in a drawer, safe, etc. to cover average purchases. He who has the $500 in hand gets the cabinet saw on a sunday when banks are closed.

5) I occasionally find great tool deals in the "materials" section. Give it a glance every day. Sometimes I also find wood deals. It's worth it.

6) I always call if possible on oddball listings. You know the ones -- "Tool for sael, workks good, $100. 555-555-5555." One time, it turned out to be a jet a bandsaw worth far more. I didn't need it, but it would have been a great score if I did.

7) crazedlist -- google it. It allows you to search multiple CL sites. If I was searching for a cabinet saw, I would search every CL site from L.A. to Salt Lake, because that's as far as I'm willing to drive for a great deal. I also crazedlist anything that could be shipped -- like a dovetail jig.

8) Any ad that starts "Cabinet Shop Closing" gets me on the phone immediately. I speed dial these until someone picks up. This is where the best deals are. They usually won't list clamps, wood, stain, or fasteners in their ad -- but they have them, cheap.

As long as you're searching at least a couple times a day, the CL gloats will happen.







Very rarely do I find a good deal, and that's usually someone who's father has passed away and has a stash of good stuff. It's getting to be as bad as Ebay and their "power sellers" selling rehashed chinese crap!

Ok...rant over. Thanks for listening. :D

[Jim Becker]

Good list, Eric! Although on number 4, banks are never closed...at least the part of them that you can get more cash if you need it! ;)

[Matt Meiser]

Your bank lets you get $500 at once?

[Dave Lehnert]

Around here we have banks open on Sunday.

[Jim Becker]

Your bank lets you get $500 at once?

The limits vary by bank and account holder. I actually don't know what my limit is, but I've gotten $300 at once more than once...never tried for more. But you do make a good point...not that I'm going to start keeping cash at home over and above the no more than $100 per week I use for pocket money. I just don't like carrying cash!

[Eric Larsen]

My ATM tops out at $300. I've only used the ATM once. I don't want to get in the habit of siphoning cash out of checking.

How about traveller's checks? You could keep those in a drawer for emergencies. And then you can take them on vacation.-- Most sellers would probably take Amex traveller's checks for tool purchases.


The limits vary by bank and account holder. I actually don't know what my limit is, but I've gotten $300 at once more than once...never tried for more. But you do make a good point...not that I'm going to start keeping cash at home over and above the no more than $100 per week I use for pocket money. I just don't like carrying cash!

[Jim Becker]

MMost sellers would probably take Amex traveller's checks for tool purchases.

I wouldn't count on that, Eric...there will be a substantial number of people who don't even know what traveler's checks are and even if they do, they may not be viewed as "cash", despite the fact that they are indeed close to it.

[Chris Padilla]

In these wild economic times, I think it is wise to keep a couple grand stashed away somewhere just in case your bank has some issues getting you cash....

I have two banks: one allows $400 max/day and the other allows $600 max/day.

[Shawn Gillies]

I removed my version, and here's how I did it.

Snarf runs in the background..always running.

Open Task Manager, and under Processes, find Snarfer.exe and enter 'End Process'.

Now, just go to 'Control Manager' and find 'Add or Remove' find the Snarfer and remove.

The ending process part allows you to remove it.

Hope this works for you.

SG

[Bob Aquino]

Working CL is like prospecting for gold. You gotta sift through a ton of dirt to get a nugget. I've had luck both buying and selling. Recent finds included an older UNI and a 20" Rockwell Bandsaw. The bandsaw was 250 bucks and complete. I have also gotten a Duofast framing nailer, Powermatic scrollsaw, Makita 2030 jointer/planer for very good prices. I picked up a 3 wheel recumbent bike for about half price just by posting a WTB ad in the local Bikes section. On most of these you have to be very fast to respond or you loose. You have to either check it several times a day or just get lucky when you do.

On the selling side I have managed to sell quite a few tools when I was upgrading as well as two complete Saltwter fish tank setups. We also sold an RV that had water damage but had to be the hottest thing I have ever sold. Just goes to show you that its the price that motivates people. There are lots of crazy's that respond. One guy in particular responded over several ads from his crackberry. He always lowballed me. I have a general rule, anybody who talks price first without even looking at the item or asking questions about is is not worth the bother. In my book, you only talk price after you decide you want the item, not before. And as far as pricing, I always factor in about a 10% fudge factor. It doesn't put me out of the ballpark for people on a budget and lets me drop the price so they think they got over me on the deal. Think whatever you want, but just give me the cash.

I usually don't pay much attention to people who don't have a clue about spelling and punctuation. I just can't take them seriously. I'm sure other folks have general rules of thumb when it comes to CL, would love to hear them.

[Cary Falk]

All of my limited number of purchases went well. I have sold a lot of stuff and have seen both sides of the spectrum. I have some suggestions to buyers based on some selling experiences.

1.) Don't ask about something if you have no interest in the item. I hate being asked "is the item still for sale" only to be never heard from again.
2.)If your are not going to show up just let me know.
3.)Don't agree on a price and then show up with less money or a check.
4.)Don't show up and tell me I should just give it to you because I look like I can afford to.

[Roger Bell]

CL is a virtual garage sale.

Accordingly, from the buyer's perspective, expect to rummage through tons of junk to find anything at all that you might consider taking home, even it were free. From the seller's perspective, expect to find buyers who will intentionally waste your time and then to low ball you.

This is what a garage sale is all about.

If you have the time and the patience and a little bit of forbearance for your fellow man, it can be quite fun and rewarding.

[David G Baker]

Shawn,
Thank you for your advice on getting rid of Snarfer, it worked. I kept getting an error message every time I would boot my computer and it was very annoying. It is gone and if I want it again at a later date I will re install it.
Thanks again.

[Larry Kite]

I got a Grizzly 1023 Table saw for 500.00 and a Delta 32-326, 13 spindel pneumatic line boring machine (retail over 2200.00) in cherry condition for 850.00.

I do google searches of craigslist. Enter "Craigslist and the ITEM NAME" in the Google search you will find a lot.

As for selling, I sold a tanning bed two days ago for 150.00 I would have given it away just to get it out of my house. Price stuff to unload it and it will sell.