Post your funniest/most bizarre/scariest Craigslist story...

[ray1970]

On a related note, I had that topper listed for weeks for free because I just wanted it gone. Had quite a few people who wanted it but nobody would show up to get it.

A coworker told me to list it for sale with a price. I didn't understand how I could get money for something I couldn't give away for free but since he is a much more seasoned Craigslist veteran than me I gave it a try. Sold it two days later for $150.

He said if it's listed for free people will either get excited about getting it and then later change their minds or they will think there must be something seriously wrong with it and won't even contact you. But, if you set a reasonable price they will think they are getting a bargain and buy it.

Weird.

[Irving]

I've learned that if I want something gone at my house, I just put it on the curb with a "FOR SALE/SE VENDE" sign and it usually gets picked up over night.

[Grant H.]

I've learned that if I want something gone at my house, I just put it on the curb with a "FOR SALE/SE VENDE" sign and it usually gets picked up over night.

If it's the same as at our house, it sits for weeks with a free sign, but is gone in 24-48 hours with a "for sale" sign.

Implied value makes junk more desirable.

[brutal]

Hearing about a man selling jewelry on CL being shot in the face and killed by meth heads at his front door, in front of his wife and kid is what prompted me to get my CHP.

True story.

[funkymonkey1111]

I've had sales of stagnant items by raising the price

[Martinjmpr]

On a related note, I had that topper listed for weeks for free because I just wanted it gone. Had quite a few people who wanted it but nobody would show up to get it.

A coworker told me to list it for sale with a price. I didn't understand how I could get money for something I couldn't give away for free but since he is a much more seasoned Craigslist veteran than me I gave it a try. Sold it two days later for $150.

He said if it's listed for free people will either get excited about getting it and then later change their minds or they will think there must be something seriously wrong with it and won't even contact you. But, if you set a reasonable price they will think they are getting a bargain and buy it.

Weird.

There's also just the fact that all "free" stuff is lumped into one category on CL, so if someone is shopping and they're not looking in the "free" section they won't see it.

[CHA-LEE]

I sold a Motorcycle on Craig’s List this past summer and it wasn’t worth the headache. I got a tidal wave of Scammers, Crazy low ball offers, or complete time wasting responses verses real inquiries. It was literally a 20 to 1 ratio of bullshit to real inquires. I eventually sold the bike to an upstanding CL buyer but I don’t think it justified the torrent of retardedness to get there. The ability to sell things for “Free” on Craig’s List isn’t worth the headache. At least not to me.

I have purchased a few things off of Craig’s List with mixed results. For the majority of the transactions it went smoothly. But there are some flaky nut cases out there that can waste a lot of your time.

Here is a flaky nut case time waster CL story……

I found a motorcycle I wanted to buy from a guy on CL. Contacted him and checked out the bike in person. We negotiated and agreed on a selling price, shook hands on the deal and then planned to work with our banks to officially close the deal. The next day the guy calls me and says he isn’t sure about selling it and needs time to think about it. I give him a week to think about it and he says yes to the deal again with a slight bump in the negotiated price. I agree to the price bump and schedule a time with my bank to do the closing and he no call no shows the meeting. I tried calling him a bunch of times that day but couldn’t get in contact with him. I finally hear back from him a week later and he has all of these excuses about being busy with work and still not sure about wanting to sell it. He once again agrees to sell the bike at the agreed price and I setup another closing date with the bank a week later. He then cancels the day before the closing. He finally fesses up that he really didn’t want to sell the bike all along and was just seeing if there was interest from others in buying it. This whole monkey show wasted a month of my time not to mention time taken off work to hammer stuff out with my bank. All the while the bike was still listed on CL and he was still taking offers on it from others.

[Ronin13]

Not my own story, but I have a coworker who lives in Brighton, and occasionally will sell stuff on CL. When the buyer is from somewhere far, like Castle Rock, the Springs, or even Parker he'll tell them that he lives in Brush and wants to meet half-way, like oh say in... Brighton! He's kind of a dick.

[clodhopper]

Free sales on Craigslist only happen one way. Put the ad up but list "as is" and "will be on the sidewalk, first come first serve. Don't contact me. When it is gone I will take this ad down". Put said junk on the curb, ignore any email, eyeball it occasionally until it disappears.

I refuse to talk to some dork over a free sale. Just come get it.

If that doesn't work for some reason, relist with a dollar amount sufficient to cover my wasted time in beer, but still "first come first serve, I will not hold it" lingo. I don't have sympathy for all the sob stories that erupt.

[Holger Danske]

I've been trying to by a couch on CL. First couch is Sr citizen owned and pics are nice. Text the lady and her husband had cleaned it and took all the finish off the leather but she will give me a good deal. No thanks. 2nd one I call the lady and she is a total air head. I tell her I have cash in hand, but she had a lady in line before me that will be over in 4 days to look at it. Couch owner will call me back if the first buyer doesn't want it. Three weeks go by and the owner texts me that the first buyer didn't want it. I say I will come by in the afternoon and look at it. Then she is like the cat just scratched it up better send you pics. Scratched to hell. I tell her no thanks. 3rd couch text the person and the response is that the cat just scratched it up and can I send pics. I say I'm.... No thanks. Still no couch.