Craig's List-I LOVE YOU! (And some tips)

I've posted before about selling on Craigslist. It has its disadvantages for sure, but recently we've had some luck unloading some things. We finally sold 2 pieces of machinery + miscellaneous parts up in the mountains. On the home front, I sold a bench that I love but that I just don't have room for any more.

Doesn't it have a lovely shape? Even with the chips and scrapes, I sold it for a great price. The woman who wanted it needed it to be black and didn't have time to paint it-so I did it for her. It was worth it.

What I love about listing things on Craigslist is that it takes very little effort to throw something on there and for the most part, forget about it. I love this particular piece enough that I would only let it go for a very high price (70% of its original price). I've mostly sold furniture pieces and have always been satisfied. 

I have a few tips if you're gonna try it:

1. Have a price in mind that you'd want to get for a piece and what you'd accept and be satisfied then list higher than what you'd like to get for it.

2.  List the terms of sale, pick-up, payment in the ad. This seems obvious but is easy to forget to say "cash only".

3. Read up on scams, they usually involve someone offering to pay more by check or telling you to delist your item.

4. Be honest about defects. As you can see from the photo above, the bench has knicks and scratches and I included that information in the ad.

5. Minimize spam by insisting that responses to your ad include the date or some other specific piece of info in the subject line.

6. I always try to google names or email identities to determine if the person exists.

7. I've learned from experience say "first to get here with the cash gets it" but I'm always honest about others who are interested. In some cases, if someone doesn't want to pay what I'm asking, I might tell them, I'll get in touch if I'm willing to let the item go for what they're offering. I don't fake bidding wars.

Always use your judgment and every precaution before having a person come to your home. So far, I've never had an uncomfortable situation but you never know.

What she said...

This photo has nothing to do with the post but it makes me happy

I'm not sure how I clicked over to this blog but I've enjoyed reading it. Maybe because "Jules" also is an attorney and she admits in her "about" blurb that it made her grumpy, too. (I was miserable when I was working in a big firm). She recently completed a series in which she purged and organized for 31 days in October. Right up my alley.

This post explains what motivated her decision to begin the project. Basically she is helping a friend deal with her deceased parents' possessions. This quote in an email from the friend struck me:

Well my friend…I’ve spent the day looking at the petrie dish of my parents’ life, known as the boxes from Lake Arrowhead. The fact that everything has a musty smell just seems to add to the experience. I think everyone’s goal in life should be to not end up in a box for others to analyze. 

I've been so frustrated that my in-laws, who each died in their 80th year, left behind the petri dish of their own lives for my husband (and me) and sister-in-law. All the papers, half used tubes of this and that in the recesses of drawers. Clothes that hadn't been worn in years. You name it, it was left behind-never dealt with. Surprisingly, the above quote reminded me of that but it didn't churn it up for me again. Instead, it made me consider my own petri dish. I'm almost 43 and as I've learned, life turns on a dime. Not to be grim, but any of us could go at any time or be seriously disabled. It's true. I just think it would be rude and so inconsiderate to leave Mark and the kids with the remnants of my indecision.

I will attempt to embrace Jules' battle charge, a popular and relevant quote from William Morris"

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful"

Seems simple enough. I've seen that quote a lot. One of my problems is that when I think of having something beautiful, I almost always think to myself that I will most definitely get sick of it. Which is why I'm not great at decorating. But this is a good start (restart).