I'm not just a buyer on Craigslist, I'm a seller too. As often as I redecorate, I would have a storage room full of furniture if I didn't recycle it. Selling unwanted furniture and accessories on Craigslist is my way of keeping my life minimal. And, unlike donation centers or thrift stores, there's no middle man here. I list something I no longer need and someone who does need it buys it from me. It's practically primal, people. Mankind has been bartering since the beginning of time. Craigslist is kind of like 21st century bartering. The only thing that would make it feel more like the bartering our ancestors did is if we were trading chickens and bushels of corn for our IKEA tables and vintage bikes.
In all my years buying and selling on Craigslist, I have never had a negative experience. Oh, sure, I've gotten the spammy emails that promise to wire funds but those are easy to ignore. (And, actually, I haven't gotten one of those emails in awhile.) When I've bought pieces, I've always found them to be exactly as they were described in the listing. Sometimes I negotiate but often I pay what the seller is asking.
Whether I'm buying or selling, the people I've met through Craigslist transactions have always been everyday Joes (or Joans). They've always been easy to work with, eager to make a little cash or buy something that's new to them. Sometimes there's an interesting story involved.
That's where the bike shown at the top of this post comes in. I'm trying to clean out my basement storage area before winter arrives and this bike needs to go. I bought it three or four years ago (via Craigslist, of course) but have only ridden it a handful of times. I already have a newer Schwinn that's my everyday ride, plus The Mister's mother's vintage Schwinn for leisurely rides. I only bought this vintage Huffy for the basket, really. I fell for its vintage charms when I was scrolling through Craigslist one day. I didn't need it, but it sure was a handsome ride.
I listed the bike two days ago and got a couple of emails that didn't pan out. And then I got an email from Jose, asking if the bike is still available. I replied that it is and gave a little information about where I live. Not my address, but a nearby intersection to give him a general idea of where I am. Jose emailed again and asked if he could see the bike after 5:00. He also wanted a few more details about the condition of the bike.
A little after 5:00 I got another email from Jose asking if he could swing by at 7:00 to buy the bike. We made the arrangements, I gave him my address and around 7:30 he called to say he was a block away. When I met him downstairs, he had his son with him. As I unlocked the bike and rolled it out from behind my building, Jose's son put his hands on the handlebar.
"It's for his birthday," Jose said. "Today's his birthday."
Jose's son, who I would guess was 12 or 13 years old, seemed genuinely excited.
"It's great," his son said. "Thank you, I love it."
"Get on it, ride it a little," his dad instructed.
As his son rode the bike down the sidewalk, Jose said, "I told him I'd get him a new bike for his birthday but he really wanted one of these vintage bikes with the baskets."
I told Jose I understood. I had bought the bike just for the basket, I told him. I may be in my late 30's but I guess I'll always be a kid at heart!
As Jose counted out the money for the bike, his son thanked me. And then he thanked his dad. Good kid, I thought.
Before I walked back into my building, I wished the kid a happy birthday and shook Jose's hand.
And that's it, really. The number one reason I will always love Craigslist is the human experience. This free to everybody website allows you to connect with other people to do what we've been doing since the dawn of time - exchanging stuff.
I love to hear Craigslist stories - good and bad. Share yours in the comments below.
Image: Jason Loper
Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a Craigslist person. I am on a quest to redo my home, room by room using Craigslist. And every single person I've dealt with has been great.
This past May, I redid my entire dining room using only Craigslist. New to me: table, six chairs, two decorative corner chairs, floor lamp, corner table, lamp for corner, and hutch. Everything was either Baker, Barbara Barry, Drexel, or Century.
Inspired, I have moved on to my family room. I have three lovely boisterous kids in the teen puppy years - their bodies are rapidly reaching adult size, but they still think they can climb into my lap. The damage they are inflicting on my upholstered furniture is heartbreaking, but rather than breaking the puppy spell, I prefer to remedy the problem through Craigslist, LoomCraft and Textile Discount Outlet. See, I won't chide them for not sitting properly on a sofa. My mother was a harpie on that topic, so much so that I'm still uncomfortable sitting on "good" furniture because of it. Instead, I went on a Craigslist quest for indestructible sofas.
I found a pair of sofas. They are the big Knole/Ratchet type sofas like on Downton Abbey. She sold me them for the frames for a wonderful price. We got to talking about what I was doing and why, and it turned out she was a designer. She hooked me up with her upholsterer (with her discount) and I now have two fabulous sofas being delivered this Friday. All in, I have two Schumacher sofas for less than buying one "disposable" sofa from a furniture store. And they are so well made that there is no way that the kids can do any real damage.
Oh how I love this story! Craigslist seems like a wonderful confirmation that people are generally good. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'd love to see how your home is coming together.
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