Adventures in Craigslist

[behndy]

................ Dad?

[Disarm D'arcy]

I've actually not had so much sketchy deals over the years. Most of the funny stuff happens by email.

A few months ago, I was selling a pedal like 40% under the street price over here. Some guy kept harassing me for two weeks via email telling me how he was buying from US dealers on ebay and that he didn't pay import taxes and my price is only a tiny bit lower than what he could get blah blah.
I first thought the guy was a douche, screwing society over lying not to pay VAT and import taxes. Turns out he was a douche and a creep as he sent me more than 20 emails over the 2 weeks I had the ad up. His first offer was around 50% of my asking price. Last was around 85%. Turns out that on the same day, I sold it to a very nice lady for my asking price.

I'm glad I use a different email for ads.


On a happier note, I met my current bandmate through selling him a pedal.

[AxAxSxS]

[retinal orbita]

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/muc/4261621456.html

I just saw this. Laughed my fucking face off. My band has played here twice in the ast few months and it's true. Terrible venue in a shithole neighborhood that expects you to draw "20-30 people per band" and they'll book our band (total weirdness/drone with a wall of amps) on the same venue as a white rasta with an acoustic guitar and they expect you to watch the door and charge as cover....

[theavondon]

One time, I saw this V4 for sale on CL for 500. Pretty alright price, and I had the money, so I called the guy once I got out of class. He talked to me for 2 hours about how he had got an Axe-FX and didn't need it anymore and shit like that. Made plans to meet up later, which ended up being around 10PM. Drove out to his house with my friend Pat (I try to always bring a friend), and upon arriving, I found that he was living all alone in this huge house in the suburbs. There were family pictures hanging on the wall of him and a woman and a little kid, but no family to be found. Turns out, they had been separated for two years, and she was finally divorcing him and taking the house. So, he was actually selling the amp because he was moving into a one room place at a friend's house or something. He then starts to tell us about how he bought the amp new from a store in Florida, and has used it for the last thirty or so years. During his stories about playing dives and huge stages and everything in between, he starts to tear up. We sit there and just talk for two hours about amps, guitars, life, loneliness, and the future. Then I handed him a big wad of cash and drove off with his ever faithful V4. On the drive home, I realized that I kinda felt bad about the things I was about to do to this amp.

Like, six-ish months later, it totally ate it in a garage in Chicago mid gig.

[odontophobia]

I have a cool story where I was walking in downtown Saginaw at 2am and a crackhead came up to us in front of a liquor store and showed us the most bitchin' handshake ever. Waaaaay better than being shot.

I'm trying to imagine being ANYWHERE in Saginaw at 2 am. I'd be fucking terrified if I was walking out of Fashion Square Mall at 2 am.

[ShaunNecro]

I have a cool story where I was walking in downtown Saginaw at 2am and a crackhead came up to us in front of a liquor store and showed us the most bitchin' handshake ever. Waaaaay better than being shot.

I'm trying to imagine being ANYWHERE in Saginaw at 2 am. I'd be fucking terrified if I was walking out of Fashion Square Mall at 2 am.

You know the area then? I was on Hamilton St., which is alright except for those people that got stabbed a while back. I lived there for a year and three months, I enjoyed it a lot actually.

[PetZounds]

About 4 years ago, I got in the habit of checking the Houston area musical instruments craigslist section a few times a day (never much good stuff, though).
Every week, without fail, this guy posted the same Mesa Boogie F-30, and never budged on his price.

I'm back in town for Christmas, so I've been keeping up with CL again, and there it was.
It's like all is still right in the world. It's good to see something familiar.

The guy changes the ad up every once in a while, but here's the current post:
http://houston.craigslist.org/msg/4196767610.html

Also, Donovan:
I remember when Paddy told me about that. That's such a sad story.

[odontophobia]

I have a cool story where I was walking in downtown Saginaw at 2am and a crackhead came up to us in front of a liquor store and showed us the most bitchin' handshake ever. Waaaaay better than being shot.

I'm trying to imagine being ANYWHERE in Saginaw at 2 am. I'd be fucking terrified if I was walking out of Fashion Square Mall at 2 am.

You know the area then? I was on Hamilton St., which is alright except for those people that got stabbed a while back. I lived there for a year and three months, I enjoyed it a lot actually.

I grew up in the Saginaw suburbs. Hamilton St. isn't awful, it just isn't great either.
I moved away about 8 years ago. There is not a whole heck of a lot going on there.

[PetZounds]

I had a broken, homemade-by-some-dude cab that I used as a coffee table for a year.
I just traded it to a dude for a case of beer, which is pretty hilarious.

[UglyCasanova]

My at the time girlfriend and I found a cheap couch, but when we went to pick it up we discovered that the owner had severe psoriasis. The couch was literally covered in her bacteria infested dead skin. Still to this day I'm haunted by the thought of what might have been hiding in between the cracks and underneath those cushions.

[Forrrest]

I've had horrible luck lately. only tire kickers and no shows. maybe my prices are too high?
Last guy asked me to hold an amp for him for 10 days because he was SUPER busy, I said 'fine, I'll call you in a week'. I call him a week later to make plans and he's up for it. two days later, the day we're supposed to meet, he emails me to cancel because he didn't think I was going to hold the amp for him so he bought something different the week before. wtf, your story doesn't even make sense!? we talked two days ago after I held it for a week... sheesh.

[theavondon]

I had a broken, homemade-by-some-dude cab that I used as a coffee table for a year.
I just traded it to a dude for a case of beer, which is pretty hilarious.

The ol' Schefsky Swap (We have a friend who traded a DS-1 for a six pack of shiner).

[Wes Mantooth]

My at the time girlfriend and I found a cheap couch, but when we went to pick it up we discovered that the owner had severe psoriasis. The couch was literally covered in her bacteria infested dead skin. Still to this day I'm haunted by the thought of what might have been hiding in between the cracks and underneath those cushions.

[morange]

Wow.

Yeah good deals for the most part, for me. People aren't usually looking to rip you off.

Things are usually just a little shittier than they make them out to be, but just as much as they think they can get away with. As long as you know going in, you won't be disappointed. Yeah if you figure out what those things are when you go to look at the thing, you can talk them down some.

I think most people who originally intend to deal honestly, won't suddenly change their minds. So try to weed out scammers before you even meet them, if possible. One time I really tested that idea and offered to paypal someone in another state money so he would ship a guitar to me; he had it listed on CL in that state, you know, looking to sell locally. He actually agreed; he got his money and I got my guitar. Smiles all around. Don't do that, though; so dumb. But things like that really make me feel good about musicians and people in general. Trust and stuff.