Selling Frustration

2LZ · 05-02-2016, 11:34 AM

Is it me or has Craig's List pretty much destroyed private party selling?

Back in the day, you advertised your bike/car/item in your local paper, people called you and came out and looked at what you were selling. Odds were it moved quickly and mostly interested people called you.

Today? The local papers have all but shrunk to nothing, at least out here. The Sacramento Bee has become a rag of its former self, has laid off most of its press people and the "want ads" are about a page and a half long now.....thanks to CL.

My brother just tried selling his Corvette on CL....and the entire time it was listed, he didn't get one serious prospect. It was one low-baller (I'll give you XXXX.XX if no one else makes an offer) and mostly a bunch of spammers and people who had trouble typing the English language, wanting his bank account number so they could "transfer the money into his account".

I'm wanting to thin my herd to make room for more but it just seems such a hassle now. I may try my local rag here in Volcano but with only 103 population (on a good day), the odds don't look too good.

Weldangrind · 05-02-2016, 12:05 PM

It does seem to be better in the smaller centers. I still have reasonable success with it in my area.

minimac · 05-02-2016, 12:41 PM

CL has become a haven for spammers, scammers, and people with nothing better to do than offer sellers ridiculous trades. The best bet I've found has been enthusiast websites, and ads posted at the local store bulletin boards.

Bruce's · 05-02-2016, 01:26 PM

It's how you write your ads ,you have to spell it out for them ,No lowballers ,Cash offers in person only ,Low ballers need not apply ,.....stuff like that .
I was selling a very nice polaris indy trail deluxe sled around Christmas two years ago ,easily a $1200.00 sled in my area at the time .Some douchebag kept bothering me about it,several emails a day about how he wanted to give his kids a sled for Christmas but all he had was $250.00 for the sled .After the third day of his begging ,I told him Fine ,you have an hour to come get it at my work ,come in to the waiting room and take a seat tell the nurse you need to see the doctor.I gave him the address to the local mental hospital ,I figured that was who he really needed to see .

crimsenblaze · 05-02-2016, 01:29 PM

just spit cup noodles out my nose, ROFL

FastDoc · 05-02-2016, 01:50 PM

CL is a mixed blessing.I've used it a lot over the years and have not had one really bad experience. With that said it pays to be careful. I've not had much spam or aggravation, and when I buy from someone on CL I'm careful to keep appointments and return texts or messages promptly.

One 'trick' I use when selling something with a narrow appeal (an unusual bicycle or motorcycle, like the BSA I had some time back) is to post it in Portland and/or Seattle, with a higher concentration of weathier enthusiast types who understand what I'm selling.

The California foothills are wonderful, but not known for a high degree of buyer sophistication, if you know what I mean LOL.

FastDoc · 05-02-2016, 02:06 PM

Awesome idea Bruce. I may use that sometime if the need comes up. Police station another good destination.

Bruce's · 05-02-2016, 03:50 PM

I don't normally do things like that ,the guy wouldn't leave me alone no matter what I told him ,so I hope he got the help he needed .I sold the sled two days later ( if you don't already know ,it's very tough to sell anything from the second week of December until the red suited fat man goes through ) for $1500.00

FastDoc · 05-02-2016, 04:33 PM

The sad part is your idea make me wonder/worry about the patients in my waiting room right now...

Who sent them???

bogieboy · 05-02-2016, 05:21 PM

i have always had good luck with craigslist, spammers dont really bother me for some reason... one pro tip for buying/selling... always always ALWAYS meet up with the buyer/seller at a public place, prefferably with video surveillance. i.e. a mall or shopping center parking lot... people will see if anything goes "awry" and you have video evidence and usually a license plate number if need be from where ever you met.

SpudRider · 05-03-2016, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FastDoc

The sad part is your idea make me wonder/worry about the patients in my waiting room right now...

Who sent them???

05-02-2016, 11:34 AM	#1
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,095	Selling Frustration Is it me or has Craig's List pretty much destroyed private party selling? Back in the day, you advertised your bike/car/item in your local paper, people called you and came out and looked at what you were selling. Odds were it moved quickly and mostly interested people called you. Today? The local papers have all but shrunk to nothing, at least out here. The Sacramento Bee has become a rag of its former self, has laid off most of its press people and the "want ads" are about a page and a half long now.....thanks to CL. My brother just tried selling his Corvette on CL....and the entire time it was listed, he didn't get one serious prospect. It was one low-baller (I'll give you XXXX.XX if no one else makes an offer) and mostly a bunch of spammers and people who had trouble typing the English language, wanting his bank account number so they could "transfer the money into his account". I'm wanting to thin my herd to make room for more but it just seems such a hassle now. I may try my local rag here in Volcano but with only 103 population (on a good day), the odds don't look too good. __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
	0

05-02-2016, 12:05 PM	#2
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	It does seem to be better in the smaller centers. I still have reasonable success with it in my area. __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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05-02-2016, 01:50 PM	#6
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	CL is a mixed blessing.I've used it a lot over the years and have not had one really bad experience. With that said it pays to be careful. I've not had much spam or aggravation, and when I buy from someone on CL I'm careful to keep appointments and return texts or messages promptly. One 'trick' I use when selling something with a narrow appeal (an unusual bicycle or motorcycle, like the BSA I had some time back) is to post it in Portland and/or Seattle, with a higher concentration of weathier enthusiast types who understand what I'm selling. The California foothills are wonderful, but not known for a high degree of buyer sophistication, if you know what I mean LOL. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

05-02-2016, 02:06 PM	#7
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	Awesome idea Bruce. I may use that sometime if the need comes up. Police station another good destination. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

05-02-2016, 04:33 PM	#9
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	The sad part is your idea make me wonder/worry about the patients in my waiting room right now... Who sent them??? __________________ Happy to serve.
	2

05-02-2016, 12:41 PM	#3
minimac Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Central NY, Central Fl Posts: 172	CL has become a haven for spammers, scammers, and people with nothing better to do than offer sellers ridiculous trades. The best bet I've found has been enthusiast websites, and ads posted at the local store bulletin boards.
	1

05-02-2016, 01:26 PM	#4
Bruce's Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Sudbury ,Ontario Posts: 855	It's how you write your ads ,you have to spell it out for them ,No lowballers ,Cash offers in person only ,Low ballers need not apply ,.....stuff like that . I was selling a very nice polaris indy trail deluxe sled around Christmas two years ago ,easily a $1200.00 sled in my area at the time .Some douchebag kept bothering me about it,several emails a day about how he wanted to give his kids a sled for Christmas but all he had was $250.00 for the sled .After the third day of his begging ,I told him Fine ,you have an hour to come get it at my work ,come in to the waiting room and take a seat tell the nurse you need to see the doctor.I gave him the address to the local mental hospital ,I figured that was who he really needed to see .
	6

05-02-2016, 01:29 PM	#5
crimsenblaze Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Southern New Jersey USA Posts: 32	just spit cup noodles out my nose, ROFL
	1

05-02-2016, 03:50 PM	#8
Bruce's Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Sudbury ,Ontario Posts: 855	I don't normally do things like that ,the guy wouldn't leave me alone no matter what I told him ,so I hope he got the help he needed .I sold the sled two days later ( if you don't already know ,it's very tough to sell anything from the second week of December until the red suited fat man goes through ) for $1500.00
	0

05-02-2016, 05:21 PM	#10
bogieboy Join Date: May 2013 Location: finger lakes NY Posts: 2,046	i have always had good luck with craigslist, spammers dont really bother me for some reason... one pro tip for buying/selling... always always ALWAYS meet up with the buyer/seller at a public place, prefferably with video surveillance. i.e. a mall or shopping center parking lot... people will see if anything goes "awry" and you have video evidence and usually a license plate number if need be from where ever you met.
	0