Happy Friday, y’all! You ready to make that cash today? You still rockin’ The Craigslist Rule with me?
I’m excited to say I’ve sold my very first item from our house this week (I went w/ the backpack) and now the proud owner of a whopping $12 bucks! Haha… Watch out everybody, I’m stealing all your monies!
As sexy as all that may sound, however, the journey to get my hands on these dolla dollas was anything but quick. And only proves that true hustlers do what it takes to bring home the bacon despite the obstacles in our way… Either that, or I’m a complete idiot. But I’ll let you decide for yourself ;)
Here’s how our first Craigslist sale went down
- I list my (almost) brand new Hurley backpack for sale @ $20 (50% less than retail)
- I sit and wait for all the offers to come in, hoping to sell by the end of that same day
- The next day I’m still sitting there waiting…
- And the next day too
- And the next day…
- So I drop the price down to $15 thinking for SURE the people would start lining up
- And I wait another day
- And another day
- And another day…
- Until – BAM! An offer comes in! For a cool $10.00! (Wha wha…)
- I tell them I’m in no rush to sell, but if they can meet me in the middle at $12 (I should have said $13 really) I’d gladly let them have it.
- They said “YES!” (damn, should have gone with $14!) and kindly ask to meet 40 minutes away
- 40 minutes?? For a $12 backpack? Do you know how much FrankenCaddy drinks?
- I ask to meet in the middle, halfway hoping he says no and we can just forget it (but it’s my only offer on the table!), and he agrees, setting up the meeting spot at a restaurant
Now at this point I’m thinking “Is this REALLY the best use of my time?” (No). “Is it really worth the hassle for just $12??” (No). “Why is my wife starring at me and shaking her head like that?”
I hum and haw for a little bit, and eventually just say “F*ck it” and go grab my keys. A deal is a deal and I’ve already given him my word on it, plus I enjoy a little driving anyways and I REALLY want to get that new Challenge Account growing as fast as I can. So what if it’s not the ideal situation to get some money? $12 will be like $12 million in 200 years compounded at 87% daily, right? RIGHT??? ;)
I jump in my car and go…
I start blaring some Vampire Weekend and realize just how beautiful it is outside, and how normally at this time I’d just be behind a computer screen talking to my imaginary friends. (Okay, well you guys aren’t imaginary, but you’re definitely electronic). I ponder about how nice it is to be alive and what wonderful little boys I have, and then I start thinking about how I’m going to be able to blog about this to y’all without coming off as a complete ass-hat.
Who spends an hour and gallons of gas for a measly $12.00??? In the middle of the work day?
I arrive at our meeting place, circle the parking lot a half a dozen times to find a spot, spill coffee down my shirt (turns out Frankcaddy’s cup holders are now the latest casualties) and immediately start doubting my decision… This guy better be on time and not bring me a check!
I finally find a spot, pull in, and give the obligatory head nod once the buyer and I lock eyes to notify each other that we’re “the ones.” We roll up, exchange pleasantries, and 30 seconds later I’m smiling ear to ear and 100,000% glad I made the trek.
Why? Because he told me this:
“My kid is going to be thrilled! He’s been talking about this backpack for weeks now and got so excited when he saw it on Craigslist!”
Turns out his 7 y/o is a new Hurley fan and was over the moon to find out he could have such an expensive, name-brand, backpack for literally just a handful of dollars. And as a big Hurley fan myself (two of my new shirts I picked up in Operation New Wardrobe the other day were Hurley) this kid totally resonated with me. It’s a damn good brand and should be worn by those who appreciate it!
I couldn’t stop smiling. This backpack was going to make that kid’s day/month/year and all I could think about was the damn ROI on my time It may have not been the best financial decision ever, but in that moment of hearing his dad’s excitement for his kid, I’m reminded that there’s more to life than just money. It’s called “joy,” and I was glad to be a part of it that day :)
So – good decision or bad decision? Would have done it?
——
PS: A day later when I went to take down the Craigslist ad I saw two other similar backpacks go up for sale. One at $30 which was decent, and another at $15 which looked like someone got drunk and crapped out rainbows. No joke, it was a hot mess. So me thinks this kid got a helluva steal for only $12!
PPS: My new account now has $12.15 in it :) But the cell phone and insurance savings will be in soon!
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Before I was financially literate (when I was spinning my wheels), I had done these sort of deals, where the gas was barely covered by the small peanuts I was about to get from the sale. Now, I start taking the time and cost into my equation, though truthfully I am a pretty bad seller for smaller stuff like this. I pretty much have a very small radius I would deliver a $12 item to. If it’s a big item I am much more willing.
But I am glad it ended up going to a loving home with his kid :)
I was pleasantly surprised (and happy) w/ the outcome :)
Having sold on CL for a few of years, you definitely have to set some boundaries as to how far and cheap you are willing to go. Cash only every-time, don’t drop more than 20% from your original, 30m round trip etc. Probably the most important is whether or not to allow someone to come to your place to pickup. Most of my items have been big enough to warrant them to bring a truck or trailer but the smaller items I have delivered/met with them half way in a “public” area.
The second is never be shy about walking away even with cash in hand from buyer. Ive had them agree to a price (ie 250) and for them to show up with only 200 in hand and not even say they misunderstood or whatever. Walk away, walk away.
Remember too that you may list something and it not sale, ever… I’ve listed curb alerts (items you place on the curb free) for items and it has sat there for a few days.
Ah the fickle ways of the consumer….
Oh yeah – I rarely meet out our house, esp with kids being there. I’d much rather drive a few miles (or apparently, a lot of miles!) to meet just based on the safety factor alone.
Vampire Weekend is some excellent driving music. Although I don’t usually listen to music when I drive because my Frugalwoods-mobile is 18 years old and only has a tape deck. At any rate, I probably wouldn’t have driven so far to deliver a backpack, but, it’s awesome you made a kid so happy. We drove all over the Boston metro area to furnish our entire house via Craigslist, so I can’t really talk. I feel like I usually get a better deal when I’m the buyer on Craigslist and not when I’m the seller. But, I applaud you for selling your stuff–I really need to do the same.
P.S. I am in fact a real person and not a talking greyhound (contrary to what all the animals who follow me on twitter think)
HAH! Just spit out a little of my coffee…
Wow too funny Frugalwoods, I would make the drive if it were for maybe 20 bucks. But yeah after hearing the reason it makes it a heck of a lot better to make that drive J.
Hey man, you had a good drive, enjoyable time, and probably covered your gas with the backpack while reducing crap in your house. I call that a win. For me, if I’m going to re-sell something, i try to hit the $5 mark in profit. I don’t always make it though – see recent blog post – http://flippingadollar.com/wheel-fortune-electronic-handheld-ebay-flip/
Just don’t drive 5 miles out of the way to save $0.03 per gallon on gas. You just saved $0.30 on the transaction? but you spend $3 round trip to get there (using the IRS ~$0.50 per gallon which incorporates wear and tear plus gas).
I don’t ever go out of my way to save pennies on something – I’ve learned over time how important our time is here on this Earth. (says the guy who drove far to earn a few bucks, haha… but it was an adventure!)
This is why I stopped selling online and started buying everything online instead. It’s definitely a buyers market out there.
But I didn’t have any heartwarming tales to accompany my transactions ;)
I learned real quick when first selling on craigslist to ask where they live to determine where they may want to meet and make sure we agree on an exact cash amount before meeting up. I’ve had people from over an hour away want me to drive something out to them, and I refuse to do that. One of my least favorite things is when I put in my location on the listing, then in the e-mail, people ask me where I live, then after I tell them, I get another e-mail asking me where that is… I guess these people have never heard of mapquest or google maps? That’s also one good way to vet out people that are probably going to try to low ball you. I find that those who cant take the 30 seconds to type in my zip code in google, probably are going to try to stiff me my items.
But, I digress! Good luck with the rest of your sales on Craigslist! I am actually posting some of my stuff up there this weekend, here’s to hoping I get a few bites!
I hope you do!! Make that $$$$ :)
I definitely would not have driven that far to deliver the goods, I don’t care how cute the guy’s kid is. He apparently knows Hurley and knows the market and knows that he got a crazy good deal out of it, so he should have met you. Any time I have ever sold on Craigslist, the buyer has come to me. Yes, your account has $12 more in it, but could you have earned more than $12 in that time. I think you could.
2 things:
1) we met during work day while kid is in school
2) if I hadn’t driven to sell it I would not have made/saved anything. sure I “saved” gas money but it doesn’t count unless it gets physically saved somewhere :)
I’ve gone through this debate a number of times myself – wondering if the time is really worth unloading whatever it is we’re trying to unload. I usually get those glares and head shakes from my wife as well. But, I’ve had a few of those times where I can tell the buyer really needs or really is wanting whatever it is I’m selling and it does make me feel good to be able to provide it to them. I don’t know if it’s worth the time, but you made this kid happy, you unloaded something that was doing nothing for you and you’ve got $12 now. :)
That’s another time that feels good for sure – giving/selling something to people who need it MUCH more than you. I’ll often buy random stuff at yard sales when I could tell the sellers don’t have much more or are well off. I end up just donating the stuff later or getting stuff for my kids to play with (even though they have more than enough!) but the few dollars “donated” feel damn good in the end :)
You did something nice for a kid and clean up an unused item from your home I’d call that a win. Just listed a car on CL this week. Let’s see how this goes.
Hot damn! That is awesome! I’ve sold 3 of my last 4 cars on Craigslist or eBay – it’s much more fun getting fistloads of cash than finger loads ;)
J. Money, first off, congrats on your first Craigslist sale. Now a few thoughts about how to make it work better for you. First, don’t drop the price so quickly. The beauty of craigslist is that is costs nothing to post and all you need to do is refresh you post once a week. Before you drop the price consider updating the picture or description to make it fresh. Second, always have them come to you. If they want it they will travel to get it. Not even halfway. Spending any money to sell something defeats the purpose of craigslist. The idea is to make it easy and painless for you. As you tell your followers many times, you got to be patient. Good things come with time.
True that. I need the reminder just as much as any of the readers here too :)
(Also, pleasure as always hanging out last weekend. You’re always full of life (and laughs!) and it’s super refreshing. I could hang out with gaggles of you every day of my life, haha… that’s right, I just said “gaggles”)
In addition to Anthony’s tip, this is a good place to bundle a transaction. Did you have any other Hurley items this kid might have liked? It’s possible you could have upped the haul another $10 or $15 dollars.
Also I agree on just refreshing the post after awhile. I personally only check Craigslist every couple of weeks, so it’s possible your best buyer just hadn’t stopped in lately.
Great idea for sure! I didn’t think about it at the time, but nah – don’t have anything else of Hurley that I’d be willing to sell… I really love the brand and use all my clothes as much as possible – even right now as I sit and type this! :)
I’ve done things for a couple of bucks that were not worth my time and money in the end…but glad you made the trek. Especially after agreeing to the deal. A deal is a deal and I don’t like to renege on a promise. And sometimes, the thought of the smile on that kid is worth it.
One time, I sold a fairly new mattress set for dirt cheap because I was moving. The buyer and his pregnant wife came to pick it up. They were new immigrants to Canada from Ecuador and they had been sleeping on the floor of their studio apartment – and she was easily 6+ months pregnant! We talked about the immigrant experience and how tough it was, since I had also immigrated to Canada. They left with the mattress set and me feeling so good that they would get a real good night’s sleep on the cheap. Glad you feel good about the extra lengths you went to J.
YES!!!!! LOVE THAT!!!!
Money isn’t everything! I love a nice drive, and I love making people happy even more. I give away many things to thrift shops that I could probably sell (and I drive quite a distance to get there). I like to imagine someone being thrilled to find something nice there.
p.s. This reminds me of a really bizarre eBay experience I had last year. I purchased a vintage chandelier, and almost a week went by without it being shipped. I think the seller way underestimated shipping costs and didn’t know what to do. Long, very weird story short, he delivered a $60 chandelier approximately 116 miles to my house (his idea)!
awwww chandeliers are so sexy too! Especially vintage ones! Pic please! :)
It’s not a big glittery one with crystals and all that, but I love it in our house. You can see some glimpses in this post: http://www.jenspends.com/goodnight-moon-birthday-party/ I rewired it to plug into the wall because our dining room didn’t have a ceiling light before.
Very cool! You are so GOOD at taking pictures too – wow. I now want to eat all of that food!!!! :)
You’re a braver man than I would be. I have never met anybody halfway to sell a craigslist item. If you price it right, it won’t last long and people will drive to come see you.
The kicker is the price. You can’t price it for what it’s worth I have found. You have to price it for less and there will be a long lineup at your door. The last item I had on craiglist sold in minutes.
That said – that’s a great story. You should do a follow up post on what it cost you to ‘sell’ your bag – don’t forget to include the cleaning costs for your shirt. :)
Haha.. I don’t think I want to know the answers to that ;)
Why wouldn’t I? Its the thrill of the game and maybe not just the game itself, amirite?
A drive on a nice late September day + listening to cool tunes >>>> $12
I’m moving next week and recently sold a bunch of stuff on Craigslist. I kind of regretted the $15 items for the time they took to meet up versus the piddly profit, but if you’re selling a lot in that price range then it really adds up. In the end I made enough to cover my first month’s rent, AND it’ll save me money on the movers since there’s less to move. $15 is my minimum for a Craigslist sale, and I usually won’t drive more than 15 minutes unless it’s somewhere I’d be going anyway. (I got someone to meet me in my gym parking lot — talk about convenient!)
Great story! MAN…don’t know if I would have wasted the gas for a $12 back pack…suppose he didn’t show…offered you $5….or worse had a bogus check? I have been a CL buyer and seller for quite some time…bought a Toro lawnmower yesterday for $30. This mower won’t stay running is about 8 years old and sold new for $350. I’m fairly handy …fixed, this should sell all day for $125-150 on CL. Lately the CL market is just crazy. I put stuff on there and it just sits… other times gone in a day. Will share that I generally have the folks come to my house. I’m honest , not out to rip anyone off and many times the buyers see something else I have for sale. With the clients coming to your house you can do other things and if they don’t show …no big deal. I have met some very interesting folks on CL and for the most part have had nothing but positive experiences. Wiill share that had a gal that bought a vaccuum from me for $20 and called later to say it wasn’t running right, She brought it back and upon plugging it in water was coming out of it? She “thought it was a wet vac”…I returned her money…dried it out and sold it that weekend for $30 to a great guy who was grateful…Ya never know!!!
Good points – plenty of pros to meeting at your house if you’re comfortable with it :)
Aww that’s so sweet. What a good daddy to look for the backpack for his son. :D Very worth it!!
I’m not sure I would have driven that far, but I have spent way too much time having yard sales and shipping things on Ebay, so I can’t really talk. I did make $38 from selling stuff to the consignment store this week. I’m doing a different version of your challenge savings. We have a big trip next summer and I am going to put all the savings in an account for that, so it won’t quite be a year. I’m curious to see how much we can sock away. I also gave up soda this week, so that’s an extra $7.42 per week into the account. I bet it will add up quicker than I think!
Yeah!! Great take on the challenge! And I hear you on the yard saling – I just chalk that up to entertainment and general fun vs money stuff. If I find anything – great! If not, I had a blast searching for gold :)
Only considering your ROI, probably not worth it. But making this kid’s day? Totally worth it! :)
Definitely worth it to make that kid over the moon happy. Money is nice, but compensation is more than dollar bills sometimes :)
You will definitely become a CL expert over the years as your boys outgrow things and you can sell them. Things we’ve sold – double jogging stroller(Ironman, sweet), car seats, drivable battery operated cars, etc. Toys and clothes just take to Goodwill or garage sale.
Haha I probably would’ve listed it on ebay instead. Bit less hassle than craigslist and don’t have to meet with potentially creepy people. It’s a good story for you now though:P Sounds like the satisfaction made up for all the hassle.
You totally made that kid’s day… can you imagine how psyched he was when he got home from school and saw the backpack – he probably slept with it. Heck, he was probably too excited to go to sleep – put his books and gear in it, had it next to him while he watched TV. Woke up eary so he could get to school to show his friends, walk the halls with his new bag (or whatever 7 year olds do these days). To be a part of that… you were like a behind the scenes Santa. You got a great deal :)
HAH! That’s an awesome way to look at it – and you’re probably right! If it’s anything like my kid’s stuffed animals it goes everywhere!
If I knew beforehand about the guy’s kid, I’d definitely do it. If not, I’d probably just wait it out. I’m a sucker for low-balling myself, though, just to get the sale. I hawked a couple of tickets to an event in Dallas a few weeks ago for $400 but I probably could’ve gotten closer to $500 if I weren’t so damn impatient.
Haha yeah – sometimes it just needs to go, ya know?
i unloaded a round pedestal dining table and 4 chairs (really good shape, not solid wood) for $75 via craigslist a few years ago. i *always* mention the zip code of where i am because you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t know the towns two minutes over from where they live.
anywho…
i give her precise, easy directions…for which she doesn’t follow. she gets lost about 5 miles away; she has no idea where she is so i have to go find her. she follows me back….in her SEDAN. she loves the table (and is looking around at my other stuff and asks if i’m selling anything else) and tells me i had agreed via email to sell it for $35 (i didn’t). i’m so livid/tired/apathetic at this point i think i ended up agreeing. i took as much of it apart as i could but she ended up scratching the hell out of it because the table top was too large to fit in her back seat. i ended up having to meet her 35 min away the next day with the rest of it. (i only did so because i was going to be there anyway).
i still don’t know if she was a scammer or really that stupid (following me back to my place just after dusk, she forgot to turn on her headlights for most of the way….), but yeah, DEFINITELY not worth the time or effort. though i’m sort of a weenie and probably should’ve kicked her and her kid out! good learning experience i guess?
having said that, i still think it’s a good way to go. local facebook garage sale groups have been excellent for me lately though those are far less anonymous.
Oh jeez, what a mess… People just have no clue. At least you’re finally done with her now at least. I like to think there’s a reason for all that nonsense to happen to make myself feel better in the end :) Like, maybe she’s poor and can barely feed her kids, thus it’s okay you let it go for $35! Probably not true, but hey – helps you move on faster, haha…
It’s good karma & you will be rewarded. Enjoy doing good!
I’ve never tried selling things on Craigslist but it sounds like you had fun even if you didn’t make a killing. My only question is why you bought the $40 backpack in the first place if you didn’t really want it?
I actually only spent $20 on it (picked it up at TJ Maxx a while ago) and really liked it, but then when I used it on a trip I found it just too big and bulky for my taste, and since I used it I couldn’t go back and return it. Then I found my current backpack for only $15 and made the switch and then just let it collect dust for years in my closet… but not anymore!
This is awesome J. Money – and you have inspired me to do the same! Keep rocking out, brother!
The only reason why I would say this was worth it is because you got a really good story out if it, which is definitely worth worth more than 12 bucks, minus the cost of your time and fuel.
Good job, sir!
That heartwarming ending was an unexpected twist to a “Craigslist” story… Totally worth the time and drive!!
I probably would have been saying the same thing to myself on the way over there, but it’s great that you made the kiddo so happy! Totally worth it!
Ha, I was rockin’ a Hurley shirt yesterday! And I did a Craigslist deal as well. Turns out I knew the guy’s family who I bought the camera from!
But your story is better! New CL slogan: Craigslist… a platform for change. :D
P.S. Vampire Weekend, FTW.
Awesome connection! That’s another great thing about meeting people face to face than just dealing over the internet all the time – you get to meet knew people and come across interesting connections like that :)
I love this post. I’ve been there, done that with being accommodating with selling “stuff”. I was going to be happy for you that the guy showed up. But the bonus the kids happiness was great!
I took your challenge to heart. Although I didn’t get anything sold, my husband got a carload of stuff taken to the goodwill and received a receipt for deductions. So a bit less clutter in this house.
That works! I haven’t sold my last two items I’ve since put up either yet… It’s more about the practice and habit of constantly getting rid of stuff that’s important :)
Always awesome when something you sell because you no longer like/need/use makes someone’s day. I had a similar experience with a pair of jeans that I couldn’t believe I once bought. But the dude that bought them was so pumped up to after he tried them on in the parking lot of the 7-11 we met at (that’s a story for another day).
What I have found to be highly effective is I program in shortcut autocorrects in my iPhone so I can enter a few letters and an entire sentence that I would otherwise have to keep typing out and sending to people over and over.
For example, when I enter “cm7” (stand for craigstlist meet at 7-11) it gets autocrorrected to read: “I typically meet people at the 7-11 on the corner of _____ and _____. When can you meet to exchange cash the item? Thanks!” This does two things, sets the meeting place and tells them to bring cash!
Not sure if your Republic Wireless phone has this feature or not… but I’m guessing it does. If it doesn’t you can always save it in your notes and copy/paste which is still less annoying than typing it out over and over and over and over.
HAH! Great idea! I don’t know if it does either but I’m going to check it out :) Also it’s smart to meet at 7-11 because if they “forget” to bring cash (or worse – a check!) there’s a nice shiny ATM right in there waiting for them :)
I’ve had hits and misses with Craigslist myself. The thing I hate most is when people really low ball you on stuff. I had some electronics listed for $100 and some guy offered me $25. Seriously? At least make an offer reasonable and don’t insult me.
I have never sold online even though my brother has a lot of success! I just don’t know if I have anything valuable or the salesman ship to sell but its nice to see your success
There are local “yardsale” pages set up on Fbook that make this kind of selling faster and keeps it local. I’ve had pretty good luck selling some things on my local page.
I keep hearing about FB yard sales but I’ve never tried it before… Though I’ve since deleted my FB account so that may be harder now ;)
Nice work, I almost sent you an offer, I liked that Hurley backpack, although my Jansport backpack with random Jimi Hendrix patch would be difficult to replace, especially at my $3 purchase price.
Hah! Probably a good call to stick with the awesomeness you already have :)
Hey, $12 is $12! You came out ahead, and you have one less material possession to worry about! I would have done the same.
I might have done this. I probably would have seen if there was an errand that I needed to run anyway to rationalize it…which would have probably incurred spending money which means that’s what I would have spent the $12 on…at which point I would rationalize THAT and tell my husband, “Look what I got for free!” lol Seriously, sometimes getting out of the house and breaking the routine is a blessing.
We just sold some scuba diving equipment for $350 (given to us by a friend who found it, assessed as brand new and worth $600) on CL. Starting price was $450, negotiated down to $350 – $380 with shipping. Guy decided he wanted to pick it up. He drove two hours one way. (!!!) He might as well have paid the shipping. We asked if it was because he wanted to inspect it first. He said, no. He just wanted to get out of the house. Go figure.
Hah! Nothing wrong with a nice road trip like that :) What a great chunk of money too – congrats! I had considered checking out TJ Maxx in the area where we were meeting, but I knew that would lead to more $$ spent in the end so averted and just drove my a$$ right on home, haha… Though at least you can’t spend *too* much in stores like them :)