Is Craigslist any good for anything?

[sagephotoworld.com]

I looked at a job on Craigslist before I started my own business. It turned out

to be one where they might pay you if they felt like it despite having done the

work. Obviously I turned that down.

 

I replied to an advert for TFP and found the person advertising didn't want to

pay for a studio, didn't want to do it in her home and didn't want to do it in a

public place, leaving the only option - my home. And she wanted to bring a few

people with her. Yeah... right.... Even though I could probably have finished a

couple of them before they stabbed, shot or coshed me I'm that adventurous.

 

I placed an advert for a TFP model. I received a strange reply that was so

strange that I thought it best not to touch it with a bargepole.

 

I replied to an advert for photos to hang on a restaurant's walls. The person

and I emailed each other for a while then arranged a meeting. I turned up, they

did not. Then 90 minutes after we'd arranged to meet, they rang to rearrange -

nope I don't work like that. If they can't come to the first meeting or

telephone in good time to cancel then there will be no future meeting.

 

So... This is my entire experience of Craigslist.

 

Does it get any better than this or is it a great big steaming pile of poo?

[Matt Laur]

Just place an ad for a great big steaming pile of poo, and THAT I'm sure you'll be able to get on Craigslist. Otherwise... ah, humanity. You get what you pay for when the ads are free.

[michael_huizenga]

A few months ago, I answered an ad selling a Beseler 23cII, Calumet 11x14 archival print washer (the $440 one), 2 Gralabs, safelights, easels, Durst film dryer, graduates, etc. $150. 7 miles from my house. Now in my home as a working darkroom. No poo here.

[joshroot]

Craigslist is great for buying/selling things that are too big or bothersome to buy/sell on ebay. That's all the use it has ever been for me.

[rogerjporter]

i got an awesome aluminum shed for 25 bucks on craig's list

[michael_darnton1]

Humanity in general is a great big steaming pile of poo. Don't blame it on Craigslist, specifically, and structure your life accordingly. :-)

[JDMvW]

As one of our moderators here said, I think intentionally,

 

"90% of everything is carp"

 

If it was a typo it was an exceptionally felicitous one.

[phule]

How is this any different than answering any other ad on any other service in any other medium?

 

"You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out..."

[Ian Taylor]

If you want to dump stuff fast, price it cheap and it will move.

[lex_jenkins]

Ditto the big and bulky stuff. I've tried without success to sell an enlarger on photo.net and ebay. Don't wanna box it up and ship it. Going to Craigslist now, pickup only.

 

Doubt I'd look to kreggers for jobs or personals.

[sagephotoworld.com]

Lol. I went to the "upscale" place that needed the photos. It was in a very downscale area. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be there after dark - even armed.

[ecre8]

After spending 80 bucks on a newspaper classified and no results, I placed an add for the car on CL sold in 3 days for a good price ( the adds are free) also traded a cheap canon zoom for a great canon macro lens, also got a great deal on a camping trailer last month.... Yeah you gotta be careful but there are some good deals, all at no cost to buyers and sellers. Main thing you gotta watch out for is people from out of town that want to send fake cashiers checks or money orders, deal face to face (in cash) only or get you'll get burned.

[savagesax]

I'd rather sell and buy on ebay. At least you are 1/2 safe when using paypal. I had a dispute with something I bought and won the dispute. The seller had to refund my money. Took 4 months, but what the heck.

[Damon DAmato]

Got a d70 with 2000 actuations for $400 last summer, an older n8008 with very little milage for $50, a 28-200 Tamron Nikon mount in perfect working order in a free ad from a photographer moving to Canon and didn't think it was worth anything, a replacement dsl modem for 10 bucks when my last one stopped working, 36 inch tv for 200 bucks a couple of years back.

 

During a recent strike, I was looking for something to do around the house for free. Got a pickup truck load of decorative stone from a free ad and built planters.

 

All were great deals at the time. All done in person. I had the address or phone number of every one of them. Was able to talk to every one of them on the phone before I left the house.

No third party charges and involvement, no tax, no surcharges, no waiting for a week or two, no Nigerian scams.

 

Damon

[robertshults]

I'd like to hear the strange response you wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

 

In the meantime, however, a typical CL "gigs" post:

 

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/nyc/489856720.html

[Spearhead]

I do business on Craigslist regularly. It's never been a problem.

[vito]

I buy things often on Craigs List. Yes, you can find bargains there. Thats if you are willing to drive all town, carry lots of cash, meet people and haggle. Be prepared to run into all sorts of weirdos. People who can't communicate, goofy creative types, retards who would not drop a price even 1 dollar to help move their used crap, pack rats who never clean anything they own, etc....

 

90% of what you see there is overpriced because sellers are too attached to their stuff or too stupid to check eBay for current market value. Every day you will see somebody trying to sell an old D70 for $600 when you can get it for $350 on eBay without leaving your house. Still, if you have patience you can find what you are looking for. I would not dare to sell anything on Craigs, though. Way too many scammers and low ballers. You have much more limited audience that eBay for example, so it takes much longer to sell.

[daverhaas]

Agree on the too big for ebay comment.

 

I've gotten some good deals there and some rotten smelling replies / things too... It's like everything... be careful, meet in public, and don't invite strangers into your home.

 

Dave

[tripanfal]

"I'd rather sell and buy on ebay. At least you are 1/2 safe when using paypal."

 

Usually craigslist is pickup only. Inspect the stuff and pay. If you have a problem with it later, it's your own fault.

 

90% of may darkroom is from craigslist. I too scored an archival print washer, an "extra included" when I bought a Vivitar enlarger and complete darkroom for 50.00. I took everything to get the washer.

 

...my hunt continues for a 15.00 dry mount press :)

[thomas_hardy1]

Here's a deal....

 

http://nashville.craigslist.org/pho/640220953.html

[sagephotoworld.com]

Isn't that $1,000 lens normally priced at somewhere between $500 and $600 since it's clearly not the IS model?

[Damon DAmato]

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/pho/643333663.html

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/pho/643216462.html

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/pho/642243206.html

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/pho/636920217.html

[Spearhead]

You can always find people pricing things too high. It happens here on the photo.net classifieds, it happens in newspaper classifieds, it happens on ebay, it happens on craigslist. What's the big deal? Sometimes people mix things up, sometimes they get it from a family member to sell and don't quite look up the right thing, sometimes they just think it's worth more than it is. What's the big deal? For some reason, people here seem to think it's important that everyone price things correctly. Me, I use craigslist because I don't have to do any pack and ship and if I buy, I can see what I'm buying. Price doesn't work, so what? Don't buy. I don't get all this angst over what amounts to a classifieds site.

[jwallphoto]

I've bought and sold cars on CL, and we regularly post jobs there. Good stuff, but can take some bushwhacking to reach the clearing.

[sue_medsger]

I lived and worked in the SF Bay Area (where Craigslist is located) for a very long time. In

general, it works well. I have sold all sorts of stuff I didn't want to be bothered using eBay

for. As an IT manager in SF, we posted all our open positions on Craigslist, from which we

usually received the best applicants. A colleague of mine always rented out his apartment

on it. In short, in San Francisco, practically EVERYTHING is done through Craigslist.

 

Are there scams? Sure. Is there illegal stuff going on? Sure. But, contrary to other posts

here, my experience has been that most people are honest and reliable and Craigslist is a

great source for all sorts of transactions.