Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Craigslist Rant


Californiaman

Recommended Posts

I've just about had it with craigslist.

What really bothers me is these people posting guitars, amps, and pedals at or near enough to retail price. It's a joke. I'm tired of it. It's crazy. If I wanted to buy a guitar for full price, I'd go to my local music store.

People need to get real. It's used. It's been played. It's no brand new in the box minty fresh.

OK.

That's my rant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just about had it with craigslist.

What really bothers me is these people posting guitars, amps, and pedals at or near enough to retail price. It's a joke. I'm tired of it. It's crazy. If I wanted to buy a guitar for full price, I'd go to my local music store.

People need to get real. It's used. It's been played. It's no brand new in the box minty fresh.

OK.

That's my rant.

 

so i take it you have no interest in my 2012 sweet SG for $900.... [biggrin]

 

just kiddin.

 

but hey... it is sweet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel you.

 

To rant on, the thing that drives me nuts is the keyword abuse. "Keywords Fender Gibson Marshall" and such. If I WANTED to look for a "Fender", I would type in "fENDER"!

 

And then, there is the price abuse. It ain't a buck. If I want to look for trucks with a price of 4000 or less and type that in, it means I DON'T want to see those going for more.

 

I don't know if it is Craigslist, it's poeple. And not all poeple, but it seems to attract the worst of the worst.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

To rant on, the thing that drives me nuts is the keyword abuse. "Keywords Fender Gibson Marshall" and such. If I WANTED to look for a "Fender", I would type in "fENDER"!

 

 

I hear you, brother. This is the most annoying feature on CL. Makes me grind my teeth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think there aren't many options for vintage. Go to a shop like Fuller's and they have high prices...not to say that it is unfair of the shops to price that way, but craigs is an alternative.

I'd never buy a newish guitar from them, may as well get it new.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's interesting how we complain about Craigslist (and Ebay) until we find that killer deal. Then we're happy. I've bought 2 guitars and 2 amps off Craigslist this year, all exceptional deals. I've also passed on many others because they were not. So what's the big deal if some guy thinks his 2008 Squier Strat is vintage, rare, a custom shop Fender and worth $1500? I find those ads quite amusing.

 

And Axe, stay outa the Personals. I worry about you boy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nashville is pretty about about music related stuff because everybody thinks that anything music related is worth a lot of money and that it is on high demand, still there are deals to be had.

 

Then there is the deals that you have to pass up because you don't need or already have the item.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem I have with CraigsList is the sheer number of flakes it attracts. A few years back I posted my old ABG on there to sell. It was a Carlo Robelli Jumbo bass that I gave $250 for. I was tossing in two new sets of strings and a padded gig bag and asking $175 OBO for the deal. All I got was brat after brats emailing me saying "That bass sucks, only a loser would buy that bass, You're trying to rip people off cause Sam Ash used to give those away free!" and other nonsense.

 

Then I tried to buy a car off CL. Found the one I wanted for $1800 OBO but it was 100 miles away. I called the guy and asked about the car. "Yea, I gotta sell it fast. It's in perfect shape." So I drove all the way out there to find that the kid was not there and it would be an hour before he got home. The car was around back of the house where I couldn't see it so I sat in my truck and waited. When he got home he took me back to see it. The car looked just like it did in the picture. Then I walked around the other side and saw that all the trim on the passenger side was ripped off and both the passenger side tiers were rotten and bald. The back window had a crack from top to bottom. The rear view mirror was gone. The electric windows didn't work and the trunk was full of water.

 

But the 1995 car has 40,000 miles and being a tinker I figured I could fix all the problems if I could get the car cheap. I listed all the problems I saw and offer him $1000 him a low price. "Ohhhh... I can't take that.." I ask him to counter my offer.. "Well.... I gotta have $1800 just like the add said." I remind him that his add says OBO and that he claimed the car is perfect. "Well... I haven't had any other offers in 4 weeks so how do I know there wont be a better one?"

 

I left pretty annoyed and drove the 100 miles back home.... two days later he calls me back. "Hey... how about $1200?" he asks. I tell him how about $800? He get's pissed and hangs up. Two more days later he calls me again... "Still got that $800?" So I drove out there and bought the car. All the while he acted like I had just kicked his dog or something.

 

I spent two weekends fixing it's issues and it turned out to be a a good car. That is until it sank.

 

SSPX0155.jpg

 

 

I've had about 3 other dealing on CL and every one of them has been flaky. I try hard to avoid it but I do have some left over building material I'll be selling on there next year as it's the bast way to sell such things. I'm sure it will be more flake filled fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That pic is heartbreaking Searcy, what a terribke thing to happen to Nashville.

 

My worst experience on CL was with a aftermarket LP case, bought it new and ended up not buying the guitar I wanted it for.

 

So I listed it, Les Paul case for sale, this lady calls me, we play phone tag, conflicting schedules, sit and wait for calls, etc we finally meet and she says "oh that case is too small" I replied, it may look that way because it is black but I assure you it is a Les Paul case, my Gibsons fit in it. She tells me her son's guitar is larger...you know, like a regular acoustic she says....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Searcy, you should call that kid again and ask if he wants his car back. [biggrin]

 

We have another site up here called kijiji, which is used more than CL. I mainly use both to sell gear but rarely buy. People always want way too much and act as if they are doing you a favour by selling it at that price.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem I have with CraigsList is the sheer number of flakes it attracts.

I feel you, man. My experiences have been pretty much the same as your's.

 

I put a Caddy on there, using the private-party bluebook value as a guide. Most calls I got were dealers wanting to buy it for literally half it's value, obvoiusly, so they could sell it. Now, I get it, I really do. The complaint though, is the SNAKES a lot of these guys were and the attempts they would make to rip me off. It was like I entered the underworld. Pretty much trolling for suckers.

 

What is surprising though, is that it seems no matter WHAT price I would list it for, there would be some who offered much less. I'm not really talking about those who only buy if it is a bargain and CAN buy something for less than it is, I'm referring to the fact that it seems no matter what you list, everyone EXPECTS you to be dishonest about what you are selling. I think my last ad for it was "an honest car from an honest guy. Just looking for an honest price".

 

I remember it so well because I NEEDED to sell it because the bank was about to foreclose. Yada yada...but to give an idea, I ended up seeling it to a DEALER at wholesale for a few hundred more than what my last ad was listed for.

 

For building materiels, we seem to have better luck. I don't run the ads, but we put the stuff cheap, and use the "technique" of telling the buyers we need it gone now and if it isn't gone by such time we are selling to the next guy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We don't have Craig's list in our neck of the woods but if you want to see out of whack prices you should see our one and only Pawnshop.I was in there a while back looking around-because they do get the odd rare gem that they don't have any idea of what the value is-and they had a solid state Traynor practice amp that was in a really extremely abused condition for $155 when I had seen a brand new one of the same model at Long and McQuade minutes before for $150.How's that for nuts???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tbh, craigslist can either be really good for you or a complete nightmare.

 

Its all about knowing how to play the game.

 

The best way to tell if someone is serious is honestly by how detailed the post is. The more detailed, the more serious the seller. Pics make it even more legit.

 

Ive gotten 5 phones off craigslist and I've learned the price is almost extremely jacked up. Someone posted my Samsung GSIII for $650 and I left with it paying only $475. People are just hoping stupid people make offers, not realizing how much the product is ACTUALLY worth. You have to buy things on there the same way you buy a car -- show little enthusiasm and always offer much less than you're actually willing to pay (wiggle room). I got my Line 6 POD XT Live advertised for $200 for $120 this way too!

 

If you're selling, you can't sound desperate to sell -- ex. never say things such as "I need the money" bc that puts you at the mercy of the buyer. I personally always throw in things such as "no lowballers" and "will not respond to ridiculous offers" so people know you mean business. Usually the flakes will get scared away and not mess with you. Also, the less emotion you show, the better.

 

If you learn to play "the game", it can be a great resource. I perdonally never buy off ebay and resort to craigslist for used gear. Just my take =]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love Craigs List! I buy and sell stuff on CL regularly. Yes, there are a lot of creepy people and deals out there. I just take the high road and am honest about what I'm selling and advertise a fair price for it. I've sold at least a half dozen cars and a boat on CL including a 67 Mustang Convertible and a 64 Fairlane. A guy from New York found my ad for the Fairlane and came to buy it. I've bought, sold and traded tons of gear locally using it. Traded my Peavey 5150 combo straight up for a Twin Reverb Reissue (great deal!!!). Then sold it using CL for about twice what I could have gotten for the Peavey. I bought my ]1996 2006 (correction) Vegas High Roller earlier this year from a local ad. What I find is that when you advertise, you do get a lot of creeps that text and try to lowball you. I just politely text back "No, thanks!". If you advertise a good item for a fair price, you'll find a genuine buyer. Most of the items I've sold leave at near my full asking price with the first person that comes to check it out. And if you're a genuine buyer, don't deal with people that aren't courteous in their emails or when you contact them. And don't get upset with the loosers asking full retail for their used crap. Just don't even look at their ads. There are people out there that play the game the way it should be played. Just deal with them and everything is fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate selling on Craigslist. I've made one successful sale, I was selling an iPod Touch and a firefighter who had accidentally crushed his girlfriend's with the ladder truck while she was away needed a replacement. Kudos to the guy, he actually pulled off buying an exact replacement and once he installed the backup she was none the wiser that it was a different iPod [lol]=D>

But everything else, at least 15 items listed and relisted over the course of months brought nothing but flakes and scams. We were trying to offload some furniture cheaply just to get rid of it and all they brought were painfully obvious scam responses.

I'm glad you still have it for sale,i would have love to come and see

it,but my scheduled is very tight.I will mail out your payment once

you provide your full name.phone number and address.I can only pay via

money order as am on a business trip now,pls let me know where to send

your payment to because i wouldn't want to lose it to someone else.I

don't mind adding Thirty ($30) dollars so you can keep it in my

favor,you should get your payment in 4-6 working days i will

appreciate if you can get the ad off craigslist so i can be sure you

are keeping it in my favor..Please let me know as soon as you receive

it so i can start making arrangement for the pick-up.Thanks

It's like, wow, would you like my Social Security and debit card # too? Actually received that one twice in the same night for 2 separate items from the same email address. Annoying!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

CraigsList has been a one way street for me. I bought my last two guitars through it and both were solid deals. Selling wise, outside of my Yardbox I have never sold one item. Two years ago I cleaned out some old pedals I would never use again. Tried to post them on CL and got

 

- "would love to buy your pedal, but <insert lame excuse>"

or

- very interested in your pedal and then they never replied to my response

or

- no replies at all

 

A close friend and coworker has an Ebay account so he sold the pedals for me. Zero issues and I got a fair price for all of them. I have two used guitar cases I need to sell to raise money for a case for my Jazzmaster and I am dreading it. Because they are bargain cases and used I am going to sell them for cheap. Hope this works out without much pain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Couldn't resist reposting here when I saw this thread...

 

Top 10 Ads and Responses Found on Craigslist Musical Instruments. What's your favorite?

 

10. Listed is my Fender Strat for $279. But it's actually a Squier I bought on sale for $150 and just decided to use MSRP.

9. I'm so upset because someone just listed their Squier as a Fender for $279 and I can't click past the ad and ignore it so I'm gonna flame him online!

8. Looking for a guitar, but no bolt ons...because we all know that the glue used for set necked guitars is so expensive.

7. Let's trade. The value of your guitar is only 1/2 of what its worth and mine is just under new pricing. Will you make up the difference in cash? By the way, would you like to buy a 1986 Camaro too? I take trades...

6. This guitar is in "mint condition."

5. Here is my Jasmine guitar for sale and it sounds better than any $2000 Martin.

4. Cash offers only! You hear me? CASH ONLY! As for trades, I'll take...

3. Hi, I'm from xxx but I'm listing this guitar here. Can you meet in the middle that's only 2 hours away?

2. Just lost my job and need to pay rent. Need cash now. But I'll trade for...

1. Up for sale is my Gibson/Epiphone Les Paul!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite is when items are described along these lines:

 

"ORIGINAL CONDITION -- vintage 1955 Fender amplifier. Brand new speaker, fresh tubes all around, torn grillcloth replaced, new carrying handle, and fresh power cord. Tweed was stained so I had that redone too. Nothing but the best!"

 

Stuff like this:

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/msg/3398167489.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...