I have a Celestron telescope I want to sell. Its a fairly high dollar item (new they go about $1800) and normally I would try eBay, but I don't have the original packaging and I think shipping would be a nightmare.

I'm considering using Craigslist, but its a new thing to me. I think I can avoid the scammers, but I'm not sure the best way to handle a transaction if I get a buyer.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has successfully navigated a sale on Craigslist.

Thanks.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Don't invite them to your home. Meet in a public parking lot with plenty of people around.

Don't give your home phone number. Give cell phone number.

Take a someone with you.

Make the terms of your sale clear and discuss those terms over the phone. Meet them only after they agree to your terms.

Accept cash only and inspect the bills.

You will get unsolicited offers involving money orders, questions about your bank account etc...

Ignore them.

I use Craigslist almost as much as ebay. All of the suggestions about are great. Post photos with your add. You will have to weed out the frauds and the low ballers but you have to do that with anything you sell. Is there an astronomy club in your area? might want to let them know you have one for sale.

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with wings as eagles

Unless you enjoy Text Messaging put in your post "No Text Messages"
When I 1st sold something I received 100's of texts to every 2 or 3 calls or emails.

Dan

google craigslist robbery.

there have been a few in this area,one seller was shot, so take a "friend" along... sorry state of affairs when one cannot transact a little business without having to concern yourself about becoming a victim...

I wish you all the best, but I've all but given up trying to sell on Craigslist. In this area one doesn't need to worry so much about the criminal element. However my efforts have taught me just how common it is these days to encounter maddeningly disrespectful, inconsiderate, irresponsible, unfaithful, immature, etc. people in my own geographical region. For some reason Craigslist seems to draw these folks, probably because it's free.

Those words of course weren't very helpful to you, except perhaps to forewarn you and help you not be quite so surprised/disappointed if you happen to encounter similar people. I sincerely hope that you don't, but if you do, you heard it here.

Andy

Use a hotmail address not your real address in replys and postings

if you give a phone # use words and numbers like
1 two 3 four

register for CL useing a hotmail address. not your real address

edit to add: after you are done on CL delete all temp. internet files.

I buy and sell regularly and I treat CL the same way I used to treat the newspaper classified before Cl put them under. Caution is the word but I've been around awhile now and I trust my bs detector. I use email as my contact when I'm selling and don't give out my phone # unless I'm confident. I ask for their # and initiate the call. If it doesn't feel right, bail.

What I mainly sell is outdoor related. I've never had an occasion to let anyone in my home but I've had buyers come to my house a few times only by appointment. I don't text, tweet nor twitter, it's old fashioned email for me.

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God spelled backwards is dog.

It would be ironic if you didn't see a scammer coming from a mile away...

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

Click the option to not have people be able to e-mail you. Otherwise you'll get tons of spam e-mail for years to come. Use your cell phone number and do it with text...five-five-five-one-two-one-two. My last Craigslist sale...I met the buyer at a Wendy's parking lot. No reason for them to know where I live or what I have. I'm probably repeating what others said, but this is how I've done it. Good luck.

Oh yeah...and if you're listing a gun in sporting goods (prohibited goods)...list it as a "hunting implement" (kidding).

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'Merica!

Not really...he's a feebee not a real cop
And that "telescope" is probably some of his surveilence gear that the bureau forgot about

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Forum consigliere

Very timely post. I just found a nice looking, small, antique, collectable pot belly stove here in my area on craigs list . Just posted last night so I call bright and early this morning. The fella said he still had it and I committed to buy it for his posted price ($150). He said he'd consider it sold until I could get there with cash this evening. My mind has been going over all that could go wrong...like bad description, safety etc. He's not too far from where I live and I have completed several transactions both as buyer and seller on CL. I think if you are very aware, and do transactions in public etc then you'll be ok. I like the fact that it is free, and in my case I'll alway get to look at what I'm buying before I hand over the samolians. One can never be too safe though.

Roger

Ditto the throw away e-mail address. While on ArmsList, I sent a message to a seller, and when he replied, he used his ISP e-mail. From that and his first name (at the end of the e-mail), I found out where he lived, his phone number, the value of his house, his wife's and kids' ages, etc. If I can do that, imagine what a hacker can find. BTW, I was just trying to figure out who I was dealing with, because I'm paranoid. I also agree with meeting at a neutral, public place, like a Wal-Mart parking lot. If I go alone, I tell someone what I'm doing and leave all info about the seller/buyer just in case. Like I said, I'm paranoid.

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Insert short witty words here

My girlfriend can't even still use the Hotmail address she used to register. I keep it blocked because it sends out trojans, spam, or whatever constantly. She tried to sell her iPad recently and just gave up since it was so crazy trying to separate the crazy "Will you accept and escrow account to be set up in your name" kind of jack from the real people that just wanted a good deal on the first previous gen electronics. Too many leaches to have to wade through is my opinion. I will still try and buy from there but forget becoming a seller unless you have a lot of time on your hands. And you can arrange for local only sales in eBay unless they have changed. You might even try an ad in the paper. People still read them and they will also add them to their websales pages if they have one.

I have used CL to purchase and sell items in the past with no issues. I see it like the classifieds ads used to be - just use good judgement! The risk of driving on public roads to make the transaction is probably higher than the transaction itself.

I post this at the bottom of any CL ad... keeps down the riff raff. It's true BTW.

"Anyone attempting fraud with the old "please hold this for me, my agent will pick it up" scam will immediately be reported to the IC3, The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)."

What is the reason for giving a phone number with text?
Steve

You could also sell it through a local auction house. Way less hassle than Craigslist *or* Ebay. Sometimes an auction will bring in more $ than you would normally ask for the item.

Web-bots can scan text and "see" phone numbers and e-mail addresses. I think it's a bigger problem with e-mail, but why take chances?

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Insert short witty words here

I recently sold my mom's dining room set and wicker porch set. I use email only and we exchanged phone numbers, I drove up to meet him, he handed me the cash and we both left. Worked out fine and no way could I meet him somewhere else. I must have sold it too cheap because I had to take the ad down I had so many emails when I got back home.

Just my 2 cents..... Use Craigslist mail forwarding so you don't have to publish any email addresses. State in ad to respond via email and to include a phone # and a preferred time to call. You can ignore all the idiots who are unable to complete a legible sentence, and call only the legitimate sounding buyers. Use your cell, or use better yet use a prepaid burner phone.

i've bought and sold several items on craigslist the past few years. i never ran into so many rude, disrespectfull, lying, cheating people in my life. people that contact you saying that they absolutely want your item for sale that never show up, lowballers that act like they're doing you a favor by offering pennies on the dollar, scammers etc.
you received some good advice in the previous posts, my advice is to follow it.

There you have it.
Andy

Lots of good suggestions here so far. I've used it a half-dozen times recently to both buy and sell. I would second the comment - "cell phone calls only" and specify the TIMES that you will take the calls. Lots of tirekickers. Don't take the ad down until you have cash in hand. One last thing; don't be afraid to just hang up on people. I was selling a decent old truck for $2,500. I found it necessary to add the phrases to my ad: "Yo No Hablo Espanol", "Cash only. seriously, I mean it! If you don't have $2,500 in U.S. currency available, do not waste my time. I know the air conditioner doesn't work, it's already factored into my price. Seriously, don't waste my time if you don't have $2,500 IN CASH!"

With all that, I still got countless calls trying to haggle over the price. I just started hanging up on them.

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But then, what do I know?

On the other hand I needed to sell a chandelier for my mom when she moved. I got a very polite request from a woman serving in the USN in Virginia (I'm in NY) asking if it was still available the next time she visited her mom in NJ if she could come look at it. It took about 2 weeks but she showed up with her mom, they sat down with my mom, everyone was very nice and happy with the deal. Her husband is a USN Captain, just got his first ship, thank you letters have been sent, etc.

I think it's what you make of it, they're simply electronic classified ads, no different than the newspaper ads except they're free. I have sold a bunch of stuff, met some people with the same interests as me. Have gotten lots of fake answers looking to scam me but that warning I suggested above really cut down on that. Just wish they let me list guns...

Yes, there are positive experiences to be had. I sold a Lee reloading press to a nice young fellow. But that was definitely the exception rather than the rule.

Andy

Exactly. Your email address is blind until you respond to a query.

I have parted out many a tractor on Craigs List.


You can cut down on 99 per cent of the spam by requiring interested buyers to put a random word of your choosing in their email subject line.


In the item description, I tell buyers to include the word "FARMALL" in the subject line. If they do not, I don't open the email. This seems to weed out the auto-reply spam-bots.

I also ask for their phone number in the first email.

If they want the item bad enough----they will comply and jump through your hoops.

Craigs List has become more attractive as Ebay continues to up their fee schedules.

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Life Member NRA Since 1985

You are aware that eBay has about 30% ownership of Craig's list, right?

25 per cent. I hope it stops there.

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Life Member NRA Since 1985

I put a lawn mower on last night at about 5 pm and was paid my asking price of $300 cash by 11 am today.

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God spelled backwards is dog.