oh, my..... Rather odd since you really cannot do a reply.

I found this one amusing on my CL

Here is a link that might be useful: CL addiction

I've been giving away free stuff on CL this week. It has taken DAYS to get people to come pick up some decorative mirrors. They email, so eager, then never show up. It's driving me nuts!

I had trouble giving away a vacuum a few weeks ago. I put it for sale for $10 and sold it in two days.

People are strange.

Val, yours is better than mine. What a hoot!

Jeanninepc99, that says a lot about people, doesn't it? Not sure what, but it is odd.

Jeannine, a craigslister I know said the same thing - that if she can't give something away, she prices it at $10 or $20 and it's *gone* the next day. Bizarre.

Eh. It's always like that on CL in my area. Take a look at todays rant about the price of the offerings posted. The guy has a good point but he needs to work on his delivery style.

Here is a link that might be useful: CL Rant

Isn't it funny because I have tried to give a few things away and no one responded and then asked for $20 and got it. Makes no sense.

dilly dally, sounds like you have the same CL that I do. The guy/girl went about it wrong but mine is mostly junk that should have bee trashed years ago. A Rooms to Go sofa is not worth $1200 new never mind when it is dirty and ripped 10 years later.

Those are hysterical and dilly I can't tell you how many times I wanted to post such a message. LOL

I haven't checked in on my local Craig's for weeks. Maybe I'll go take a look and see what treasures aka trash, I can find.

I just posted those mirrors for $10. Let's see if that works out better than giving them away for free.

Oh, here's another good one (which we're griping). I'm selling an armoire and a desk on CL. I'm not desperate...if they sell, great. If not, that's fine. Anyway, some woman realized that both posts were mine and offered to "take both off my hands", but offered me less than what I asked for the armoire.

When I replied that I couldn't accept her offer, she wrote back asking me to "keep an eye out" for a full/queen bed. What? Am I her personal shopper now?

I just gave a away a treadmill on CL and had 29 responses. I gave the first responder the first chance at it, and fortunately they came through. I put in the headline of my ad that it was free, but that they must pick it up. Nevertheless, I had at least one person ask if I would deliver. The reason that we gave it away is because we did not want to have anything to do with moving it.

This one is from a seller, who although he says the same thing that is probably what is on everyone's mind, he needs a better speech writer. These rants are on CL all the time. They never get pulled. Maybe CL wants them left up so people get the message. The rants in the Personals are even more hilarious.

Here is a link that might be useful: CL Spout Off

I thought it was only my craigslist that had those rants. You wonder whether the over-priced sellers ever figure it out.

Dilly dally, DH and I are originally from Milwaukee. I miss it sometimes. Those posts of yours make me kind of proud, lol. People from there don't like to take a lot of cr*p, do they?

If you really want to be amused, let me know. We have a weekly publication here that has grown quite large, it's free to advertise your wares and even what you want to buy. The magazine started about about 20-30 years ago for a quarter and now asking price is several bucks, but they have a "want to meet" section where men/women want to meet others and they define themselves and what they want and expect. Not only that but some publish notes after a date or a few dates, explaining what went right or wrong and it is worth every penny if you are bored on Thursdays to purchase it and have a few laughs. One difference between our weekly periodical and CL is that no one has been raped or murdered yet as a result of people they met through our little silly magazine ---- yet.

Someone is supposed to come tomorrow to pick up the sofa I posted for free.
I made the pick up time early so if they donÂt show, I can call one of the others. I had 8 people respond and it has not even been 24 hours. I said it had to be picked up on Sunday. I was surprised at how many people said they would have a truck available to take it. My husband has been asking me to get rid of it for 2 years but no charity would take it. When I saw the other free sofas offered and how ratty they were (I had never looked through the free ads before), I should have sold it for money.

Oh, I meant to ask. WhatÂs the protocol for people picking up free things? I wasnÂt going anywhere on Sunday which was partly why I picked that date. I have some other things I plan to post later. You donÂt agree to hold things, do you? How much time do you give them if they donÂt show up, before you call another? In my ad I asked everyone who was interested to e-mail me their phone number.

I was so overwhelmed with responses I decided that the only fair way was to give those who emailed first the first chance. Plus this couple gave me a whole sob story of why they needed the treadmill. They were parents who had trouble starting a family and had their kids later in life and wanted to get in shape to be with their kids. Then I was worried that they wouldn't come through. But I figured that since I had soooo many responses, it wouldn't be a problem to get rid of it.

linnea I ALWAYS schedule a CL meet for people to see the item when I know I'm going to be home anyway. Just too many flakes, especially when it comes to free stuff. I don't always ask for a phone number in the ad, but if I do, I let them know that's the fastest way to get hold of me.

And if someone says they can come by, let's say, that evening - I say fine, but if someone can come sooner I will let them have it. If someone says they'll be there in an hour, I say I'll hold it until then, but I'll free it up if you don't make it. & if someone else calls who says they can be there in 15 minutes, I'll still hold my promise to the first person.

Basically, I just try to be reasonable, and honest, without putting myself out.

Just before Christmas I decided to give away our unused fake tree and a box of outdoor lights. There must have been 30 strands of lights, some never used. We switched to LED. I figured I would get immediate offers.

It was a drizzly day. So that I would not have to spend all day waiting for first person I posted that the first person who replied would have to be in my area within 15 min of my giving them directions as to where to pick them up. So as to not loose my privacy I said I would leave them on a corner for 10 min. If they were not picked up, I would go to second poster and do same thing. I would send them directions and give them 10 min after they received it. I was very nice and clear that this was so as to not waste anyone's time.

There is a really mean person who has been responding to ads. Mostly telling those looking for handouts to get a job, take birth control, etc.

I could not believe when I got reply from this person telling me that I was a mean and heartless person. That I had a hard time giving things away free by playing "games" with them.

I know I should not care about this obviously disturbed person, but I rechecked my post and it was kind and clear in my reason for doing it the way I did. Turns out that several replies said they wanted items but lived far away and asked me to hold them for several hours. One gal got directions, then said she had no transportation and I would have to wait until evening. Finally, after several of these posts I found a local gal that I said she was in area and could be there within minutes. Sure enough she came by within minutes. I do not know what her intentions were. Maybe she would sell them, maybe use them. All I know is that I had something to give and she was able to not give me a hassle.

It took me several attempts last year to sell an item at a good price. Flakes and cheapos were weeded out and eventually I got nice couple who knew value and appreciated the sale.

CL can be such a pain but when it works it is worth it. I always meet at HD or other really public places and I use email that is a junk address that if I get spammed does not interfere with my actual address. Like I said, a pain but often worth it.

What's HD?

HD probably stands for Home Depot.

I always ask for the person's phone number, and if they don't give it to me, I move on to the next person. If they give it, I call. If it seems like they are truly interested and responsible, then I give directions over the phone.

For some reason, I find that if I speak to the person, they feel more of an obligation to follow through and actually show up.

Plus, I'm less likely to get spammed if I actually have the person's telephone number.

Sure enoughÂ.
I posted my sofa on Friday, saying in the ad I wanted it picked up Sunday and asking for a phone number. That gave me all day Saturday to take down my Christmas decorations and get other stuff out of the way. I got 8 responses to my ad, 7 of which did provide their phone number. I crossed everyone off my list who lived too far away, figuring they wouldnÂt show up. I picked someone in the next town who had sent a nice e-mail (more than just "I want the sofa. I can come get it Sunday") and called her, reiterating that they HAD to have a truck and 2 helpers. She assured me that her husband worked for a company that delivered things and could have a truck ASAP. We set it for 10 am Sunday. My husband and I both got up early to finish moving furniture out of the way and cover the carpets.

She called at 9:15 this morning saying her husband woke up sick and could they do it Tuesday. I agreed though I donÂt know why. My husband said he is probably not sick, they just couldnÂt get a truck, or he canÂt camouflage his personal use of the company truck on a Sunday. I donÂt know why I didnÂt just move on to the next person. Maybe I was mad at myself for having chosen the wrong person. IÂm new to this, this is the first thing I had to give away that couldnÂt be personally brought to the Goodwill store.

Now IÂm really annoyed with myself. I needed this week to shampoo the carpets and get the place cleaned up for the DR set I bought on CL and want to pick up next Saturday. Even if I do go to the next people, how many of them could come over on the evening to pick it up?

UPDATE! I posted those mirrors for $10 and got someone to come here tonight and take them. Hee hee!

Lots of flakes in the freebie forum.

Amazing. My husband reminded me just last night, that the people who want something for free are often not reliable, like tenants. We have several places we rent out. The lower the rent, the flakier the tenant. There are exceptions, but in 22 years, not many. (Also the lower the rent, then the less likely are the prospective tenants to actually turn up when they make an appointment to see the place. 4 out of 5 do not show and donÂt call either. )

Since a person will definitely need a truck to pick it up, will I move the sofa out faster if I give it away or if I sell it for a low price? I assume no one will pay for a truck, so my prospects are limited to who has free access to one.

On the plus side our living room looks really spacious with all the other furniture/plants/stuff moved out, which we had to do to clear a path for the Sofa That WouldnÂt Leave Us. Our teen daughter says that since Salvation Army came and wouldnÂt take it, and since now this deal fell through, it is a Sign that we are not meant to abandon the sofa. It has done nothing wrong to us (though I think popping its buttons on the seat qualifies) and should be allowed to stay. She is not happy that the furniture of her childhood is leaving. I only posted 3 pieces (2 to sell and one to give away) but they are all being pretty stubborn about departing. Maybe I should start a new thread on furniture that won't leave.