I think the bottom line is YOUR bottom line. If you feel that you paid a fair price and are happy with it, who's to say you overpaid - even your mother! A bargain is in the wallet of the spender, IMO. You did your due diligence, checked price of new, checked prices on similar listings...... then decided if you want to pay asking or offer less. I can't tell a lot about them from your picture but they look solid and sturdy.

That was mainly what I wanted to convey w/the pic -- solid and not likely to be destroyed by my kids ;-)

Thank you for pointing out I did due diligence! I know that I need to not let my mom get to me, but for some reason it's difficult (and I'm 37!!!). She invariably asks me what things cost and then makes a judgment. When I was a teenager, I would just lie to her to avoid being told I was ripped off.

What kind of due diligence do other people do?

I've been searching for headboards on CL, and many of them are over $100, just for the headboard, no frame or footboard or side rails. The cheapest new headboards I could find were around $150. So I'd say you did pretty darn good at getting complete beds, with built-in storage, for $100 each.

What I do is look at the cost of similar new items. Then I look at what's on CL. You have to factor in the age of things on CL, and wear and tear and the overall condition. And then there's just the "they're asking what! for that piece of junk" factor, where it is clear to everyone but the seller that the item is overpriced.

You know, just because your mother asks the price of something doesn't mean you have to tell her. Think of a non-answer now, and practice it. Then use it whenever she asks the price of anything. It will upset her at first and she will become more determined to learn what you paid, but if you can keep it up for a few months, she will gradually learn that she can ask and she can pressure, but she cannot make you tell her the price of anything. This method works best if you use exactly the same response every single time.

"More than we wanted to, less than we budgeted." "We got a good price and we're happy." "Cost isn't important, getting good quality is." "Mom, unless you are offering to pay, the price really doesn't concern you."

I think the perfect answer for your mother is, "Oh, we got a really good deal! You know how you taught me to be thrifty!" :)

I LOVE the non-answer suggestions :-)

So it sounds like I probably do what most people do. That's very reassuring!

I look at what could I get new for the CL price. And I look at what I would have to spend to get similar quality in a new piece.

Generally 1/3 to 1/4 of the price of a new piece of similar quality is my target for buying or selling.

I buy a lot from CL, mostly antique or vintage. Some, like old chairs that I re-upholster and sell, I try to get very inexpensively.

But for 99% of what I buy, I research the heck out of it or a similar item before I buy. There are things on CL that we just can't buy new, and those are what I gravitate to.

It sounds like you're doing just what an informed shopper should do. Some sellers ask crazy prices, and some ask very reasonable or even low prices on wonderful things.

My mother and sister have gotten used to my wonderful finds, and have even expressed interest in some when they find out how little I have paid. I LIKE the idea of telling your mother that you got a wonderful buy!

melle, if I've acquired something for just short of it being given to me, I might answer the how much questions :)

With my mother, who is at an age where she's really losing track of what things cost these days whether furniture, clothing, even groceries, and I know she'll be startled by the price of something, I just tell her 'you don't want to know' and make like the price would be painful to talk about. That works with DH too by the way. How much? You don't want to know. And he doesn't ask again :)

I will never tell my mother what I just paid a contractor to come and clear truck loads full of ivy, blackberry, salmon berry, alder seedlings from this landscaping. Was it worth every penny to my aching back given the agonizingly slow progress I was making on my own, you bet :)

What ever its worth to you, you'll be the one enjoying and making use of your expenditure, doesn't matter what it may be worth to someone else.

An item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. In this case, it really only matters what it is worth to you. You're clearly researching and putting thought into your purchase. You're not just snapping up everything on CL, only to find out a new something or other would have cost the same amount. Yes, used furniture can be overpriced (whether on CL or at a used furniture store), but so can new furniture. Depending on the relationship with your mother, you could try a non answer or simply saying "I don't wish to discuss the price with you." Even in a close family relationship, no one needs to know how much you paid for anything unless you're sharing bills or accounts.

Melle, my mom passed away many years ago, but you made me think about her today.
When I was growing up and would buy clothing (often with my own money that I earned from a part time job) she would always want to know the price. And, it was always too much!
Once I decided to lower the price when she asked and it was still too much!
So, lots of reasons going on here. I agree with prickly.
Maybe you can start to joke about the price and then change the subject?

Or tell her you paid $100 and leave off that it was each.

It's what you feel is a good deal that counts when buying.

Selling is a different issue, and it takes time. We sold vintage for years, and Ebay was the WORST resource EVER for uninformed buyers and sellers. What seems like a minor difference can be a major one when it comes to price (well, it looks *almost* like mine). Additionally, it seems that people assume everyone else listing the widget knows what they're doing, when they might just be flying blind too. The only good comparisions on Ebay are exactly the same as your item with BIDS-buy it nows and listings with 0 bids mean ziltch. And archived listings from more than even a few months ago might or might not be a good resource, as certain items ebb and flow like the tide (for a while, you couldn't touch a Duaflex camera, they were HOT for TTV photography, I think that's died down now-we don't sell vintage anymore-no space-so I haven't kept up on the trends).

Then you've got sellers that inheritated something they were always told was "worth a lot of money". Well, maybe it was, once. And now...you can give it away, maybe (like those console radio/record players or sets of china, except certain patterns).

Also, it depends on your location. We live in NYS. Where we live, I could sell something...say...an old wooden crate for $10, whereas it might sell for $30 in NYC. Vintage prices here are WAYY lower than there.

You did good. If the non answer doesn't work, then politely tell her you'd really rather not discuss how much something cost. Then give her a big hug and tell her you love her.

Twin beds are usually inexpensive but the selection is poor if you want durable storage beds. Most beds with storage, especially twin size, are garbage. Those are solid and practical and I think you did good.

(I looked for a twin bed in/around your CL market if you're in Sac and I don't think you could have done much better, new OR used.)

Thank you everyone! I think that if my mom asks, I will just emphasize we got a good deal and then point out that the drawer fronts and cabinet door fronts are all solid oak (at least they appear to be) and the beds should last 10+ years given that they are still very solid with no functional issues.

Yesterday I removed all the doors, drawers, and hinges in preparation to sand. I'm so thrilled w/the beds. They seem so neutral, style-wise, and not too age-specific. I feel so lucky to find two identical styles, at reasonable prices, at the same time, both not too far of a drive, on Craigslist!