Author Topic: Craigslist free brag  (Read 4142 times)

affordablehousing

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Craigslist free brag
« on: December 06, 2018, 03:44:16 PM »
I just had to crow about something to this forum. For months I'd been wanting to get some French patio furniture like you see in cafes, simple folding metal chairs and tables in cool colors. I find out the company that makes them, Fermob, actually sells them incredibly expensively. The spouse is not down to drop $500 on two dinky chairs and a tiny table. Even on Craigslist people rarely sell them for less than half price. I lie in wait. Then, out of the blue, someone posts a curb alert for a set of four chairs and a table, by FERM MOB. Must be hype right, a typo just to bait me? I must have missed it since the post is 20 hours old. Then I look and the site is A BLOCK AWAY. I walk over, pick my jaw up off the ground, and lumber home with four chairs and a table.

What have you found recently that made your day?

lexde

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2018, 03:50:12 PM »
Nice find! I haven't been on the lookout lately, but I did score a very large decorative mirror from my neighbor who was redecorating. She left it out on the curb, I picked it up. There were a few other very nice things, but I didn't have the space for them. I was looking for a mirror just like that (with a dark frame and everything!) to go on top of my fireplace since I don't have a TV.

AlexMar

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2018, 05:46:51 PM »
Sweet find!!  Did it need any work?  It can be fun fixing up furniture like that.  Some simple scrubbing and paint usually does it.

misshathaway

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2018, 07:15:32 AM »
Wow! There is a particular joy in a find like that. Vicarious even for the like-minded in this forum.

ptowngirl

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2018, 09:13:39 AM »
Nice find! Such a good feeling to put something discarded to good use, especially when you've been looking, and even more especially when it's free!

Last week I snagged a free Burley trailer from my neighbor. It's in almost-new shape. I just had to pump up the tires.

Now I have absolutely zero excuses not to bike to the grocery store!


Punky Bikester

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2018, 10:55:45 AM »
A few months ago, I scored a free front-loading washer and dryer set! Needed to clean the washer seal and replace a valve (for a whopping $15).

horsepoor

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2018, 10:54:19 AM »
That is a great score!

Last year some people up the street curbed a little dresser/armoire thing, and I grabbed it for free.  It is just particle board furniture, but really sturdy, and I painted it up and added some hardware, and it became a perfect storage unit for my horse trailer.  I don't think I could have found a better one if I'd gone out and looked to buy.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2018, 02:49:56 AM »
I am amazed by some of the stuff by us people put out. I have collected somethings and am going to do more of it when weather gets better to re-sell. Before this blustery winter came in I picked up a brand new bike basically , still had the little rubber things on the tires because must never had gone even down the road. It was missing one pedal. I also have picked up a nice end table and a push lawnmower. But if I were young and needed furniture , one or two weeks of knowing the G-man schedule I am sure I could furnish an apartment

ysette9

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2018, 02:15:35 PM »
Our bike trailer for the girls was free on FB marketplace from someone who was moving. Score!

calimom

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2018, 06:17:59 PM »
Not Craigslist but NextDoor: a neighbor just converted to a gas fireplace and was giving away free split aged oak. Two trips in my work van with my kids helping out. Gave the neighbor a bottle of wine I'd been gifted. Score!

HAPPYINAZ

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2018, 09:46:26 AM »
WOW!!  that's awesome!  and one block away!

meghan88

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2018, 04:09:25 PM »
Good work, OP and others!

Got a free futon frame from CL once.  And I love garbage-picking but my hands are tied right now because we've been downsizing / purging in advance of a move to our hometown.  So in the meantime, I live my life vicariously through Martin at https://garbagefinds.com/

Once we move home and have a bit of space, I hope to rescue a few things from CL and elsewhere.  Keep if needed, flip if not.

Cassie

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2018, 05:27:52 PM »
When we bought our house the people had pergoed over the hardwood. We pulled it up carefully and put it outside with a free sign. It went fast.

dandypandys

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2018, 07:30:25 PM »
ah soo cool! love free stuff.
my hubs and i walk down a culdesac near us twice a day, to go look at the lake.. we find stuff all the time at the curb waiting fr the dustbin man. I hate buying boring stuff, so was particularly excited to see a plastic bucket there last week.. ours was falling apart :) yay!
Also found, a large rubber foam mat- perfect for inside our tent, a pot, perfect for our camp kit, a cool wooden box filled with lp records Beethoven etc, lumber- we sawed it down for our campfire. yay!

spot

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #14 on: December 20, 2018, 12:43:07 PM »
I love this story so much!!! God bless Craig!

OmahaSteph

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #15 on: December 24, 2018, 11:56:02 AM »
I'd been trying to justify and then figure out how to get my son a legit bike. He's outgrown his kids' one and had been riding my cheapo women's bike. He'll be trying to earn the cycling merit badge for Scouts once the ground thaws. We priced out one that would work for him and it was $500. A great investment, but yeesh.

Long story short, a nice lady posted a free Trek men's bike on our Buy Nothing group and I nearly fell over. It's a mountain bike, not a hybrid, and he'll probably outgrow this one, too, but we can probably change the rims and tires to make it more road friendly. It totally works for now, and it's nice knowing it's as SOLID bike.

35andFI

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #16 on: December 24, 2018, 12:57:47 PM »
I'd been trying to justify and then figure out how to get my son a legit bike. He's outgrown his kids' one and had been riding my cheapo women's bike. He'll be trying to earn the cycling merit badge for Scouts once the ground thaws. We priced out one that would work for him and it was $500. A great investment, but yeesh.

Long story short, a nice lady posted a free Trek men's bike on our Buy Nothing group and I nearly fell over. It's a mountain bike, not a hybrid, and he'll probably outgrow this one, too, but we can probably change the rims and tires to make it more road friendly. It totally works for now, and it's nice knowing it's as SOLID bike.

Nice find! I buy and sell bikes as a hobby.
Most of them are fairly new adult hybrids that I get for around $200-$300 then sell for closer to $400.
If you’re looking for a good deal, they’re out there. I look on FB marketplace, Letgo, and Craigslist.

OmahaSteph

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #17 on: December 26, 2018, 12:27:01 PM »
I'd been trying to justify and then figure out how to get my son a legit bike. He's outgrown his kids' one and had been riding my cheapo women's bike. He'll be trying to earn the cycling merit badge for Scouts once the ground thaws. We priced out one that would work for him and it was $500. A great investment, but yeesh.

Long story short, a nice lady posted a free Trek men's bike on our Buy Nothing group and I nearly fell over. It's a mountain bike, not a hybrid, and he'll probably outgrow this one, too, but we can probably change the rims and tires to make it more road friendly. It totally works for now, and it's nice knowing it's as SOLID bike.

Nice find! I buy and sell bikes as a hobby.
Most of them are fairly new adult hybrids that I get for around $200-$300 then sell for closer to $400.
If you’re looking for a good deal, they’re out there. I look on FB marketplace, Letgo, and Craigslist.

Nice! Do you do any work on them before reselling or as-is?

35andFI

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #18 on: December 26, 2018, 01:02:32 PM »
Nice find! I buy and sell bikes as a hobby.
Most of them are fairly new adult hybrids that I get for around $200-$300 then sell for closer to $400.
If you’re looking for a good deal, they’re out there. I look on FB marketplace, Letgo, and Craigslist.
Nice! Do you do any work on them before reselling or as-is?

The bikes that I look for are pretty new (average is model year 2015 for $219.17) and don't require any work. Yes I have an Excel workbook on it :)
I avoid anything that looks like it needs new tires because tires will quickly eat up any profit.

Generally speaking, the only work that I do to them is aesthetic (cleaning).
I remove any rust using Evapo-Rust (you can soak entire components including plastics) and wash the bike with soap and warm water.
I'll always index the front and rear derailleurs to make sure that the shifting is top notch.

One time, I did have to straighten a bent derailleur hanger but I looked up how-to videos and did it for free.

I didn't include the seller's asking price in my workbook but it's usually around $300-400.
I reference bicycle blue book (shows lower values than I can sell for) in my negotiations.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2018, 01:04:38 PM by 35andFI »

Car Jack

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2018, 08:12:46 AM »
Don't be discouraged if a thing doesn't sell on craigslist.  I've sold literally thousands of things on CL and not everything is going to go.

I scrap ewaste for a hobby and a bit of profit.  Following some youtubers (moosethescrapper), they're always saying to first try to sell stuff that works.  Well, that doesn't always work with older electronic things.  Recently, I put up a package deal.  3 working flat screen monitors (AVI input) with power cords and AVI cable, a working desktop, a 300W Kenwood amplifier, a printer and an aftermarket, nice computer tower for all of $25.  I get mostly time wasters with one guy who seemed like he'd buy and asked if I'd take $20.  I say yah and he disappears.  Right in the ad, I say that if the stuff doesn't sell, I'll just scrap it.  Well, after a month, it's taking up room, so I dis-assemble it all and throw stuff into their respective scrap boxes.  A week later, Mr. $20 says he's been sick and hasn't been able to contact me again.  Too bad, Charlie, it's all been scrapped.

I currently have an old weight bench with barbell and weights up for $25.  Someone offers me $15 and my response was "When can you get it".  He responds that he'll buy it and all I have to do is bring it to him.  Now, I look at his town which is an hour drive.  Right.....I'm going to drive an hour and deliver a weight set for $15.  I'll leave it on CL.  Someone will eventually buy it.


HenryDavid

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Re: Craigslist free brag
« Reply #20 on: January 13, 2019, 12:29:55 PM »
OK, nearly free--GoreTex over mitts for winter cycling. Retail: $165. Online 2nd hand: $5.

These things last a lifetime, the way I use 'em.