Craigslist, yeah it’s changed. From memory I believe it’s been around since the early 2000’s. It sure looks the same and to the casual surfer or user it might still serve the same purpose. But…for those in the “know” it’s nothing like it was even ten years ago. Well ok, what has changed?
This is a stereo buying site so I will review Craigs from a realistic hi fi buying and selling venue. MOST of the Sellers on Craigslist are now professional sellers. In other words they sell for a living are not selling the crap they find in Grandma’s attic or from their uncles shed. Sure they post great ads, they many times look all homey and warm like they are offering their own or a relatives equipment. Tell me it ain’t so, sorry I can’t. Many of these clowns are ebay refugee’s. Either they got kicked off of ebay or don’t want do the work involved, etc, etc. It’s easy to post your Fisher 500C on Craigslist. Take a few pics, write a small description and within in a few clicks your up and running. But here is the big butt…they are selling locally for the same prices or at a slight discount from the ebay prices. Lol, who is dumb enough to pay CASH to some local yoyo asking ebay prices. It’s not like ebay or other selling sites which reach a world wide audience? I imagine there must be a few nincompoops, but why even bother? You email these characters and the first thing they tell you is that it sells for so and so on ebay. Absolutely, remind them the only place you can get ebay prices is on ebay. No one pays the price of a Mercedes at a Chevy dealer, yeah I know the Vette. So forget buying on Craigslist, 95+% are ex ebay sellers or people who think they can get an ebay auction reward without doing any work, or having any accountability as far as a warrantee, etc. And to top it off they want Cash!
What else? Craigslist is a completely manipulated environment. You post an ad let’s say to “buy or sell Lionel Trains” in the wanted or toys section. Your ad will many times be flagged or knocked off within in minutes of posting. NO kidding, your competitors and their friends and relatives hit the prohibited button on your post over and over again till your ad gets knocked off into oblivion. After this happens a few times the Craigslist computers recognize your ad as unwanted or spam. People are flagging it off so it must be spam right? lol. Now the Craigs computer knocks off your post with in a short period after posting. Their algorithm doesn’t recognize you have been harassed by fellow competitors and now see you as the big bad spammer. So forget trying to put up a wanted or selling ad. If someone is selling the same train as you, 11 times out of 10 they are going flag your ad especially if your train is in better condition or cheaper. If they are really dastardly they will also get others to flag your ad so it gets bounced. In placing a wanted ad your competition flags your post because he or she knows the best competition is no competition. In the world or anonymity, fairness and right from wrong mean absolutely nothing. Also, worth mentioning you will have every slimy slug, no-good-nick, druggie, desperado vermin replying to your wanted ad. Your looking for Lionel’s and you will get deviants trying to sell you their grandmothers rusty thong.
In all fairness you can still sell unwanted items on Craigslist. The founder envisioned a site where regular people sell their unwanted goods to other people on the site. It worked well for a long time but Craigslist has now morphed into a site full of retail, thrift, consignment, salvage, and other assorted services. Take a look in your local “wanted ads.” Most of the ads are posted by paid services and buy everything. Also pick your favorite selling section, electronics, computer, musical instruments, toys, etc. Same story, mostly professional sellers. Again, they mask their identities by taking pictures of items in homes or in non-descriptive environments. Most are scrappers, cleanout guys, thrift stores, vendors or pawn shops. The owners of Craig’s must know this, the same ads are posted everyday in banks of 10-20 as the day or two before. Sometimes in the exact same order, lol.
Also, as unacceptable as it sounds people used to go into the personals section and check out the pics of the chic’s. They are still there but surely nothing to look at these days. I guess public pressure changed that whole Craigslist check out the chic’s scene plus the whole internet is erupting with porn. No one has to go to Craigslist personals to see naked women/men/combo platters anymore. That used to bring loads of guys and some girls to the site and while they were at it they used to look at many other buyer / seller / and service areas of Craigslist. For real…it was good for traffic, buying/selling and business.
Another thing I would like to mention is that I believe Craigslist is all fished out. Yes, like a fished out Pond, you keep catching the same fish over and over again. Of course there is life on Craigs but it’s the same life that’s been there for a long time. Everyone on the internet knows about Craigslist and for the most part they are not attracting new customers. Same old, same old, no new blood to be found. Everyone who is going to be there is there already!
Maybe in your town or area there are still deals to be had on Craigslist. Here in NYC/NJ it’s an impossible situation. There are 100’s of wanted ads for everything and anything. Most posted by pawn shops or professional buyer/sellers. No one would even see your measly post since spammers have taken over and post by the dozens. Looking in the electronics section to buy vintage stereo gear? Hardy har har har, I am looking right now as I write this sentence and see a few nice Marantz, Fisher etc. components. The sellers show the units on a Kitchen table, or den setting. They are the same Bozo’s selling dozens of other electronic units among other things. They are asking near ebay prices, some even have the balls to state no negotiating, lol. This one fool has listed the same Dynaco ST-70 over and over again for at least a year. What part of “you can’t sell it for Ebay price locally” doesn’t he get? I know, he doesn’t need da moolah, right? Then why the heck is he selling it in the first place? Maybe a schmuck? No a professional seller. If your on the site with regularity you will understand it’s the same vermin selling the same things over and over again and revolving their inventory. In truth the only place to sell now-a-days is on ebay or other world wide venues. You just can’t sell locally for a profit. Not enough interested parties with Benjamin’s in their pocket. A story for another day…
In summary Craigslist used to be a GREAT buying and selling venue. Maybe in your town it still is, I hope so. Here in NY/NJ it stinks. Craig and Company believe all these buy/sell/want ads are from individuals? People without the funds to buy new? Or maybe collectors? If I can see it so can they. The same ads many times in the same order in the wanted and electronics section every other day…c’mon. They gotta know, it’s their domain. Here is some news for you folks…The Collectors are gone, most are dead. The new generation could give a horses ass about collecting records, electronics, trains, coins or anything else. That’s right I am in it…Some of my hobbies are: Ham Radio-I am known as the baby at 57 years old. Audio/hi fi/sound/music-I don’t even have anyone local to trade with anymore, the old timers are gone and there are NO younger enthusiasts to take their place. Kids don’t even know who the Beatles are or what an amplifier is. Powerlifting and weightlifting- all gone, new generation go to chrome gyms, take juice and pick up girls/guys. Electric trains and slot cars which I gave up but still like to read about-no more train shows or train stores around here anymore. Even remote control cars are done deal let alone slot cars. Party over. Tropical fish-only a couple of stores here now, seems no one is really into it anymore(maybe the “tank” show will spur some interest.) Vintage/antique cars-only new faces under the age of 50 occasionally with new retro cars such as Challengers, Mustangs and Camaros. Car shows are havens for old farts like myself, young people want BMW’s, Lexus, Audi’s, etc. They don’t want or appreciate the old classics. I go to car shows and the refreshment stand sells prune juice the patrons are so old, lol. Then there are the reality tv shows about hot rods and vintage car restoration. You rarely see them restoring a car for a person under 50. I know I am going to receive some emails about how wrong I am and how they know young-in’s or their son who still likes vintage or old things and is hobbyist/collector. Sure there are a few, but not enough to sustain growth in an old school hobby or interest. I am sad and sorry to say it’s game over for many of the things I love and enjoy(at least for the next generation.)
So Craigslist has basically turned into retail buy and sell outlet. The owners and the people who run the site have to know this. Yes, there are still people like you and I who would like to buy and sell things locally. You might even find a good deal here or there by chance. We are now a fraction of the pawn, consignment, home buyers and sellers, flippers, other businesses, merchants, scammers, and other inhabitants of Craigs. The administration still hangs on to the feeling and belief if your making money on their site your bad and don’t belong. That’s 180 degrees from what the whole place is made up of now, businesses. The flagging and removal of ads by both competitors and Craigslist computers/staff makes it a manipulated site. Most people wish they could pay a fee to avoid this from happening to their posts. Sometimes “free” isn’t worth it or costs to much, lol. You really gotta wonder…Also, I forgot to mention the whole underclass of flagging zombies who use the site like a video game. Who can knock off the most ads or let’s screw over the person with the nicest ad, or the guy who seems to be making a few bucks. We can’t have any of that now, can we? There are 30+ something year olds wearing their footsy pajamas living in their step mommy’s basement sitting in front of a desktop computer banging off ads. It gives them some power over others, even if it’s for destructive purposes. Hey, it’s easier then getting a GED. Then you have whole online flagging communities / parties whacking ads. Sound pathetic? You bet.
…..If you follow a particular section for example “electronics for sale by owner” you will see a pattern of the same people posting day after day. The worst is the “Wanted” sections. The same ads over and over sometimes posting the exact same thing 20 X in a row morning, noon, and evening. It could be wanted for: junk cars, antiques, Cisco equipment, etc, etc. Some have a bank of 20-30 different ads they post every other day. And the same site abusers have been doing this for years. Then you or I go to post one or two legit ads and the post gets flagged off. Only allowed one ad every 48 hours they say, lol. You left out something or gave to much info in your post they say…hohoho. Something smells awfully fishy in Denmark!
Stay tuned for my rant about the “New Age of Estate & Yard sales.”
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