One of the things I've been excited about with the new house is being able to entertain friends and family in a non-cramped space. We're so lucky in Arizona that we can be outside for a big portion of the year, so I wanted a patio set that would seat 6 for dining outdoors from October to May (see, Arizona is awesome!). So I naively began my search for a patio set, and quickly realized that a 7-piece set can easily cost the same as a Geo Metro. Good lawd! People want some serious money for a table and chairs. So I turned my attention to Craigslist, where I hoped to find a gently used set to last us a couple years, possibly to be replaced with more of an "investment" piece later.
Craigslist kinda drives me nuts. There's all sorts of junk on there burying the gems and good deals. And the pictures people post? Really, folks, if you're going to try to sell a sofa, take the laundry off of it. I found an ad for one patio set that said in the description "does not come with cushions." And the picture showed why: they'd apparently been ripped off by a rapid boar and there were only remnants left. Not to mention, the table itself had what looked to be rotten leaves on it. Take some pride in what you're selling, and take the 5 minutes to hit it with some Windex. Proper staging is key.
So anyway, I responded to a couple of ads over the last couple days, and didn't hear back. Bummer, because they looked to be nice sets. I sent another email last night when I got home for a third ad. I asked for a description of the set as there were no photos. About an hour later, I got a reply from the owner describing the set. I couldn't tell you what it looked like, though, because I couldn't get past the email address.... &#^%$babes69 at aol.com (where &#^%$ are other letters to conceal the whole addy).
Where to begin? First, "babes69?" Really? That's how you want to present yourself to people? Call me crazy, but I'd feel like a douche when people asked for my email address and I responded "it's, uh, &#^%$ b-a-b-e-s-sixty-nine..." How old is this person? And how have they not been told to sign up for an appropriate email address? That was one of the first things we learned in college - get yourself an email address that lacks mention of any body parts, sexual acts, recreational substances, or implications of promiscuity. Just your name, maybe with a dot or an underscore at blahblah.com. That's it. First impressions, in business, and in life, are everything, and "babes69" isn't a good one. I can't help but imagine some sleezy guy sitting in front of his computer eating Fritos chili pies in his sweatpants. When he's not eating, he's probably taking duck face self-portraits in his bathroom mirror and posting them on the singles section of Craigslist. Who knows what that poor furniture has seen or been through. Ew.
Secondly, AOL? I know it's still around because I know other people with AOL addresses, but it still amazes me to see one. I wonder if I could pay "babes69" in 1,500 free hour CDs. I'm sure I have some in an old box somewhere. Those CDs are as good as money, you know. Remember how we all got those CDs and we'd go sign up for AOL and search by keywords and go in chat rooms and enjoy the sound of "you've got mail" for 1,500 hours, and then when the account ran out, you'd have to wait for a new CD, get a new handle, and start all over? How many CDs has "babes69" gone through in 15 years? Maybe "babes69" used to be "babes1" so the answer to my question is actually 69 CDs.
Clearly, I don't think this is the set for me. Lord knows what "babes69" has been doing with it or where it's been. Thanks, but no thanks. I went to a large box store which will remain unnamed and ordered a new, untainted set for the same amount of money. "Babes69" will have to find someone else to buy his unfortunate patio set.
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Also, I did a little guest blurb over at Amanda's blog that you should check out. Sheen Watch 2011: It's full of win.
4 comments:
Yeah...Craigslist. You definitely get some winners on there. We went to see a bedroom set for our guest room recently and it was...gross...to say the least. People are disgusting.
But we did actually get really lucky. Almost all the furniture we bought for the new house...with the exception of our couches and bed...we found of Craigslist. But it took many, many, many hours of patiently searching for good deals.
And...I still use AOL. Because I've had the same address since AOL was invented and I don't like change. I promise it's not babes69. It's just my name.
HA! I love this. Yes, Craigslist is full of crazies, but you can find some good stuff. I bought our washer on craigslist. As far as AOL, I do have an AOL address i used since I was 16 years old. We paid for it back in the day! Now I use it to sign up for things that I know will send me spam.
Oh MERCY!!! I don't even know where to begin...Craigslist lost all of my love and support when the founder of Craigslist was being interviewed (or maybe "hounded" is a better word) by a CNN reporter once the story broke on the Craigslist Killer and all he could say was "yeah, that's too bad." So, not that I was ever a Craigslist connosieur, but that sort of sealed it for me. Also, this post reminds me of Craigslist Crazies that Cape Cod Awesome used to post. So, in her absence, thank you for posting a little bit of crazy.
And I have no idea what you're talking about with the CDs and AOL. The only thing that comes to mind is Columbia House. But then, I've had the same Yahoo address since the invention of Yahoo. And it is a school mascot, which is not sexual at all. At least, not that I know of.
Ah I do love craig's list but without a doubt you do have to be patient and careful. I lucked out last week and purchased glass vases and an arch for Megan's wedding but it was pure chance that I logged on that day.
It is humorous to hear you tell your stories. I love them! And I agree, do people even think about what they are selling? Most of th stuff should be trashed. It is the luck of the draw so don't give up, there are some great deals on Craig's list.
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