My first Craigslist purchase was a walkman. New, this would have been at least twenty dollars but I hoped to find a good deal on Craigslist for about half price, so I started my search. I started out as a skeptic, but have gone back to make more purchases off of the Minneapolis Craigslist site. It’s great to use!
The Craigslist interface was very simple and effective. I picked the location – Minneapolis – and it included the entire major metro area, so I didn’t have the inconvenience of looking up every city individually. One thing I really liked was that I could type in “walkman” and the search engine would look through all the categories and pull up every hit. I found “walkman” was posted in electronics by some people, and in household items or the general category by others, so the search function really helped me in what I was finding.
Completing the Transaction
The purchase I made on Craigslist was quick and easy. The woman who sold the walkman was upfront about the one defect – she couldn’t find the headphones – and was an experienced seller. We met in a Perkins parking lot, exchange the 3 dollars for the walkman and chatted for a good 15 minutes. I couldn’t have asked for a better deal!
Tips for first-time Craigslist buyers
Use a secondary email account. I think this is common sense, but anytime I contact someone I haven’t been introduced to, I use a secondary email account to protect myself from spam. I recommend this for any online purchase.
Treat it like a garage sale transaction. For the most part Craigslist sellers I’ve dealt with are clearing out their perfectly good used items for a few bucks rather than selling at a garage sale. You wouldn’t expect a refund at a garage sale, and the same kinds of unwritten rules apply to most Craigslist transaction.
You don’t need an account. This is one of my favorite parts of Craigslist. There is no need to create an account, remember a password or give out your personal information.
Conclusion – Highly Recommended
Though I started out thinking it would be a waste of time, I took a chance on Craigslist and have gone back to purchase a lamp for ten dollars and got a kneeling chair for free. Everything I have is in good condition and is worth at least two times what I paid for it.
