Craigslist. Founded in 1995, it’s a relic of the old internet that is lingering around today. While not as prominent as it once was—like the high-profile murder case—people still use it often to buy, sell, trade, gather, and even write pornographic narratives and conspiracy theories.
I’ve used it often, and early, in life. My first outings with CL started when I first got a car at 16. The drums came first, by emailing sellers every month. I’d scour for deals on used cymbals and accessories, occasionally haggling my way to the best deal. I even bought my first bass guitar from it. My contemporaries thought I was a businessman-in-training at the least; an online wizard at best.
As I got older, I’d take the reigns of selling as a side hustle, sometimes a favor for friends. iPods, sports jerseys, musical equipment, and GPS systems, to name a few of my wares. I exhibited some entrepreneurial skills for some naïve kid. I kept the products close to me, so in case I needed to escape or call in for backup, I was covered. Thankfully, I was never robbed. Clearly, never murdered.
If anything, random buyers may have thought I was a narc. Back when identity could be a college email or a business. A seemingly regrettable email like ‘sk8trpunk69420@aol.com’. Maybe just a clamshell cellphone with spotty 3G internet service. Where you meet in a well-lit parking lot, exchange in a minute, and get the hell out of there. It’s much different now.
My last major sale on FB Marketplace was a portable air conditioner through Facebook Marketplace. The less-than-Wild-West version of selling, where you’re given access to others’ basic information right off the bat, including a user-submitted rating. Exchange private info on a website that’s notorious for collecting and disseminating your information. You can even be guaranteed money back if you obtain something broken. It’s nothing like the semi-anonymous meetups I mentioned earlier.
It’s kind of weird this way, not going to lie. But on the other hand, it can be safer and more streamlined. It certainly has opened the gates to more confident sellers and buyers, that’s for sure. But even so, there are plenty of apps people use like Mercari, OfferUp, and scores of clones that pop up every year. They all pale in comparison to the GOAT that Craig reared.
Never was big into yard sales. Even though most items you’d see there are priced to sell fast. It’s a Pandora’s Box. Occasional gems can be found, and even resold if you’re savvy enough. Guess it depends on how hard you search, and how varied the neighborhoods you explore. The last yard sale I was at was one of my own when we were clearing house before moving. Not much to sell, not much success. And I thought old clothes would net me a decent dinner or something. Just roughly $5 at Plato’s Closet. That’s just the nature of the secondhand game.
Probably best to just hold onto a few things, things you know can stand the test of time. Or invaluable things you can store in a box for years. The box alone could be squished to bits or structurally sound. Imagine when I decide to move again, all the books and art I have to pack and haul, hoping they aren’t broken or ruined by the end of it. Just got to know the edge crush limit. And pray for no precipitation.