CraigList: South Bay Area Buying and Selling

CRAIG'S....I never knew about this 'word' till my husband came to the USA 2 years ago and bought an Olympus digital SLR. That was his short trip of 3 months here. Now, a month ago we both moved to US from India, and have set up our apartment in Sunnyvale. For someone who has moved in from other country, it is not an easy task to buy each and everything 'brand new'...So, Craig list was the BEST way we could convert the house to a home!

My husband would go to work and I am still waiting for my work permit, so it was easy for me to go through the site and note down all the necessary things we wanted. One has to deeply understand how Craig works. An ad is published on Craig and it will be on the site for the next 7 days. You have to choose which area you are in and which are you are searching the stuffs. In my case, I live in Sunnyvale and I typically searched in South Bay area and sometimes Peninsula. This will make it easier to go around and get what we want.

For very specific things like TV, sofa, bed, oven, I went through the site, I noted down the models, the asking price, how old was the item, was it bought new or old, and finally whether the seller was very firm on the price or he/she was negotiable. Most of the times, we tend to choose the listings which have images, but there is a catch. Some sellers wont put the image on the page itself, but they will give another link to the items that they want to sell. So, if you want any particular item, then it is advisable to see the image. If its a 'moving sale' or 'garage sale' then don't go for image on the first page. There will definitely be a link to the pictures in their first page.

Once you have the item you want, check the market price of the item. Some sellers have unopened brand new stuffs which they want to sell. So, note down the model name and go to the official website of that product and get the original price of that. If you think that the seller is giving it for the same price, there is no point in buying it from them because the retailer might give you a discount on that!!!! For used items also, like a bed, see the model, for eg, "Sealy Posturepedic"... Go to the official site, see what different products they have, read the reviews, and know which one is comfortable for you. Once you do that, you are ready to go ahead with the seller. IMPORTANT: Try to negotiate the price on the e-mails. It doesn't work out to go to their place and start negotiating. Only when the seller says that the price is 'firm' on the web page, then its understood that they wont come down on price. But most of the sellers are very negotiable. But you have to do it before you meet them, so it wont create an awkward scene later.

For decorative items and other vintage collection, you can find a lot of 'estate sales' where ppl lived there for 50 years n leaving behind a rich home. You can find lot of solid wood furniture, crystal ware, lamps, chests, china hutch, clocks., dining tables..etc. Its a good deal because the ppl in estate sales are pretty easy with the pricing. They are not very firm. And there is a time limit to close the estate sale, and as the time approaches, the rates go down and down!!! So you get a lot of good stuffs for a cheap price....

There are some dealers who put their ad on Craig during their 'overstocks' or 'offers' or 'closeouts'. You get brand new stuffs for a little less money.
There are some places, where they will purchase used/old items and put all of that in a showroom. There is a place called 'Khurashido' in Sunnyvale, these guys get old as well as brand new stuffs. Once they get the items, they will list them on Craig. But their price is firm. Whatever is on the sticker, you have to pay that! No negotiation...

Next is the 'garage sale' or 'moving sale'. Moving sales are very effective because the seller has time limits. He/she has to move either out of state or out of country, and they want to sell as much as they can before they leave. So they are very much negotiable and you are on a better chance of getting good stuffs there. Garage sales are something when ppl want to get rid of some stuffs which they don't want anymore. Sometimes, its a good deal or sometimes its not! So know what exactly is displayed on the garage sales first before going there.

If you are going to get a TV or a bed or some heavy stuff, please don't go alone. Get someone with you who can carry the heavy load. Some sellers will help you load the items, but some simply don't! And if some item has to be dissembled, note down the correct way to assemble it again so that it wont be a problem later. If it is an electronic or electrical stuff, check it there and then whether it works or not! Most of the sellers will note down on the Craig whether the item has some flaws, so its not a big problem for you to know that! If it is a wooden stuff and it has some chipped edges, they will definitely mark that area and show it in the picture on Craig. So its always a fair and transparent deal. For any item on Craig, sellers will be very transparent. Or if you have any doubt, just shoot an email to them, and they will respond very quickly.

Once you know that you want any item, call that seller and fix an appointment. Go there at the scheduled time and get the item home!! Its always better to get their 'complete address' with the zip code, because it is very easy to find the house with the zip code. If you have a GPS, then nothing like it. It will take you to the exact location once you punch in the address to it. If you don't have a GPS, then its better to call the seller and ask for directions.

So, it is always best to know what you want, whether it is necessary or not, whether the item on sale is in good condition, it matches your necessity, it doesn't burn a whole in you pocket, go ahead and buy it. Ask a few more ppl whom you know about the product. Whether they have liked it or something like that.
We have bought a lot of things from Craig's, like digital camera, a Sony TV, bed, sofa, dining table, microwave, lamps, coffee table, end tables, crystal show pieces, etc. and I feel that we have done a lot of research before buying anything. But at the end of the day, we are satisfied with what we bought.
Craig's is an awesome place to buy and sell things. It doesn't cost anything to look in that. It will teach you more and more as you research!

So, go ahead and start shopping on Craig's. Its the best way to make your house a HOME :) Happy Craiging :)