Do you Craigslist?

This weeks topic on Friend Makin' Monday is Craigslist.
Amber wants to know...

Do you use Craigslist? What have your experiences been?
Good or bad? What was the best thing you've ever bought?
What was the best deal you ever sold?

Yes, I do use Craigslist! Although I must admit I do spend WAY more time "looking and browsing" than I actually do on purchasing things. =) Overall, my experience has been pretty good when I have been serious about purchasing an item. One downfall for me living in a Dallas suburb, there are a TON of other suburbs posting ads as well. When I limit my search to my close little area (Plano, McKinney, Frisco and Allen) it usually narrows my search results quite a bit. Others might be willing to drive hour+ to save some money/make a good deal, but I don't like going outside of my "comfort zone". =)

The one thing that I LOVE about craigslist...usually if I have my mind set on wanting to find something in particular I faithfully check the site frequently for that particular item. Usually within the week I can find exactly what I am looking for and within the price range I am willing to spend. I've been pretty lucky. =) I would have to say it is a tie between two of my best things I bought off of Craigslist.

My first BIG Craigslist purchase was Brayden's Big Boy Bed. It was exactly what I was looking for. Pottery Barn Kid style with drawers on the bottom at an AWESOME price of $200. After spending a whole week looking at furniture stores for the perfect bedroom suite, they were NO comparison to this one. They included the mattress (which had been fully protected and looked brand new) and a bunkie board (which I had no idea what that was.) The icing on the cake for me was the seller lived in the neighborhood right across the mainstreet from the school where I teach, so it made me feel very comfortable and within my comfort zone. =) Here is Brayden when we first got his new Big Boy Bed:

I LOVE how the drawers are the FULL depth of the bed. He was sooo excited to get rid of his crib/daybed! Here, he was pretending to be asleep:
My other favorite purchase was from this summer. It was my brand new Cannon Rebel Xsi camera...it was an AMAZING deal with a few extra brand new accessories the seller included. To top off the great deal, the seller lived exactly one main street over from me...how ironic is that?!? It was definitely well within my comfort zone, which made the deal even that much better for me. We met at MarketStreet (grocerystore) to do the exchange.

I haven't had too much luck actually selling anything, but partly because I am a lil bit of a scaredy cat. I usually have big visions of selling LOTS of things, but for some reason it just freaks me out to know the person will know where I live and crazy things wander through my mind like...what if they end up having issues with the item, will they come back to hunt me down and demand a refund?? I know we can meet somewhere, but that still makes me a little nervous too. I definitely need to get over that! I did help my dad sell at item. I found a guy in the exact area where my parents live looking to buy a Jeep Softcover...as luck would have it, the year/model of our old jeep matched his so it was a perfect fit. Now my dad has one less thing in his storage building. =)

My next Craigslist adventure: I would LOVE to sell my old antique bedroom suite that has been sitting in my garage for over a year. My Pottery Barn Kasey Quilt and possibly Brayden's train table that he never plays with. =)

Now head on over to Amber's blog to tell us about your Craigslist experiences!

Happy Friend Makin Monday!