Craigslist ~ Find whatever it is you're dreaming about

Craigslist (craigslist.org) is an expansive online classifieds marketplace. While the scope of users is international, it is mostly a resource for those in the USA. Much like eBay, you’ll find “it” and much more there — just about anything you can imagine! Craigslist is free to use, both for buyers and sellers. While it is large in scope, listings are categorized, and you can easily search locally.

If you have something to sell — especially if it’s something that’s too heavy or bulky to make shipping a reasonable option — posting an ad on Craigslist is a great way to go. The entire process takes just a few minutes, and your item is on display to the world.

It was during a recent move when we most utilized Craigslist.

We sold a few things, including a beautiful mahogany crib our daughter had outgrown and a big old farm table that we had no room for in our new home. The crib sold quickly.


The farm table was a bit of a hassle. I had lots of inquiries, but not so many from anyone who wanted to come by to see it. Finally, at the last minute — on our actual moving day — I went online and lowered the asking price to unload it quickly. We had two buyers show up within a half hour of each other, all while the moving guys were scurrying around, carrying out just about everything that was left! The first interested party to arrive was very fortunate. He hadn’t seen my earlier ad, his wife always dreamed of having a farm table, and he got a fantastic deal!

When we finally settled into our new home, I envisioned a lovely braided rug for our dining room. I saw two online that were equally beautiful — one was priced at $250 and the other at just $50, And that one had a matching hallway rug to go along with it! The drive to Providence was well worth our time. It was perfect!

The making of a young entrepreneur

While moving time may be when Craigslist is most useful, my 13 year-old son, Sean, had a different idea. He has always wanted to compete at the fairs in lawn tractor racing.

He posted an ad on Craigslist stating that he was looking for an inexpensive tractor. Someone replied to his posting that he had one to sell, but it wasn’t running. That didn’t phase Sean one bit. He was glad to buy it for $20.

He was at his father’s house that weekend, so he borrowed the $20 he needed from his stepmother. The lawn tractor was brought back to their place, and Sean cleaned up the carburetor and put fluid in it. He had it running in no time! I received a very excited phone call from him telling me of his success.

Then, Sean earned $20 for cutting the lawn with the newly repaired tractor, and he paid back his stepmother.

However, he soon discovered that the tractor he was so excited about didn’t have quite enough power in it to be very competitive in a race. He decided to sell it — on Craigslist, of course!

He gave it a decent paint job and a little pin striping, snapped a photo, and posted an ad. In the listing, he asked $250 for it. A man from Norwich responded and offered Sean $180. Sold!

Sean wasn’t able to compete at the fairs this year. Now he has a bigger idea. He wants a Bush Hog Tractor in which he’d like to put in a Chevy 305 motor...
Hmmm, I wonder what will come of that!

Be aware

Parents, monitor your children’s Internet activities. Since Sean was too young to engage in such transactions on his own, his father participated in the process.

Safety first
Unlike eBay, where most transactions are made through Paypal and the postal service, Craigslist purchases are usually local and require face-to-face contact between a buyer and seller. Both parties should use caution when meeting someone from Craigslist in person. When arranging a meeting, ALWAYS have someone accompany you. Buyers should be especially wary if carrying cash. Remember, most individual sellers don’t accept checks or credit cards.

Buy at Your Own Risk
Know that transactions you make through Craigslist are done at your own risk. Craigslist is not responsible if you get scammed by a seller, nor do they offer any recourse if you do.