Things I Learned from Crazy Craig's List Lady

[Merriweather]

Ok, first, I'm not sure where to post this. I make a little extra money by selling off things I don't need anymore, and things I pick up cheap at garage sales on Craigs List. And though I have found a few crazy/sucky customers buying from me, this one incident was actually with a crazy lady who was selling - but I did so want to share, as it was quite amusing (in a scary sort of way).

I was going to post the entire email conversation, but decided perhaps you have lives you'd like to continue with, so in an effort to be more brief, I'm offering the condensed version (trust me, with me even the "brief" version can run to novel lengths).

Background - I had posted a "want to buy" ad on Craigs List. I got a reply from Crazy Craig's List Lady (hereafter referred to as CCLL) that she had some (she gave no prices). A lot of people tend to think that anyone posting such an ad is automatically a collector willing to pay top dollar, so I was very careful to state in my response to CCLL that I was looking for personal use, had a very strict budget, and was looking for items at garage sale/thrift store prices (not uncommon on our local Craigs List). I told her if within my price range, I'd like them. She sent me a price list. Not exorbitant, but much higher than what I was looking for. I politely asked her if she would consider a lower price, and said otherwise I'd have to pass. I expected a "sorry, no", which is fair enough. Instead, the rant began. I actually attempted to politely explain myself and point out facts involved, but after a couple of emails it deteriorated so badly, I didn't even answer.



But here's what I learned today from the Crazy Craigs List Lady:

I am a B**ch (ok, I CAN be , but she had to be psychic to know this from my extremely polite emails).

Offering a lower price for an item is not, as I thought, bargaining - it is trying to con someone.

Any reference to value of items should reference what she sells them for on ebay, not what the other person has bought them for from other sources (even when ESP is required to do this).

In spite of having purchased similar items literally scores of times (possibly hundreds), I do not know what they sell for, as I did not buy from where she sells (ebay).

Buying said items at garage sales and thrift stores for less than her selling prices on ebay is conning those sellers (even though paying the full price they are asking).

Because I (out of old habits) used a British spelling for a word in an email, I should go back to the UK.

If I'm too poor to pay her prices for the items, I should not be buying such non-essential items.


Isn't it amazing what you can learn through interaction on the internet?

[Der Cute]

Should have replied, "Oi, Bint, sod off!"
Oh, and block her email.

[Merriweather]

Should have replied, "Oi, Bint, sod off!"
Oh, and block her email.

I actually did tell her I was blocking her, dont' bother to reply (but didn't out of curiosity as to how far she'd go). She sent the worst one after that. I decided it was more fun just to let her think I never got it rather than reply.

I like your response, LOL. My daughter suggested I tell her of a real bargain I'd gotten at a garage sale, and see if her head explodes. The items in question were me searching for old UK TV shows (PBS, BBCA etc, must be our region code), I love them, can't afford new, or even some ebay prices, but thrift stores & garage sales often treat them as any other video or DVD in pricing. If paying what is asked at a sale or shop is conning them if the "going price" is higher, she'd have reported me to the cops for a few bargains I've gotten the past few months -

At a thrift shop, got the first series of the new Dr. Who on DVD for $14 (at that time it was around $90 on Amazon for new); just a couple of weeks ago I found the entire Star Trek Voyager series on DVD at a garage sale - the woman said her Dad had dropped it off and set the price - $25 for all of them (checked Amazon later on, new set runs abougt $250); and that same weekend, found a teapot in the original box, bought it for $2 for my daughter to use at the granddaughter's upcoming mad hatter tea party birthday party. It was Cinderella in a coach, to me it looked cheap, very gaudy, way over the top - perfect for a bunch of 8 year old girls, LOL. Out of curiosity I googled the brand, and found out that apparently it's collectible, and retired about 20 years ago, and runs about $150 on collector sites Needless to say, it isn't gonna be used for the 8 year olds, LOL.

[ArcticChicken]

Because I (out of old habits) used a British spelling for a word in an email, I should go back to the UK.

I'm American born and raise, and there are several words I use the British spelling on at least half the time. Of course, several of my favorite authors are British.

At a thrift shop, got the first series of the new Dr. Who on DVD for $14

I hate you. Just so you know.

[Elspeth]

half.com is another good place to find deals. Though I am not sure if they have different regions.

And I hate you too about the Dr Who steal.

[Sheldonrs]

It sounds like she's fornicating with almonds.

[Amina516]

It sounds like she's fornicating with almonds.

HAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA...


Took me a moment...but I got it.

Whoo..that was hard.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

It sounds like she's fornicating with almonds.

I myself might have said "fornicating with filburts." Just for that little extra bit of alliteration.

But what do I know? I didn't think of it first.

[MoonCat]

You're right, that woman was crazy. To me there's no point in collecting anything unless I also get a great bargain. I found some pieces of china at a local thrift shop. It was a pattern that my grandmother had, so I bought them. I think I paid about $5 for 4 or 5 plates, so it was a pretty good deal.

Then there was the teapot in the same pattern, found at a local vintage gift shop. They were asking $40 and the man told me the going rate was around $60 or so. I thought he was just talking up what a great deal he was giving me, etc., but it turned out he was right according to what I found in a book about this china pattern. He could have charged more than $40; he chose not to. I still shop there!

[Merriweather]

I hate you. Just so you know.

So does my daughter :-) DH thought I was crazy, I'm walking around the store with it clutched to me grinning like crazy. I got SO lucky, it was a new thrift store, someone donated a huge collection of British shows, mostly vhs, but some DVD's too (mostly old shows, with that exception). I really broke my budget, but as it all went to help rescue kitties, I refuse to feel guilty I think the store staff thought I was a crazy lady myself, who spends well over $100 in a thirft store at one go? And I did it again a few months later when they got more in. I love that store, they price vhs & DVD's at a certain price per disk, and it doesn't matter if its a common movie or hard to find PBS stuff. Unfortunately, nothing new has come in in ages.

[Merriweather]

It sounds like she's fornicating with almonds.

I love that one!

To me there's no point in collecting anything unless I also get a great bargain.

SO true, the fun is in the hunt for collections. On the British TV shows, those I'd buy (some of them) at full price if I could afford it, cause I buy them to watch. But stuff I collect, it'd be no fun to just walk in anywhere and buy them for whatever, no challenge at all. When Ilived in the UK I collected a specific pottery''s little ceramic figures. I had a book to know their worth, I went to fairs just for collectors of them, and I had a ball finding ones at car boot sales (flea markets) for a fraction of their value (a local antique dealer and I had a friendly rivalry over who could find them first at the local sales, LOL). But once I came back to the US, I've gone off them, even though there are plenty of collectors here in the US - most either buy the new pieces that come out by mail order, or some of the older pieces from ebay, all for going rate. No chase, no bargains, no fun.

[roothorick]

Totally not getting the "almonds" thing. "With All Munds?" Huh? Can someone fill me in?

Because I (out of old habits) used a British spelling for a word in an email, I should go back to the UK.

I curse "bloody" and "wanker" all the time. Too much TF2 I guess, bloody snipers. Thanks to modern media and particularly the Internet, the dialects are merging, slowly but surely.

I think the store staff thought I was a crazy lady myself, who spends well over $100 in a thirft store at one go?

The bigger, chain thrift stores (like Goodwill) are very, very good at this. Their massive donation network means their items are of a much higher quality, and since they have a lot more stores and have been running them longer, they know how to lay out a store to maximize your spendage. I've broken $100 once, gotten close a couple of times.

[kpzra]

Totally not getting the "almonds" thing. "With All Munds?" Huh? Can someone fill me in?

She's f*cking nuts.

[Mystic]

I actually buy the Merlin season DVD sets from amazon.co.uk and it cost less having shipped them across the pond than it would have to buy on Amazon.com, plus, they have the more awesome boxes.

I just play them on my computer's DVD drive since it can switch regions. Most of them can do that now and a lot of DVD players are starting to be multi-region as well.

[dalesys]

I myself might have said "fornicating with filburts." "...fornicator of filberts..." Just for that little extra bit of alliteration.

More alliterate.