[I_Like_Plants]

Here in the SF Bay Area, we have a sort of local community web page called Craigs List. It's usually a good place to sell stuff that's too big to ship, and I've put some things on there, things that normally sell very well and get lots of emails.

Instead, nothing, zip, nada. I've been lowering my asking prices daily, and.....

Nothing, zip, nada.

I sell on "CL" once in a while, I know that normally I'd get tons of emails. I'd get lowball offers, earnest offers, all kinds of offers.

Instead I got like 2-3 pieces of scam mail from outside the US, and that's it.

This to me is a real sign the economy is tanking.

Anyone else notice things like this? Hold a garage sale and no one comes? Trying to sell your car? Have a perfectly good washing machine for sale which would normally sell but now the phone remains silent?

[seahorse]

A good friend on mine owns a donut shop. We visited yesterday. His sales are terrible. He says it the high gas prices. He is considering closing his shop, but doesn't have anything else to do money wise.

[PraiseDoom]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'H')ere in the SF Bay Area, we have a sort of local community web page called Craigs List. It's usually a good place to sell stuff that's too big to ship, and I've put some things on there, things that normally sell very well and get lots of emails.

Instead, nothing, zip, nada. I've been lowering my asking prices daily, and.....

Nothing, zip, nada.

Anyone else notice things like this? Hold a garage sale and no one comes? Trying to sell your car? Have a perfectly good washing machine for sale which would normally sell but now the phone remains silent?

[I_Like_Plants]

Our local coffee house has brought in an afternoon special - coffee and a danish or scone for $2, if you knew that coffee place (the Bean Scene) you'd know that's pretty amazing.

Prices on Ebay are holding OK, this is why the dismal local scene is surprising me so much.

[WisJim]

I and my son have recently (last 2 weeks) bought and sold things on Craigs List, eBay, Cafe-list, and Freecycle, including an old "collectible" bicycle, antique oak dining table, sickle bar mower, old tools, etc. Many of the items I have called or emailed about, to buy, were sold before I called, so sales look good to me.

[Dopamine]

I have listed items on Ebay at deep discounts and they will not sell. I think we are beginning to see price deflation in non-essential items or non-utilitarian items. It seem that as inflation raises the prices of essential things like gasoline and food there will be less money left over for purchasing collectible or luxury items. So if you want to convert non-essential stuff into money and survival supplies you had best begin because this inflation/deflation trend is bound to get worse. It's better to get some money by selling grandma's antiques now rather than feeding the stove with them later.

[benzoil]

This might be cyclical as well. School just got out for many colleges and is about to get out for K-12. Memorial Day is coming up, too. As is "outdoor" and travel season. The eBay figures surprise me though. I'd love to see their overall listings numbers and price/sale figures. That'd be a great view on the economy!

[I_Like_Plants]

I sell mainly business/industrial stuff - when an engineer needs a solid state relay, and mine are 1/4 the cost of catalog price....

Finally have a bite on one thing, selling it rediculously cheep. No bites on the other stuff.

The obvious answer to these problems (end up selling stuff I paid a fair amount for new) is Don't Buy Stuff. If everyone Doesn't Buy Stuff, then individually they do better, but the economy tanks even faster.

Horray for us! Everyone's a winner in the Race To The Bottom (tm)

[Denny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'T')he obvious answer to these problems (end up selling stuff I paid a fair amount for new) is Don't Buy Stuff.

[TheDude]

Yeah, really, filthy Socialist!

Misunderstood the intent of this poll actually, didn't read the opening post and thought it was just whether sales were going on at all on CL. Bet there's a forum discussing sales, though. The head honcho guy (I don't think he's actually named Craig) is cool, very altruistic, and I bet when belts really start to tighten his business will go even further through the roof, if that makes sense.
For the time perhaps they've reached critical mass on sales - I know that I'm only after one item at a time there, had an RSS feed looking for a recumbent bike for instance. After I found my $400 Sun EV-1, well, no more need to bike shop. Perhaps this is common with people, they get what they need and move on.
C'sL and eBay are marvelous resources, right now CL has an antique Maytag non-electric washer - the 'ol tit-in-the-wringer model - for free, no less. Bet it's gone already, too.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheDude', 'Y')eah, really, filthy Socialist!

Misunderstood the intent of this poll actually, didn't read the opening post and thought it was just whether sales were going on at all on CL. Bet there's a forum discussing sales, though. The head honcho guy (I don't think he's actually named Craig) is cool, very altruistic, and I bet when belts really start to tighten his business will go even further through the roof, if that makes sense.
For the time perhaps they've reached critical mass on sales - I know that I'm only after one item at a time there, had an RSS feed looking for a recumbent bike for instance. After I found my $400 Sun EV-1, well, no more need to bike shop. Perhaps this is common with people, they get what they need and move on.
C'sL and eBay are marvelous resources, right now CL has an antique Maytag non-electric washer - the 'ol tit-in-the-wringer model - for free, no less. Bet it's gone already, too.

[TheDude]

I was thinking of an interview I saw with the CEO, Jim Buckmaster. Got the impression he was the founder for some reason.
I think they have C.L. in Kabul now...I see Tel Aviv and Micronesia. "More than 130 new cities were added in November 2006."