C.L. Free Ads. don't Get It.

I keep an eye on CL FREE ads as I've scored a beautiful tripple pane bay window, a nice truck cap, etc. in the past.

While the column seems frequented by a rather odd community of greenies, there's one thing I don't get: It is quite common to see ads for a single can of pet food, an infant t-shirt, a pair of shorts, etc.

Are such ads for real, or simply a decoy for some other activity?


Thank you,
Glenn F.

triple

[i:654c4848f0]Are such ads for real, or simply a decoy for some other activity?[/i:654c4848f0]

Perhaps they're decoys, but I usually just chalk it up to people being idiots.

No shortage of them out there, is there? Too bad you couldn't round 'em up and sell them, but some people frown upon that sort of thing.....

My take on those ads are its older people that know the value of a dollar or people that don"t like to waste things if it can be reused. Thats just my two cents. But I have got some good things for free on CL.

I think it is often just lonely people that are bored.. I bet they would talk your ears off, if you went to see the item..

Quite a few years ago I used to frequent a site called Freecycle. It was supposed to be stuff that was too good to throw away but was no longer wanted or needed by the owner.

It, too, ended up being stuff that was undoubtedly wanted by some people, but was of no interest to me. Baby clothes, candle holders, empty bottles, well-used-up appliances, etc.

I scored some chain-link fence off there, but in the couple of years that I visited the site, that was the only thing that I saw that I was interested in.

Good idea. Just wrong for me.

Tom in TN

I just saw this one and had to laugh:

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Free newspaper articles about the Jesse Burkett little league s trip to Williamsport Pa
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Tried to give away an old couch, love seat, and chair awhile back. Granted it was old, and wasn't pretty, but it was free, and in my opinion, better than nothing, for someone with nothing (ie a young, single, guy starting out on his own). All I got in response to my ad was a reply telling me how 'hillbilly', lazy, cheap, etc, etc, etc, I was for giving it away instead of paying someone to take it away with the trash. As I said, old, and not pretty, but definitely NOT trash. Needless to say the idiot got a 'nice' email back stating my opinion of his/her opinion, and stating that I'd burn it before I even thought about someone like them getting it, no matter how bad they might need it.

I wound up hanging on to it because my buddy (young and single) now wants it to recover because it's long enough for someone over six feet tall (like I am) to actually lay down on it without your feet hanging over the arm rest.

Next time put a price on it and it might sell. Free implies you want junk hauled away.

Put it on the street curb with a $500 for sale sign. It will be stolen by morning.

(quoted from post at 00:51:25 03/15/14) Quite a few years ago I used to frequent a site called Freecycle. It was supposed to be stuff that was too good to throw away but was no longer wanted or needed by the owner.

It, too, ended up being stuff that was undoubtedly wanted by some people, but was of no interest to me. Baby clothes, candle holders, empty bottles, well-used-up appliances, etc.

I scored some chain-link fence off there, but in the couple of years that I visited the site, that was the only thing that I saw that I was interested in.

Good idea. Just wrong for me.

Tom in TN

Click to expand...

I read the OP's post and thought of freecycle. My SIL originally told me about that site. I checked it out ONE time....saw an ad for free living room furniture. Couch, chair, loveseat, end tables, lamps. Needed repair. Must pick up soon....it's sitting outside on the deck. Only been rained on a few times.

That was the 2nd ad I saw. 1st one wasn't much better. I didn't bother to look at a 3rd ad.

A lot of places have made 'trash-picking' illegal,
so a 'free' ad is sometimes the only way to give away something
too nice to throw away.

A for sale sign with a 10 cents price printed large will get around it in some areas. Print, just leave the money in the coffee can.

You ever been to an auction with some furniture in it? It usually goes for next to nothing.Last Fall at a farm auction I bought 7 nice heavy built solid Oak chairs for
$1 each and a nice almost new cloth upolstered chair and matching ottoman for $5.Furniture just has no resale value really.

The ones that get me are the ones for "free" trees or buildings to be taken down. "Must be insured" It would cost them hundreds of $ to have it done by someone who was insured.

nothing is free,,,, think about it, my neice calls me up,"UNCLE", theres a free "somthing" on c-list, can we go get it,,,, ya- my truck, fuel, time, tired by the time it gets to her place,,, FREE HUH,,,lol

In one of the "best of" listings, someone wanted to trade his air guitar for another one as his had too much bass for his tastes....lol made me laugh.

Probably legit but it'd have to be a fool or someone close by to get it as the gas to go there and back would make it an expensive can quick.

I've found some good deals in the Craig's List Free section. But it does seem to bring out the Freeks. I no longer post freebies as I'm inundated with calls wanting me to deliver the freebie or hold it for them etc. I no longer try to get things that are posted as at the curb at 123 X street, will remove ad when gone. Because it will be gone by the time I get there and 90% of them don't remove their ads promptly so it might well be gone before I even make the trip. I tolerate but don't care for the folks that post things with an email or phone number but never reply/return a call--I know what's happened is someone has already gotten it and they are too lazy to remove it form CL much less reply to others wanting it. But my best deals have been these folks calling me after a day or so because whomever called first and said they were coming to get it never showed. One time I got 2 rugs which together sold for $85 but what made it extra special was he said he was moving and I noticed he had only a few other items in the storage building. I inquired what he planned for them and he took a second and said I could have them. Another 5 items bring me an additional $203. Sweet.