# General Mandolin Topics > eBay, Craig's List, etc. >  Don't you love ads like this?

## MediumMando5722

http://dayton.craigslist.org/msg/5561208206.html

If you don't feel like clicking, the ad reads:

"I got a Kentucky a style mandolin very nice good condition brand new strings call or text for info and pics $100 or obo or trade for electric guitar"

No pics in the ad.

When I click the reply button, it only gives email contact, despite the seller's request for a text or call. I emailed him twice, no response either time. The first email was within maybe an hour of the ad being posted. I'm in the market for a mandolin, have both $100 and a cheap electric guitar I'd offer for trade. 

I'd sworn off Craigslist awhile back, and sellers like this remind me why.

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## Folkmusician.com

hehe,

If only things like this were restricted to Craigslist!   :Smile:

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G7MOF, 

Timbofood

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## Mark Wilson

Post your ad above his:

"I got a very nice electric guitar brand new strings call or text for info and pics $500 or obo or trade for Kentucky a style mandolin in good condition"

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darrylicshon, 

Folkmusician.com, 

G7MOF, 

Greg Stec, 

Haemgraffiti, 

Jess L., 

lflngpicker, 

MediumMando5722, 

Mike Arakelian, 

Russ Donahue, 

Sweetpea44, 

Timbofood

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## Folkmusician.com

> "I got a very nice electric guitar brand new strings call or text for info and pics $500 or obo or trade for Kentucky a style mandolin in good condition"


Brilliant!

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lflngpicker

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## gtani7

> http://dayton.craigslist.org/msg/5561208206.html
> 
> If you don't feel like clicking, the ad reads:
> 
> "I got a Kentucky a style mandolin very nice good condition brand new strings call or text for info and pics $100 or obo or trade for electric guitar"
> 
> No pics in the ad.
> 
> When I click the reply button, it only gives email contact, despite the seller's request for a text or call. I emailed him twice, no response either time. The first email was within maybe an hour of the ad being posted. I'm in the market for a mandolin, have both $100 and a cheap electric guitar I'd offer for trade. 
> ...


I sometimes watch CList PC ads, a lot of them are fake, obviously way below market prices, they're just harvesting email addresses to spam.

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Jess L.

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## Jeff Mando

I've always said that Craigslist was "designed" for people who found eBay too much of a challenge.....

Seems Craigslist might be over the skill set of some people!   :Disbelief:

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lflngpicker

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## MediumMando5722

> I've always said that Craigslist was "designed" for people who found eBay too much of a challenge.....
> 
> Seems Craigslist might be over the skill set of some people!


At the risk of sounding really snooty, Craigslist (and the Internet in general) went downhill with the advent of pre-paid smartphones. 

(Now, having said that, I know many upstanding people who use pre-paid smartphones. That is in no way meant to be an all-encompassing statement, and I mean no offense to any pre-paid using non-knuckle staggers.)

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## mandobassman

I just recently saw a very similar ad in the South Jersey Craigslist.  It was for a Kentucky KM-140 selling for $80 OBO.  It did have a photo and it looked to be in good shape.  I called and texted but never received a response.  The ad was several days old when I saw it and I figured it had already been sold.  Now I'm wondering if it is the same person placing ads in various places.  Maybe not, but the similarity is interesting.

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## mandobassman

Very similar ad, also in the Dayton, Ohio area.  However, this one has a contact name and phone number.

https://limaohio.craigslist.org/msg/5570857869.html

Here is the text from that ad.

"Practically new 'A' style mandolin with padded travel case.
Hasn't been played much at all,,,paid $299.00 asking $150 or trade for
a nice acoustic guitar with case."

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## Jess L.

> ... the Internet in general) went downhill with the advent of pre-paid smartphones. ...


Before that, actually, with the advent of easy-to-use affordable home computers in the 1990s. 

That opened up the internet to world+dog (including me), making the internet more of a reflection of human society in general. 

I think the possibilities are fascinating, people using tech in life-changing ways never imagined before. 

Yeah, we see lots of Craigslist postings by people who aren't tech-savvy (bad photos) & who misspell every other word (look up classic car ads for some prime examples of unbelievably bad spelling), but it's people, just everyday people.

But of course the anonymity effect does encourage some misbehavior in those who are prone to it anyway, since there are often few or no consequences for improper behavior (thinking of all those international scams, ransomwares, etc). 

And yeah, not every modern internet user is as well-mannered as perhaps, so I've heard, in the 1980s... before the home PC boom turned computers into common household appliances for the masses. 

But it's still a fascinating and, I suppose, historically groundbreaking phenomenon to observe and/or be a part of. 

Modern internet, prepaid phones an' all,  :Smile:  might not be quite as universally game-changing as the Gutenberg press as far as a means of mass communication, but still significant.

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## Roger Moss

I've gotten some great deals on craigslist but also run across some real clowns. The worst of these are the ones who don't have the basic common decency to e-mail you to go to hell.

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## Jess L.

> I sometimes watch CList PC ads, a lot of them are *fake*, obviously way below market prices, they're just* harvesting email addresses to spam*.


Good to know, thanks.  :Smile:  Lots of stuff to watch out for, certainly.

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## Roger Moss

I use a prepaid smartphone and I take pride in the way I act online. I find the problematic people are the ones that think owning a $2500 Mac makes them special.

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choctaw61, 

Jess L., 

Timbofood

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## MediumMando5722

> I use a prepaid smartphone and I take pride in the way I act online. I find the problematic people are the ones that think owning a $2500 Mac makes them special.


I agree. What about the jerks like me who buy last year's iPhone and $100 secondhand MacBooks?  :Smile: 

Seriously, I hope you didn't take offense to what I said, as none was intended.

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Jess L.

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## MediumMando5722

> Very similar ad, also in the Dayton, Ohio area.  However, this one has a contact name and phone number.
> 
> https://limaohio.craigslist.org/msg/5570857869.html
> 
> Here is the text from that ad.
> 
> "Practically new 'A' style mandolin with padded travel case.
> Hasn't been played much at all,,,paid $299.00 asking $150 or trade for
> a nice acoustic guitar with case."


Not the same person. This guy replied to me the same day, but said, "No pics but it's like new" after saying the model was a KM140S, which means it couldn't be that new.

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## Roger Moss

None taken. I use a $15 netbook I got on craigslist. Economy is my close friend. Where I live are many people who think an awful lot of themselves. They drive BMW's and feel they're too important to pay for parking. BTW I like BMW's.

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## Jeff Mando

> At the risk of sounding really snooty, Craigslist (and the Internet in general) went downhill with the advent of pre-paid smartphones. 
> 
> (Now, having said that, I know many upstanding people who use pre-paid smartphones. That is in no way meant to be an all-encompassing statement, and I mean no offense to any pre-paid using non-knuckle staggers.)


I understand the classism implied, but to me that is kind of a blanket over almost every aspect of life -- cars, clothing, housing, hobbies, education, the "right" family background or friendships, working for the "right" firm, etc. -- take our hobby, for example, a $10K mandolin is a far cry from a scrapbook, stamps and some mucilage, isn't it?  But, the enjoyment might be equal to the different parties involved.  I digress, but what I meant was there were plenty of rude, ignorant sellers on Craigslist before smartphones were invented -- I know, I met a bunch of them trying to buy instruments (at least, the ones that would email back or return my call......) hee, hee......as far as having the credentials to sign up for eBay -- bank account, credit card, address etc. -- there are ways around all of that, of course.  The "beauty" of Craigslist was once the motivated seller, i.e., "I need to sell this yesterday!"  But, sometimes ya get a deal anyway, in spite of all this....

I should add that for years (before the internet and during) I ran an ad in several local free papers stating that I bought guitars and amps and I put my phone number on the ad.  Needless to say, I got some real dangerous characters calling me, and most of the time I passed on their instruments sight unseen over the phone, but once in a while I'd meet somebody at Walgreens and score pretty well.  The thrill of buying low is not without consequences!  Or stated another way, the selection is better at a vintage instrument shop, but the prices are better at the corner of healthy and happy...................... :Grin:

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MediumMando5722

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## jaycat

> I sometimes watch CList PC ads, a lot of them are fake, obviously way below market prices, they're just harvesting email addresses to spam.


"One summer when I was a kid, I worked as a picker in a spam harvest in the San Joaquin Valley. Boy, it sure was something. Hundreds of people, old and young, whole families workin' together. At night, after a day's work, we used to build big bonfires and sit around and sing to guitar music, till morning sometimes. You'd go to sleep and wake up and sing, and go to sleep again. Everybody had a wonderful time."

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Timbofood

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## Jeff Mando

> "One summer when I was a kid, I worked as a picker in a spam harvest in the San Joaquin Valley. Boy, it sure was something. Hundreds of people, old and young, whole families workin' together. At night, after a day's work, we used to build big bonfires and sit around and sing to guitar music, till morning sometimes. You'd go to sleep and wake up and sing, and go to sleep again. Everybody had a wonderful time."


Sounds like we had a similar upbringing, me, being one of 14 kids,n,all.........at 10 years old I could do the work of a grown man, all the callouses on my hands just helped me later in life with playing the mandolin, 16-18 hour days, no big deal, I guess we were poor, but rich in spirit............oh yeah, I had to walk 10 miles to go to school, but I could only attend when they didn't need me in the spam field..............

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jaycat

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## kkmm

Buying from CL has some advantages: you can see and feel the product you are buying, and usually cheaper than from eBay (mostly due to shipping). The downside is you have to setup appointment and drive to the seller, sometimes to find that the product is not as good as you expected.

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## Bill Kammerzell

> http://dayton.craigslist.org/msg/5561208206.html
> 
> If you don't feel like clicking, the ad reads:
> 
> "I got a Kentucky a style mandolin very nice good condition brand new strings call or text for info and pics $100 or obo or trade for electric guitar"
> 
> No pics in the ad.
> 
> When I click the reply button, it only gives email contact, despite the seller's request for a text or call. I emailed him twice, no response either time. The first email was within maybe an hour of the ad being posted. I'm in the market for a mandolin, have both $100 and a cheap electric guitar I'd offer for trade. 
> ...


I have sold there and still do, but with little success. Won't buy there, any longer. Last time was a female, who I could only reach by voicemail or text. Buying microphone and stand. She wanted me to meet her at a mall parking lot for the purchase. I texted, "Should I bring my amp and a generator to try out the microphone?" She never replied back.

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## Jeff Mando

> "Should I bring my amp and a generator to try out the microphone?"


Classic stuff!

Here's the other side of the coin -- years ago I worked for a used record store and we advertised that we bought collections and made house calls.  I was one of the buyers.  A nice lady answered the door, said they are in the bedroom under the bed in boxes, I start to go through the records to see what she has.  Half hour later her husband walks in, we are both sitting on the bed, perfectly innocent, of course, but it still was an awkward moment for a second or two.......... :Disbelief:

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## Jess L.

> ... years ago I worked for a used record store and we advertised that we bought collections and made house calls.  I was one of the buyers.  A nice lady answered the door, said they are in the bedroom under the bed in boxes, I start to go through the records to see what she has.  Half hour later her husband walks in, we are both sitting on the bed, perfectly innocent, of course, but it still was an awkward moment for a second or two..........


 :Grin:   :Laughing:

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## ollaimh

i like craigslist. sure it's full of badly worded ads with terrible or no pictures, but those are the ads that might be something the seller doesn't know the value of, and few buyers investigate.  i have bought several great instruments from such ads.  for example a fantastic sounding student lute by the guy who literally wrote the book on renaisanice lute construction.  robert lundberg.  the seller spelled it r. linber.  i thought who else could it be. bad pictures but the style of a lundberg lute. sent a friend over and presto--it was a lundberg for 300 bucks with a hard shell case(lute cases are costly).  so while iwas playing lute for a few years i had a great player.  several early music people i knew saw the ad but didn't believe anyone who couldn't spell or take decent pictures would possibly have a real lute. worse than pre paid cell phone snobs.

so i look closely ate poorlyworded ads with terrible picures.  ya never know--my typing is terrible--a few people think that means i'm a dummy although i have three university degrees have taught my self two extra languages and paly a dozen musical instruments.  ya never know.

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## JeffD

I have bought from ebay, craigslist, and café classifieds. Not a lot. I am not a shopper. Not a representative sample. Of all of them the interaction with the guy on the classifieds was the easiest and most comfortable. At the same time the best mandolin I own, and the best I am ever likely to own, I bought from craigslist.

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## Denny Gies

At the risk of being thrown out of the mandolin community, what do you do with a person who still has a land line at home?  Specifically, me.................

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Timbofood

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## Jeff Mando

> i like craigslist. sure it's full of badly worded ads with terrible or no pictures, but those are the ads that might be something the seller doesn't know the value of, and few buyers investigate.  i have bought several great instruments from such ads.  for example a fantastic sounding student lute by the guy who literally wrote the book on renaisanice lute construction.  robert lundberg.  the seller spelled it r. linber.  i thought who else could it be. bad pictures but the style of a lundberg lute. sent a friend over and presto--it was a lundberg for 300 bucks with a hard shell case(lute cases are costly).  so while iwas playing lute for a few years i had a great player.  several early music people i knew saw the ad but didn't believe anyone who couldn't spell or take decent pictures would possibly have a real lute. worse than pre paid cell phone snobs.
> 
> so i look closely ate poorlyworded ads with terrible picures.  ya never know--my typing is terrible--a few people think that means i'm a dummy although i have three university degrees have taught my self two extra languages and paly a dozen musical instruments.  ya never know.


Not really a craigslist vs. eBay debate, in fact, I actually prefer to buy my vintage instruments at yard sales and flea markets for pennies on the dollar!!!  Same with pawn shops -- even though they can "look it up" on eBay, I still manage to find gold once in a while.  I will say the first week craigslist started, I bought two 1969 Fender Precision basses (from two different individuals) both for very good prices, so no complaints there  :Cool: ......I guess what bugs me about craigslist is that it is totally up to the seller to decide if they want to return my email or call me -- which is their right, of course, BUT -- if I am the first to respond, I feel I should get first chance at it -- but it never seems to work that way due to seller laziness, slow response, or no response at all????  I personally find that WEIRD and unbusinesslike.  Like ya say, sometimes there is still a good deal at the end of the rainbow if you can deal with all that bs.   :Mandosmiley:   WITH EBAY, there is more of a democracy, as such.  If you are the first to hit the Buy It Now, it's YOURS!  And on top of that you have a "contract" with eBay to back you up.  Now, I have had sellers renege on eBay sales, due to underpricing and refund my money -- and there is nothing you can do about it, except cry!  :Crying:

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## LadysSolo

Denny, you are not the only one with a land line. I live so far out that my cell phone (for work) does not work at my house. I have to go a mile down the road either direction to (sometimes) get reception. Or sometimes if the weather pattern is perfect and I stand at the corner of the garage (outside) facing northeast, I may get reception. But usually I have to go at least 3 miles in any direction to get reliable reception.

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## Timbofood

Ahh, Jaycat! I am at a loss for a Bogart (film) quote to either complinpment or surpass yours!
Save possibly, " I used to drink my champagne cold as Valley Forge with three or four ponies of brandy under it!" General Sternwood
I have enjoyed that cocktail and declare it at once delicious and devilish!
Land line $20 flip phone, iPad. That's about it.

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