how not to get craigslist-killer-ed.

i think i mentioned in one of the bathroom posts that we were selling some of the less gross items from our old guest bathroom. out of everything we tore out of there (which was everything) there were just a couple things that were still in good shape, but just not the right pieces for us. specifically, the vanity cabinet/sink, and the light.

having a yardsale didnt make any sense at all since those were the only two things we had to sell, so i decided to see how easy it would be to list them on craigslist. the answer? incredibly easy. once i took my pictures, i think it took me maybe 20 minutes to make the two listings. this ease of use, however, is exactly why its so easy for internet crazies to post fake listings and then do bad things, a la Craigslist Killers.

but now that i'm a surviving craigslist veteran (we sold the vanity last night!) i figured i would share with you all some of the tips that i picked up on my successful adventure of using craigslist without getting killed.

1. be the seller. the chances of you showing up to a random run-down shack with hopes of scoring an immaculate vintage armoire for $5 and instead being greeted at the door by a dirty maniac with a gun are going to be greatly lessened if you're not actually going anywhere. make them come to you.

2. be discretionary. dont put all (or any!) of your contact information in the product listing. give your address to as few people as possible. and if you are creeped out by the guy who demands your phone number right off the bat, go ahead and just delete his email.

3. dont be home alone. safety in numbers and all that. also, the chances of you having to help load a two-ton vanity cabinet into a pickup truck are greatly lessened. many hands make light work!

4. if you are home alone, have a just-in-case contact. many thanks to my sister for this suggestion. having a local friend who knew that someone was coming to my house and that they should call for help if they didnt hear from me by a certain time made me much less leery about the whole process. Dan the vanity man turned out to be a very nice guy and nothing bad happened, but it made me feel safer to know that someone had my back just in case.

5. arrange a meeting place. if you're selling something small or easy to transport, offer to meet halfway. not only will you look like a really thoughtful person, but you also get the added benefit of not having to tell random strangers on the internet where you live.

6. dont use craigslist. probably the most obvious way to avoid the fear of being craigslist-killer-ed is to just not use the service. there are plenty of other ways to search for and buy and sell junk. check out yardsales, consignment stores, goodwill, or salvation army if the whole craigslist process skeeves you out.

now go forth and sell your junk safely!

PS the vanity light is still available if anyone is interested...