1 of 1- overwood
- Speed Champion
Offline - From: Midwest
- Registered: 10-11-2018
- Posts: 285
Craigslist jerk vent
Been looking for an SM3 locally, as its really the only machine left that I have a desire to try and I'm not interested in large shipping fees or the price they often go for on SGW. They are not common where I live. After 3 years, the first one finally came up on Craigslist last Thursday, and it was my favorite typewriter color: brown. I called within hours of the ad being posted and was the first caller. The seller lives 30 miles away and I drive to that town every Saturday. So I told him where I live, asked him if he would hold it till Saturday, and he said yes, I gave him my name and number and asked him to call if any complications came up.
Knowing what jerks people on Craigslist can be, I made sure to call him Friday evening and let him know that I'm not one of those Craigslist jerks who stands people up, and I still planned to come Saturday. Now he hems and haws and says someone else is coming to look at it. I reminded him that he said he would hold it for a mere 48 hours, and he says "well its first come first serve." I hung up certain that the other guy would take it and pretty much gave it up for lost.
But something made me call the guy back Saturday. He didn't answer. But as soon as I hung up he called back and said my name, and said "you're still interested in the typewriter"? We arranged to meet in an hour.
Just before I left home I noticed he had jacked the price up $10 on his ad!!! I now had very low expectations of this deal going well but he managed to exceed my low expectaions, going even lower than I imagined.
I walked in and he had several machines but, of course, not the one I came for. I asked him where the brown one was and he said very casually "Oh some other guy came by and took that one."
Before he even finished the sentence I had turned around and walked out the door. He calls after me "Oh did you want that one?" 
I could have, and would have, driven the 30 miles sooner if he hadn't said he would hold it until Saturday. And he never gave a hint when I called him Saturday that it was already gone. I've dealt with a lot of Craigslist jerks before but this one takes the cake.
Post your Craigslist jerk vent! 
- ESC4P3
- Platen Punisher
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- Registered: 27-1-2023
- Posts: 75
Re: Craigslist jerk vent
I feel your pain Overwood. Pretty much why I dislike people in general. I absolutely would not buy from this person regardless of what transpires in the future. I wish I was willing to sell my recently acquired burgundy SM3, but I like it too much. I do have an SM7 that i will be selling soon if you have any interest in those. I’m not gelling with that one despite its excellent condition. Hang in there, i’m seeing a lot of decent SM3s going for reasonable money on shopgoodwill, if you only want an SM3. That’s where I got mine. My SM7 was a local pick-up on Facebook Marketplace.
- ESC4P3
- Platen Punisher
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- Registered: 27-1-2023
- Posts: 75
Re: Craigslist jerk vent
I have not seen a brown SM3 on shopgoodwill in the short time I’ve been watching, but I absolutely love the burgundy color I have with the burgundy/brown keys/knobs.
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
Offline
- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,396
Re: Craigslist jerk vent
When I was collecting & selling vintage Martin acoustic guitars a few years back, I pretty much gave up on Craigslist.
I had too many "no shows" even confirming the morning prior to a meet-up.
And others where I was firm on asking price before the meet-up and the buyer knew that only to have a buyer come offering only 50-60% of my firm price.
I also used the lobbies or parking lots of local police dept buildings for our meet-ups...which might have had something to do with the no-shows... 
- overwood
- Speed Champion
Offline
- From: Midwest
- Registered: 10-11-2018
- Posts: 285
Re: Craigslist jerk vent
ESC4P3 wrote:
I feel your pain Overwood. Pretty much why I dislike people in general. I absolutely would not buy from this person regardless of what transpires in the future. I wish I was willing to sell my recently acquired burgundy SM3, but I like it too much. I do have an SM7 that i will be selling soon if you have any interest in those. I’m not gelling with that one despite its excellent condition. Hang in there, i’m seeing a lot of decent SM3s going for reasonable money on shopgoodwill, if you only want an SM3. That’s where I got mine. My SM7 was a local pick-up on Facebook Marketplace.
I have 2 SM9's so thanks but no thanks. I don't need any more typewriters and I don't collect just to collect. The SM3 is just the only one left I want to try and I don't find the prices on SGW reasonable anymore when you factor in shipping. And if I spend a lot of time on SGW shopping for that one perfectly priced one I will end up buy a dozen others I don't want or need.
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Thread Starter- overwood
- Speed Champion
Offline
- From: Midwest
- Registered: 10-11-2018
- Posts: 285
Re: Craigslist jerk vent
I have not seen a brown SM3 on shopgoodwill in the short time I’ve been watching, but I absolutely love the burgundy color I have with the burgundy/brown keys/knobs.
No it was like a miracle that one finally came up locally AND if it was my favorite color AND I was the first caller AND the twerp said he would hold it for me for all of 48 hours.
I'm pretty sure I know who got it too, there has been a local guy advertising typewriters regularly (I have to wade through notifications for his ads every other day because he renews them that often) and the paper did a story on him. He has a bunch of crappy machines for sale at all times so I'm sure he couldn't pass up buying a good one for 50 bucks. He will probably turn around and advertise it now for at least twice that.
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Thread Starter