People who have never used it say Craigslist is dead. I’m here to tell you it still works about the same as ever.

This Remington Portable typewriter from the early 1920s fetched me $35 using Craigslist under the Antiques category. It took a few weeks, which requires me to refresh the post about once a week, which takes maybe a minute.

Vintage 1922 Remington Portable Typewriter, $45 cash, trade. Very early model. It’s not the ‘one shift key’ model but the serial number shows it to be only the 400th or so machine manufactured with dual shift keys, and in the same year of the changeover.
Sadly, although all keys work, and platen goes correctly left-to-right, it no longer rotates. Probably easily repaired, parts available, 400,000 were made.
Crack in corner of wood case could be fixed.
These are highly collectible cult machines among typewriter aficionados and this one is an old one. Shiny.
Trade for bass guitar, bongos, 420…
Respond here to come get it.

It came to me by inheritance, and didn’t sell in the estate sales. It has no sentimental value to me and I’m not a collector so free money it is.

Requires dusting and cleaning, refreshing the CL ad, and answering the few, usually but not always unserious, inquiries.

But that’s OK, you are looking for that connoisseur of value who appreciates the fine thing you’re selling. Too bad about the tire-kickers and low-ballers, they miss out.

Correct and realistic pricing is important. Used items are usually 30% – 60% off box store prices. For old or antique items web searches can narrow down what you should ask.

No need to weaken your bargaining position by saying OBO, that’s understood, it’s Craigslist, Jake. Consider honest offers and trades, unless you’re really strapped.

Likewise with this nice old OLP electric bass guitar. I’d tried to sell it before on CL for $235 and got zero offers.

So this time I lowered my asking price to $200- still more than I paid. But that’s OK, what are we, communists?

This ad post was also online for several weeks if not many weeks. But it’s not too onerous to refresh the ad to bring it to the top of the listing.

A good thing too as aged posts that require excess scrolling and pages do not get many responses, I can tell you.

Craigslist keeps your post up for a month. Easy to repost too but consider why the sale is taking so long. Maybe lower your asking.

It goes without saying you want your item shined up, made as functional as possible and photographed as sharply and colorfully as your cell phone allows.

And a well written post cuts down on inquiry requests: “OLP (Officially Licensed Product) 4-string Stingray clone bass guitar for sale.
Out of business for some years now, OLP was the only manufacturer ever allowed to use the shape and look of the renowned and expensive EBMM (Ernie Ball Music Man) Stingray guitars and basses.
Shape, controls, pickguard and 3-on-one-side-1-on-the-other tuners are the same as the Stingray, though the OLP has passive pickups, no battery needed.
Always kept in the included gig bag, the condition is great with only the lightest of wear, great professional setup and intonation.
Near new D’Adarrio bright roundwound string set.
Built to EBMM specs with basswood body, North American maple neck and real rosewood fretboard &amp. White dot fret markers.
Chrome hardware, two volumes, single tone control, open tuners. EBMM Stingray-style huge humbucking pickup
To hear it and play it come to Roseville where I have it set up with a nice amp. Or we can meet in a neutral location.
$200 cash only, you pick up in Roseville. No checks, cards or shipping, and I don’t need help selling. Trade for short-scale or piccolo bass, tenor guitar, 420.
Respond here and I’ll text you my address so you can try it out.”

Some hyperbole above but basically honest. Yes, you can buy a brand new Fender Squire Precision bass online for $220. But OTOH some volks like old things with some history, especially if they sound as good as new and look sharp.

Have faith if your stuff doesn’t sell, sometimes it takes a while. OTOH consider lowering the price if you get no action long term. In fact a nice man named Dennis bought the OLP bass today for $125 cash, no salesmanship needed.

I paid $150 for it years back but I’m ready for a different sound now and ready to move on from it. His was the only response but one is all you need if they have cash in hand.

Yes, the stereotype of the flaky Craigslist buyer and seller has its origin in fact. Too often no-shows, low-balling, attempted scams and time wasting tire-kickers make CL ad posting a pain to use. But it can work.

Based in beautiful San Francisco, and free except for city of SF employment advertisements, Craigslist is anonymous, safe, super easy to use, tax free and very liberal. So give it a try before you resort to a soul eating, privacy destroying pariah like Facebook.

Unless noted, all text and images by todgermanica.com.