Gosh, I love craigslist. I was realizing as I tried to bargain for this desk just how CHEAP it has made me. I was able to get
the desk for $40. I was also recognizing that, for some reason, I seem to have much more patience with CL than most other things in my life. I can see how it would drive some people crazy trying to sift through not-so-great photos, descriptions, etc. Sort of how shopping for clothes at TJ Maxx usually feels to me. I wish I had more patience for it...especially when I see friends in adorable things from there. I guess it is that 'amazing find' that keeps you going and brings you back. Or, at least, that is how CL is to me :)
Look at the pictures from the original post (you can see the white top here)...
I just try to picture this without the trash bag hanging from it, the broken fire alarm removed, and the box of diapers not sitting underneath it :)
If I had to give a few CL searching tips, here is what I would say...
1. If you are thinking about wanting to find some stuff on CL, make sure you have
an app to retrieve pictures when you do your search. I would hate CL if I didn't have one of these.
Krissy and I used to use Craiglook, but it was shut down. That was a sad, sad day for us. I recently stumbled across
Search Tempest which seems like a great alternative. This site has a better user interface than CL, and you can enter in how far you would travel to get the item you are looking for. I find this to be an awesome feature because depending on how much I want the item usually determines how far I would travel. Plus, that feature also helps search different CL areas all within one search. For example, I usually search the Hudson Valley CL; however, we are close enough that I will also run searches on NYC. This site will combine those two diff CL areas into one search result if both areas are within the mileage you selected.
On my iPhone (more to come on that), I am LOVING CraigsPro+! Incredible app.
2. Remember you can always ask for a better price. The worst they can say is no. When I first started buying off CL, I felt like I was getting such good deals that I never asked for a better deal. Now I always do, and it has usually worked out in our favor.
3. Some items go VERY QUICKLY. So, if you really like something, get in touch with the seller right away.
I hope you enjoy CL as much as I do :)
Just like I did with the red desk, I used a mixture of vinegar and table salt to clean the brass up. I don't know how much of each I used, but I basically filled a 9x13 glass pan with enough vinegar to cover the hardware and then I put a decent amount of salt in....maybe 1/8 cup? I let it soak for a while, but it still wasn't looking as bright and shiny as I wanted it to. I decided, since this piece was free and not 'precious' to me, I would use an SOS pad to help me get some of the grime/tarnish off of the hardware.
