odd little bean

the current purging season in our home has reignited a debate that nicholas and i had almost 2 years ago.

the great craigslist debate.

shortly after i met nicholas, i was in the market for some furniture.  i found the couches of my dreams (fancy apple green nubby wool ones from softline) for $600/couch or $1,000 for both.  CRAZY GOOD DEAL!  i was debating whether i needed one or two while i was on iChat with nicholas.  while i hemmed and hawed, he asked me the million dollar question.  “how much,” he asked, “are you going to offer him?”

silence.

“what do you mean how much am i going to offer him?  he said he wants $600 for one or $1,000 for both.”

and hence the debate began.

i have used CL to buy and sell stuff since about 2001.  i’ve bought surfboards, chairs, tables, concert tickets, and video games, just to name a few.  i’ve sold mattresses, desks, televisions, tables, couches, and pretty much anything that is so heavy i don’t want to drag it with me when i move.  i had never, in my eight years of craigslisting, asked someone if they would accept less money for their items OR received less money than i asked for.  why would i barter?  there’s a bartering category for that.  why would i assume the prices weren’t firm?  if a price isn’t firm i expect someone to write “obo” after the price.  one time i listed a mattress for $50 and when the person came to pick it up she notified me that she felt bad paying me that little when the mattress was in such good condition.  she slipped me an extra $20 before happily driving away.

nicholas, on the other hand, had never paid “full price” for anything on CL.  when my twin sees a table listed for $75, he sees a table that he can buy for $50. reciprocally, nicholas has never received his full asking price when he sells things.  my twin’s strategy is to list something for a high price (expecting someone to low-ball him), then when it doesn’t sell said thing he proceeds to re-list it with REDUCED written in the title so people think they’re getting a super-sweet deal and will only knock him down a small smidge more.

is it a tale of two cities/states/regions?  do people in the midwest simply approach CL differently than people on the west coast?  my twin thinks that everyone bargains, but that i just habitually list everything too low which is why people don’t bargain with me.  i think he is a craigslist anomaly and habitually lists everything too high (which he admits to doing) resulting in people offering him less.   what is the story?  is bargaining acceptable on CL?  which one of us is in the right?

i would love your thoughts.

incidentally, since moving to ohio i HAVE noticed that people seem to be unwilling to pay my posted prices, which has caused me to up-price everything.  also, with the help of my twin, i bought both of those couches from CL in boston — $750 for the pair! DAMN i love a good bargain…