A few months ago, someone told me about this craiglist.org place and I pretty much ignored it because it isn't very user friendly, there is nothing to protect you from a bad transaction and overall it just seemed a bit trashy to me. I guess I didn’t really give it very much of a chance. It might have had something to do with the police busting several people for selling sex on craigslist.org at that time.
Fast forward to me needing a giant work table or counter top for my new craft room and not having the full amount to buy it new at Home Depot right this very minute.
I was trying to decide on whether to just get some cheap folding tables to get me by and then having to spend more money later to get the counter and bases…or… waiting until about 2 months from now to blow the $300+ on the new stuff I wanted and living with piles of boxes until then.
Well, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I needed something to work on NOW. I am feeling restricted and held back. I need a place to create. I have been searching for months for that perfect set up for my new craft room. I knew the prices of just about every option that would work and a few dream scenarios as well :-)
I needed to be sturdy.
It needed to be
(or add up to) 10 feet long.
It needed to not go up very high
(as in a hutch because I have beautiful white metal pegboards that are going up on the wall above the work area.)
It needed to have room underneath to store additional supplies.
It needed to be a lot of things.
I am trying to 2500sqft of supplies in a 10x10 foot room, lolThe kitchen countertop and bases were my first choice.
2 large, 5 foot desks with straight legs and nothing underneath them was my second choice.
I was doing a search on the internet for 5foot tables and came across one on the New Orleans Craigslist. So, I thought, why not look.
After wading thru tons of listings, I found a couple of things that might have been a possibility. Then, I found them…3 base units for the countertop at $75 for the trio. These were $69.80 each at Home depot right now. The counter is $89.99.
I emailed the guy and asked a few questions, he answered back and then I had to break the news to my SO that his last day off was going to have to be spent driving out to take a look at these cabinets. It didn’t go over well as he has already placed an embargo on the house and I wasn’t allowed to bring anything else in. I don’t think he was getting the fact, that this was going to get rid of the piles of boxes. I have no where to organize or store my scrapbooking, rubber stamping, paper making, book making, book binding, altered books, photography, metalsmithing, sewing and various other craft items right now…much less anywhere to work on them.
We borrowed my parents van and went out there. The maple cabinets looked brand new. Come to find out, he hadn’t actually used them for anything other than a place to set a countertop to hold his computer.
And Oh-by-the-way the 10 foot countertop was for sale as well. He wanted $20 for it.
My, until this time very grouchy and uncooperative SO, surprised me and said ok and handed him the cash. They loaded it up and off we went. I was still kind of in shock and somewhat delirious at the same time
(the heat could have had something to do with it too ;-) I had just gotten the optimum set-up for my craft room for $95, instead of $300.
(granted the counter was that nasty grey fleck stuff instead of white, but at this point I really didn’t care, maybe it can be painted?)
Hmmmmmmmmm… Craigslist.org might not be such a bad place after all…
A few notes about dealing with people on craigslist:Always deal in a cash only basis.Make sure you see and inspect the actual item, before you buy it.Always bring a buddy, don't meet someone alone.Go in the daytime, not in the dark. This should be common sense.It's much better to deal locally only, this is what Craigslist was intended for. There are other sites that cater to selling and shipping things all over the world like eBay.
