I just survived my first CL meet-up

zsazsa-stl · August 2012

But it wasn't THAT kind of meet-up.

I put a light fixture for sale there. It was in the dining room of this house when we bought it and it is a huge Victorian monstrosity. It's pretty, just NMS. And I'm tired of it collecting dust in the garage, so I put it out at the garage sale but also gave it it's own CL ad. So a lady e-mailed me yesterday and said she would stop by this afternoon.

Lady stood in my garage and complained about the heat for 40 minutes (do you have a fan I could turn on in here?). And then decided not to take the fixture. Well, she said she would think about it but only wants to pay $30 when I was asking $100. She says it is a reproduction. I think the shade and brass is original but the "oil lamp" base part of it is a reproduction. The shade even has a manufactured and "1886" on the lip of the glass, but she says that someone just wrote that there to fool people. I don't think she was accusing me, but oh well. Lady, it is hot and I have a job to get back to. Make up your mind!

So if she calls back and wants it for $30 do I let her have it? Or do I send it to the thrift shop out of spite?

She did offer to buy three books that I had in the give-away pile, so I got $6 out of our little visit.

zsazsa-stl · August 2012

Here is the lamp:

zsazsa-stl · August 2012

Why so tiny? Weird.

pegasuskat · August 2012

If she called back and offered $30, I would say I will take $75, that way she feels like you came down but I think $30 is to cheap.

VarunaTT · August 2012

$30 is too cheap, BUT...do you want it continuing to sit in your garage collecting dust or would you rather have $30?

And if she's calls back, it's not a reproduction, so I'd haggle up to a number I really wanted. $75 or $60.

GBCK · August 2012

I'd thrift it before I dealt w/ $30, personally.

But I"m spiteful.

Wzz · August 2012

i'm with GBCK. that lady sounds like a nightmare. turn on a fan? screw you and go away, lady.

zsazsa, i would like lessons on being nice to people. i would have tried to get her to leave the second she started complaining it was a replica.

i wouldnt be surprised if it were worth something and she knew this. can you take it to an antique shop for their opinion?

*Barbie* · August 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_i-just-survived-my-first-cl-meet-up?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:a97d12af-3bdb-48df-8c0e-0d5b8a7bbef9Post:afb2e687-cd48-4d32-8133-f15c3018ab16">Re: I just survived my first CL meet-up</a>:
[QUOTE]i'm with GBCK. that lady sounds like a nightmare. turn on a fan? screw you and go away, lady. zsazsa, i would like lessons on being nice to people. i would have tried to get her to leave the second she started complaining it was a replica. i<strong> wouldnt be surprised if it were worth something and she knew this. can you take it to an antique shop for their opinion?</strong>
Posted by Wzz[/QUOTE]
i was thinking the same thing.

emeejeeayen · August 2012

This is somewhat unrelated, but there have been a series of craigslist muggings here in the bay area the past month. Apparently some doods keep luring different people to buy expensive-ish things (but pay cash) just to rob them at gun point. The news keeps saying there has been one robbery a day for the past month?

...not to frighten anyone or anything...

Heffalump · August 2012

I say you hang onto that puppy until Antiques Roadshow is somewhere within driving distance. Then she can see it on there and kick herself for not snapping it up when she did.

Barring that, I'd probably do thrift shop spite.

GBCK · August 2012

I'd rather have some random thrift-store scrounger make a killing at something super-valuable (while you get a $100 tax write off) than deal w/ people who over-haggle. (offering $70 = reasonable. offering $30 is insulting)

VarunaTT · August 2012

GB, those thrift stores never do any research into what they have. MIL works one of the humane society thrift stores and snaps stuff up for family all the time. She grabbed a Le Crueset casserole dish that had been labeled $10.

She did not give it to me. I am still bitter.

Anyway, she said that they're just there to make the $, they aren't really interested in trying to get the "best" price b/c that also requires finding the right customer. They're not waiting around to make $, they need it now.

GBCK · August 2012

yeah...I know last year there was a goodwill that found out they had a dhali print that was probably $$$...

They did a silent auction of it for like $100 (instead of the $10 it was marked and the 5k it was worth)--and said that part of the joy of thrifting is that you can get stuff like that--it was their job to give back to the people who shopped there.

Which...kudos for them.

I want to steal your MIL's finds

zsazsa-stl · August 2012

And the plot thickens...i just got another interested person e-mail and offer $50. Do I reply and deal with another looky-loo taking up my afternoon?

GBCK · August 2012

Is there any way you can scope out what this thing might actually be worth?

zsazsa-stl · August 2012

I've "followed" ebay sales of these things off an on for a few years and they sell on there for $200+ although most of them go unsold. There are similar ones in an antique store near here that are priced at $300, but the store guy told me that they had been there forever. They just arent' very popular right now so he wasn't willing to buy one off me even for a very low price.

But if mine is a reproduction and all of those really date to gas lamp times, then it is logical that mine wouldn't be worth as much. But it is still a pretty light fixture, old or not.

GBCK · August 2012

If she'll actually take it for $50, it might be worth it. But I'd be tempted to e-mail her back and say you're firm at $75 being the lowest you can go, you're available between 2 and 3 if she's interested.

I just survived my first CL meet-up

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