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Question about seling photo equipments on Craiglist

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KhanhNg

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I need a little input here, as I've never sold anything on Craiglist or eBay or anywhere. I've decided that I will sell my stuff on Craiglist. I rather meet the buyer face-to-face. I know that I should not accept anything except cash only, meet the buyer at a public place, and bring my wife along. One thing I am concerned about is the transfer of cash. I will not accept less than $100 bill. How do I tell if the cash is counterfeit? Man...I wish I am a banker. :-( Am I too freaked out? Please gibe me some good input.

Thanks guys/gals

Ohh...I will be selling my trusted and beautiful 70-200 VR1. I just upgraded to a D700
 
Since $100 bills are the most frequently counterfeited denomination, why not specify small($20 or smaller)bills?
--
-KB-
 
As you are meeting one on one, the anonymity disappears and you are less likely to get a fake than a store cashier. In any case just look up some of the ways to detect counterfeits - watermark, security thread, microprint, texture. There's also the counterfeit pen detector, which only does a simple test on the type of paper.
 
Trust your gut. I don't usually sell much but did sell my 70-200 VRI on Craigslist and accepted a portion in cash and remainder (bulk) in a check. I did ask to make a copy of his drivers license and he didn't hesitate. Check was fine.

Honestly, cash in any denomination is fine and nothing wrong with 5's, 10's, 20's, as long as they add up to the total :-)
--



http://www.flickr.com/photos/22388579@N08/
 
I've both sold and purchased camera equipment on Craigslist and have not had any trouble. Just got to let the ole gut feeling kick in. Don't forget the buyer is taking just as much risk as you are. For all he knows the camera could fall apart as soon as you drive away. For what its worth I think the pen you mark a bill with to make sure its not counterfeit is a good idea. Just be careful as some people may be offended by your using one. Just my 2 cents!
 
With all due respect to other posters, since when is "gut feeling" a good indicator of anything. If you are psychic, then i concede the point. However, . . . studies show " that highly intuitive subjects made decisions quickly but could not identify their rationale. Their level of accuracy, however, did not differ from that of nonintuitive subjects."

Your plan seems well-thought out, and you may even offer to meet your prospective buyer at a bank/credit union.

I've made limited transactions on Craigslist, face to face, public places, and would never take a check, or cashiers check, or money order, or travelors check.

Good Luck

GS
 
Thank you, Gary. I might take your idea of meeting the buyer at the bank.
 
Thank you, Steve. With all due respect, I don't trust my gut instint when it comes down to a $1600 lens :-)
 
I don't want to count all those 5s. :-) I can see myself being nervous and count $200 short. :-) That's why I like to see the $100 bills. I might consider the $20 bills though, with a few 5s thrown in.
 
I don't like eBay. I only buy from it. I don't like the feeling of sending my stuffs away without seeing the buyer. Good point though. eBay with Paypal is safe if you are comfortable with it.
 
Thanks. Great idea. I will search for that pen. Or maybe I will meet the buyer at the bank.
 
Good point KB. I have not seen the $100 bill yet, or I forgot how it looks like. $20 bills is fine. I just don't like counting small bills when I am nervous. :-)
 
KhanhNg said:
I don't like eBay. I only buy from it. I don't like the feeling of sending my stuffs away without seeing the buyer. Good point though. eBay with Paypal is safe if you are comfortable with it.
Click to expand...
Not sure why meeting the person makes you feel more comfortable. I've heard stories about people selling cars on Craig's list and getting mugged when the meet the prospective buyer. Not seeing them seems safer to me. :-)
--
Robin Casady
http://www.robincasady.com/Photo/index.html
 
I prefer selling my used photo equipment thru Amazon.com (Marketplace) - the ad, Amazon email access/support, and their payment handling make the commission I pay worthwhile. I have only sold used kayaks and fishing gear on Craigslist but the selling of expensive items seems a bit risky.
 
WHY DONT YOU MEET --AT-- YOUR BANK?
Then your banker can tell you.

Obviously they want your money, so theyll be glad to help out.
Otherwise get a new bank that will help.

If you aren't meeting during daylight banking hours then watch out for being robbed. ;-)

--

Sincerely,

GlobalGuyUSA
 
(Besides, your bank should have a security guard AND a security camera. Meanwhile, if you check someones bills in a parking lot or at his house and you find out they are counterfeit, you might have a bigger problem than the bills once you call him on it...).

--

Sincerely,

GlobalGuyUSA
 
If you've ever put a bill under a light, there's TONS of countermeasures to deter counterfeit.

for one there's text lining the pictures around the figures. Just read the oval ring, that's not a line, that's text.

Put the bill up to a light or the sun and you'll see ghosts of the picture and/or a bar that's been embedded in the bill itself.

OR

You can go to the store, buy a bill marker and actually mark the bills. if it's orange it's legit, if it goes dark, it's fake.

I've done tons of transactions on craigslist and as long as you meet in a public enough space, you're fine.

It's not like he's going to stab you and **** your wife in a taco bell during lunch hour.

Now if you say pick up at my house, or you meet in an empty lot, or in an alley, then it's sketchy.
 
However, the Taco Bell food might well do you in!

I'm a big fan of using eBay with paypal, I've never had an issue. And, the prices you get when you sell on eBay (at least Nikon stuff) more than makes up for the commission you pay. I've not bought or sold camera stuff via craigslist, although the purchases I have made have gone smoothly.
--
Bryan
 
I have heard of people meeting in publick place to perform the transaction, the buyer looks a the the item, smiles, and then sprints out the door leaving you with nothing.

Here is what I do to buy or sell a Craiglist item. I bring along a friend, the other buyer/seller is told to bring a friend also. We meet at McDonald's inside, I tell the buyer/seller to sit in a booth with him against the wall/window my friend sits in against him preventing him from leaving. I sit in the booth across from him against the wall/window, his friend then sits along side me. There is then positively no way the either him, or me, making a run with the lens or the money. It seems extreme, but do you want to talk to a few people who met in a proper place only to have a diamond ring snatched and the bad guy sprinted out the door.

Bob P.
 
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